History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 409 Uncle and Nephew Fight
Wei Yao wrote a large "Reject" on the memorial, explaining: "A document recommending talented people cannot lack information on their background and experience. If I return the memorial, given that Gao Shifang is dissatisfied with my prejudice, he will surely think that I am deliberately making things difficult for him."

Then she handed the discarded memorial to Prince Qinghe, bowed towards the Taiji Hall, and said solemnly, "Your Majesty knows best my heart for the public good!"

She pointed to the sky again: "Heaven and earth bear witness! I trouble Attendant Yuan to give the memorial to Attendant Gao and instruct him to supplement the biography of Celestial Master Xiangling before and after his cultivation, and then submit it to the emperor."

After saying that, she picked up the memorial box, stepped out of the threshold before Prince Qinghe, and turned back as if she had just remembered something, saying, "By the way, if you are worried about me reviewing the memorials after you finish speaking with Attendant Yuan and Attendant Gao, come to my office."

The poor Prince Qinghe didn't even have a chance to interject; the power to decide on memorials was transferred from his desk to Wei Yao's.

That move was the last one!

When Wei Yao returned to her office, she finally had time to think alone. She hadn't expected Gao Xian to recommend Lu Tianshi's disciple Xiang Ling to the Chongxuan Bureau. The other party's intentions were obvious. The main responsibility of the Immortal Doctor was to provide the emperor with elixirs. He was close to the emperor but did not interfere in court affairs. It was an official position that was easily overlooked in the palace.

Gao Xian's cultivation of court officials and his faction perfectly suited the emperor's intention to nurture him. Gao Xian was indeed talented in the ways of a treacherous official, but... he didn't have much talent for it.

There are three reasons. First, the emperor is young and does not need to take elixirs to maintain his energy in the short term. Arranging Taoist officials and confidants in the Chongxuan Bureau is like putting beauties in the cold palace, which is of little use.

Secondly, the emperor was different from Emperor Xiaowen. Emperor Xiaowen continued the court's principle of using both Buddhism and Taoism. In addition to being proficient in Buddhist doctrines, he was also good at discussing Zhuangzi and Laozi. Emperor Yuan Ke, on the other hand, was only a devout Buddhist. The status of the Immortal Scholar can be imagined.

Furthermore, if any problems arise with the elixir, the official who recommended the immortal scholar will certainly not escape punishment. At that time, all the court officials will impeach him, and Gao Xian's official career will come to an end.

Therefore, Gao Xian's use of the Daoist official position as the first step in cultivating his confidants would not satisfy the emperor, who might even be disappointed in him. In his disappointment, the emperor might also regret the death of Gao Zhao.

The sun has set.

The five princes who were reprimanded delayed their shifts, only leaving when the palace gates were locked. By sheer coincidence, Prince Yuan Yu of Guangling and Prince Yuan Yu of Jingzhao met at the carriage stop.

Yuan Yu patted Yuan Yu on the shoulder and mocked, "Good nephew, you're not destined to take a concubine. You'd better settle down from now on."

"You old scoundrel, you have the nerve to talk about me! It's better than you sneaking over the wall in the middle of the night!"

Yuan Yu felt no shame, but instead laughed triumphantly: "I climbed over the wall to pick flowers, while you took a concubine to steal a life. I know you hate me, but you should also thank me. If I hadn't killed Consort Yang, it wouldn't be Yang Lianluo who was flogged, had her head shaved, and died a miserable death this time."

Yuan Yu gritted his teeth and glared resentfully. As Yuan Yu mounted his horse and cracked his whip, Yuan Yu lashed out at the spot where the horse's leg was bent. He was strong and smashed the horse's leg, causing Yuan Yu to cry out and fall off the horse. Fortunately, he was caught by the guards.

"Little brat!"

"Old beast!"

