History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 163 I will always protect you
The truth is that early in the morning, Wei Mao mustered his courage and waited for Wei Yin outside the office. He complained about how the government had searched Yingju Bookstore and confiscated the banned books. Wei Mao also said that the Yuan governor had asked him who the author of the banned books was.

“I told the governor that I think ‘the island barbarians have no roots’ is the head of the Imperial Academy. Uncle Wei…” Wei Mao took this opportunity to shamelessly change his form of address: “I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’m right, but I’m also afraid I’m wrong. What if the governor arrests the head of the Imperial Academy because of my wild guess?”

At that time, Wei Yin replied, "If the author is indeed the curator, whether or not such books are banned in the future is a matter between the governor and the curator. You have already fulfilled your responsibility by telling the governor your suspicions, and you don't need to worry about the rest."

"What if after all the investigation it turns out I'm not the Director, but both the Prefect and the Director blame me?"

Wei Yin laughed, realizing that Director Wei must have offended this brat for some reason, and that he had to frame him. Well, he had left many "flaws" in the calligraphy in the manuscripts he sold to Yingju Bookstore, and he was inclined to pin the blame for "the island barbarians having no roots" on Wei Zhenyuan.

So Wei Yin gave Wei Mao a suggestion: after the first class, Wei Mao should go to the Confucius Institute and ask Director Wei to help him appraise the pine soot ink. If he wanted to give the ink to the director, he could; if not, he could take it back. Just remember to talk to the director about some pretentious nonsense and not spend too much time with him.

No matter how Yuan Zhi investigates Director Wei afterward, or whether the group of Luoyang warriors discovers Ru Junxia's disappearance, it's not something that can be resolved in the next day or two.

Let's start with Huai Shuo Town.

The six main towns of Yinshan, as can be seen from their names, were established primarily to defend against the northern barbarians and to develop barren and remote lands.

On the morning of July 24th, the fates of Gao Loujin and Gao Huan, siblings from Huaishuo Town, became intertwined with that of Wei Jing, a young man from Shuozhou.

Before finding the siblings, Wei Jing imagined many different scenarios of their reunion, but he never imagined that the cheerful, independent, tall, and beautiful Gao Xiao Niangzi was about to become a beggar!

Wei Jing circled the horse's large hooves twice to confirm that it was the horse he had given to Gao Loujin. Looking at Gao Loujin, who was leading the horse, her face was almost unrecognizable due to her thinness. The child sitting on the horse must be her younger brother, Gao Huan, who looked like a monkey at first glance.

"What's going on!" Wei Jing shouted, his mouth agape as he choked back tears. "Didn't you have any food? Why didn't you say so in the letter?! If I had come any later, would you and your brother have starved to death?!"

Gao Loujin silently handed the reins of the big hoof to Wei Jing, picked up his younger brother, and said embarrassedly, "So it really is Young Master Wei. Young Master has grown taller and changed. I didn't dare to recognize him just now."

Wei Jing glared at her, then picked up Gao Huan and said, "Come on, let's find somewhere to eat first. I'm not angry with you, I'm just annoyed that you don't treat me like a friend at all. Never mind, I'll talk to you about it after you've eaten."

He then urged Gao Loujin to stop the horse, saying, "If you sit on the horse, I'm afraid a gust of wind will blow you away for two miles, and then I'll have to chase after you."

"Hehe." Gao Huan covered her mouth and laughed.

Wei Jing pinched the other person's buttocks. "Oh dear, so skinny, there's hardly any meat on that spot." "Ah Huan?"

"Yes," Gao Huan responded in a childish voice.

"Call me brother."

"Brother."

After Gao Loujin was seated and settled on his horse, Wei Jing, still carrying Gao Huan on his back, held the little guy tightly in one hand and pulled on the reins of the large horse with the other, walking slowly. He first walked in front of the horse's head, then beside it, his gaze meeting Gao Loujin's cautious look.

"Gao Loujin, do you still remember when we climbed to the top of the pagoda at the Imperial Uncle Temple together in Pingcheng?"

"remember."

"Hehe, I remember too."

