History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 271 Yuan Yu traps schoolchildren

The emperor continued, "All the military officers who stormed the Prince of Jingzhao's residence today shall be exiled to Dunhuang."

"Yes. Your subject failed to protect Yuan Yu, and it was my mistake that caused him to be poisoned. Fortunately, the poison was not long-lasting and most of its toxicity has dissipated. Otherwise, I would not be able to atone for my sins even if I were to die ten thousand times. Your subject, Yuan Yu, requests to resign from the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry and return to my residence to reflect on my mistakes."

The emperor ignored the string of farts that passed by his ear and reassured him, "When Father was alive, he often praised Fourth Uncle as a talented member of the imperial family. I am not confused and will not blame Fourth Uncle for Yuan Yu's crimes. I am young and need Fourth Uncle to assist me wholeheartedly, just as he has assisted Father. Do not mention your request to resign again. Go back."

Yuan Yu truly did not want to be this lousy general. He was in charge of the Imperial Guards but had no real power to command troops. If he interfered too much in the affairs of the Imperial Guards, he would offend the Grand Commandant. If he interfered too little, he would always be complained about by His Majesty.

It's a pity that today's plan to kill two birds with one stone only hit one bird, and didn't kill it. But it's also good, because it shows the great difference between Your Majesty and the late Emperor in their personalities and ways of doing things.

Several students from the Imperial Academy arrived together, led by the Seventh Prince Yuan Ruo, each holding a booklet.

The children, all looking spirited, bowed to Yuan Yu, who asked, "What brings you here?"

Yuan Heng replied, "Today, the monthly exam papers from the palace school were delivered to the Imperial Ancestral School. I can hardly believe that there are so many palace students who don't understand poetry! Dr. Sun asked us to bring a few of the exam papers to His Majesty."

Yuan Yu quite liked this nephew, and gently pinched his chubby cheek, saying, "The palace students did poorly on the exam, which makes it seem like you students are doing well, doesn't it?"

At this point, he suddenly came up with a plan to prank Fatty Cheng. "His Majesty was just angered by your third brother, don't drag you into it. Come on, I'll go in with you."

The test paper that Yuan Yu and his group brought was the simplest poetry test in the "test for all" section.

Among this group of royal students, Yuan Hao, the son of Prince Beihai Yuan Xiang, was the boldest and most eloquent. Without the help of eunuchs, he first unfolded the long scroll containing the questions, and then unfolded several nearly blank answer sheets in turn.

Throughout this process, he kept talking: "Your Majesty, please read the questions first. See, aren't they very simple? This kind of examination method was initiated by the old capital last year and is called 'Examination for All'."

"Your Majesty, please review the answer sheet again. Look, it's a very long scroll! Only five lines of poetry were written on it."

"Does Your Majesty think that Dr. Sun gave us the wrong thing?"

"not at all."

"Your Majesty, please read this volume again."

"The total number of questions answered is not even half the number of questions in the exam!"

"Before we arrived, Dr. Sun sighed with worry, wondering whether there was a flaw in the selection of palace students or in the selection of female teachers. If these questions were posed to us, we would answer them all without hesitation."

Yuan Shixian quickly kicked Yuan Hao's heel, saying that he had boasted too much and that he didn't really know the answers to some of the questions.

The emperor looked at Yuan Yu, the Prince of Guangling, who was standing to one side.

Yuan Yu: "I have returned, just as Dr. Sun worried! Construction began in Luoyang seventeen years ago, but to this day the Imperial Academy exists in name only, without any actual professors. The Imperial Ancestral Academy is practically non-existent, and the Southern Imperial Academy remains in ruins. Various places of rites have not been built due to the delays caused by the southern campaign. However, the palace schools are all based on the old capital and palace, so why has the study of poetry been completely abandoned, wasting the national treasury?"

"I believe that the root of all the problems in the education of scholars lies in the negligence of Yuan Cheng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, in implementing the new education decree!"

Ignoring the preceding ramblings, the emperor corrected, "The palace school has always been neither an official nor a private school, but rather under the jurisdiction of the Changqiu Temple. How can it be the Right Minister's fault?"

Yuan Yu was reprimanded but didn't care at all, and shamelessly stood there refusing to leave.

