History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

The time is approaching Mao Shi (5-7 AM).

Yuan Mao walked quickly toward the palace. He was already familiar with the layout of the various palaces and now he would enter the palace through the side gate on the east side, which was close to his post and had fewer officials coming and going, thus avoiding unnecessary socializing.

On one side of the still dimly lit palace gate, Wei Jin had been waiting for almost half an hour. He had returned from his travels yesterday and found it hard to accept the unexpected turn of events, with his younger brother Amao being adopted by Yuan Biejia.

Yuan Mao pounced on him and hugged him tightly, showing the same deep brotherly affection as before.

"Second brother! When did you get back? It's my turn to see you! How long have you been standing here? Aren't you cold? Wear my gloves."

The image of the third brother blurred in Wei Jin's tear-filled eyes, then became clear, then blurred again.

“I entered the city last night. Mao, you used to send us letters from Pingcheng. Back then, you had the idea of ​​being adopted out. It was my fault for not taking it seriously and thinking it was just childish nonsense.”

As Wei Jin tightened her grip on her third brother's arm, she finished speaking with a choked sob: "I truly regret it, I truly regret it!"

Yuan Mao advised, "We're all in the capital, just living separately. My brothers will always be my brothers, and that will never change."

Wei Jin felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Yes, they could continue to call each other brothers, but what about their parents? However, he couldn't ask A Mao such a question; it would seem like he was blaming A Mao, and it would distance them from each other. "Yes, we will always be your brothers, that will never change!"

Yuanmao suggested, "I have half a month of free time. If you have time too, brother, let's get together more often?"

"it is good!"

Yuan Mao continued excitedly, "Is Aunt Lu alright now? Did she vomit badly after eating?"

Lu Luo's pregnancy was another surprise, which all started with the erotic tales that Wei Yi had taken from Yuan Zhi. On the day they brought them back to the mansion, the old couple read them together for half the night. One of them was burning with lust, while the other was eager to try it out.

Soon, Wei Yi, who had adopted a son, was no longer lonely and started smiling at everyone he met.

Lu Luo's sadness was also greatly alleviated, and with Yuan Mao frequently sending her gifts, she, as a mother, was actually the first in the family to see things clearly.

Yuanmao couldn't be late for his shift, so the two brothers exchanged a few more words and reluctantly said goodbye.

When it was time to go off duty, no one paid any attention to Yuan Mao; this kind of privilege only belonged to the sons of nobles! He left the palace and rushed to the agreed-upon restaurant. It was past noon when Wei Yao hurriedly arrived.

She explained, "Today I was sorting through documents, and some of the ones at the very bottom must have been ruined by a leak in the storeroom. I picked out the clear text and copied them all down. As I was copying... well, I missed our appointment."

Yuan Mao put some food into her bowl and said, "I'm waiting for you to taste it. It's just as good as the food. Eat up."

"Mao Lang, you're so kind," Wei Yao said quickly, blushing and lowering her eyes.

Immediately afterwards, she heard Amao exhale a long breath.

They already understood each other, and Wei Yao knew that this was Yuan Mao's overly nervous reaction.

Indeed, it was the first time Yuan Mao was called "Mao Lang" by his beloved. It felt as if he had been brushed by a soft, warm feather. After that, a strange surge of emotion welled up within him and did not stop until they parted.

The day after tomorrow, Yuanmao and his two elder brothers had a small gathering at "Yijing Restaurant" on the east side of Tongtuo Street.

The restaurant uses only the clear, cool water from the famous "Yi Well" for cooking. The restaurant was originally owned by Yuan Ji, the former Prince of Jiangyang. After Yuan Ji was dismissed from his post, he was implicated by the "nonsensical remarks" of the Prince of Jingzhao, which led to the execution of both him and his son. The restaurant was then bought by the Prince of Rencheng.

