History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 382 The Hunt! The Battlefield!
Consort Yu looked down on Wei Yao with disdain and refused to answer. She then ordered a passing Imperial Guard warrior, "Go and load that wild goat onto the cart."

Infantry Captain Kou Meng turned back from the front to look for Wei Yao, and called out, "Minister Wei, His Majesty summons you."

Yu Baofei's smugness vanished instantly. She remembered what her aunt had said last time: "Zhao Zhi has finally been transferred out of the palace! What a relief! I thought this woman was reckless and naive, but I was wrong. If she stays in the palace guards, she will not only hinder your father's future, but also have no place to stand when your cousin returns to court after his mourning period."

Consort Yu stared mockingly at Wei Yao's retreating figure: "You treacherous minister! I'll make sure you get nothing, and that you come in last place in the hunting competition! Isn't your mother famous for her martial arts skills? Well, in this hunt, everyone will see how incompetent you are, how stupid you are. You'll not only lose face for yourself, but you'll also lose face for your mother!"
Wei Yao returned to the emperor's side and just then saw that Prince Yuan Yu of Guangling had shot an arrow that landed in a grassy nest in the distance. What happened next made everyone around them burst into laughter. Several pheasants scurried out of the grassy nest, and the imperial guards picked up the arrow and reported, "You missed."

General Xi Kangsheng, who was in charge of the campaign, joked, "This kind of archery is truly mysterious. If you shoot without aiming, you're bound to get a kill."

Everyone around laughed.

Yuan Yu didn't care at all, because he had never encountered the word "losing face" in the vocabulary he knew.

The scout reported to the emperor that there were traces of trampling animals ahead.

The emperor, who was buried in official duties all day long, could only relax at times like this throughout the year. He waved his hand and ordered: "Chase the herd of beasts."

In the years since the capital was moved, in order to cultivate the hunting skills of the royal family, the Jingyang Mountain hunting grounds were reforested and forested to increase the difficulty of hunting. More than a hundred kinds of animals, including rare birds and beasts, were also released into the mountains. The ferocious beasts ate the wild beasts, and the wild beasts ate foxes and sheep, so that every now and then, flocks of vultures would circle over the mountains.

One minister after another rushed to follow the emperor, and soon Wei Yao was left behind again. Fortunately, she was accompanied by two princes who were also not good at riding: one was Prince Yuan Yu of Guangling, and the other was the seventh prince Yuan Yu.

Yuan Yu laughed and said, "Vice Minister Wei is quite capable; he really managed to get Feng Junxing arrested and imprisoned in Sizhou Prison."

Wei Yao: "He violated the law and should be arrested. A few days ago, I went to the Prince of Rencheng's mansion to deliver an imperial edict and saw the Feng family's carriage parked in front of your mansion."

“That’s right,” Yuan Yu said smugly. “The Feng family is really declining. The only ones who can help the Lady of Leling are women from the Feng family.”

Yuan Yu is currently involved in court politics with his elder brother, Prince Qinghe, and his knowledge has increased considerably. His demeanor is completely different from when Wei Yao first met him.

He said, "Among the Feng family members, only Feng Yu, the Prefect of Henan, is capable. He has also found a stone classic inscribed with the Book of Changes. Feng Yu was abandoned by the Feng family before, so how could he possibly break the law for Feng Junxing now?"

“Your Highness is right,” Wei Yao praised.

Yuan Yu regarded Wei Yao as both a teacher and a friend, and was overjoyed to receive the praise.

Suddenly, wings whistled, and in their sight, a vulture swooped down from the sky, landing in the grass and wrestling with an injured roe deer.

The vultures of Jingyang Mountain are different from their counterparts elsewhere. With so many wild animals to eat, they've eventually stopped consuming carrion. However, this roe deer was incredibly agile, its four hooves kicking and stomping, striking the vulture's face several times.

The three hunters, Wei Yao, Yuan Yu, and Yuan Yu, who were poor archers and cowardly, dismounted and each sought cover, aiming at the vultures and roe deer.

At this moment, all three of them had the same thought: They could probably guess right!

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Meanwhile, in a mountain forest somewhere in Nanyang County, arrows flew like lightning, striking the shields with a "thud, thud, clang," and hitting the men and horses, causing them to cry out in agony.

