History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 101 Yuan Jingrong's Warning
Hu Wuwu was not afraid of hardship; the idea suddenly came to her when she heard Zhang Wenzhi talk about "helping students preserve their notes."

If she memorized the contents of the notebook, even just ten poems, she could then teach them verbatim to others in Luoyang, presenting them as her own. Luoyang was a thousand miles away from Pingcheng; who would know that what she taught was copied from the Cui Academy in Pingcheng!
Even if she is discovered in a few years, she will be nothing like the servant Hu Wuwu she is now! She will silence all those who dare to object.

A quarter past noon.

Outside the school, oxcarts from the Xunyi School were lined up on one side of the road. There were five carts carrying grain and miscellaneous items, but only two carts carrying people. Both of these carts were wooden planks with no canopy or mats on the planks.

Confucius hadn't arrived yet, but Wei Yao and her twenty-one disciples were already there. She then learned that Xi Jiao was also going, along with a dozen or so members of the Cui clan and their in-laws, all children approaching school age. There were also retainers, warriors, and servants, numbering about twenty or thirty.

Two quarters past noon.

Hu Wuwu and another female page, Xing Hang, arrived breathlessly; they were the only two people in the entire choir.

Upon seeing the allocation of carriages and horses, Xing Hang understood. She exclaimed with delight, "So we have to walk! The school is testing us to see if we dare to endure hardship; they're not treating us like servants."

"I knew it all along." Hu Wuwu made up a lie on the spot. When she glanced at the main road in front of the museum, she quickly pulled Xing Hang to face the supply wagon. "Don't turn around, the people who hit us with fish the day before yesterday are here."

"Oh? He's going too? What should we do?"

Shh—don't speak. Turn around now, quickly!

Xing Hang was bewildered by the urging. He turned around and saw Yuan Heng walking in front of him, and then he understood what Hu Wuwu meant.

Fortunately, Yuan Heng was fighting almost every day, so he couldn't recognize the servant boy he had beaten with a fish the day before yesterday.

"Hu Wuwu, you..."

Xing Hang knew he was being used, but he had no evidence. Hu Wuwu was now calm and composed, and even raised his chin in the direction Yuan Heng had gone, saying smugly, "Great, he won't recognize us."

Not only Yuan Heng accompanied the imperial princes, but also Yuan Zizhi, Yuan Ning, and Yuan Jingrong arrived at noon. They were considered the most diligent among the imperial princes, making progress in their studies every month.

There were four female students at Xunyi Academy: Wei Yao, Guo Yun, Liu Zhenzhu, and Cui Wanwan.

Yuan Jingrong came straight to them, said nothing, sat down on the cart, one leg bent on top and the other dangling down.

Wei Yao took Guo Yun's hand and bowed to Yuan Jingrong, saying, "Miss Yuan."

Yuan Jingrong hummed in agreement and swung her legs.

Liu Zhenzhu was furious, but her fellow disciples had already bowed in greeting, and Yuan Jingrong was watching her and Cui Wanwan with a half-smile, so the two of them had no choice but to bow as well.

Yuan Jingrong looked at Wei Yao, then at the direction where Xi Jiao was, and then she chuckled. It turned out that Xi Jiao was looking in Wei Yao's direction.

Yuan Jingrong: "Miss Wei, come here, I have something to say to you."

Wei Yao stepped forward, puzzled. Yuan Jingrong gestured for her to come closer, so she leaned in and Yuan Jingrong whispered, "You, never like Xi Jiao."

Whoosh... Wei Yao felt as if a layer of flames had been sprayed onto her face, scorching her pink cheeks, pink hair, and pomegranate-colored ears.

"I didn't." She answered decisively. She didn't like Xi Jiao; the one who liked him was Xiao A Yao from her past life. She knew this perfectly well from her first chance encounter with Xi Jiao after her rebirth!

But the past is hard to sever. The A-Yao of that time is a part of the adult Wei-Yao. So whenever she blushes or feels a flutter in her heart, it's just that she is shy and can't forget that memory.

What Wei Yao understood even more clearly was that the Xi Jiao in her memory was the Xi Jiao that Xiao A Yao thought she knew, not the real Xi Jiao.

Yuan Jingrong's eyes held a provocative glint, causing the blush on her face to quickly fade.

"That's good, look how anxious you are. It's like Confucius has arrived."

It was noon. Kong Wenzhong led the team, and the Xunyi Academy set off towards the northeast city gate.

The teachers rode horses, while the students walked. Along the way, teachers from various schools led their students to follow, and more and more people on the streets chased after them and inquired about the situation.

"They look like students, what are they going to do?"

"I know, he's out lecturing. Look at that person, he's a famous teacher from Lu County. A few years ago, His Majesty bestowed official titles upon four people with the surname Kong in Lu County, and this teacher Kong was one of them!"

Five students from the Bu family academy, led by their teacher, joined the Cui family academy.

Wei Zhen pushed her way through the crowd, chasing after Bu Yanzhen to say goodbye. She quickened her pace and caught up with the group. Great! She saw Wei Yao: "Fellow disciple Yao, Wei Yao, Wei Yao—"

But it was too noisy on the street, and Wei Yao didn't hear it.

The city gate.

The three subordinate officials sent by the Prince of Rencheng were waiting here. The one in charge was named Yuan Fan, and three shameless young men from Luoyang followed along, named Feng, Yuan, and Zong respectively.

Confucius dismounted, greeted Yuan Fan, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yuan Fan and his entourage followed the group to Gaoliu County.

During this process, the three boys, Zongyin and his companions, looked at the students of the school, especially the female students. Fate seemed inescapable; once Zongyin's gaze fell upon a female student, he couldn't look away.

This is what you call love at first sight.

"She..." So elegant, so delicate, standing there quietly, just like the description in the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River: "Like swirling snow in the wind, like a lotus emerging from green waves."

At that moment, Wei Yao glanced over and saw Zong Yin. She turned back to talk to Guo Yun as if nothing had happened, thinking to herself, "So this is the time Zong Yin said he had been to Pingcheng before in my previous life."

Then I couldn't help but think that I really didn't like him at all. My feelings upon seeing him again were unmoved, only a little more disgusted than when we were strangers.

Gaoliu County is located northeast of Pingcheng. After leaving the city, the vast fields bring joy to the eyes. Tired students would often sit on the carts, only to be pushed off again after a short while. Cheers filled the road, attracting the attention of farmers who were tending the fields.

Yuan Fan turned around and asked Confucius, "Was that female student Wei Yao?"

"Yes."

"Among the recipients of this award, only this female student is not from a distinguished family."

"Hehe, of my three disciples, she is actually the one I value the most."

Yuan Fan was astonished, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense. Cui Zhi was intelligent and came from the direct line of the Cui family of Qinghe, while Kong Mi was an outstanding young man from the Kong family. If Wei Yao's talent did not clearly surpass that of Cui Zhi and Kong Mi, how could Confucius have disregarded this girl's ordinary background and made an exception to accept her as his direct disciple?

After whispering and shoving each other for a while, Zong Yin mustered up his courage and approached Wei Yao: "Young lady, I come from Luoyang. My name is Zong Yin."

Wei Yao hid on the other side of the oxcart.

"Girl..."

Yuan Jingrong snatched the whip from the servant who was driving the ox and made a move to lash Zong Yin: "Get out of the way!"

Zong Yin pouted, and Yuan Yi came over to support his partner: "You're such a fierce girl."

"Get out of the way too, or I'll whip you too!"

Feng Xing rolled up his sleeves, intending to go over as well, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his head. Xi Jiao grabbed his hair and dragged him into the ditch beside the road.

(End of this chapter)