History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 282 The Sound of a Flute Searches for Someone
Some time ago, she beat up a lecherous man who was peeping at her on the street. She didn't let it go, but the next day she asked Li Xuanmao for help. In just one day, he helped her find out the lecherous man's background.

An adopted son of a eunuch, a rogue wandering the streets—to put it bluntly, he probably didn't even know Yao'er—why was he secretly following her? A few days later, Zhang Longzi, a guard of the Imperial Guard, uncovered the whole conspiracy from the palace.

So she already knew what Liu Teng was going to say next.

"Indeed. Liu Hun was ignorant, and I have severely punished him. That wretched child will not appear in the capital again. I came to see you, Military Advisor, to inform you that Liu Hun did not intentionally tarnish the reputation of the female official, but was simply ignorant and was lured by someone with marriage offers, mistakenly believing he was a suitable match for her. I have found out that the person who came up with this despicable idea is Liang Xuantong, a female official in the Imperial Kitchen. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. I have only admiration for Military Advisor Zhao, and no prejudice against him. I hope Military Advisor Zhao feels the same way. Farewell."

“Eunuch Liu,” Zhao Zhi called out to him, “Why did Liang Xuantong choose to use your adopted son instead of others? Could she have planned this all by herself, or did she have accomplices? I’ve also heard the saying, ‘Sitting on the mountain watching tigers fight,’ but the bystander must first have the skill to stab the tiger.”

By the end, Liu Teng's long face had turned square.

I gritted my teeth.

The Zhao Zhi he had inquired about was a brute woman who was illiterate. What's going on now? How did she expose his true nature and schemes with just a few words?

In late autumn, the grass and trees turn yellow and fall, and all things wither and die.

With crops harvested and stored, the craftsmen gradually stopped working and rested, making it a perfect time for practicing archery and hunting in the countryside.

Inside the palace, Emperor Yuan Ke was at the Zegong Archery Range, about to test the archery skills of the various princes.

Prince Yuan Yu of Jingzhao, who was imprisoned in Hualin Garden, was finally able to breathe some fresh air in a different place. He was deeply ingrained in his evil nature and instead of being grateful for the emperor's grace, he was even more jealous of Emperor Yuan Ke, who presided over the archery ceremony.

A voice inside Yuan Yu kept screaming: That position wasn't based on ability at all! It was based on the order of birth among brothers!

Among the younger generation, His Majesty's half-brother, Prince Yuan Huai of Guangping, was the most sarcastic. He noticed that Yuan Yu seemed lost in thought, so he waved his hand in front of the other's eyes and asked, "Is Third Brother having another episode?"

Yuan Yu was now completely unfazed, grinning with a sinister smile that was both mocking and furious: "I might still have some residual poison on me, Fifth Brother, would you like to give me a try?"

After exchanging a few words, Yuan Yu ignored the other party, because he saw the elder princes surrounding His Majesty as they approached, and the one with the ugliest walking posture was the detestable Prince Guangling!
The murderer, that old dog who even poisoned his own family! Dare to meet his gaze?
As a result, the Prince of Guangling didn't even glance at him, but the Emperor glanced over in his direction. Yuan Yu quickly suppressed his anger and stood properly.

Archery practice begins.

Commander Yu Lie of the Imperial Guards used a mulberry wood bow and six arrows made of mulberry wood to shoot arrows toward the sky, the earth, and the four cardinal directions, symbolizing that one's ambitions should extend to all corners of the world.

Then the princes, according to their official rank, went up to shoot arrows with bows.

Grand Commandant Yuan Xi hit the bullseye.

Sikong Yuanxiang hit the bullseye.

The cavalry general is Yuan Yu.

Although Yuan Yu's posture while holding the bow was within the required standards, the warriors present had a negative impression of the middle-aged prince's archery skills based on his unsteady steps and the weak strength he displayed when raising the bow.

The Prince of Jingzhao's eyes gleamed, and a mocking smile crept across his face.

"Whoosh-"

Arrow fired.

Hit the bullseye.

Yuan Yu's mouth twitched as if it had been hit by an arrow.

