History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 188 Recitation Instructor
Winter is the quietest time for prison officials. The prison magistrate, Guan Xian, was inquisitive and was sent to the county office by the registrar, Gou. Ostensibly, he was to teach the county prison officials how to perform autopsies, but in reality, he was tasked with keeping an eye on the county matchmakers. Whenever someone was asked to arrange a marriage for a student named Wei Yao, Guan Xian was to report it immediately.

If Wei Yao were to become engaged to someone else, Wei Mao would have no need to change his surname, which would mean that the governor's wish would be dashed.

The registrar asked, "Have you inquired about the situation of the clan?"

Guan Xian’s eyes showed “Of course”, and he immediately began to explain: “The head of the Zong family is named Zong Dian, who works in the Court of Justice. His wife’s surname is Hun, and she is good at business. She owns two shops in the eastern part of Luoyang. Zong Dian has three sons and one daughter. The one he wants to marry is his eldest son, named Yin, who is eleven years old.”

He then recounted who from the Zong family had come to Pingcheng: "A total of four people came. The young man in charge was surnamed Men, Zong Dian's cousin, and also the manager of one of the Zong family's shops. The matchmaker who accompanied them was surnamed Luo, a private matchmaker found by the Zong family in their neighborhood. She always greeted people with a smile and was very eloquent. They came in two oxcarts, driven by a husband and wife who were both servants in the Zong family's shops. I secretly inquired and found out that the couple were hired laborers; the Zong family had no servants."

The registrar pondered for a moment, then instructed Guan Xian on how to proceed, actually using Guan Xian to teach the head of the county matchmaking office how to do his job. Wei Yao would be ten years old next year; with such a talented daughter, many families would be vying for her hand in marriage. It wouldn't be feasible to have Guan Xian keep a close eye on the matchmaking office every month. Besides, marriage was a legitimate matter for ordinary people, and it would be troublesome if rumors spread that a certain official in the prefecture was using his power to threaten commoners into hiring matchmakers.

As for Wei Yao, when she returned home, the rain and snow had stopped, but the sky was still dark and gloomy. Erzhu Maiti and several Qihu warriors were unloading New Year's goods in her yard, including tiger skin felt, wool yarn, wolfberry wine, various dried fruits, venison, bear meat, sheep tails, and so on, all of which were mountain products from Xiurongchuan.

Among these warriors was a woman, the wife of Master Maiti, named Tie Duohu. Tie Duohu helped Zhao Zhi cook meat over a fire. After the meal, Wei Yao and Master Maiti went back to Cui Academy together.

Along the way, the tall and strong Qihu warriors attracted the attention of many people. Tie Duohu had a very cheerful personality. She told Wei Yao that when she was a child, she was called Tie Duoyi (Iron Ant). When she shot a hare for the first time, she changed her name to Tie Duotu (Iron Rabbit). Later, when she could shoot a deer, she changed her name to Tie Duolu (Iron Deer). This autumn, when she could easily shoot foxes, she changed her name to Tie Duohu (Iron Fox).

When the convoy reached a less crowded street, Tie Duohu sang an ancient love song of the Qihu people. Mai Tifuzi joined in with his wife's singing, and the rugged melody made Wei Yao involuntarily imagine the magnificent scenery of Xiurongchuan.

Starting the next day, Wei Yao began learning new poems and catching up on her missed lessons. With only so much time all day, she had to give up her original plan to study the Classic of Filial Piety alongside Guo Yun and Liu Zhenzhu.

However, there is one new basic knowledge that must be learned: bilingualism.

"Alliteration" is a pronunciation method belonging to the "four tones fanqie" system. It is a common style of communication that uses "two characters and two sounds" and is highly regarded by the upper class in Luoyang. In other words, after Wei Yao went to Luoyang, she could not use the alliteration method of speaking, but if powerful people spoke to her in this way, she would have to respond in the same manner.

Time flies like an arrow, and Wei Yao felt that there were not enough days. When she was on New Year's leave, she learned that four groups of matchmakers had come to her house to propose marriage during the twelfth lunar month. Among these four families was Zong Yin, whom she deeply hated and who had never been able to divorce her in her previous life until death!

