The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

"Let's schedule the Beijing Poetry Festival on the third day of March."

Li Chengfeng confirmed the time and said, "As for the location, it's in the imperial gardens, by the Qujiang Lake."

Song Yuwei nodded slightly. "The scenery beside Qujiang Lake is beautiful. Scholars and poets gather here to recite poems and write couplets. Isn't it wonderful?"

"As for the judges, I intend to have several veteran scholars from the Hanlin Academy serve as judges. What do you think?"

Song Yuwei spoke again and asked tentatively.

Li Chengfeng shook his head. "Those old scholars in the Hanlin Academy are so pedantic, they only know how to sing about the wind and the moon. I'm afraid they won't achieve the effect I want."

"Why not invite several highly respected and beloved literary veterans to serve as judges? This way, the court's fairness and authority will be further demonstrated."

He paused, then continued, "This poetry gathering is of great importance. I will leave full responsibility to you. How do you think?"

Song Yuwei stood up and bowed: "I accept your order."

Song Yuwei acted decisively and started organizing the poetry reading the day after receiving the imperial edict.

She first gathered a group of smart and capable officials to form a preparatory group for the poetry meeting.

Among them, there were some old foxes and troublemakers, but Song Yuwei was not at all nervous.

"Master Zhang, the arrangement of the poetry gathering venue is now your responsibility. You must ensure it is perfect and without any mistakes."

Song Yuwei spoke in a calm tone, looking like a majestic prime minister.

Mr. Zhang is over fifty years old and holds the third-rank official position. He is used to a life of luxury. How could he tolerate being ordered around by a woman?

He spoke in a sarcastic tone, openly and covertly refusing, "Sir Song, this poetry gathering is a matter of national importance. I am old and frail, and I am afraid I am unable to take on the responsibility."

Song Yuwei certainly wouldn't indulge him, and said calmly, "Master Zhang, you are still strong and experienced, and you are the best person to organize the poetry gathering."

"Besides, this is the order of His Majesty. Does Lord Zhang intend to disobey it?"

Lord Zhang was left speechless by Song Yuwei's words and had to accept the task reluctantly.

Next, Song Yuwei arranged all the tasks properly, from venue layout to guest invitation, from judges selection to prize setting, she took care of everything herself, no matter how big or small.

She even made the tickets herself to prevent people with ulterior motives from sneaking into the poetry reading. After much deliberation, Song Yuwei decided to set up this step.

"Sir Wang, the publicity work for the poetry gathering will be handed over to you. Make sure the news of the poetry gathering spreads throughout the streets and alleys so that everyone knows."

Lord Wang was a flatterer. He smiled obsequiously and said, "Don't worry, Lord Song. I will definitely handle this matter perfectly."

"remember."

Song Yuwei's tone darkened. "The content of the publicity should highlight the significance of the poetry gathering, guide public opinion, and divert people's attention from those boring rumors to the poetry gathering."

"I understand."

During the preparation process, Song Yuwei demonstrated strong organizational and coordination skills, arranging all tasks in an orderly manner.

Although some ministers were dissatisfied with a woman ordering them around, they did not dare to openly oppose it due to Li Chengfeng's order and could only complain privately.

"Humph, a woman dares to be so arrogant and domineering!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let her hear you."

"Song Yuwei is not someone you can easily mess with. She has His Majesty's support behind her, so it's best for us to avoid provoking her."

"What are you afraid of? We are all officials appointed by the court. How can we be afraid of a woman like her?"

These words always reached Song Yuwei's ears, but she was not moved at all.

These pedantic ministers have studied all their lives but no one knows where their learning has come from.

If you want to gain a foothold in the man's world, you must be tougher and more decisive than men.

She placed Li Chengfeng's imperial edict in front of everyone and said coldly, "Everything I do is in compliance with the emperor's order. If you are dissatisfied, feel free to complain to His Majesty!"

This trick really worked. Those dissatisfied ministers immediately stopped talking and dared not say anything more.

However, not everyone is convinced by Song Yuwei.

Li Chengfeng received many memorials impeaching Song Yuwei, but he did not respond to any of them, so these ministers could not do anything about it.

"Poetry Festival in the Capital! March 3rd! In the Imperial Gardens! His Majesty will be in person! And there's a mysterious grand prize!"

Lord Wang is indeed a master of flattery. His slogans are catchy and have a hint of bewitching.

He also had the poetry reading tickets printed into exquisite bookmarks, with the beautiful scenery of the royal garden on the front and information about the poetry reading on the back, along with the sentence "With a ticket in hand, you can recite poetry without worries", which was a perfect marketing move.

What's even more amazing is that he ordered people to make this news into a song and sing it everywhere in the streets and alleys. For a time, everyone in the capital knew about the poetry meeting.

The price of tickets for the poetry reading is not high, and ordinary people can afford them if they grit their teeth, but the number is limited.

This was also Song Yuwei's idea. It could not only avoid excessive chaos but also fill the national treasury, killing two birds with one stone.

The official in charge of ticket sales looked at the long queue with a smile on his face that was almost reaching his ears. The money was flowing into the national treasury, which was exciting to think about.

The ticket price is not high, and ordinary people can afford it if they grit their teeth, but the quantity is limited. This "hunger marketing" method was exactly Song Yuwei's idea.

She figured that since she could control the number of people attending and fill the national treasury at the same time, it would be a win-win situation. Why not do it?

The news spread quickly throughout the streets and alleys like wings, and even some remote villages heard about this event.

In teahouses, taverns, streets and alleys, people were talking about it and speculating how many amazing talents would emerge from this poetry gathering.

Feng Rushi happened to be on the street when he heard about this. Although he was currently under Cheng Ruxue's command, he had not seen any opportunity to realize his ambitions, and he couldn't help feeling depressed.

When he heard that the emperor would also attend the poetry meeting, he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this was his last chance.

He saved money and finally saved enough money to buy a precious ticket.

Holding the thin bookmark, he seemed to see the dawn of the future, his heart filled with anticipation and excitement.

He even began to fantasize that if he could shine at the poetry meeting and be appreciated by the emperor, his life would be completely changed!

Humming a little tune, Feng Rushi walked on the way home, with a long-lost smile on his face.

However, the smile did not last long.

"Hey, isn't this Scholar Feng?"

An arrogant voice broke Feng Rushi's fantasy.

When he looked up, he saw Chen Ling, the eldest son of the Chen family, with a few lackeys, blocking his way in a haughty manner.

Chen Ling relied on the fact that someone in his family was an official in the court. He bullied men and women and did all kinds of evil. He was a well-known playboy.

Feng Rusi's heart skipped a beat, thinking something was wrong. He quickly bowed and said, "Mr. Chen, what can I do for you?"

Chen Ling snatched the bookmark from Feng Rusi's hand, took a look at it, and sneered disdainfully, "You think you can join a poetry reading? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself? You have the nerve to show off your ridiculous poems?"

Feng Rusi's face flushed red, and he suppressed his anger and said, "Mr. Chen, I paid for this ticket. Please return it."

Chen Ling laughed heartily, playing with the bookmark in his hand, and said, "You bought it with money? Do you think I care about this little money?"

"To tell you the truth, I also want to attend the poetry reading, but unfortunately the tickets are sold out."

"It's a waste for someone like you to go to the poetry gathering. Why don't you give it to me?"