History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 194 Three questions, passed!
Yuan Cheng, unwittingly mocked, immediately shouted at the Hu merchant, "I want a cake without sesame seeds!"

The merchant from Hu replied quite frankly: "It doesn't taste good without sesame seeds."

Yuan Cheng: "I'm full of black-heartedness, I'd feel full even if I ate one more sesame seed, unlike those who are simple-minded, who can eat more burnt sesame seeds."

Zhao Zhi got up and asked Hu Shang for a bamboo basket. She put all the leftovers from her husband and daughter into the basket and calmly gave Hu Shang some advice: "If you put sesame cakes in this kind of basket, the sesame seeds will fall out and attract a vicious dog to throw at you. If there are several dogs, you have to be careful."

The merchant replied perfunctorily, "Okay, okay, okay." Yuan Cheng chewed on the sesame-free cake, and the more he thought about what the woman had said, the more something seemed off. At the same time, he felt as if he had seen this woman somewhere before.

Another diner sat down next to Yuan Cheng; he was a bodyguard disguised as a commoner. "Minister, stop eating. There are assassins of unknown origin here."

Yuan Chengxiao understood and asked, "How many vicious dogs are there?"

"Three waves."

Yuan Cheng let out a soft "Ah." Despite the dangerous situation, he wasn't nervous but instead chuckled: "So that's how it is. Black-hearted vicious dogs are as numerous as sesame seeds."

Wei Yao and her family hurried to the end of the street, when they heard a commotion behind them. Soldiers were running towards the source of the disturbance, ordering the people to take cover and avoid a stampede.

Zhao Zhi then explained the reason: "If I am not mistaken, that person was Prince Yuan Cheng of Rencheng. There were assassins following him, and when he sat down, other assassins arrived and entered the restaurant across the street, blocking his way in and out."

Wei Yao patted her chest in lingering fear: "I sensed something was wrong. Mother never argues or quarrels with strangers first, so 'sesame' is a metaphor for an assassin!"

"He has bodyguards protecting him, which is why I did him a favor."

In other words, favors should not be given to a dying person. If Prince Rencheng had no guards around him, Zhao Zhi would not say a word.

It was hot, and the food wouldn't keep well, so Wei Yao's family headed back to Yinianli. The next morning, they rushed to the East City, exited through Jianchun Gate at the north end of the East Gate, and continued east, passing through Jianyangli and Suiminli to reach the Luoyang County Government Office.

Outside the county government office stood a stele commemorating Qingde (Pure Virtue), inscribed with the official career and achievements of the then-magistrate, Jia Zhen. Wei Yao presented an official document handwritten by the former prefect of Hengzhou and followed the minor officials into the county government office.

Yu Yin and his wife could only wait outside.

Wei Yao was taken to the office area where the civil officials were located. After waiting in the courtyard for about a quarter of an hour, a civil official called her into the office.

The clerk, surnamed Wang, seemed to have received many Confucian scholars from other places who came to answer the call to teach recitation. He first said the most important thing: "The young lady's arrival in the capital is just in time, and the matter of answering the call to teach recitation has just resumed."

Wei Yao could finally put her mind at ease.

Wang Wenli: "However, there are many Confucian scholars in each prefecture and county, with dozens of them on the list of those to be summoned. Therefore, the officials added a provincial examination. Only those who pass the examination can enter the palace to teach according to their time."

Wei Yao asked, "Where is the exam held?"

Wang Wenli drew a circle with his finger: "Any clerk in this courtyard is acceptable. If the young lady does not wish to choose another day, I can give her the question now."

"I am ready. Please, clerk, give me the questions."

Wang Wenli nodded in satisfaction. In fact, the first question had already been given, and it was the only question that all the clerks had the same answer to: whether to take the test immediately or to take it on another day. If the latter was chosen, the candidate would be eliminated immediately, and there would be no subsequent "take the test on another day".

"For the first question, in the poem 'Huanghuang Zhehua,' according to the commentary, explain what 'yuan' means and what 'xi' means?"

The court summoned a lecturer for the "Airs of the States" section, but the test content was actually from the "Minor Odes" section. Wei Yao immediately replied: "High and flat is called 'Yuan', and low and wet is called 'Xi'."

