History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 317 Master Lu, Evading the Schemes
Liu Xiaogou has already sneaked into the courtyard, what if it's Zhao Zhi instead?
Chief Secretary Feng said, "Grand Commandant, do not worry. We are only guessing that Zhao Zhi sneaked in. If she has any evidence, we will deny it to the death!"

Yin Longhu: "It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. It's good to find out as soon as possible that there are any oversights in the villa's security. Don't worry, Grand Commandant, starting tonight, I will send more men and more hunting dogs tomorrow to ensure that Zhao Zhi has no chance to take advantage of us."

Yuan Xi's face flashed with murderous intent as he said hatefully, "You little beast, now that your wings have hardened, you think you can soar to the sky! You're all useless! You all practice martial arts, yet not one of you dares to confront that martial woman!"

Yuan Xi had to return to the inner city, berate his subordinates, and then storm off.

Yanxianli, south of the city.

The maid, Fu Zhuang, hurriedly returned to the Minister's residence.

The nanny, Dou, was the first to complain: "The princess asked you to do something, why are you so late!"

Fu Zhuang first recounted the outcome of her mission, then reported to Yuan Zhenjun the reason for her late return to the mansion: "Although I did not see Master Lu, he agreed to hold a divination competition in the name of Chongxu Temple."

"Upon arriving at Chongxu Temple, I learned that Master Lu was in seclusion, and it was at a crucial moment in his practice. So I could only wait there, with his disciple Xiangling relaying messages. Master Lu's intention was that Chongxu Temple would only serve as a venue for divination, and all other trivial matters would be decided by the Princess."

Yuan Zhenjun gave a soft "Mmm".

Dou said, "This Master Lu is far less easy to talk to than the previous Master Lu."

The previous Celestial Master of Chongxu Temple was arrested for a case involving demons and monsters deceiving the people out of their money. Celestial Master Lu came from the old capital and was said to be a grand-disciple of Kou Qianzhi.

Yuan Zhenjun: "As long as he is willing to do things for me, that's fine. You all know my current situation. Remember, you must not offend Master Lu."

Chongxu Temple.

Master Lu was concentrating on chanting scriptures in a cramped room. He was indeed in seclusion. The reason he decided to go into seclusion for cultivation was that he suddenly felt a bad omen yesterday, so he consulted the oracle. He never expected that he would have to go through such trouble to avoid danger!
He arranged 11,520 yarrow stalks in eight directions around the spot where he sat while chanting scriptures, thus avoiding the schemes of the heavens and other diviners.

This method was left behind by Cui Hao, a friend of his ancestor Kou Qianzhi.

Everyone knows that diviners can use yarrow stalks to predict good or bad fortune, but few know that diviners can also do the opposite, using the arranged hexagrams to counter others' schemes and plots.

Today's chanting practice is complete. Master Lu tried to divine with his fingers, but couldn't figure anything out, so he was relieved. If he can't divine for others, then even if Princess Chenliu has a skilled diviner by her side, they can't divine for her either!
"What a load of bull! You think you can get me killed in this divination contest? Don't blame me for tricking you!"

Autumn is high and fresh.

During the harvest season, the large rats that steal grain are kept very busy. Zhao Zhi is busy with official duties and rarely goes home. The rats have raided her house in Quanxue Lane and have even bred many baby rats.

Wei Yin was timid and dared not search for the rat's nest. He tried divination with ancient coins for the first time and deduced that the rat's nest was behind the woodpile.

What's next?
Even the timid have their good fortune. Yuan Zhi, the in-law, has arrived, along with Chief Clerk Gou and the newly appointed Cavalry Officer Erzhu Maizhen.

Erzhu Maizhen was Erzhu Rong's cousin. His father, Erzhu Houzhen, had served as a prefect, but after his death, Erzhu Maizhen had no opportunity to enter officialdom and returned to Xiurongchuan to manage livestock. He knew that his appointment to the capital was thanks to Wei Yin, and he would bring gifts to visit him during his days off.

However, he came with Yuan Biejia today because the imperial court issued an edict to expand and renovate the Quanxue Lane and increase the number of officials in the lanes. The Sizhou government entrusted him with the task of supervising the renovation.

Yuan Zhi regretted that Zhao Zhi was not at home, and chatted with Wei Yin while watching Er Zhu Mai Zhen destroy the rat's nest.