Wei Jin brought Yuan Mao a letterbox and said, "When I came to see you the day before yesterday, I didn't have time to unpack my luggage. The letterbox contains a letter from your fellow disciple Wei Zhen to you and Miss Wei Yao. If you have time, please come to Yinianli. I also brought some Shuozhou specialties that your fellow disciple Wei Jing gave you."

Yuan Mao readily agreed, "I'll go tomorrow." Wei Bao and Wei Jin were both delighted to hear this. The former said to the latter, "Don't think that just because my third brother and I are both on duty in the palace, we rarely have the chance to meet."

He then looked at Yuan Mao and asked, "Look at your second brother, hasn't he lost weight?"

Yuan Mao: "Yes, it was dark the morning before yesterday, so I couldn't see clearly. Now I can see clearly. Second brother, did you suffer a lot on your journey?"

Wei Jin was different from before; there was always a hint of bitterness in his smile. He replied, "What kind of travel isn't bitter?" After a two-breath pause, he added, "But it's alright."

Something's definitely up! Yuan Mao spends all his time pondering certain things, so his thoughts naturally gravitate towards that area. He asked directly, "Second brother, do you have a girl you like? But she doesn't like you back?"

Wei Bao instructed, "Don't be silly..."

Oh no, this doesn't sound like nonsense!
Wei Jin turned her face to the side, her breathing becoming longer and heavier. When she turned back, her eyelashes were wet with tears. "You two stay together, I'm going home."

Hey?
Wei Bao and Yuan Mao pulled and pressed him back down, then coaxed and urged him until Wei Jin finally revealed the things he had been holding back for so long.

"During my travels, I made friends with a woman named Pan Chunniang."

Yuan Mao was stunned. Pan Chunniang was Bu Yanzhen's cousin! He was afraid that his shy second brother would find another excuse to avoid him, so he didn't dare to interrupt.

"Pan Chunniang is very knowledgeable. She is not only familiar with local policies and grain taxes, but also understands the four seasons, animal husbandry, and mulberry planting. She is the most generous, straightforward, and calm woman I have ever met!"

"She is really nice."

"When the wind rises, she is as resilient and unyielding as the angry grass by the roadside!"

“When we were all exhausted from our journey, she would always go first and give us a boost.”

Yuanmao exchanged a glance with his elder brother, thinking to himself, "The more he praises you, the deeper he's entangled."

Sure enough, Wei Jin let out a long sigh, her tone changing: "I hesitated all the way, looking back and forth, ha, it all turned out to be a joke. When I finally mustered up the courage to go find Pan Chunniang, she... had become a nun."

The Yuan brothers exclaimed in unison, "Huh?!"

Wei Jin's subsequent narration made Yuan Mao and Wei Bao respect Pan Chunniang as well.

“I know what you’re thinking. A-Mao should know that Pan Chunniang was married and her husband has passed away.”

"But she didn't become a nun because of love or trivial family matters. She said her wish has always been to help the poor! She wanted to teach women to weave stronger cloth and help farmers expand their cultivation. She also wanted to adopt orphans to prevent children from becoming refugees. She hoped to help those suffering from the epidemic, to give those unfortunate people herbs and prescriptions to help them get through their difficulties."

"However, women cannot become officials, and her family was of ordinary means and had no wealth, so she could not realize her ambitions at all. Therefore, she resolutely became a nun. She was confident that she had read books and knew the laws and regulations, and that she could establish prestige in the nunnery. At that time, she could lead the other nuns to do good deeds, starting by helping one person or one family, and gradually helping more people and more farmers."

Wei Jin sighed again: "She was such a smart person, how could she not see through my feelings? After I said goodbye to her, I was in a really bad mood, so I went to Shuozhou and then turned back. On the way back to Luoyang, I was filled with memories of her everywhere, but they can only ever be memories."

Wei Bao poured a bowl of glutinous rice wine for his second brother: "Have a drink, get drunk and you'll forget everything."

Wei Jin shook his head: "No, drinking makes you burp and smell bad. Apan hates men who drink the most."

Wei Bao looked at his second brother again, as if he were a lump of mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall. (End of Chapter)