History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 325 Helping Lou Shengnan Get a Divorce
The female guard following Wei Yao was Tie Duohu, a warrior of the Qihu tribe. Seeing Wei Yao's signal, the warrior Tie snatched the official document from Feng Xing's hand.

Wei Yao didn't want to look at Zong Yin any longer. She unfolded the official document, read it, and handed it back to Feng Xing, saying, "The academy doesn't have the suspect you're looking for."

"Literature cultivates character, and self-cultivation prepares one for officialdom." Wei Yao was a civil official close to the emperor. His words and actions were both authoritative and righteous. Feng Xing, who was usually frivolous, became tongue-tied, bowed his head to accept the official document, and said "Yes" twice.

Tie Duohu pointed his whip towards the courtyard gate: "Please leave."

Feng Xing pulled Zong Yin away, but the latter was still obsessed and kept turning back, wishing he could keep his eyes on Wei Yao.

She was more delicate and beautiful than before; compared to her, Lou Shi was like a shoe sole.

Tie Duohu asked, "Master, do you suspect these two aren't here to investigate a suspect? Should I secretly follow them?"

Wei Yao chuckled and said, "My husband went to the Censorate and is short of work. Someone has offered him a position."

Tie Duohu didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from being happy along with the girl.

Yuan Mao's official position was to enforce the law and impeach low-ranking officials. When he received Wei Yao's letter, he was being ostracized by senior and powerful officials in the Censorate.

Yuan Mao remained calm and collected, employing minor officials from the Sizhou government to conduct a covert investigation. Within half a month, they compiled evidence into a memorial against Jia Zhen, the magistrate of Luoyang County, for neglecting his duties, intimidating the people, and accepting bribes. This led to Jia Zhen's impeachment and dismissal, and all the offending officials were expelled from the government and permanently banned from holding office. Gao Chong, from the Bohai Gao clan, succeeded Jia Zhen as the new magistrate of Luoyang.

In a brief sequel, let's return to Zongyin and Fengxing's departure from the elegant academy.

The case of Yuan Xi's rebellion was handled by various government offices at different levels, with the county prison at the bottom responsible for things like bribing procurement managers, seizing farmland, and robbing commoners into slavery. Therefore, Zong Yin and Feng Xing only knew that the Grand Commandant's rebellion had failed, but they had no right to know how it failed or who had contributed to it, let alone find out what Wei Yao's current official position was.

Feng Xing suggested to Zong Yin: "If you really can't forget Lady Wei in this life, why don't you tamper with the case we're currently investigating?"

Zong Yin shook his head: "I won't do anything to harm her."

"Hmph, then you'll stay the same as today forever, only able to admire from afar, never to get close. Hey, let me tell you, I also noticed today that girls who are well-educated are really different from those who aren't. That Miss He, tsk tsk, the more I look at her, the more beautiful she becomes."

Feng Xing stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, and continued, "The prisoner in my custody mentioned someone named He Erhun, who is He Nulang's cousin. He Erhun tried to curry favor with a manager of the rebel forces, but unfortunately, the other party thought he was stupid and didn't use him. However... I now suspect that the prisoner is lying, so I have to torture him severely and rewrite his confession."

Zong Yin gritted his teeth, his cheeks taut.

Feng Xing nudged him lightly and asked deliberately, "What are you thinking about?"

"I……"

"This is a rare opportunity. Why don't you join me? It's just a fake confession. Add He Erhun and He Lan to the story, and then use He Lan to implicate Wenya Academy. Even if it doesn't scare Miss Wei, it will still allow you to meet her a few more times."

Zong Yin hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Feng Xing, did you lose money again?"

Feng Xing patted him on the shoulder and admitted, "Yes, I'll help you this time. Give me 20,000 coins, how about it?" "Okay." Zong Yin's voice trembled as he agreed. On the way home, he repeatedly convinced himself that it was just a false confession. He hadn't harmed Wei Yao. He just wanted to use the confession to meet with her alone a few times, so that it would just be the two of them and they could talk a few more words.

