History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 332 Zhao Zhi Stands Up for the People
"I'm so glad you were here tonight, Zhao Zhi. You are the light in my life."

Zhao Zhi flicked the man's elbow with her finger, and Yuan Yu finally grimaced and released his grip on her neck. The fight startled the vendors in the night market. She picked up a sieve basket and put it on Yuan Yu's head, saying, "Lend me a big sieve basket, Wang. It should have at least a hundred beams of light."

Yuan Yu immediately flattered her, saying, "You can even write poetry now?!"

Zhao Zhi was surprised and suspicious, and asked, "Is this what you call poetry?"

“Of course!” Yuan Yu tilted the sieve basket, letting the moonlight shine through its countless holes onto her face and shoulders. Then he said, “Let me add a couple of lines… By tilting this sieve basket, I guarantee you’ll benefit from its light for the rest of your life. How about that?”

Zhao Zhi replied to him very seriously: "So-so."

"You're still complaining." Yuan Yu threw the basket to the guard, regaining his princely authority, and ordered: "The guards in the West Market are lax, and the clerks in the Music and Music Bureau are even more negligent. Go to the Court of Justice immediately to report the case. You must give me an explanation for what happened tonight."

The following morning, the Prince of Guangling went to the palace to complain that another assassination attempt on a prince had occurred in the capital. The emperor was furious and reprimanded several officials in court, leaving them humiliated. After the court session, the emperor kept the Prince of Guangling behind and deliberately asked him who he had offended. Yuan Yu lowered his head and replied, "I have a back ailment and have been recuperating for half a year. I have not offended anyone."

"That's difficult. Fourth Uncle doesn't know where he went wrong, and the calamity of last night might happen again."

Yuan Yu: "I do have an idea to avoid disaster."

"speak."

"Your Majesty, please allow me to stay at the Prince of Beihai's residence. The Grand Tutor has many guards, and if I eat and live with him, I will be able to guard against bandits."

The emperor smiled, "Indeed, a good idea. If Yuan Yu stays in Yuan Xiang's residence and is assassinated again, regardless of whether it's Yuan Xiang's fault or not, Yuan Xiang can be punished."

"I haven't visited Consort Gao in a long time. Taking advantage of my fourth uncle's matter, I'll make a trip to the Prince of Beihai's residence."

With both the emperor and his ministers in high spirits, Yuan Yu recited the poem Zhao Zhi had written the previous night to amuse the emperor.

Zhao Zhi humbly replied, "It is thanks to His Majesty's excellent teaching."

The emperor frowned, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and he didn't want to accept this flattery.

Yang Daye whispered to Ru Hao beside him, "So... General Zhao's knowledge surpasses mine?"

Ru Hao comforted him, saying, "The fact that you can ask this question shows that your knowledge is still on par with General Zhao's."

On the main street south of the East Gate of the Imperial Palace, there are many old Luoyang residences that were not included in the planned neighborhoods. These people made a living by running businesses in the inner city.

During the winter, Prince Yuanxiang of Beihai instructed his subordinates to bully others and try to seize several houses along the street. However, they were impeached by court officials and the attempt was abandoned.

Yuan Xiang feared that Yuan Xi's rebellion would implicate him, so he worked diligently and honestly for a long time. After the court granted him the title of Grand Tutor, he saw that the emperor did not fear him and instead always entrusted him with important state affairs. As a result, his fear of the emperor's majesty gradually disappeared, and he began to plot to seize the houses on this street.

This time it's even worse! A family had just lost someone, and on the first day of the mourning period, the royal palace sent out wicked servants to drive the family out and change the ownership of the house and land deeds without informing the head of the household.

Ants cannot fight against elephants. Fearing that their family would be destroyed and everyone, young and old, would die, the family begged to be allowed to keep the body there for seven days. After the seven days, they buried the deceased and the whole family moved away immediately.

The steward, surnamed Fan, who led the rioting servants, waved the land deed and shouted, "No way! The house has already changed hands. Every day you leave the corpses here, you will bring bad luck and ruin the feng shui of the house."

