History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 380 Even treacherous officials need to study more.

Hard work always pays off, it's just a matter of how much or how little.

Yuan Kuang's impeachment of Prince Rencheng, thanks to Wei Yao's skillful rebuttal, not only failed to result in a severe punishment, but also made the emperor appreciate Prince Rencheng's past merits and the blow caused to Prince Rencheng by the sudden death of his wife.

Just then, Lu Yuan, the head of the Secretariat, passed away due to illness. The emperor then ordered Wei Yao to come to the Prince of Rencheng's residence to announce that, effective immediately, Prince Yuan Cheng of Rencheng would assume the position of "Secretary of the Secretariat" and be granted the additional title of "Attendant Gentleman of the Palace".

Lu Yuan was once the chief secretary of Prince Yuan Yu of Jingzhao, and he served diligently in his duties. However, he incurred the prince's resentment by advising him not to take Consort Yang Ao as a concubine during the mourning period. When the prince received news of Lu Yuan's death, he celebrated for a day and cursed Lu Yuan during the banquet, saying that he deserved this retribution, which aroused the disgust of all the guests.

Returning to Wei Yao, after announcing the decree, she said, "His Majesty has a few more words to say to the King."

The emperor did not completely disbelieve Yuan Kuang's impeachment. While appreciating the merits of Prince Rencheng, he also expressed his displeasure. However, the emperor's anger was only expressed in a few words, and was fully revealed in his expression. How to convey this to Prince Rencheng so that the other party would not repeat the mistakes in the impeachment memorial depended on how Wei Yao worded and weighed the pros and cons.

Prince Rencheng smiled and suggested, "I have just planted jujube trees, longevity trees and acacia trees in several scenic spots in my mansion, and carved fine stones. I also plan to widen the fishpond, but I will have to wait until after the Crane Wine Banquet next month before I can start construction. Attendant Minister Wei, please come with me to take a look."

Wei Yao chimed in, "If Your Majesty is so inclined to invite guests after the Crane Wine Banquet, then I will also be able to join in the celebration."

She multitasked, responding calmly while silently memorizing every word the other person said. She believed that the other person, like her, understood that their chances of meeting were slim and they had to reveal as much information about the Gao family as possible in today's conversation to avoid arousing the emperor's suspicion.

They walked and stopped frequently. When Fan Weiyao stopped to admire the scenery, she relayed the emperor's criticism in her own words.

She first stopped in front of the jujube tree and said, “The Book of Rites, in its section on the Monthly Ordinances, says that in the middle of winter, the court allows the people to pick fruits, vegetables and wild game from the mountains and forests, but they are not allowed to take away the fruits of others’ labor. This reminds me of His Majesty’s teachings. Teaching means emulation! Those in positions of power should perform their duties, be honest and self-disciplined, and the people can follow their example.”

This passage is a warning to Prince Rencheng to simply do what the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat should do in the future, and not to interfere in the affairs of other departments, let alone form cliques or engage in bribery! As for the various crimes he committed by interfering with the Ministry of Personnel in the past, Wei Yao certainly cannot mention them. Firstly, the emperor does not intend to investigate thoroughly, and secondly, if he does mention them, Prince Rencheng will easily guess that Yuan Kuang impeached him and continue to keep an eye on the Ministry of Personnel to find out which officials in the Ministry of Personnel betrayed him.

"From now on, I will certainly be honest and self-disciplined, diligent in my duties, and never overstep the bounds of propriety!" After Wei Yao bowed towards the palace, the Prince of Rencheng followed suit and delivered his impassioned speech.

This action indicates that he accepted the admonition.

Immediately afterwards, the Prince of Rencheng ordered a steward: "Pack up a few boxes of the winter dates that the palace has bestowed upon us, and give them to Vice Minister Wei to try."

Wei Yao politely declined, saying, "My family doesn't eat dates, and besides, I'm here to deliver an imperial decree, so I won't accept the gift."

"Understood, understood." Prince Rencheng laughed twice, gestured to all the eunuchs recording the events, and continued to instruct the steward to prepare gifts.

