History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 251 Discussing Cui Xi's Past Events

What Yuan Yu hated even more was that, regardless of seniority or official rank, he had to bow to his enemy. "Yuan Yu greets the General."

Yuan Yu tugged at the ear of the horse in the main carriage of the Prince of Rencheng's mansion with one hand and asked, "Tell me, has the Prince of Jingzhao grown wings?"

The horse shook its head, itching.

Yuan Yu knew the other person had no good intentions and didn't want to listen, so she turned and headed towards her carriage.

Yuan Yu shouted, "You don't have wings, do you? You've only just returned to Luoyang and you're already trying to flap your wings!"

If Yuan Yu had been able to tolerate it, he wouldn't have been kicked out of the Zhai Palace. He stopped and turned around, saying sarcastically, "Uncle Wang is in his prime, he should have grown a pair of strong wings by now, why don't you fly high and far? Why do you only climb over other people's walls at night and flutter onto other people's pillows? Ha, could it be that Uncle Wang's wings are chicken wings?"

He underestimated the other party's shamelessness.

Yuan Yu was not ashamed. He gestured with his hand from the ground to the sky and said, "What do you know? I call it 'Old rooster in its stall,' which can travel a thousand miles in a single 'squeak'! Humph, I'm not going to argue with you, you idle person. I have to go to the palace to find the Grand Commandant."

Zhao Zhi murmured softly, "Where does this allusion come from? The old rooster lies low..."

"Don't learn this!" Li Xuanmao quickly stopped him. That's how it is with bad students; they can't learn the good things and they can't forget the bad ones.

Yuan Yu entered the palace today to present the application list for the Mulan Camp. The initial plan is to select one thousand female warriors for the first batch. Grand Commandant Yuan Xi is concerned about why Zhao Zhi's name is not on the list.

When discussing politics, Yuan Yu stopped joking and causing trouble. He sat quietly to one side and listened to the Right Minister Yuan Cheng explain the situation: "This matter is related to an old case."

"Decades ago, there was a Han Chinese scholar named Cui who was skilled at disguising his appearance and used his schemes to kill people by borrowing their knives. He killed many Xianbei noblemen's sons. Later, the scholar and his wife, Xi, were found. The scholar committed suicide, and Xi, who was pregnant, escaped. After giving birth to the child, Xi appeared. With the mediation of several powerful figures, Xi also committed suicide and made a vow that the child would not become a teacher or an official. Only then was the grudge barely settled."

"That child is Zhao Zhi's husband. Zhao Zhi is worried that if she takes up a military post, she will be suspected of breaking her oath, and old grudges will be brought up again. At that time, rumors and attacks will be too much for her family to bear."

Left Minister Yuan Jia, looking hungover, let out a burp that made everyone scramble back. "They've got some nerve, coming to Luoyang, huh? You were all too young then to know, but do you know how many lives were lost at Cui Rusheng's hands? At least twenty!"

"Do you know who Xi Shi is? She is Xi Mainu's sister, Xi Wunan."

"Hiccup. The mediators that Xi Wunan found were Cui Zongbo and Wei Duohou. Otherwise, how could the lives of Xi Wunan and his wife be worth more than twenty lives? It's fine for Zhao Zhi to serve as the head guard in the Right Minister's office, but to be appointed as a military officer in the outer court, and as the Mulan Camp General with an imperial edict personally issued by His Majesty, if you were the family members of those victims back then, wouldn't you be angry and anxious?"

Right Minister Yuan Cheng: "The Zhao family are former subordinates of General Wei Yi. What I just mentioned was obtained from Wei Yi and Minister Xi Jian. Xi Wunan is Xi Jian's aunt. Wei Yi and Xi Jian both said that Cui Xiu, the son of Cui Zongbo, should know the details of this matter best. I have already written to Cui Xiu. Grand Commandant, I suggest that we wait for Cui Xiu's reply before reporting this matter to His Majesty."

The snoring sound came from the Left Minister. Yuan Jia opened his eyes again and asked, "Is the discussion over? Then I'll go back to my residence."

He ignored the fact that the other important officials hadn't moved and left the office on his own.