The entire family knelt on the ground, kowtowing and pleading, "Sir, please have mercy! After today, just give us six more days. On the sixth night, we'll leave with the coffin. If that's not possible, we'll leave all our valuables behind and give them to you..." Steward Fan, annoyed that his robe was being pulled, kicked the old man who was grabbing his clothes away and cursed, "Pah! You're bad luck, and everything inside and outside the house is bad luck too!"

He swept his finger across the room, ordering his wicked servants: "Throw everything out of the yard and the house. If the coffin is still there after you've thrown it out, throw it out too. Throw it as far as you can!"

The family cried out in anguish, "Heavens above—is there no law under the emperor's nose? My son died with his eyes wide open in disbelief!"

The neighbors were all heartbroken and shed tears, but they dared not stand up for justice for this family.

Steward Fan sneered: "The law? You lowly commoners need to see the king first before you can talk about the law!"

"Make way, make way, everyone get out of the way." Several Imperial Guardsmen who were not wearing military uniforms parted the people in the alley, and Zhao Zhi walked out from the cleared path.

Zhao Zhi wasn't wearing official robes either, but her murderous aura made Steward Fan wary and suspicious. Just as he was starting to wonder what was going on, Zhao Zhi slapped him across the face.

She didn't use much force, but one slap was enough to make the man surnamed Fan feel pain for half a day. This man was used to bullying others, and his first reaction was disbelief!
"You...you shameless woman, how dare you hit me?"

The more wicked the little devil, the more vicious he became. His burly servants, each with a ferocious expression, began to smash wooden sticks at Zhao Zhi without saying a word.

"How dare you!" The imperial guards blocked the evil servant's blows. The guards were afraid of Zhao Zhi, but they were also afraid of the powerful Grand Tutor. They either snatched the wooden sticks or used their arms to block, not daring to injure the evil servant.

Manager Fan noticed the soldiers' momentary fear, and his courage instantly returned.

"Men!" He first ordered all the henchmen in each room to come out, then rolled up his sleeves, glared fiercely at Zhao Zhi, and tried to get information out of her: "I know, you are the female tiger of the Mulan Camp. Tell me, did you take bribes from this family?"

Zhao Zhi disliked the martial arts soldiers for not contributing and getting in the way, so she grabbed one of the soldiers by the back of his collar, pulled him away, and snatched a weapon from a wicked servant. She lightly touched the end of the stick to her left palm and stepped closer to Steward Fan.

"What do you want? Let me tell you, I am the elder brother of the Lady of Pingchang County of the Beihai Prince's Mansion. I can forgive you for that slap just now, but if you dare to do it again... Ah, ah, ah—"

Zhao Zhi deliberately used little force, repeatedly striking the man's arms, wrists, and the backs of his hands—the most painful spots—while cursing as she did so: "Pingchang County Lady? She's just a concubine, and a dead one at that! Today I'll send you and your brother to the Yellow Springs for a reunion."

The henchmen cried out anxiously, "Stop—"

"Help the manager!"

Zhao Zhi swung the stick and smashed it, taking the opportunity to strike those warriors who weren't using their full strength as she raised the stick. She changed her insults, saying, "Offending Yuan Xiang means certain death in a few days, but offending this general means you'll all die today!"

Manager Fan was not skilled in martial arts and could not dodge any of the blows. After falling to the ground with a bloodied head, Zhao Zhi got her hands on the land deed. Then she lifted up Manager Fan's head and stuffed the land deed into his mouth.

"Someone's dead! Manager Fan has been beaten to death by that thieving woman!"

"It seems he's dead." Zhao Zhi grabbed Steward Fan's hair and lifted the body, then spun it upside down like a sandbag, smashing it down on the terrified servant.

Everyone in the courtyard except her was stunned and stood there dumbfounded, even the birds on the roof dared not move their legs or shake their wings.

Zhao Zhi held onto the corpse tightly, her gaze sweeping around like a fierce demon, and asked, "Now, who can tell me whose house this is?"

Lady Pingchang: Lady Fan was a concubine favored by Yuan Xiang, the Prince of Beihai. After Lady Fan's death, Yuan Xiang petitioned the court to posthumously grant her the title of Lady Pingchang.