As soon as the proclamation was posted, the entire Capital City was cursing Yang Ming and praising the person who had reported him. Yang Ming knew nothing of this; they were still having the time of their lives in that estate.
A few days later, the annual poetry contest was held as scheduled.
The venue was packed with people, even grander than in previous years.
This year's judge was the chief examiner of the Imperial Academy, and there were also officials of various ranks present. Most importantly, the Fourth Prince was attending in person.
Ordinary folks rarely got to see officials—just a County Magistrate was not often seen, let alone a Prince.
Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the Prince's true face. Rumor had it that among all the princes, the Fourth Prince was the most handsome, even slightly surpassing the Emperor.
So there were more people this year than usual.
