History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 183 Six Girls Climbing the Mountain

As the annual examinations came to an end, the winter hunt in Hengzhou had begun. The hunting grounds for the warriors were designated as four places: Baideng Mountain in the northern suburbs of Pingcheng, Qingniu Mountain in the northern part of the state, Bailangdui in the southern part of the state, and Qijie Mountain in the western part of the state, which is adjacent to Shuozhou.

Xianbei warriors were accustomed to traveling long distances during the harsh winter, aiming not only to plunder livestock but also to capture people from other tribes. However, this custom has changed this year. In fact, not only in Hengzhou, but also in Xiazhou, Shuozhou, Yanzhou, and Anzhou from west to east, the winter hunting range this year has not left the prefectures.

This change appears to be related to the Gaoche tribe's rebellion in the border town, but in reality it is related to the court's deliberate reduction of the military status of the northern prefecture and the economic and military decline of the various ethnic groups in the northern desert.

At the foot of Baideng Mountain, Chief Clerk Gou lamented, "If hunters can't go out hunting, they'll have to eat from the stored grain." He had been worried about this situation as early as when Yuanzhen from Wuchuan Town sent him a letter about the internal strife of the Rouran.

Yuan Zhi waved his hand and said, "Eat while you can. When there's nothing left to eat, I'll take you somewhere else!"

As the bugle sounded, the warriors rushed into the mountains.

The last group to enter the mountains were mostly students who were not yet adults, including Wei Yao. They came here to broaden their experience and feel the hardship of hunting in the cold. If they could shoot the rabbits or pheasants that the warriors ahead had missed, then their trip would not have been in vain.

Yuan Langxi was one of the few tall and strong women among them. She, along with the agile and nimble Yuan Jingrong and the archer Changsun Zhichong, went first, followed by Wei Yao, Guo Yun, and Liu Zhenzhu. The six women made a pact that if they were separated in the mountains, Yuan Jingrong would protect Wei Yao, Yuan Langxi would protect Guo Yun, and Changsun Zhichong would protect Liu Zhenzhu.

Some people enjoy adventure, while others prefer logistical tasks.

At the campsite at the foot of the mountain, Wei Yao's father, Wei Yin, along with Clerk Gou and a group of civil officials, sat around a brazier.

Chief Clerk Gou enjoyed chatting with Wei Yin. He felt that Wei Yin was resourceful and willing to live in seclusion, and that such people were rare in the world today.

"It's Master Wei's first time hunting, but unfortunately he didn't come at the right time. Last year, our Hengzhou warriors marched north and joined forces with the troops from Shuozhou, Wuchuan, Fuming and other towns in Rouran territory, reaching as far as Qionglong Ridge! I never thought that in just one year, our warriors would have nowhere to fight and their fine horses would not be able to gallop beyond the borders of the state. I really don't know what it will be like next year."

Wei Yin drew a horse on the ground with a thin piece of firewood and replied, "If the herdsmen learn to cultivate land, they will no longer be able to manage nomadic herding. If they cannot manage both, is it better to cultivate land or to be nomadic?"

Registrar Gou was delighted that the other party understood his meaning, so he couldn't help but repeat Wei Yin's last sentence: "Yes, is it better to settle down and cultivate land or to go about nomadic life? We have to try it to know."

The distant roar of a tiger made everyone in the camp stand up and look towards the northeast, where the mountains are high and the forests are far away.

To the northeast of Baideng Mountain lies the towering Hegan Mountain. A folk song sung by the Tuoba people when they established their capital in Pingcheng goes, "The sparrows on Hegan Mountain are frozen to death, why not fly away to a place of joy?" This refers to the fact that this mountain is covered in snow all year round, so much so that even birds can freeze to death.

When Chief Clerk Gou turned around, fearing that Wei Yin would worry about his daughter Wei Yao, he said, "Master Wei, don't worry. Apart from a few students who went deep into the mountains, the rest are all on the outskirts. Moreover, the fierce wild beasts will only flee into the deep forests and valleys because they are driven away by the warriors."

The registrar is right. Another purpose of the imperial court's hunting is to drive wild beasts away from the people's living areas. Every few months, the hunting is done to frighten the wild animals and make them retreat into the mountains.

Si Chu.

Wei Yao is already close to the halfway point of the hillside.