Oh no! Only then did he start to worry about himself. The poisoning hadn't left any lasting effects or weakened him, but he had been confined for a long time and hadn't had a chance to ride and shoot at all. If he missed his shot, he wouldn't be able to go to Changling.

Moreover, those who miss the target will be publicly reprimanded. What if His Majesty locks him back in Hualin Garden? If he is pardoned today and allowed to come to Ze Palace, wouldn't that be like walking a dog, letting it take a piss and then sending it back?

Good things don't come true, but bad things do. In the Ze Palace assessment, only the Prince of Jingzhao and the two youngest, Yuan Yue and Yuan Yu, failed to hit the bullseye. After reprimanding the Prince of Jingzhao, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Guards to take him back to the Hualin Garden in Beiyuan to continue reflecting on his mistakes. Yuan Yu didn't even know if the Emperor had reprimanded his sixth and seventh brothers.

On the way, Yuan Yu asked the Imperial Guards, "Does any of you know which archery master the Prince of Guangling hired to teach me archery? Once I recover and return to my residence, I will definitely hire him to teach me archery at a high price!"

"I heard he's a cavalry officer in the Sizhou government."

"Who told you that? What's your name when you joined the army?"

The imperial guards exchanged glances and replied, "That's what everyone says. The military advisor's surname is Zhao, her given name is Zhi, and she's a fierce female warrior."

The isolated Hualin Garden! Yuan Yu was furious; the soldiers knew things that he had to go through all the trouble of finding out!
Ha, this Zhao Zhi must be Yuan Yu's confidante! Just wait, once he's released from confinement, we'll eliminate all of that old dog Yu's confidantes one by one, and finally kill the old dog!

Before we knew it, the first month of winter had arrived.

Wei Yao put on her winter clothes and shoes in advance, but she still felt cold every morning because she left home too early, especially when the wind was strong.

I really miss the days in Pingcheng when I could wear all sorts of thick windproof hats.

Also, starting today, Mother will have to lead the cavalry to the countryside for training. Her shifts and off-duty times will no longer coincide with Mother's, so she won't be able to place her cold hands in Mother's warm hands anymore.

Braving the wind and cold, and working under the stars and moon, Wei Yao arrived at the gates of Xuanyang City. It was still dark outside. Food vendors called out their wares against the wind, and wisps of smoke and steaming porridge filled the air on both sides of the road.

That's great, it's better than Pingcheng in this respect.

No matter how late or early the officials passed through the city gate, they could always have a hot meal.

Wei Yao's appetite has increased. She ordered a big bowl of meat and vegetable soup, mixed in some pickled vegetables, and enjoyed a hot pancake with a spoonful of soup. It was so comforting!
“Wu, wu——”

“Wu, wu——”

Intermittent, shrill flute music drifted from the road. The player seemed to be mentally ill, blowing two notes each time with a very strange, convoluted melody.

As Wei Yao slowed down her eating, the repeated flute notes sounded more and more like her name being recited.
I see the piper! It's Yuan Mao!

"A-Mao—" She ran over, warmed her hands by the edge of the bowl, and wrapped them around Yuan Mao's frozen hands.

The stall owner thought someone was trying to freeload and chased after Wei Yao, only to awkwardly return to the stove.

Wei Yao and Yuan Mao sat down close together. Yuan Mao was overjoyed and ordered two bowls of the same soup and cakes. Then he picked up the small half bowl that Wei Yao hadn't finished and ate it all.

"Has it warmed up yet?" Wei Yao asked.

Yuan Mao nodded and chuckled twice, then said, "I know your mother won't be with you today. How was it? Did the flute music I played just now sound like when I call your name?"

“Yes. From now on, let’s agree on a time and place, and don’t use this method anymore. With each inhale and exhale, it’s getting cold, and you’ll easily catch a chill.”

"Whatever you say, I'll agree to anything."

Yuan Mao rested his elbows on the food table, turned his head to stare at Wei Yao's face, looking at her hair, eyes, nose, chin, down her arm to her fingertips, and then back again.

"Yaoyao," he whispered, drawing closer, "I can't stop thinking about you. Can I come see you at noon?"

Do you have some free time at noon?

"Yes. They're all busy with things to do in the middle of the month, so I'm the only one who's free."

Since that was the case, Wei Yao nodded in agreement.