Before they could exchange more than a few words, a squeaking sound startled Wei Yin so much that his legs went weak and his face turned even paler. He hid at the entrance of the main house and shouted, "Erzhu, the military advisor, search carefully and don't miss a single one."

Yuan Zhi was extremely disdainful, muttering under his breath, "What else can he do?" But when he turned to Wei Yin, he laughed heartily, "Haha, Master Wei, don't worry, I guarantee I'll catch them all, big and small."

He despised Wei Yin, and the registrar Gou despised him! Every time he came to the Wei family, he acted like a concubine visiting her husband, both boasting of his own abilities and fawning over the husband. "You shameless husband, you might as well just live with Master Wei!" Yuan Zhihu asked him suspiciously, "Are you insulting me?"

Clerk Gou shook his head and quietly offered a suggestion: "Don't catch them all. In the future, we can use catching rats as an excuse to come here often."

Yuan Zhi was so sleazy that his nostrils flared up, and he gave a thumbs-up in praise.

This expansion of the neighborhood will include the Wenya Academy, and the imperial court will fund the construction of a stone tablet for the academy, with government craftsmen carving the inscription.

This is of great significance, indicating that Wenya Academy has made contributions and has been recognized by the imperial court!

Inside the courtyard of the hermitage.

After listening to the lecture, He Lan did not leave immediately. As usual, he helped the apprentices clean the courtyard.

She was glad that after leaving Li Yin, she shamelessly returned to study. Yesterday, the Book of Poetry class gave all the Confucian scholars who were auditing the class a test, and she passed it, thus gaining an opportunity to ask and answer questions from Confucius.

He Lan's inner joy was far less than his outward expression suggested.

If she hadn't gone to the Princess's residence with Li Yin, she wouldn't have needed to take an exam to get this opportunity.

Moreover, the good spot that Wei Yao had reserved for her to listen to the lectures was now taken by someone else. She had to come to the study hall early every day to grab a spot, just like all the other students who were auditing the lectures, and she also had to endure deliberate questioning and ridicule from others.

"I thought Miss He was going to be taken in as an apprentice by the academy, how come she's the same as us?"

"I heard that the female officer admires Miss He, but it turns out to be just a rumor."

"But she is really hardworking. Despite being a descendant of a meritorious official, she helps clean the mansion every day. She probably hopes that the apprentices will praise her and that the word will reach Confucius. Maybe he will take her on as an apprentice."

Some Confucian scholars also discussed Li Yin.

"Li Yin, a young lady, started a private school at home to teach poetry and began to take on students."

"Miss Li's reputation for poetry is not as good as that of Lady Wei today, but Miss Li's actions are commendable. Although the private school is small, it is still working hard to promote Confucianism."

Hearing these comments, He Lan felt even more frustrated! She had thought Li Yin was weak and indecisive, but she hadn't expected him to accept the decline of his family so quickly and start running a private school. But if he was willing to give up his pride as a noble lady and become a female teacher, why didn't he do it sooner?

He Lan suddenly thought of a possibility!
"Li Yin... could she be deliberately getting rid of me? She feels that I have helped her a lot, and she doesn't want to be accused of being ungrateful if I don't offer to help. So she's using a scheme to make me stay away from her first?"

Outside the Quanxue Lane, Zong Yin wandered aimlessly for a while before leaving, still smelling of alcohol. His family was pressuring him to get married, but he couldn't forget Wei Yao, and he often dreamed that the wife he married was Wei Yao, not the current Lou Shi.

He dared not go to Yirenli to run into Wei Yao, but only dared to come to Wenya Academy, hoping that Wei Yao would come to teach, even just to catch a glimpse of her from afar.

But I can never run into her.

Today, he learned that Quanxue Lane was going to be expanded, and the Wenya Academy would be extended into the neighborhood. It would be even more difficult for him to run into Wei Yao in the future.

"What can I do if I can't forget you? Wei Yao, as long as you and I are both in Luoyang, how could I possibly forget you? Why doesn't Heaven give me the opportunity to become prominent? There are so many powerful people in Luoyang, why won't I have power and influence?"

When luck turns bad, things often get even worse.

As soon as Zong Yin returned home, his father, Zong Dian, started beating him with a feather duster, yelling, "Why did you give up going to Pingcheng? You good-for-nothing! Do you know that every county jailer who goes to Pingcheng on official business can become a jailer in the Court of Justice after returning to the capital?"