Chapter 306: Forced Registration

The notice roughly stated that congratulations, Miss Ji Yuntang, you have successfully registered to participate in this year's Canglang Poetry Talk. She must arrive at Qianqiu Tower at exactly 9:15 AM (the first quarter of the Si hour) three days later for the competition.

If she missed the appointment, Qingyun Hall would have the right to cut ties with her permanently, banning her from any literary events organized by Qingyun Hall and the Royal Academy.

It would also affect her reputation in the country, as well as the eligibility of her future children to enroll in the Royal Academy.

Ji Yuntang almost spat out the rice in her mouth. She exclaimed, “When did I sign up for Canglang Poetry Talk? How come I don’t know about it myself?”

“Fake, it must be fake. This is definitely a prank by someone. I wonder who’s so bored as to mess with me.”

Luo Junhe took the letter from Ji Yuntang’s hand. His calm, dark eyes scanned the handwriting and the two seals. After examining them for a moment, he reached a conclusion.

“This is real.”

Ji Yuntang: “…”

Ji Yuntang: “!!!”

Those four sparingly spoken words shocked Ji Yuntang deeply.

“What is going on?”

Previously, she had wanted to sign up for Canglang Poetry Talk, but since Luo Junhe said women were not eligible, she had abandoned the idea.

But now, someone had actually delivered the registration letter to her hands.

What did this mean?

Could it mean that Qingyun Hall had changed the rules for her?

Luo Junhe narrowed his peach blossom eyes, a hint of coldness in his deep voice. He turned to look at Ji Yuntang.

“The seals of Qingyun Hall and the Ministry of Rites cannot be forged. Moreover, the letter bears the emblem of the sun and moon in harmony.”

“The sun represents the Dongchen Imperial Family, the moon represents the Royal Academy. The sun and moon together symbolize the combined power of the imperial family and the Royal Academy, and also represent good fortune.”

“Generally, when this emblem appears, it means something big is happening. Canglang Poetry Talk is considered one of the biggest events of the Dongchen Kingdom.”

Ji Yuntang was even more bewildered after listening. She asked, “So, are the consequences mentioned on this letter also true?”

Luo Junhe lightly nodded, his thin lips pressed together.

“Indeed. If one person misses the appointment, the whole family is implicated. Qingyun Hall has always been that strict.”

“In fact, the consequences listed here are actually pretty mild. If you register for Canglang Poetry Talk but don't show up on the day of the competition, starting with you, your children and grandchildren for three generations will be disqualified from participating in the Spring Imperial Exams.”

Ji Yuntang: “…”

Ji Yuntang: “!!!”

Isn't this way too tyrannical?

So, if she didn’t go, her sons and grandsons would have no chance to take the Spring Imperial Exams in the future?

Ji Yuntang felt like ten thousand wild horses were stampeding through her mind.

Luo Junhe’s eyes were dark, his smile faint and mocking, and he said with mockery, “A cultural event co-organized by the imperial family, Qingyun Hall, and the Royal Academy—how could they let commoners make trouble?”

“It was precisely because some people registered but didn't show up before, disrupting the normal proceedings of the competition, that Director Mei of Qingyun Hall resorted to this drastic measure.”

“Director Mei's intentions were good—to prevent people from causing trouble at Canglang Poetry Talk and affecting other scholars' exam results.”

“After all, the registration fee for Canglang Poetry Talk is really low.”

Ji Yuntang asked in surprise, “How low?”

“One tael of silver.”

“Only one tael?” Ji Yuntang was stunned!

“That's way too low!”

Ji Yuntang had thought that for such a large and formal competition, the registration fee would be at least a hundred taels of silver.

Unexpectedly, it was far less than she had imagined.

Luo Junhe chuckled at Ji Yuntang’s shocked expression and said gently,

“A Tang, you may not be aware, but Director Mei Zhuyu of Qingyun Hall himself came from a poor family. Because he grew up in poverty, he understands the hardships and difficulties of poor scholars in their studies.”

“Some scholars have to trek from distant places to reach the capital just to participate in Canglang Poetry Talk. By the time they get there, the travel money they brought is almost spent. If the registration fee was too high, they simply couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t be able to compete!”

“But precisely because the registration fee for Canglang Poetry Talk is too low, it indirectly lets anyone sign up for the competition, including a lot of troublemakers.”

“To avoid this, they had to tweak the registration system, so that scholars understand the severe consequences of disrupting the poetry talk order.”

Ji Yuntang let out a deep sigh of admiration.

She exclaimed, “Director Mei is truly a good person. Having been through the rain himself, he wants to hold an umbrella for others.”

For the sake of thousands of poor scholars, he has gone to great lengths!

Obtaining a competition qualification for just one tael of silver—even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of winning the Laureate, countless scholars will flock to it.

“One general’s success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers.” This path has always been rugged, perilous, and extremely difficult.

Her gaze fell on the envelope on the table, and Ji Yuntang finally asked the question weighing on her mind.

“A He, if what you say is true—that one tael of silver is enough to register—then wouldn’t anyone be able to register on behalf of someone else?”

She could now be sure that someone had registered for her.

As for who it was, how they did it, and why a woman could register—

Ji Yuntang had already sent Wang Sheng out to investigate!

She didn’t like this competition, but she couldn’t just let herself walk into a fire pit.

What if someone was trying to harm her?

“As far as I, as a prince, know, three things are indispensable for registering for Canglang Poetry Talk.”

“First, the applicant’s birth date and time. Second, the applicant’s household registration record. Third, the silver.”

Luo Junhe narrowed his eyes in a dangerous manner. He naturally understood Ji Yuntang’s concerns.

From the moment he first saw the registration letter, Luo Junhe already had a suspicion.

However, for various reasons, he didn't come out and say it directly.

Since Ji Yuntang asked, Luo Junhe told her.

He believed that with Ji Yuntang's intelligence, she would definitely figure it out.

Sure enough, Ji Yuntang almost immediately realized the root of the problem.

"You mean someone from the Yongning Marquis's residence signed me up?"

Luo Junhe didn't speak, but his face showed a look of absolute certainty.

Only someone from Yongning Marquis's residence could know Ji Yuntang's birth date and horoscope so clearly and also have her household registration certificate.

Ji Yuntang put her hands on her hips, put one foot up on the chair, and her delicate eyebrows were alive with expression.

"Damn, they sure do love me—thought of me first for this Canglang Poetry thing?"

Luo Junhe: "..."

He slightly raised his eyes and glanced at Ji Yuntang, his expression unreadable.

"A Tang, are you sure that's what love is?"

"You're not just saying that because you're mad, are you?"

Luo Junhe observed that his Little Princess Consort seemed very angry, but she was smiling on the outside.

"What else could it be?" Ji Yuntang's gaze was enigmatic, and a mocking smile played at the corner of her lips.

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