Gao Loujin was amused, and Wei Jing, seeing her smile, felt a surge of affection. The grassland was flat, and with servants protecting them, he walked backwards and asked her again, "Have you been studying poetry lately?" "Yes, I have. The notes that Lady Wei gave me were all written by her by candlelight late into the night, and I dare not not cherish them." Because her father was a gambler, she hid all the notes in a secluded place, taking out a volume every few days to memorize.

Gao Huan nodded his little head, but unfortunately no one paid attention to the little guy's earnest testimony for his older sister.

Wei Jingxin: "Then you must have learned it better than me."

Gao Loujin knew that Wei Langjun was simple and straightforward, so she didn't pretend to be humble. Just as they looked at each other again, a rider galloped up from ahead.

A young boy in plain clothes shouted anxiously to Lou Jin, "Lou Jin, your father has lost again! I saw some scoundrels looking for you all over town. You'd better run!"

"What?" Gao Loujin burst into tears, startling Gao Huan into wailing and reaching out her arms to her elder sister.

"Ah... Sister, I want Sister to hold me, Sister."

Wei Jing roughly understood why the siblings were living in such a state. He had only brought twenty servants with him this time, which was probably no match for the local bullies. He first asked Gao Loujin, "Can you ride fast with your brother?"

Gao Loujin was very intelligent and immediately understood what Wei Jing meant. She glanced longingly in the direction of the old house in the town, reached out, and resolutely took her younger brother: "Don't worry, I will definitely follow my husband closely."

"Alright!" Wei Jing mounted his horse, turned around, and said, "Don't worry, you siblings, as long as I'm here, I'll always protect you! Giddy up—back to Shuozhou!"

In this era, whether poor or rich, no one is destined for a stable life.

Pingcheng, Cui Academy.

After school at noon, Wei Yao inexplicably started thinking about when Wei Jing had left Pingcheng. Based on her understanding of Jing's fellow disciples, he should have gone to Huai Shuo Town to find Gao Loujin soon. From now on, Gao Loujin would act as a bridge between her and the other disciples from the border town to which Wei Jing belonged.

The situation is about to change. Reborn, Wei Yao knows that at the end of this month, the emperor of Xiao Qi will pass away. Next year, the army of Da Wei will completely turn to the southern battlefield, causing the status of the noble sons who join the army in the border towns to fall further and further. The drought that follows will make things even worse for the border towns!

In her previous life, Wei Yao didn't know what kind of life the people in the disaster-stricken border towns lived. In this life, she must find out through Jing Tongmen.

In the afternoon, all students who had signed up for the poetry recitation had to go to the poetry society's practice ground to learn new poems. Wei Yao heard Guo Yun say that the government army would hold a Cuju (ancient Chinese football) practice in early September. In the past, there were songs, dances and acrobatics to entertain the students before the practice began and during the intermission. However, because the court continued to promote the new education decree, all the entertainment activities this year were changed to poetry recitation.

All the schools, including the Imperial Academy, the Prefectural Academy, the Academy for Meritorious Officials, and the Academy for Noble Families of the Four Pure Ones, must participate.

After Wei Yao, Guo Yun, Liu Zhenzhu, and Cui Wanwan came out of the Xunyi Academy, they waited for Yuan Jingrong and Cui Ying at the crossroads. Xi Jiao passed by Wei Yao and said, "I had someone put the 'Ancient Text of the Classic of Filial Piety' in Tingxing Courtyard."

Wei Yao definitely needed to go back and check the scriptures before she could feel at ease. She told Guo Yun, "I'm going back to Tingxing Courtyard. After you meet up, don't worry about me. I'll go straight to the poetry club after I'm done."

Wei Yao hurried away, annoyed to death. Xi Jiao was ahead of her, with her long legs, why didn't she walk faster!

As she was inwardly complaining, Xi Jiao turned around and walked towards her.

Having no other choice, Wei Yao made a bowing gesture and strode past her.

Just as she recovered, Xi Jiao returned and asked her curiously, "Fellow disciple Wei, were you greeting me just now?"

(End of this chapter)