History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 261 He Lan Becomes a Disciple
Li Yin was extremely frustrated, and Ji Rusheng next to him dared not stir up any more trouble, because when they were discussing the "Spring Official's Record of Auspicious Omens," he remembered that he had read this classic and memorized "the five colors and five steps of reeling."

However, reading is not just about reading and memorizing; you also need to know how to apply what you've learned.

Wei Yao continued explaining Chapter Two of "The Great Ming Dynasty".

Upon hearing the end of the poem, Li Yin sighed and left the group of students. Judging by this poem alone, everything she had learned had already been taught by Wei Yao. If she were to continue debating with Wei Yao, citing commentaries and interpretations from classical texts, and were to lose again, the saying "Eastern Li Yin, Southern Wei Yao" would become a laughingstock among the Confucian scholars of Luoyang.

“Miss Li, Miss,” He Lan caught up with her and pleaded, “Please teach me poetry, Miss.”

Li Yin, annoyed, declined, saying, "Why don't you just come to the elegant study hall every day to learn?"

“To be honest, young lady, I am a descendant of a meritorious official of the Helai clan. Although my family has fallen on hard times, I always remember that I am a descendant of a meritorious official. How could I lower myself to become a disciple of a woman from a poor family?”

Li Yin felt a little better, and He Lan's next words dispelled her depression, bringing a smile to her face.

"You are a noble lady from a prominent family. To compare your talent with Wei Yao's is an understatement. It would be better to compare the quality of your students. If I were to learn poetry from you and surpass Wei Yao's students, or even surpass Wei Yao herself, wouldn't that demonstrate that your poetic skills far exceed Wei Yao's?"

"What you say makes sense. Alright, then I'll take you as my apprentice."

As soon as the members of the Hongchi Poetry Society left, several seats became available, and the newly arrived Confucian scholars quickly occupied the spaces to listen to the poetry.

Yu Baoying also left. Seeing the young lady pouting, the maid Yu E teased her, "This maid is so confused. I still can't figure out whether the young lady's trip was to help Miss Wei or the Hongchi Poetry Society?"

Yu Baoying chuckled, covering her mouth. "Of course I wanted to help Miss Wei, but I couldn't understand any of their arguments. Alas, I knew long ago that Wei Yao was the top poet in Hengzhou, summoned to the palace school to teach poetry at the young age of ten, but I looked down on her because of her poor background. You see, she dared to lecture in the grand hall, so of course she was confident in her extensive knowledge and wasn't afraid to debate the classics with others."

She continued with her感慨: "I had long heard of Li Yin's name, but because she was Li Biao's daughter, I thought she had no profound talent and was just relying on her family background. Today, I see that I was completely wrong. So, this trip was not in vain. This trip has taught me how to judge people."

When Yuanmao arrived at the academy, Wei Yao's lectures were nearing their end. He stood at a distance, watching her teach the Confucian classics to the scholars or impart the basics of textual exegesis. Yuanmao tried hard to recall the days when he and Wei Yao had quarreled and argued at the Wei Academy in Pingcheng. He always felt that that period was shrouded in a layer of fog, which he was trying to forcefully erase from his memory.

The current Wei Yao is completely different from the one she used to be; she's like a completely different person.

There's only one reason: she grew up too fast.

Therefore, he also had to work hard and not slack off in his studies just because he had been granted an official position. He did not seek to surpass her, but he had to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

After finishing her lecture, Wei Yao bowed to the scholars who had come to learn from her and said goodbye. Even though they were far apart, lovers could still see each other at a glance and their hearts would still flutter.

"I love him..." In the instant her heart pounded, Wei Yao was perfectly clear about her feelings.

She walked towards him with a happy smile.

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was around, she whispered her feelings: "I was just thinking about you, and then I saw you."

Yuan Mao's ears turned red and his tongue got tied in knots, and he let out a pathetic "ah!"

The south side of the city has its advantages; the wind, after passing through the Luo River, blows onto people's faces with an extra layer of coolness, which can quickly soothe the heat.

Yuan Mao looked at Wei Yao, who was still smiling, and finally remembered why he had come. He said, "His Majesty may be revising the new education decree. The old articles for primary school will remain unchanged, and articles for higher education will be added."