I think about it every day and dream about it at night.

Zong Yin dreamt of Wei Yao at night. His wife, Lou Shengnan, was a light sleeper. She heard him and woke him up with a pillow. The couple had a big fight. However, when the topic of divorce came up, Zong Yin shut up and let his mother and younger siblings hold Lou Shengnan back, preventing her from leaving the courtyard.

Hun Yu Niang: "Don't worry, A Lou. If he does anything to betray you again, I'll kick him out of the house. I've always treated you like my own daughter. If you insist on a divorce, I'll kill myself by smashing my head against the wall!"

Zong Yi: "Eldest sister-in-law, don't go. This family can't function without you. I'm used to your cooking and your shoes. You're like my own sister."

Zong Jifu cried even louder: "If my sister-in-law divorces my brother, I'll run away from home too. I won't study anymore. I only love my sister-in-law. I hate my brother. Waaah..."

The neighboring Qihu couple climbed over the courtyard wall and loudly advised, "Lou, Lou, the Zong family would rather force you to your death than let you divorce. Are they relatives? They're enemies! Don't you know what kind of person Zong Yin is, or whether he can change? Look at those hands pulling at you, they're thorns! If the Zong family were a good place, would they be forcing you to stay? Lou! If you don't get out now, when will you ever get another chance?"

"Shut your mouths!" Seeing that Lou Shi had taken her words to heart, Hun Yu Niang stopped pretending.

Now that her husband and sons are capable, she no longer needs to fear the neighbors. She forcefully pulled aside her second son and youngest daughter, pointed at Lou Shi, and threatened: "You want a divorce? Dream on! Let me tell you the truth, I've already made arrangements at the county office. They won't grant you a divorce, and my clan won't divorce my wife either. Think it over. If you insist on returning home and ruining my son's reputation, I'll make sure your Lou family is ruined! You'll be buried in my clan's house even if you die!"

Zong Yi and Zong Jifu stood on either side of Hun Yuniang like scapegoats, not saying a single good word for their elder sister-in-law.

Lou Shengnan could hardly believe it. She had been heartbroken countless times looking at this family, but she was still even more upset.

Zong Yin came out of the side room, annoyed, and said, "Alright, everyone stop talking. Lou Shi, come back to the room with me."

Lou Shengnan wasn't stupid. She looked at the Qihu couple and pleaded, "Brother and sister-in-law, can you help me?"

"Haha, sure! Go ahead and leave this courtyard. Let's see who dares to stop you. Don't worry, go home and wait for news. The divorce papers will be delivered to your Lou family!"

"Lou Shengnan thanks her sworn brother and sister-in-law!" Lou Shengnan opened the courtyard gate and left without taking any valuables with her. Her steps and mood were as light as ever.

Hun Yu Niang sneered and shouted outside, "Fine, go back and try! I'll be waiting for you to come back kneeling and begging me!"

When she wanted to yell at her neighbor again, the person on the wall had already disappeared.

The next day at noon, the matchmaker from the prefectural government delivered another divorce agreement to the clan's family. Hun Yu Niang was shocked! She realized that the couple next door hadn't been bragging. She never expected that there was someone even more powerful than them. The couple next door had connections in the prefectural government, and her eldest son's marriage was truly ruined in just one night!
Enraged, Hun Yu Niang led a dozen shopkeepers to confront her neighbors, only to find the entire family had vanished, as if they had never lived there.

Helpless, Hun Yu Niang hurriedly went to the Court of Justice to discuss the matter with her husband, but the cases recently tried by the Court of Justice all needed to be kept secret, so she couldn't see Zong Dian at all.

Exhausted from her back-and-forth journey, Hun Yu Niang returned home. Her second son asked her, "My elder sister-in-law and brother have divorced. Mother, why don't you talk to my brother about making amends? Let him go to the Lou family to apologize."

Hun Yu Niang shook her head, almost laughing in anger: "If we could rely on your brother, if he were any more capable, would things have come to this?!"