By this time, the four people and two carts sent by the Zong family had already left Hengzhou. Of course, the marriage proposal had not been finalized. They were not angry about the Wei family's refusal, but they were angry about how the matchmaker from Pingcheng County had such a foul mouth!
Here's the thing.

The matchmakers in Pingcheng County were few in number, and they had to wait three days before they could finally find one.

The county matchmaker, accompanied by Matchmaker Luo, went to the home of Wei Yao in Chiyang Lane. Matchmaker Luo first gave a general overview of the Zong family's situation, and she dared to swear that every word she said about the Zong family was true! Although Zong Yin had not received formal education, he was by no means illiterate. He could find a minor official position in the Luoyang government, and with the Zong family's wealth, there would be no problem supporting Wei Yao's education.

After the matchmaker finished speaking, the county matchmaker spoke up, first saying, "We people of Pingcheng don't deceive people of Pingcheng," and then refuting the merits of the clan one by one!

"Marrying so far away! You'd better think it through. Summer droughts and floods, winter rains and snows—whenever the weather is bad, how will Miss Wei return to her parents after traveling so far?" "Matchmaker Luo, if the Zong family's two shops were in good locations in the east of the city, wouldn't you mention them? They must be outside the city gates, right?"

"Young Master Zong has never been to school, tsk tsk. Young Lady Wei is a master of poetry. If they get married, when Young Lady Wei says 'mountain ridge', Young Master Zong will hear 'drumming'! What's the difference between that and singing poetry to a deaf person? They'll end up becoming enemies!"

"As for the fact that the main family is willing to support Miss Wei's studies, isn't it possible that her own family can't afford it? Ha, it sounds nice that she can continue her studies after marrying into the main family, but nothing has changed at all, yet she's being treated with such favor. From now on, every extra word she practices or every extra sheet of paper she uses will have to be a thank you to her husband's family!"

Recalling this, the matchmaker Luo said angrily, "If I had known it would end like this, I wouldn't have made this trip even if you had given me two thousand more coins! This is a disgrace to my reputation!"

Zong Yin's cousin, the shopkeeper, wore a forced smile but was inwardly worried. Zong Yin was a very stubborn boy; he wouldn't give up even if the marriage proposal failed this time.

Some people are troubled by trivial matters, while others are overjoyed because their ideals are about to be realized.

Official documents from the Imperial Academy and the Palace Academy recruiting Confucian scholars and female lecturers for the classics arrived in Pingcheng at the beginning of the first month! The Imperial Academy's recruitment had nothing to do with Wei Yao, but she had a chance to try for the position of female lecturer at the Palace Academy.

The female sermon teacher's scholarship included the Book of Poetry.

The official document states that, according to the teaching requirements, female teachers of the Book of Poetry were divided into two categories: female historians of the third rank and lecturers of recitation.

Wei Yao did not meet the requirements for a third-rank female historian; she only needed to consider becoming a "lecturer of recitation."

The instructors of the Book of Songs were required to be proficient in at least one of the three sections: "Airs of the States," "Odes," and "Hymns." Because her annual examination paper had been reviewed by renowned scholars of the court, and her name "Wei Yao" was already on the list of those to be recruited, Wei Yao did not need a recommendation from a prefectural or county-level official. As long as she accepted the conscription, she could set off for Luoyang.

This matter also has its disadvantages.

The title "Lecturer" sounds prestigious, but in reality, they were just ordinary lecturers who were not allowed to live in the palace. They were paid according to the number of classes they taught. If they were dismissed for not teaching well, it wouldn't be a big deal, but it would damage their reputation.

“Father, Mother, I want to answer the call! I have the confidence to teach students. If I turn down such a good opportunity because of fear, then I will be ridiculed by all the poetry students in Pingcheng! What will become of my future?”

No one knows a daughter better than her parents. Zhao Zhi opened the wooden boxes one by one, showing her daughter the wealth they had accumulated. "We can afford a courtyard house with two rooms in Pingcheng, and we can afford one in Luoyang too!"

Wei Yin encouraged her, saying, "Young people should be setting their sights on the clouds. If everyone is not brave enough to promote what they have learned, the world's learning atmosphere will inevitably decline. Yao'er, while you are young and while your mother and I are still strong, why not spread your wings as much as you can and strive for a wider and more distant world?"

(End of this chapter)