Chapter 307: Collecting Tuition in Advance

"You said it yourself—the Canglang Poetry Talk has been held for fifteen years, and never once has a woman successfully registered. Yet the Yongning Marquisate thought of me right away and helped me sign up. If that isn't love, what is?"

"If they truly have the ability to make the Qingyun Hall change the rule that women can't participate in the competition, then it's actually a great achievement."

"I'd be thrilled, so why would I be speaking in anger?"

Admittedly, Ji Yuntang was indeed angry.

Though she still didn't know who from the Yongning Marquisate had registered her, they had done so without her consent, forcing her into this competition.

She knew instantly they had ill intentions.

If Ji Yuntang hadn't known the rules of the Canglang Poetry Talk or understood the consequences of the whole affair, their actions would have indirectly harmed three generations of the Ye household.

She herself didn't have to take the imperial exams, but who knew whether her children might one day study at the Royal Academy?

They were pushing her into a corner, forcing her to participate in the Canglang Poetry Talk.

Ji Yuntang felt like cursing—being forced into a competition was completely different from joining willingly, and the mindset was worlds apart.

Right now, she was deeply annoyed, waiting only for Wang Sheng to return so she could thoroughly question him about the whole matter.

After a short while, Wang Sheng returned.

His demeanor was restrained, and he said deferentially, "Your Highness, Princess, I've investigated the matter. This year's Canglang Poetry Talk competition has indeed changed its rules!"

"It is said that after the Crown Prince went to Qusheng Tower and heard a rendition of 'Song of Mulan,' he greatly praised Mulan's bravery and fearlessness. One of the lines goes, 'Who says women are inferior to men?'"

"After returning to the palace, the Crown Prince immediately spoke to His Majesty about the matter, suggesting that women should be allowed to register for the Canglang Poetry Talk. For some reason, His Majesty agreed!"

"Later, His Majesty summoned the head of Qingyun Hall and the dean of the Royal Academy. After a joint discussion in the Imperial Study, they decided to loosen the registration restrictions for women this year, testing the waters in the Dongchen Kingdom, but only permitting three women to compete."

Ji Yuntang: "..."

Ji Yuntang: "!!!"

The corner of her mouth twitched. "Is Luo Jingshen crazy? Mulan was a military general, a general!"

"He uses scholars' poetry to compare to a military officer—how did Emperor Jingyang even let himself be convinced by him?"

Luo Junhe's eyes deepened. He parted his lips and said, "Perhaps the performance was just a pretext. The Crown Prince needed such a pretext to get Father Emperor to change the rules."

"Who is in the play doesn't matter, nor whether the figure is civil or military. What matters is that she is a woman celebrated and worshipped by the people for a thousand years—that's enough."

Having said this, Luo Junhe turned to look at Ji Yuntang, his calm expression grew serious as well.

Concern showed in his eyes.

"From this perspective, the Crown Prince and the Yongning Marquisate must be in cahoots. They in fact likely planned this long in advance."

Luo Junhe's handsome brow furrowed slightly as he voiced his speculation.

"A Tang, I suspect this is a trap set for you by the Yongning Marquisate."

"Third Young Master Ji will probably participate in this competition too. You've publicly offended them many times and caused them to lose face. The Yongning Marquisate is probably using this opportunity to take revenge on you and Prince Ye's household."

Ji Yuntang thought it over and agreed after a moment.

She mentally cursed, realizing she had underestimated how cunning Luo Jingshen was and how shameless the Yongning Marquisate was.

The two joining forces meant shamelessness multiplied by shamelessness—double the shamelessness.

Ji Yuntang took a deep breath and asked Wang Sheng once more.

"Did you find out who signed me up?"

Wang Sheng shook his head. "No, I asked around extensively but found nothing. Qingyun Hall is very strict about confidentiality regarding registration."

"They only said that if you don't show up, you'll face the consequences."

A cold smile spread across her lips.

"Fine, this princess understands. You may leave."

After Wang Sheng left, Ji Yuntang plopped onto her chair and resumed eating.

Luo Junhe knew she must be in a bad mood. He just watched her eat in silence, occasionally peeling shrimp or placing vegetables on her plate. They both avoided the topic.

After she had eaten her fill, Ji Yuntang went to the study to get brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

She smoothed out the paper, prepared the ink in advance, and placed them directly on the table in front of Luo Junhe.

Watching her, Luo Junhe's peach blossom eyes showed confusion. "A Tang, what are you doing?"

"Practicing calligraphy." Ji Yuntang looked at him, a smile curling at her lips. "A He, from now on, you are my calligraphy teacher."

"Since someone has already registered me, I can't let their expectations down. If I'm going to participate in the Canglang Poetry Talk, I'm determined to take first place."

"They've made things hard for me, so I'll make things hard for them."

On this matter, Ji Yuntang was serious.

If before she had wanted to register herself for the sake of Emperor Jingyang's generous rewards, now that the Yongning Marquisate had registered her, she was driven to crush Ji Zihang under her feet.

At the same time, she wanted both fame and profit.

Ji Yuntang thought it over. Among the five subjects tested, aside from calligraphy, she excelled in the others.

She had some foundation in calligraphy, but since she was used to writing with a pen, she couldn't compare to the ancient scholars.

Fortunately, there were still three days until the competition. If she asked Luo Junhe to teach her properly, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Luo Junhe watched his little Princess Consort's resolute expression. He chuckled, finding her both proud and adorable in that moment.

He could already see the woman who would dazzle at the Canglang Poetry Talk.

Luo Junhe had great faith in Ji Yuntang's abilities, believing there was nothing his little Princess Consort couldn't handle.

Of course, he was also more than willing to teach her calligraphy.

"A Tang, come here."

Luo Junhe extended his hand and gave her a meaningful glance.

Ji Yuntang didn't think twice and walked over.

The next second, she felt a strong force pulling her, and before she could react, she was already sitting in Luo Junhe's arms.

Ji Yuntang tilted her head to look at him, her bright black eyes sparkling with innocent clarity.

That single glance made Luo Junhe's heart melt and his breath quicken.

His Adam's apple moved slightly, and he couldn't help but lean down to kiss her red lips.

The sudden kiss caught her off guard like a whirlwind, and Ji Yuntang's eyes widened.

Just as she was sinking into it and about to respond, Luo Junhe lifted his head after just a taste.

Ji Yuntang looked at him, her gaze gradually turning plaintive.

The tips of Luo Junhe's ears flushed, and his hoarse voice was magnetic and incredibly alluring.

"A Tang wants to learn calligraphy, so your prince is just collecting a little tuition in advance. That's not too much, is it?"

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