The Grand Commandant rebuked Yuan Cheng: "You knew the inside story all along, but you waited until the Left Minister finished speaking before you told him. He finally came all this way, and you drove him away in anger." Yuan Cheng retorted: "He doesn't care about anything, so he shouldn't have come at all!"

Yuan Yu: "Grand Commandant, don't look at me like that. I really didn't want to come either. I suggest we give the position of selecting female Tiger Warriors to the Prince of Jingzhao. You don't know, just now outside the palace, that brat told so many people that I was climbing over someone's wall at night..."

The Grand Commandant snapped, "Shut up!"

Wang Yu, the eunuch who was listening in and taking notes, quickly said, "His Majesty only ordered me to record political affairs."

At noon, the ministers came out of the Changhe Palace gate. There had to be an order to leave the palace. Wang Su, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was the superior of the Prince of Rencheng, but he still gave way to the Prince of Rencheng first.

Grand Commandant Yuan Xi, unable to tolerate it, turned and left.

"Grand Commandant, please wait." Wang Su's carriage caught up with him, and he asked, "Li Biao has come to me again, requesting to be reinstated to his former post. The position of Imperial Censor is probably no longer suitable, and the position of Secretary-General in the Secretariat is vacant. Li Biao served as Secretary-General in the fourteenth year of his reign, and he is now qualified to fill the position. I would like to recommend Li Biao. What do you think, Grand Commandant?"

Yuan Xi shook his head and warned, "Minister, you should not concern yourself with Li Biao's affairs from now on."

"But Li Biao is truly talented in literature."

"Whether he has literary talent or not has nothing to do with whether His Majesty uses him or not! To put it bluntly, let alone reinstatement, unless he dies, his descendants should not expect to be given important positions!"

Wang Su still felt it was a great pity that Li Biao was buried in obscurity.

Yuan Xi sighed at Wang Su's honesty and said in a low voice, "You've heard about the incident where the Prince of Jingzhao caused a scene at Lu Yuan's residence, right? To appease Lu Yuan, His Majesty has reserved the position of Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, waiting for Lu Yuan to recover before he takes office."

Li Biao was eager for an official position, like an ant on a hot stove. He waited for Wang Su on his way home, bowing respectfully from afar. Wang Su sympathized with him and relayed the Grand Commandant's words tactfully. However, out of regret for Li Biao's talent, he did not relay the Grand Commandant's most severe reprimand: "Don't expect to be given an important position."

Li Biao watched the Grand Secretary's carriage depart, feeling the gray sky and cold wind. He walked slowly, reflecting on the past. If it weren't for that damned Li Chong who had harmed him, he would now only have Wang Su to beg him for help; he couldn't possibly beg any other court official!
He worked in the Secretariat every day as a commoner, compiling historical records. He wasn't working for nothing. He thought about how the literary officials had been spreading rumors about the discord between Wang Su and the Prince of Rencheng. Suddenly, Li Biao had an idea. Since Wang Su was useless, he could tell the Prince of Rencheng about Wang Su's private affairs. That way, even if the Prince of Rencheng didn't help him get his official position back, he would help his son, Li Zhimou, get a job.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhi, burdened with the task entrusted to her by her husband, walked alongside the carriage while pondering how to speak to the Prince of Rencheng.

Inside the carriage, Prince Rencheng recounted the proceedings of the court meeting to his chief secretary. Li Xuanmao analyzed, "Prince Jia's intention is... to warn Guard Zhao that the past grievances are not over? At least among the people Prince Jia knows, there are enemies of Cui Rusheng! Minister, will Prince Jia intervene?"

"No. The old man is very cunning. He drinks and pretends to be stupid all day long. If he dares to ruin my plans, don't blame me for reporting him!"

If Zhao Zhizhi were to serve as a minor general in the Mulan Camp, it would not only be a waste of talent, but also make her vulnerable to being framed by various factions, and she would be punished before she could even make any merits.

Therefore, the Prince of Rencheng and his advisors decided that Zhao Zhi should either not take office, or if she did, she should replace Zhao Xiu and become the first bodyguard in His Majesty's presence!