Once the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all prepared, Xiao He took care of the rest of the process himself.

Although Qiu Zhenlong was probably just trying to make things difficult for him, Xiao He was not discouraged. Instead, he sat down obediently and began to grind ink with practiced ease.

So Xiao He, who had been practicing hard under Teacher Wen Yuan's guidance for more than a week, is now finally able to fully demonstrate the results of his intensive training.

The young man in front of everyone was calm and focused, preparing his work at a leisurely pace, as if he didn't care about the judges at all.

At that moment, he was completely immersed in his own world.

No one can disturb you.

Those around them instinctively held their breath, intently watching the scene unfold before them—

A few minutes later, several judges marveled at Xiao He's calligraphy.

The judges who participated in the final selection of roles were all influential figures. Among them were directors like Qiu Zhenlong who had been assigned to the project, producers from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in charge of production, and the person in charge from Jingyou Entertainment. In addition, there were several historical consultants and scriptwriters related to historical dramas.

So if I had to say something, the scene wasn't a one-man show by Qiu Zhenlong or Jingyou Entertainment.

Especially the senior scholars sitting next to him, who were technical consultants sent by the relevant associations. After all, if you want to film a historical documentary based on historical facts, there are many intricacies involved, and it requires a high level of expertise. If Qiu Zhenlong had to handle these issues on his own without their supervision, he would have been under tremendous pressure.

One of the elderly scholars, who specializes in the history of Emperor Chen and is also the vice president of the calligraphy association, put on his reading glasses for the first time when he saw the indistinguishable handwriting in front of him. He stroked the Xuan paper and observed it carefully. If you looked closely, you could even see that his hands were trembling slightly.

In the end, all that could be heard was him muttering to himself, "Good calligraphy, good calligraphy, it's exactly the same! The characters are similar, the spirit is similar, it's as if Emperor Chen is alive. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes... I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"Is this real? Did you really write these words just now?"

The screenwriter who had been crying hadn't wiped away his tears yet, and his eyes were still red. But staring at the Xuan paper in front of him, his red eyes widened again, looking incredulous.

Meanwhile, several elderly scholars nearby had already left their seats and were whispering amongst themselves, their faces flushed with excitement. Xiao He was afraid they might suddenly faint.

Even Qiu [N O V E L I G H T] Zhenlong stared at the characters for a long time, then, disbelieving, reached out to touch the ink to confirm that it was indeed written by Xiao He in front of everyone. However, the old scholar next to him slapped his hand: "Hey, don't touch it! The ink isn't dry yet! Do you want to ruin this work?"

"Go away, get out of here! You really don't know how to respect other people's hard work!"

"Vulgar fellow! He's in the way!"

"Excuse me, move aside, don't block my way."

"Have you finished reading? If you have, show it to me so I can study it—"

The old scholars were merciless in their criticism, their disdain for Qiu Zhenlong was palpable, and they all craned their necks, wanting to see Xiao He's work. Qiu Zhenlong was almost pushed aside along with his chair.

But Qiu Zhenlong didn't dare offend these big shots he had invited one by one, so he could only cough dryly to save face, move his seat, and pretend he hadn't heard anything.

Actually, he doesn't know much about calligraphy.

Although he is getting old and works within the system, his refined hobbies are mainly chess and tea drinking. He doesn't know much about calligraphy and painting, so he really doesn't understand the shock these old guys felt when they saw this piece of calligraphy.

However, anyone with eyes can see that this handwriting is excellent, and the original is still hanging downstairs. Qiu Zhenlong has pretended to look at it a few times, and the impression is still very deep.

Seeing Qiu Zhenlong suffer a setback, Xiao He stood still, silently thanking Yun Ziqi for his "assistance" once again.

Great, that's really great!

He went to great lengths to acquire the original artwork to curry favor with the production team, but unexpectedly, it directly helped him promote his work.

Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of the older scholars, Qiu Zhenlong dared not nitpick any longer. Looking at the high score of 98 he had personally written on the evaluation form, he had to admit that this young man was very suitable for the role.

Well, those two points were deducted from his initial impression, after all, the previous few popular celebrities who came were really of extremely poor quality...

Okay, then I'll add another point and consider it.

Having been overwhelmed by the other popular celebrities who arrived that morning, Qiu Zhenlong reluctantly acknowledged Xiao He at this moment.

At least the other party is truly capable.

"Very good, go back and wait for news."

Qiu Zhenlong concluded.

Xiao He then stood up, bowed to the judges to express his gratitude, and prepared to leave.

Just as he placed his hand on the door handle, someone called him from behind.

"Um, Xiao He! Is that his name?"

Xiao He turned his head and saw that it was the scholar who had been holding onto the words he was writing and refusing to let go.

The elderly scholar wore loose-fitting reading glasses, and his hair was already gray, but his face was always smiling, looking exceptionally kind. He was clearly the kind of respected elder: "Can I have your calligraphy?"

"Of course, no problem."

Xiao He nodded in agreement.

He never intended to leave.

"Then let's exchange contact information! It's clear that you have a deep understanding of Emperor Chen's calligraphy. We can discuss it in more depth when we have time in the future."

Huh? The examiners asked for my contact information during the exam?

What kind of magical turn of events is this?

However, having the opportunity to win over the judges would definitely be a good choice.

He reached into his pocket and then said apologetically to the old man, "I'm sorry, I can't bring my phone into the venue. Could you please tell me your phone number so I can contact you when I get my phone back?"

"Yes, yes."

Without saying a word, the old scholar tore off the evaluation sheet next to him and quickly wrote down his contact information: "My surname is Qian. Contact me anytime after you go back, and I'll take you to visit our association later."

Qiu Zhenlong looked at the torn-off score sheet and his lips twitched:...No, who told you to just tear this thing up?

Xiao He quickly stepped forward and respectfully accepted the note from him with both hands: "Thank you, Elder Qian."

"It's okay, it's okay, be sure to contact me when you get back."

Mr. Qian nodded with a smile, occasionally lowering his head to admire the calligraphy in his hand, uttering exclamations of praise.

Qiu Zhenlong suspected that if this weren't an audition, Mr. Qian would probably have already taken out his phone to take pictures and post them on his WeChat Moments. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Oh, no, I should say I've already pulled someone aside to talk about calligraphy.

Xiao He, however, was quite embarrassed when he saw the few words on the note, written in a flamboyant and highly skilled style.

Oh no, the imposter has met the real deal.

Others might not know and think he was putting on airs, but only he knows that he really can only write a few words!

Without any reference points to imitate, his own handwriting is far from reaching the level of a "work of art".

His hastily acquired calligraphy knowledge was simply no match for discussing calligraphy with such a master and senior!

If we chatted a little longer, I guarantee I'd be exposed in no time.

But... things have come to this point, let's establish a connection first.

Yun Ziqi caused so much trouble recently, and was fiercely boycotted by drama fans and history buffs. It even caused the audition for "The Imperial Empire" to be postponed until after the new year. Given Qiu Zhenlong's personality, he definitely won't keep Yun Ziqi until the end.

As a result, he still made it into the final round of the recommendation slots.

This is enough to demonstrate the value of the genuine artwork he sent over.

Judging from Director Qiu's attitude, could it be that he only managed to invite those senior figures over because of this original painting?

Therefore, if it weren't for that original work, Yun Ziqi would probably have had a hard time winning the final role.

But...

Xiao He raised the corners of his lips.

This was truly an unexpected delight.