History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 1 Rebirth
The Great Wei, historically known as the Northern Wei or Yuan Wei, was ruled by Emperor Yuan Hong. After assuming personal rule, he was extremely busy with state affairs and created the "Three Chiefs System" and the village party system. In the eighteenth year of the Taihe era, he ordered the capital to be moved to Luoyang, and revitalized education and culture, thus reviving customs and traditions.

In just a few years, Luoyang's commercial market regained its former prosperity! While the country was at peace, the Great Wei Dynasty continued to wage war against the Southern Dynasty in Wan, Yiyang, and Huaihe River areas in order to consolidate its strategic position in Luoyang.

At this time, the old capital Pingcheng was like a magnificent gem on the Central Plains, no less prosperous than Luoyang, and peaceful like a paradise.

When the sun shines on every corner of Pingcheng, the sound of students reciting their lessons from hundreds of schools becomes another distinctive feature of the old capital.

Weizu Primary School.

Confucius said, “The ospreys cry ‘guan guan’ on the river’s islet.”

The students recited together: "Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river."

Amidst the sparse and uneven sounds of recitation, Wei Yao sat up straight, spread out her books, and looked at her teacher.

The first light of dawn and the gentle breeze wafted into the schoolhouse through the open doors and windows, making everything feel incredibly real.

The students yawned repeatedly, and the teacher raised his voice: "A fair maiden is the object of a gentleman's affections."

"Ah... a beautiful lady, ah... a gentleman's ideal."

With a sharp crack of the ruler, Wei Yao trembled in surprise.

This isn't a dream! She's been reborn?
Guan Ju is the first poem in the Book of Songs. The old teacher sitting at the head of the table was named Duan Qie, courtesy name Gaoyin. He had only taught her for a year when she was young before he passed away.

So, is this her first day of elementary school?
Behind them, the student Wei Mao suddenly spoke up, asking a question that, just like in his previous life, would bring her two or three years of trouble. "Teacher, does the 'yao' in 'yaotiao' mean 'beautiful'?"

Master Duan explained: "The original meaning of the character 窈 is profound and far-reaching. When representing beauty, in addition to the word 窈窕, there are also 窈纠 and 窈娆."

Wei Mao asked again, "What about the character '窕'? Besides being pronounced 'tiao', is it also pronounced 'yao'?"

Before the teacher could speak, Wei Yao pointed to Qu Rong on her right and said, "What a coincidence! Qu Rong's elder sister is named Qu Tiao, and I am named Wei Yao. It turns out that both of our names are taken from the poem 'Guan Ju'."

Master Duan lowered his eyelids to hide his annoyance, and when he raised his eyes again, he admonished, "It's getting late, recite your lessons first, and any disciples with questions can come to me after class."

Why was the Master angry? Because when "窕" is pronounced the same as "姚," it carries a connotation of frivolity and frivolity. If he were to explain it in detail in front of all the disciples, it would surely spread and cause the woman named "曲窕" to be ridiculed. It seems that Wei Mao had a grudge against Qu Rong and deliberately seized the opportunity to ask.

The old master was focused on scholarship and underestimated people's true nature. If Wei Mao was only concerned with Qu Rong, he could have simply asked about the character "窕" (tiao), why start with "窈" (yao)?

In their past life, because of the difference between the two characters "窈窕" (yǎotiāo, meaning graceful and delicate) and because Wei Mao was born into a noble family, Qu Rong turned her anger on Wei Yao and would often make sarcastic remarks to her.

They're all in the same dormitory, how could she hide?
Later, Qu Rong was found dead in an alleyway, pelted with bricks. Many schoolchildren speculated that Wei Yao was responsible. Of course, she had nothing to do with the case; she was on her way home when it happened, and there were witnesses, but the gossip still forced her to drop out of school.

So in this life, if she wants to finish elementary school peacefully, she needs to guard against Qu Rong and also against Wei Mao!
Primary school only had classes in the morning. After Duan Fuzi dismissed the class, Wei Yao immediately packed her backpack.

"Hmph!" Wei Mao bumped into her, deliberately blocking her way.

Fortunately, another student from a prominent family pushed past him, and Wei Yao, like a cat, jumped right over the threshold. Once on the street, she looked back several times but didn't see Wei Mao, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It is now the fourth year since the Great Wei moved its capital. Pingcheng, as the former capital, is still bustling with activity, and the incense at Yongning Temple remains strong. Wei Yao admires the eaves and tiles of her hometown's market, greets familiar elders, and teases the colorful carp as she passes the fishpond, but her heart is not as light as her steps.

In the Great Wei Dynasty, the noble were granted the title of noble, and the lowly were granted the title of lowly; a person's status was determined from birth!

