History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Just when everyone thought Yuan Yu was only bluffing Yu Baofei with his knife, he actually did it, the blade slicing across the side of Yu Baofei's neck.

Yu Baofei was stunned and didn't react.

"You old thief!" Yuan Yu tried to snatch the knife from the Tiger Soldier's waist, but the other soldier pressed down on the hilt, and two other Tiger Soldiers grabbed his arms from the left and right.

"You old scoundrel, you've gone too far!"

Yuan Yu wasn't heartbroken for his wife, but the scene reminded him of the woman he loved. Was she killed by that old scoundrel Yuan Yu in the same way? The old scoundrel was weak and only managed to leave several cuts on Ao Fei's neck. She must have been terrified and in excruciating pain before she died.

Yuan Yu warned Consort Yu: "This knife is called 'Tiger's Mouth.' This time, I'll only take a little blood from you to teach you a lesson. If you dare to harm me again, I'll lock you in a cage with a hungry tiger!"

"What are you doing, you old thief?" Yuan Yu was even angrier and more anxious when he saw Yuan Yu walking towards Yang Lianluo, and he desperately tried to break free from the soldiers' grasp. "His Majesty's decree is a reprimand. If you dare to hurt her, I..."

When Yang Lianluo saw the Prince of Guangling approaching, she trembled even more violently and didn't even dare to beg for mercy.

This time, to everyone's surprise, after Guangling Prince Yuan Yu saw Yang Lianluo's appearance clearly, he walked back to Yuan Yu and lowered his voice to mock her: "I thought you were very fond of Consort Yang, but it turns out you only like this kind of appearance."

Yuan Yu glared and gritted her teeth: "I'll kill you sooner or later."

Yuan Yu scoffed, unconcerned: "What, did I expose your hypocrisy? You can fool the world and yourself, but can you fool Yang Aofei's ghost? How pitiful she was, saying before she died... she might not have been yours while she was alive, but it's better that she's dead, she'll always be yours!"

Yuan Yu wept uncontrollably, vaguely watching Yuan Yu lead his troops away. That night, he locked himself in the bedroom where Yang Aofei had died, talking to himself until his voice became hoarse.

As dawn broke and sunlight streamed through the gauze window, the steward knocked on the door. Yuan Yu opened the door and ordered, "After breakfast, send all the concubines to Dunhuang, and never allow them to return to the capital."

The steward anxiously reported, "The Empress sent a female official to take Lady Yang away, saying that Lady Yang has violated the ancient etiquette for wives and concubines and must enter the palace to be flogged."

When Wei Yao learned of this news, she shook her head. People always like to say that fate is full of twists and turns, but all these twists and turns are caused by human actions. The Empress was not wrong to punish Yang Lianluo, but the result of the punishment was probably the opposite of what the Yu sisters had hoped for.

The lightest form of flogging was whipping with a thorn cane or thin bamboo strip. Screams echoed throughout Xuanguang Hall as two strong palace maids tightly gripped Yang Lianluo's palms and stretched them forward. The maid holding the thorn cane whipped Yang Lianluo's right hand ten times, then her left hand ten times, resting for a moment before repeating the whipping.

"Ah, ah, ah... I know I was wrong, please let me go back to the servant's labor service..."

"I will never dare to do it again, never dare to do it again!"

Once a person has tasted the power of life and death, how can they bear to let go? Yu Baoying listened to the screams from her high vantage point, occasionally observing Wang Puxian and the other concubines.

After another round of blows, Yang Lianluo had no strength left to kowtow. She buried her head in the ground and pleaded weakly, "Spare me, spare me."

Yu Baoying first asked Consort Li, who had the lowest rank, "Do you think she should be spared?"

Consort Li forced a smile and replied, "Whether to punish or spare, it is up to the Empress; this concubine dares not say more." Damn Yu Baoying, all she wanted was for her to admit she was also a "concubine"!

Yu Baoying looked at Consort Cui and said, "Go and see if her hands can withstand further torture." She wasn't blind; why did she need to go and see? Consort Cui pretended to take a few steps, pondering how to answer to please the Empress, and how, when the news of the flogging reached the ears of the Prince of Jingzhao, he would only blame the Empress and not her. "Oh dear, I feel dizzy at the sight of blood."