After traveling for a while, Wei Yao stopped at the place where the longevity tree was planted and asked, "Has Your Majesty heard of the hermit Zhao Yi? The 'Yi' in 'peaceful ease'." This last sentence was also to explain to the eunuchs who were recording the story, so as to prevent them from making a mistake.

Prince Rencheng: "I've heard of him. It's said that he was born during the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin and is over two hundred years old. What's even more mysterious is that he said Guo Pu personally divined for him and said that he would live to be five hundred."

Wei Yao sighed, “Everyone in the world yearns for longevity. Some hope for their own immortality, while others hope for the immortality of their relatives and friends. But for millions of people in the world, opportunities are rare! Leaving aside others, just speaking of myself, I believe that any local official who can govern with benevolence and achieve the incorruptibility of Liu Kun, the Tiger of the River, and any law enforcer who can be as upright and fearless as Zhang Gang, the Wheel-Breaking General, what is there to fear in a short life of a few decades? If I dedicate myself to the cause while I live and die with a clear conscience, then I will feel that I have lived up to Your Majesty’s expectations, which is better than living for hundreds of years.”

Prince Rencheng thought to himself: "If you're going to use the code, then use the code. This show of loyalty to the Emperor makes me seem both heartless and dishonest." The eunuchs in charge of recording thought to themselves: "Look at this, even sycophants need to study more. They can make up stories about anything they see and boast about themselves."

As Wei Yao bowed again towards the palace, the Prince of Rencheng followed suit, then, in a less than favorable tone, ordered his steward: "Go find a craftsman to cut down the Longevity Tree."

The steward said, "Oh? It was just planted! Besides, cutting it down directly would have a bad symbolic meaning."

Prince Rencheng: "Then carefully move it to the Prince Guangling's residence next door."

The eunuchs suppressed their laughter as they recorded the events.

As the group walked deeper into the palace, they passed the area where acacia trees were planted. Prince Rencheng slowed his pace, but Wei Yao showed no interest in these trees, so the group continued on their way.

This time, Wei Yao stopped by the fishpond, gazing at the artificial hill and beautiful rocks in the center of the lake, then looked down at the water, and said, "Your family caught fish early this winter."

According to the season, the last fishing is done in the last month of winter.

Prince Rencheng snorted disdainfully, his words now devoid of goodwill. He asked, "Minister Wei, just speak frankly. Did that scoundrel Yuan Kuang impeach me?"

He and Yuan Kuang are cousins.

Everyone who followed lowered their heads an inch instantly.

Wei Yao showed no sign of nervousness and lied, "I know nothing about this. Why does Your Majesty ask such a question?"

Prince Rencheng: "Last time I held a banquet here, I suddenly thought of Emperor Xiaowen and recited a few lines of poetry about ponds and leaping fish. At that time, only Yuan Kuang had a sour face. I was very puzzled and couldn't guess what that fellow would think of me! Vice Minister Wei is not the kind of person to gossip without reason. He deliberately stopped here to ask about fish, and just now he was talking about the topic of immortality. I am certain that Yuan Kuang, that troublemaker, has implicated me! He must be framing me for missing the late Emperor Xiaowen and falsely claiming that I am dissatisfied with His Majesty's neglect of me!"

Wei Yao thought to herself: This king must have grown up eating walnuts, his prediction is so accurate.

However, as an official of the Secretariat, she could not reveal confidential matters when reporting to the emperor, so she flattered him: "I asked about fishing just now because I wanted to say that the days are short in midwinter, and all things are in conflict. Many things to prepare for the cold winter should be done in advance, just like Your Majesty. From the fishpond incident, it can be seen that during Your Majesty's short period of leisure, you have been able to manage the affairs of the prefecture in an orderly manner, which I admire."

All the eunuchs who were recording the events breathed a sigh of relief, because they had angered Prince Rencheng and would not receive any gifts. Who would want to leave the palace for nothing?

The Prince of Rencheng's anger turned to pleasure: "The Vice Minister knows how to talk."

Wei Yao: "Just telling the truth. It's getting late, I should return to the palace to report."

According to the usual imperial decree, she had stayed long enough. When she came out of the Prince's mansion and passed through the front street of the Guangling Prince's mansion, she saw a carriage marked "Feng" parked by the roadside.

Is it the Feng family she's thinking of?