The more you use your brain, the smarter you become. Wei Yao understood and immediately asked, "Can a lecturer be promoted after becoming a lecturer?"

She was initially a recitation instructor, and only after passing the palace school's examination did she become a regular recitation instructor.

Yuan Mao nodded: "We'll know the specifics of the edict in a few days. But it's been decided that Liu Fang, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Cui Guang, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, and Sun Huiwei, the Chief Official of the Imperial Palace, will be in charge of drafting the document. I'll assist with the miscellaneous tasks of organizing and copying. By the way, the exam paper you took at the Imperial Academy was prepared by Minister Sun. His Majesty has reviewed it and summoned the Prince of Qinghe and several other princes to the palace to review your answers. Also, I met the Seventh Prince on my way back..." After he finished recounting everything, Wei Yao handed him her water bottle. Yuan Mao stared at the spout, first pursing his lips before carefully bringing it to his lips, as if he were licking the bottle rather than drinking from it.

Wei Yao, being an experienced person, could easily see through his intentions. She pretended to be kind and told him, "Don't worry, I've always talked about poetry and never touched it."

"Hmph, cough, oh, okay."

Wei Yao turned her head away to suppress her laughter, but when she turned back, she dared not laugh anymore because she saw her father and mentor returning together.

Yuan Mao, who was born in the Year of the Rat, quickly put the stopper on the kettle and put it in his cloth bag before bowing to the two elders.

Three days of leisurely time passed in the blink of an eye.

August 17th.

Yongkang Lane in the inner city.

The carriage of Prince Rencheng's Mansion passed by Prince Qianjiangyang's Mansion and was surprised to find that the gate plaque had been changed, with the four characters "Prince Guangling's Mansion" prominently displayed, indicating that Yuan Yu had become Yuan Cheng's neighbor.

"Hitch a ride—" Yuan Yu ran out of the door and got into Yuan Cheng's car. He came uninvited and even glanced at Chief Secretary Li Xuanmao.

Li Xuanmao had no choice but to ride along on horseback.

"Your car needs to be widened; there's not enough room for people."

After criticizing Che Zhai, Yuan Yu lifted the curtain and greeted Zhao Zhi: "Guard Zhao, I'll lend it to you tonight."

Zhao Zhi's tendons bulged as she gripped the iron hook. Leaving aside the countless people she had killed on the battlefield, she had slaughtered over two hundred bandits during the migration from Pingcheng to Luoyang alone. Therefore, whether her murderous aura was genuine or not could be determined by the sudden goosebumps on Yuan Yu's skin.

Yuan Yu drew the curtain closed tightly and quietly warned Yuan Cheng, "This woman is fearless; you must be wary of her."

"Did you eat eggs this morning?" Yuan Cheng asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Eating eggs makes your farts smell especially bad."

Yuan Yu was not annoyed. Instead, he leaned back and laughed contentedly.

Yuan Cheng got down to business: "The criminal Yuan Jicai moved out of Yongkang Lane, and you bought his house and moved in. Yuan Yu, are you deliberately trying to make enemies and incur resentment?"

Yuan Yu retorted, "That old scoundrel Yuan Ji almost killed you, are you willing for him to only be demoted?"

“He was indeed implicated in the assassination case, but the Court of Justice could not find any evidence. According to the law, stripping him of his official rank is already a severe sentence.”

"Then I'll sell the house to the Grand Commandant at a low price," Yuan Yu said, making a move to get out of the carriage.

"Huh?" Yuan Cheng stopped him, laughed twice, and said, "Since you've moved in, let's talk about it. Let me guess what you're thinking... Now everyone in the court knows that you and that brat Yuan Yu have a blood feud, which is why Yuan Yu was confined to his quarters. He'll probably behave himself for a while. He's His Majesty's younger brother, so His Majesty will soon calm down. If you and Yuan Yu make new enemies then, His Majesty will have to re-evaluate who's right and who's wrong."

Yuan Yu flicked his sleeves, speaking ruthlessly: "Uncle, don't try to trick me! I'm going to use Yuan Ji's son, Yuan Cha! That brat and Yuan Yu are bound to get along well. If I don't give them a chance to do their dirty work, how can I deal with them both at once!"