History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Having served the emperor for a year, she knew that while the emperor appointed officials, he also needed to rely on them. The emperor had succeeded the deposed crown prince, but the previous emperor had passed away a few years later. He no longer trusted any of the princes and meritorious officials who had supported the deposed crown prince, so what was the harm in eliminating Yuan Xi?
Lu Chang arrived, interrupting Zhao Zhi's thoughts.

"Why did General Zhao come so late at night?" he asked, suppressing his anger and bowing respectfully.

According to Lu Chang's original plan, with his background as a member of the Lu family of Fanyang, he could be promoted and ennobled as long as he made a slight contribution in suppressing Yuan Xi's rebellion! Unfortunately, he was tricked by Zhao Zhi and not only did he not make any contribution, but he was also carried down from the Hundred-Foot Tower because he was frozen unconscious, which made him a laughing stock. His Majesty took into account the background of the Lu family of Fanyang and his brother's merits, and restored his former official position of "Extraordinary Gentleman Attendant", which was only a seventh-rank official!
Zhao Zhi sat there, her retort like a slap in the face, publicly berating Lu Chang: "His Majesty ordered you to guard this place, are you blind or deaf? You allowed the guards to violate military orders, steal property, and humiliate women, how did you do such a poor job?"

Lu Chang retorted: "I was asleep just now and did not know that the guards had abused the woman. However, the rebels' fields, antiques, and copper coins have all been confiscated by the government in accordance with the law. On what basis does General Zhao accuse the guards of stealing property?"

Zhao Zhi: "Are the bedding items on the confiscation list? Are the women's hair items on the confiscation list? Are the pots, steamers, and rice in the kitchen items on the confiscation list? Aren't these considered private property left to this house by the government?"

Lu Chang clenched his fists, admitting his mistake: "This humble official will..."

Zhao Zhi interrupted him: "Return all the misappropriated private property before dawn, or don't blame me for using you to establish my authority!"

"Yes." Lu Chang was filled with hatred and resentment! It would take several days to investigate and recover the items stolen by the thugs, let alone return them. Zhao Zhi was determined to cause him trouble. For now, he could only move things from his own home to replenish the bedding, rice, and other necessities he urgently needed.

Just as Lu Chang was about to say goodbye, he heard cries coming from afar. Then he saw two maids running from the direction of the backyard, with two guards chasing after them.

The two maids cried out urgently, "Help!!"

Lu Chang was filled with unease, wondering what had happened again. Suddenly, he was grabbed by a tremendous force and moved sideways. Then, one of the maids pounced on the ground in a surprise attack, while the other threw white powder into her hand.

They are assassins!
The maid, who had fallen to the ground, stabbed Lu Chang in both calves with daggers in her hands!
The white powder was sprinkled all over Lu Chang's face and upper body, and some even got into his eyes and his mouth, which opened wide instantly!

"Ah—ah—ah—" Lu Chang's terrified screams soared into the sky and echoed throughout the neighborhood.

When he screamed for the first time, Zhao Zhi kicked the stool, which tumbled and flew forward over her head. She raised her arm and slapped it hard!

With a "smack," the maid who was spreading the poison powder was unable to dodge in time and was hit on the right arm.

As Lu Chang screamed for the second time, the assassin pulled out the daggers from both legs at the same time. The assassin was very clever and rolled to avoid Zhao Zhi's counterattack.

But her rolling speed wasn't even as fast as Zhao Zhi's leap!
With a "bang," Zhao Zhi landed, her foot in a lunge position landing precisely on the waist of the dagger-wielding assassin.

"Pfft—" The assassin spat out a mouthful of blood.

One kick, and his back was broken.

As Lu Chang screamed for the third time, the poison assassin spun around and threw a black dart from his left hand. Zhao Zhi gripped the ground with her right hand, and the dart flew past her back with a whistling sound.

The assassin was startled and tried to escape with the hostage, but Zhao Zhi spun around as Lu Chang screamed, and the pebbles and sand in her right hand lashed out at the assassin's back.

Just as the assassin was about to grab a guard by the neck, her eyes bulged out, and she collapsed, lifeless.