Consort Cui fell towards Lady Wang Puxian, hoping to take this opportunity to take Wang Puxian away from the place as well.

Wang Puxian and the female officials beside her helped Consort Cui up. Yu Baoying didn't give them a chance to speak and gave the order to the female official holding the thorn cane: "Does Consort Cui understand what you mean? Her hands can't withstand the caning, so let's switch to her calves."

Consort Cui's face immediately turned pale.

Just as the female official pinned Yang Lianluo down and raised her arm holding a thorn branch, Wang Puxian stopped her in time: "Wait!"

Then she looked at Yu Baoying and said solemnly, "Your Majesty is too kind to Consort Cui. Neither Consort Cui, Consort Li, nor I have the authority to punish Yang. In addition, the calf has a leg bone and calf muscle. Please inform the lady-in-waiting so that she does not strike the wrong place."

Yu Baoying chuckled: "I heard from the palace servants that Lady Wang and Vice Minister Wei have a relationship, and now I believe it. These words are just like what Vice Minister Wei usually says."

Wang Puxian retorted: "I don't know how Vice Minister Wei usually speaks, but judging from what the Empress said, it seems that the Empress and Vice Minister Wei have a deep friendship."

Consort Cui and Consort Li both rolled their eyes, admiring Lady Wang's courage to speak her mind. What impressed them even more was that Wang Puxian then bowed and directly took her leave: "I haven't finished my Buddhist scripture studies, so I'll just escort Consort Cui back. I won't bother the Empress any longer."

Consort Li cried out in her heart: What about me? What about me? Help me!

With the spy left behind by Wang Xian in her possession, Wei Yao learned the detailed process of Yang Lianluo's flogging the next day. Moreover, after being carried away from the Empress's bedchamber, Yang Lianluo was imprisoned in a woodshed with deliberately leaky doors all night.

Originally, Wei Yao planned to bring Gao Ying, a young lady from the Gao family, to witness the terrifying power struggles among noble ladies in the capital when the Beihai Prince's Mansion held the Crane Wine Banquet at the beginning of next month. Unexpectedly, the Empress and the Princess Consort of Jingzhao, these two sisters, delivered the opportunity first.

At the end of the month, Wei Yao brought an invitation to a banquet from the Prince of Beihai's residence to Gao Xian's house to see how well Gao Ying was learning etiquette and manners.

Gao Ying still lacked confidence. She followed the rules perfectly, but her speech remained stiff and monotonous, like reciting a memorized text. "What should I do? Am I really stupid?"

Wei Yao thought for a moment, then didn't blame her, instead comforting her: "The young lady isn't stupid, she's already done very well."

"really?"

Wei Yao nodded: "The Beihai Prince's Mansion is no ordinary noble family. It's normal for you to be nervous. It would be abnormal if you weren't nervous. I have something to do tomorrow and can't come. When we go to the banquet the day after tomorrow, you must stay close to me. It's better to remain silent than to say too much."

"Okay." Gao Ying thought about the banquet she had to attend the day after tomorrow and asked nervously, "Is the Dowager Consort Gao very strict? I mean... does she look very fierce?"

Wei Yao had just made a move to leave, but now she sighed and pretended to make a decision, saying, "There's something I shouldn't have said to scare you, but Consort Gao is indeed difficult to get along with, and I have to take you out to make friends at this winter banquet, so I won't hide it from you."

Gao Ying, unaware of what was going on, said fearfully, "You...you tell me."

Wei Yao: "Because the Prince of Jingzhao favored his concubine and neglected his wife, his concubine, Lady Yang, was summoned to the palace by the Empress and flogged. The inner palace didn't order this to be concealed, so I imagine some of the noblewomen already know. The Dowager Consort Gao certainly knows! I'm afraid she also knows about your future entry into the palace, and I'm afraid she'll use Lady Yang's matter to reprimand you during the banquet." (End of Chapter)