Wang Wenli: "Correct. For the second question, answer the original and extended meanings of 'fresh' in 'fish and sheep,' and use a line from the 'Airs' section of the Book of Songs to prove the extended meaning." Her hard-earned knowledge from her daily studies was fully utilized at this moment. Without racking her brains, she immediately answered: "'Fresh' originally means a type of fish, and can be extended to mean fresh fish, fresh, delicious, and beautiful. In the poem 'New Terrace' from the 'Airs of Bei,' the line 'Seeking a gentle and virtuous wife, the bamboo is not fresh,' combined with the entire poem, means that a woman from Qi came to marry a man from Wei, hoping for a gentle and virtuous match, but instead married the ugly and unyielding Duke Xuan of Wei. In this poem, 'fresh' has the extended meaning of 'beautiful and virtuous.'"

That's interesting. The previous question tested the "Xiaoya" section, while this question tests the "Erya" section!
Wang Wenli took a scroll, opened it, and found more than a dozen names on it. He added the name "Wei Yao" to the end and said, "Young lady, you have passed the test. Come back in five days. Come to this academy again and find any of the clerks. They will tell you the specific lecture time and rules."

Wei Yao was overjoyed and bowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, clerk."

"Haha, I'll just add one more thing: if you want to teach the Book of Songs well, you can't just read it. Go back and prepare well."

"Yes! Wei Yao will remember your teachings!"

When Wei Yao came out of the county office, Wei Yin and Zhao Zhi knew that the good thing had gone well as soon as they saw their daughter's beaming face.

Behind them, a scholar with a sullen face also came out of the county office. He found Wei Yao's smile particularly irritating, snorted, and turned away.

Zhao Zhi clenched her fist: "You deserve a beating."

Wei Yin said to his daughter, "You just entered the county government office, and this person also went in. It seems he didn't pass the exam, haha."

Once outside the county government compound, Wei Yao recounted the examination in detail, her small mouth smacking her lips, her voice more melodious than a kingfisher's at dawn. Finally, she said, "Father, Mother, I think there were actually three questions asking whether I wanted to choose a day to take the exam, which was also a kind of test for me."

Wei Yin: "That should be the case." The scholar who was disappointed just now may have failed because of his decision not to choose an auspicious day.

Having accomplished the most important task, they moved on to the second: to find a broker in the south of the city to inquire about housing prices north and south of the Luo River. Walking was too late, so the Wei family, indulging in a rare luxury, rented a carriage in a small market near the county government office and drove along the official road outside the city towards the Luo River.

In Luoyang, just like in Pingcheng, those with special privileges could only purchase land for housing. The current policy still follows the decree issued in the ninth year of the Taihe era, which stipulates that a family of three can occupy a maximum of one mu (approximately 0.16 acres) of land.

The broker said, "The area around the imperial road near Xuanyang Gate has been fenced off by the government. You have no idea how many people regret it and are about to jump into the Luo River. If you had any foresight, you would have borrowed money to buy an acre or half an acre there. You could even rent a cellar from there. Do you believe me?"

Zhao Zhi rubbed two pebbles together in her hand, causing them to fall like charcoal dust. She asked, "We only have 20,000 coins. Where can we buy some on the north bank of the Luo River?"

The broker abandoned his cunning ways and obediently led the way.

During the year, little Yuan Yi came to the orchard right after lunch. He told his fourth brother that he wanted to take a walk to digest his food, but who goes around digesting food all afternoon? Yuan Yi came to find his seventh brother and deliberately asked, "When did you start liking to study? You're even reading a book of poems while digesting your food?"

Yuan Yu pouted towards the depths of the woods. Honestly, he didn't keep his word. He had said he would come back here to play together again, but, humph, only he took it seriously!
"Brother, let me test you. Which 'yao' is 'deep and secluded'?"

"The 'yao' in 'yaotiao' (窈窕)".

"So, brother, do you think you're doing well in your studies?"

Yuan Yi: "I think it's alright."

“I see now, I’m the only honest person in this world.” Yuan Yu shook his head like an old man, put his hands behind his back, and walked away first.

隰 (xí): a low-lying and damp place. 濕 (shī): wet.

籧篨 (qú chú): refers to a person who is ill and unable to bend over.

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(End of this chapter)