"Thump." Lu Chang, with injured legs and poisoned by the powder, collapsed to his knees.

"An assassin?" The guards were terrified, each one filled with lingering fear. However, the more they feared the assassin's methods, the more they admired Zhao Zhi's martial prowess.

Zhao Zhi ordered, "Hang the assassin outside the house and say I killed him." The guards nodded like chickens pecking at rice. Yes, the grievances have their perpetrators, and the debts have their debtors. If there are any more assassins, seek revenge from General Zhao, and definitely don't come after them.

Zhao Zhi kicked the stool back down, sat down again, and said coldly, "Find a physician to save Minister Lu. Before dawn, you will all return this house as your private property."

"Yes, we will definitely return it. We will return it now."

Lu Chang couldn't say whether he was lucky or unlucky. The poison powder used by the assassin caused his skin to ulcerate and become difficult to treat, but it was not fatal. He was saved by the medical officer Cui from the Court of Justice with his skillful acupuncture. From then on, he went blind, lost his appetite, became slurred in speech, and was unable to walk. After two years of hardship, he resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown to live out his remaining years.

Returning to the present matter, with Yuan Xi dead, the tree fell and the monkeys scattered. However, purging the remaining forces was not a task that could be accomplished overnight. The next day, Zhao Zhi conveyed His Majesty's edict to the Queen of Pengcheng, requesting that she be sent to His Majesty's side for protection.

The year has passed.

On the first day of the second year of Jingming, the emperor paid homage at Changling.

At the beginning of spring, prisons at all levels in Sizhou resumed interrogating prisoners. The Yuanxi case involved many people, with officials implicating each other and accusing one another. Prison officials who were usually looked down upon became rich, such as Zong Dian and his son Zong Yin. Not only did they become proud and influential by being bribed and flattered by the prisoners' families, but their families also benefited.

Hun Yu Niang's shop sells out instantly whatever she brings in.

Zong Yin's younger brother, Zong Yi, and younger sister, Zong Jifu, were invited to enroll by several prominent private schools.

The clan also got a new house. Although they didn't dare to live there for a year or two, they got the land deed.

Today, Zong Yin, along with a group of county officials and prison guards, went to Quanxue Lane to arrest suspects who had confessed to treason. He was accompanied by his cronies. His friend Feng Xing noticed that he kept glancing in the direction of Wenya Academy, so he nudged him and asked, "We've come all this way, let me go with you to see if Miss Wei is here."

In the past, Zong Yin would have been disheartened and refused to go, but things are different now. Every day, he tortures officials and merchants, unknowingly placing himself above these people of different backgrounds.

He told the other prison guards directly, "The suspect may not be at home. Let's go search over there."

"Haha, then we'll search separately too." The officials exchanged knowing glances. They all understood that recently, when the soldiers searched civilians' homes, they only needed to make up a lie to get in. They could then scare them a few times and kick a few baskets to collect some benefits.

Zong Yin and Feng Xing headed straight for the elegant academy, which was surrounded by walls. They showed the arrest warrant to the gatekeeper and entered the academy.

What a coincidence! Wei Yao is off today. She's not lecturing this morning; she's sitting in the front row listening to her female teacher, Xie Zhi, explain Lu Ji's "Luoyang Ji".

Master Xie was well-versed in geography, and since she came to the academy to spread her teachings, the number of Confucian scholars has multiplied!

An apprentice led the way for Zong Yin and his companions. They remained silent and pretended to identify the suspects among the Confucian scholars.

Zong Yin saw Wei Yao!
His heart was pounding, and he felt his blood rushing through his body. If Feng Xing hadn't pulled him along, he was afraid he would have lost his composure and aroused suspicion.

Feng Xing saw He Lan and raised his chin at Zong Yin, a gesture that startled the apprentices, who whispered to them, "Is the suspect among these people?"

Feng Xing deliberately shushed the other party and whispered back, "It's a bit far, I need to examine it carefully."

Wei Yao had seen Zong Yin earlier. She knew him too well and immediately sensed something was wrong, so she left her seat and quietly approached from behind them. (End of Chapter)