After entering Huyang County, Zhao Zhi's elite troops found another large tribe of barbarians. The two sides first exchanged arrows, while the shield formations defended against each other.

This tribe was different from the ones Zhao Zhi had previously wiped out. The bandits were all equipped with crossbows and other sharp weapons, and had well-trained swordsmen and shieldmen. Many of their wooden shields were covered with striped tiger skins and thick bear skins, which made them more resistant to the piercing of Wei crossbows.

By the time the enemy soldiers discovered that Wei's arrows had been used in several volleys, it was too late.

The enemy soldiers' arrows were finally almost exhausted. Zhao Zhi shouted angrily, "Kill!" Instantly, the soldiers followed her and charged forward, their shouts of "Kill!" shaking the heavens.

The bandits, not to be outdone, also swung their swords forward.

When the weapons on both sides finally clashed, it was like a raging torrent. Those in the front row seized every opportunity to fight their way forward. At such times, they had to trust their comrades completely, trusting that their comrades would also be willing to fight to the death to shield them from attacks from behind.

Soon, enemy soldiers attacked from the very spot where Wei had just deployed arrow and shield formations, and Wei soldiers also stormed into the enemy camp.

Zhao Zhi was the first to rush into the bandit camp!
Several people emerged from the main military tent, one of whom was surnamed Lü and named Sengzhen. He dressed like a civil official of the Xiao Liang dynasty, yet possessed the bearing of a military general.

Lu Sengzhen had exceptional eyesight. He spotted the place where the enemy soldiers had surrounded and killed Zhao Zhi and immediately made a judgment. He encouraged the barbarian king, saying, "That person must be a general of the Wei army. If you can kill her, I will definitely recommend you for credit when I return to the court!"

The leader of this barbarian tribe, surnamed Huan, asked in a loud voice, "What if I capture him alive?"

Lu Sengzhen smiled and said, "That would be best. If you can capture her, I will swear on my life that I will ask the emperor to grant you the title of Prince of Nanyang."

When the bandit leader Huan led his trusted soldiers to capture Zhao Zhi, Lü Sengzhen thought to himself: I swear on your life, if things fail, whether you live or die is none of my business.

He had already bribed his trusted men among the barbarian soldiers. After returning to his tent, he neatly packed up any items that could reveal his identity and origins. Then, protected by these traitorous barbarians, he left from a corner of the camp.

Regardless of whether the tribes here win or lose, they will suffer heavy casualties and will no longer be of any use. His immediate priority is to rush to the largest tribe of the barbarians and persuade the barbarian king, Lu Beiyan, to change tactics. He must not allow the Wei soldiers who have just arrived in Nanyang to join forces with the Wei soldiers in Huyang County.

suddenly!

Years of experience in battle saved Lü Sengzhen's life. In a moment when a chill ran down his spine, he rolled to the side. In that split second, he was still able to think clearly and had a barbarian act as his shield without realizing it.

A swift arrow flew past where he had just walked, striking a tree and embedding itself deeply into the wood.

"Hurry!" Lu Sengzhen, disregarding his disheveled state, urged everyone to quicken their pace and leave this dangerous place. He hurriedly turned around and compared his archery skills with others, only to be horrified to find that there were no Wei soldiers within range.

This suggests that either barbarians hiding in the shadows were shooting arrows at him, or fierce warriors from the Wei army had their eyes on him.

There is a saying among the people of Wei: a thousand soldiers can produce a brave warrior, and ten thousand brave warriors can produce a fierce warrior!
If the latter guess came true... Lü Sengzhen's heart sank. He thought of one person: Li Chong!
If Li Chong were the commander of the Wei army who came to rescue Huyang County, His Majesty's plan would likely be difficult to realize.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

At the Jingyang Mountain hunting grounds in the Northern Palace Garden of Luoyang, three arrows were shot one after the other at a vulture and a roe deer engaged in combat.

All three arrows missed their mark.

Wei Yao, Yuan Yu, and Yuan Yi all gasped.

Fortunately, the vulture hesitated for a moment before flying away.

By the time the three of them realized what was happening and tried to draw their bows again, the injured roe deer had already limped away.