The emperor ignored him and asked Yuan Heng and the other royal students, "Did Dr. Sun tell you the rule that 'everyone will be tested'?"

This time it was Yuan Heng who replied: "They told us that the rule is that the examiner reads the questions aloud and gives a short time to answer them."

That is, there is no precise answer time limit.

Seeing the students' confidence, the emperor understood Sun Huiwei's intentions. "Were the exam papers sent to the Imperial Academy by Changqiu Temple?"

"Yes."

Yuan Hao added, "Dr. Sun said there's another poetry exam at the palace academy this afternoon." The Emperor asked, "Would you like to compete against the palace students?"

One after another, voices clamored "I want to!"

"Very well, I grant your wish."

Each little fist was clenched tightly.

Although Yuan Yu didn't know what "testing all" meant, if the slackers of the Imperial Academy were really better than the students of the Palace Academy, then the heads of the Grand Chamberlain and the Vice Minister could be chopped off.

He quickly added encouraging words: "His Majesty has granted your wish, shouldn't you also repay His Majesty's expectations? Here's what we'll do: words are not enough. If you do better than the palace students in the exam, I will give each of you a fruit-shaped horse."

Frogs began to croak in the fasting palace, their joyful "waa" sounds filling the air.

Yuan Yu changed his tone: "If you do not do well on the exam and bring shame to the Imperial Academy, then I will punish each of you by making you give me one of your most cherished possessions!"

The underachievers were just bad at studying, not stupid. They immediately shut their mouths and exchanged knowing glances with each other.

"Your mount, 'Siyue,' has four hooves of four different colors. You can't find another horse like it among ten thousand. Isn't it more precious than the Guoxia Horse?"

"The little rhinoceros horn you usually play with is about the size of your palm. You can't buy it even if you have money. Is it currently tucked away in your cloth bag?"

"Oh no, everyone in the Imperial Academy knows that your most treasured possession is the 'Fire Moon Bow.' Just selling the gems on the bow would be enough to buy a horse."

The three children, Yuan Yu, Yuan Hao, and Yuan Shixian, almost simultaneously said, "How about..."

"It's decided then!" Seeing that His Majesty neither stopped nor reprimanded him, Yuan Yu knew that he had guessed the Emperor's intention correctly. He didn't give the children a chance to go back on their word or discuss it, and petitioned, "Your Majesty, in order to make up for my slip of the tongue just now, I request to supervise the afternoon's assessment. I also request that Your Majesty send someone to the Imperial Clan Academy to find out what the students cherish most, so that they won't cheat by making me a mud ball if they do poorly on the exam."

The emperor nodded: "Agreed."

Yuan Yu immediately called out, "Children, come with me."

As he left the fasting palace, he strode on without stopping, muttering to himself behind him.

"We should bring the exam papers."

"What's the use? It only has questions, not answers."

"I hope that the afternoon exam and the morning exam at the Imperial Academy will have the same questions." This was Yuan Yan's consideration.

Yuan Hao ran forward and said to Yuan Yu, "General, why don't you not go? You are the king, and you will frighten the palace students. It's not fair to them."

“That makes sense.” Yuan Yu beckoned to Zhang Longzi, the commander of the Imperial Guards, “Lend me your armor. If I put on the Imperial Guard armor, no one will know I am the king.”

Bullying children will bring swift retribution!
It was midday, and Yuan Yu's helmet and armor were scorching hot. By the time he reached Yongxiang, his face was as red as a steamed shrimp. The weight of the armor made him sweat profusely! His scalp felt like it was going to explode!
"General Yuan, would you like to take a rest?"

"General, you're breathing so heavily. Could you please not walk behind us? I'm scared."

It was the Seventh Prince, Yuan Zhen, who was more sensible and asked, "Uncle, are you thirsty?"

"Thirsty, I'm thirsty." Yuan Yu felt as if he had a stove inside his mouth, and every word he uttered was accompanied by a burst of heat.

Yuan Heng: "I'm thirsty too. Let's hurry up, there will be water to drink when we get to the palace school."

Gara-la-gara-la-

The more exhausted Yuan Yu became, the louder the noise his armor made as he moved.

Fruit-growing horse: A type of small horse that can ride under fruit trees.