Just like when Qu Rong was murdered, the most likely culprit was Wei Mao, but the government brazenly claimed that they couldn't find the murderer, leaving the Qu family with nowhere to seek justice.

If her childhood experiences left Wei Yao depressed for a long time, then her husband Zong Yin, who fell in love with someone else, and the He clan carriage that killed her, made her even more resentful!
When Zong Yin loved her, it was genuine; later, when he fell in love with Miss He, it was also genuine.

He was a female student at the Imperial Academy. Zong Yin readily admitted that he was attracted to her knowledge, but he forgot that Wei Yao was also preparing for the Imperial Academy exam back then! He forgot that she was not initially attracted to him. It was he who approached and provoked her time and time again, and it was only because he was suddenly injured that she felt pity for him and decided to take care of him, thus missing the Imperial Academy exam.

He broke her wings of learning, yet he was captivated by the bluebird that could soar into the sky. Ah… Wei Yao looked up at the sky, sunlight filtering through her tender palms. Love is like this sunlight, dazzling to the eye, warm to the touch, but utterly fleeting.

But power and status are different; they are like the sun! From now on, even if she fights until she bleeds, she will become a person of power, so as not to waste the opportunity of rebirth that God has given her!
Wei Yao's home is in Dongsifang, Chiyang Lane.

"Mom, I'm back."

At her call, her mother, Zhao Zhi, came out of the kitchen. "On your first day of school, how many classmates did you have? Did the teacher teach you to read poetry?"

Wei Yao scooped water to wash her hands and replied with a grin, "Including me, there are fifteen disciples. The Master taught us to read poetry; it's 'Guan Ju'."

"Guanju? I remember your father taught you that."

Wei Yao's father, Wei Yin, was also a Confucian scholar. He taught adult education courses at the Wei Clan Academy. Because he had classes in the afternoon, he could only return home in the evening.

"Although it is the same poem, the teachers have different interpretations. Mother, don't worry, I won't stop listening just because I've learned it before."

The questions and answers were all the same as in the previous life.

The difference was that Wei Yao suddenly hugged her mother's arm, greedily inhaling the scent of tobacco on her mother's body and the fragrance of bath beans on her clothes. Since she had already thought of what to say, she let her tears fall in large drops.

"Ayao? Tell me, did the teacher scold you, or did someone bully you?" Zhao Zhici's face turned stern.

“No one bullied me. But today, Wei Mao, the classmate who sits behind me, deliberately blocked my way after class.”

"And then?" Zhao Zhi clenched her fists so tightly they cracked.

"Of course he couldn't stop me." Wei Yao leaned against her mother's back and asked coquettishly, "Mother, this is the first time I've been away from you for so long. Did you miss me?" In my previous life, I married far away for several years. Mother, did you miss me?

"I really want to."

Wei Yao snorted, her voice nasal: "I miss you more, I miss Father."

Zhao Zhi hugged her daughter tightly, saying with heartache, "I always said you started school too early. Other families start school at nine or ten. Should I talk to your father and have you stay home from school?"

“No. The fact that others bullied me made me understand the principles my father taught me: I have to be capable myself. To be capable, I must study more, regardless of age.”

Zhao Zhi coaxed, "Yao'er is right. From now on, you just need to focus on reading and practicing calligraphy. If you get into the Imperial Academy in the future, your mother will hold a banquet and invite the entire Chiyang Lane!"

At this time, the Imperial Academy in Luoyang was newly established and had not yet flourished. The vast majority of students were still studying at the Imperial Academy in Pingcheng.

She laughed along with her mother, thinking to herself: I've been reborn, how could I stop at the Imperial Academy and the National Academy! In this life, I want to take the exam for female historian, enter the palace as an official, and become a key figure in the central government!

Yuan Hong: Originally named Tuoba Hong, in the twentieth year of the Taihe reign, the Tuoba clan changed their surname to the single-character Han surname "Yuan". This article begins in the twenty-first year of the Taihe reign.

Pingcheng: present-day Datong City, Shanxi Province.

尉 (yù): In this text, this surname is a single-character surname changed from the Xianbei compound surname "尉迟 (yù chí)".

Qiè: The original meaning is to lift up.

Marketplace (chán): A street market where shops are concentrated.

"Major clans" in this chapter refers to prominent and powerful families. In the early Northern Wei Dynasty, the Yuchi tribe comprised over ten thousand households, all using the tribe name as their surname. Later, in response to Emperor Xiaowen Tuoba Hong's decree, they changed their surname to the single character "尉" (Wei). Towards the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, some reverted to the surname "尉迟" (Weichi).

　　 　　 　　尉骃 (yīn): The original meaning of the character 骃 is a black and white horse.



(End of this chapter)