For these young women who didn't have much hiking experience, climbing the outer slopes was just right. It was just as difficult, but they were unlikely to encounter the deadly danger of falling rocks or accidentally stumble into the nests of pythons or poisonous bees.

Moreover, the warriors ahead did not waste arrows on small animals such as rabbits, mountain rats, and stone partridges when crossing this mountain. Therefore, no matter whether Wei Yao and her students walked or stopped, small animals would hurriedly pass by, without hiding out of fear of people.

Wei Yao aimed at a colorful bird.

"Bang," the arrow is fired.

"Ah—" the girls cheered for Wei Yao, "You hit the target! That's great!"

Wei Yao herself was overjoyed, and after picking up her prey, the six girls continued on their way, chatting and laughing.

"Look, what kind of fruit is this?" Changsun Zhi asked, pointing to the withered red fruit under the tree in front of them.

Liu Zhenzhu said, "It's Cornus officinalis. I heard there are a lot of Cornus officinalis in the Hegan Mountains. Hehe, I'll pick some to take back and see if I can brew some tea."

Wei Yao: "Then I'll pick some too."

Guo Yun: "I'll pick some too." Yuan Langxi leaned against the tree with his arms crossed, watching them. It was really worrying. These three had the same temperament as spiders; once they entered the mountains, they wanted to stick to everything they saw.

Yuan Jingrong used this time to climb up a tall tree to observe the surroundings. Changsun Zhi looked up from below and asked, "How is it? Is the road ahead easy?"

"There are only trees, nothing else to see."

After picking the dogwood, Wei Yao and the other two found no one else around them. Following in the footsteps of their predecessors, they continued on their way. After noon, the six women finally crossed the mountain. They were all exhausted and found a place near water to rest.

Ordinary hunters are not allowed to dig stoves and light fires in the mountains. If Wei Yao and her companions want hot food, they can go to the supply camp in the outer valley to exchange game for it. The stream water is exceptionally clear and transparent this season, but don't be fooled, because the water is bone-chillingly cold. The advantage of resting by the water source is that you can use the water as a natural barrier.

They encountered snakes twice that morning. The second snake was incredibly long with disgusting patterns, and it suddenly dangled from a tree branch. Luckily, it was startled by their screams and fell to the ground before running into the bushes.

Otherwise, they might have run away.

The girls exchanged food and all thought that what their partner brought tasted better than what they brought.

Changsun Zhi: "I heard something interesting, would you like to hear it?"

Yuan Langxi: "Don't ask her anything."

Wei Yao and a few others laughed.

Changsun Zhi snorted and took the initiative to speak: "Let me make this clear first, I heard this from Yuan Heng. He said that his uncle... that is, Governor Yuan, wanted to adopt Wei Mao from your school as his son." The last sentence was directed at Wei Yao.

"what?"

"what?!"

All the young women were surprised, except for Wei Yao, who was feigning surprise. She was now thinking that since Yuan Heng, that big mouth, already knew, it meant that Governor Yuan had deliberately leaked the information, or perhaps felt there was no need to hide it.

Wei Mao's mother is in Pingcheng, and she might have participated in this hunt as well. Does Wei Mao's mother know about it? If she does, how will Wei Mao explain himself to his mother?
It seems this guy is determined to make me change my surname "尉".

Yuan Jingrong gently touched Wei Yao's cheek with her cool fingertips, and she immediately came back to her senses.

"Are you alright? Your face is so red."

Wei Yao was genuinely surprised this time: "Me, blushing?"

The five women around them nodded in unison.

Wei Yao leaned against Yuan Jingrong and said coquettishly, "I'm so tired, you all saw that. So let me be a little lazy and rest a little longer."

Yuan Jingrong exclaimed "Ouch!" and put her arm around her shoulder. "Listen to that sweet voice, I'd rather carry you than rest a little longer."

"Hahaha." Changsun Zhi laughed heartily, then mimicked Wei Yao's tone and pleaded with Yuan Langxi, "Let me be a little unreasonable, will you carry me on your back?"

Yuan Langxi shuddered and bared his teeth: "Stay away from me, you remind me of that big worm."

"Haha."

"Hahahaha!"

A young woman's laughter is always the most beautiful sound in the world.

(End of this chapter)