The two princes' servants and their masters started fighting in a chaotic brawl. It was a coincidence that today was the last day for the royal children to attend classes at the Imperial Ancestral School before they would go to the Four Gates Elementary School next spring. As the school was ending, the students, led by the Seventh Prince Yuan Yu, passed by and, after seeing who was fighting, rushed into the crowd to try and break up the fight.

Soon, General Yuan Zhi mobilized the Imperial Guards and took all the people involved in the fight to the Imperial Guard Headquarters. The Emperor was reading official documents in the Qinghui Hall when he heard Yuan Zhi report on the cause and effect of the dispute at the Zhiche Gate. He also heard that Yuan Yu had been injured and unable to walk, and had to be carried to the Imperial Guard Headquarters. The Emperor felt a headache coming on and immediately ordered Yuan Zhi to take the main culprit to the Guande Hall.

He then ordered the eunuch Yang Fan: "Go find Wei Yao."

Yuan Zhi and Yang Fan came out of the palace together. Yuan Zhi asked, "Is the Attendant-in-Ordinary always in charge of the Secretariat?"

Yang Fan smiled dismissively and replied, "I, an official in charge of internal affairs, dare not inquire about matters concerning the Secretariat."

Yuan Zhi scratched his head and said, "I understand. I won't ask around anymore." Tonight, only Wei Yao, a court attendant, was in the Secretariat. She was writing a rebuttal when Yang Fan explained the reason for his visit. She then picked up her memorial box and the memorials that needed to be dealt with that night and hurried to the Guande Hall.

The distance was short, but that didn't stop Yang Fan from flattering him: "The Attendant-in-Ordinary is so diligent, he is truly a role model for all officials."

"Yang, the eunuch, is His Majesty's close attendant. If he flatters any court official again, whether it's me or someone else, I will definitely impeach him if I find out!"

Yang Fan did not get angry or embarrassed, but immediately admitted his mistake: "It was my fault for being talkative. Thank you for reminding me, Attendant-in-Ordinary."

"Ah."

That "hmm" confirmed to Yang Fan that Wei Yao was doing it for his own good.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "When I came, General Yuan Zhi asked the Chamberlain a question, asking if you often stayed behind to guard the Secretariat. I told him that I was an official in charge of internal affairs and dared not ask questions."

Imperial guards patrolled the palace walls and corridors incessantly. The two remained silent. When they arrived at Guande Hall, the emperor had not yet arrived. Wei Yao followed the Seventh Prince to the stretcher. Yuan Yu's eye was swollen shut, and tears streamed down his other eye from the pain. He pointed diagonally in the direction where the Prince of Jingzhao was standing and complained, "A nephew beats his uncle! Ask him if he knows what respect for elders is! He and his damned concubine should both be sent to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs for a lesson!"

Wei Yao asked, "Does the king intend to submit a memorial impeaching him? I can write it for him."

Yuan Yu's curses rang out: "You treacherous minister! You villain!"

Wei Yao went over and asked, "Who is the treacherous minister the king is referring to?"

Just as Yuan Yu was about to curse "You!", Li Shixian, the Right General of the Central Army beside him, stepped forward and stood between him and Wei Yao.

Li Shixian said, "Attendant Wei misunderstood. The Director of the Secretariat just now jokingly said that the General of Chariots and Cavalry was 'pretending to be tough and laughing at people,' which was indeed impolite and disrespectful."

Unfortunately, he didn't understand Wei Yao. She turned her head and looked away at Yuan Yu, who was still angry, and asked, "I remember that the king claimed to act with great composure. Since you knew that it was disrespectful to your elders, why did you let General Li speak on your behalf?"

She then looked at Li Shixian and rebuked him sternly, almost without pausing: "The Prince of Jingzhao mocked his uncle, the Prince of Guangling, in front of you, and instead of offering kind advice, you let it go so easily. How despicable! How hateful! It is because of treacherous people like you, who only know how to flatter and cannot distinguish right from wrong, who constantly instigate the Prince of Jingzhao, that he has gone astray and dared to offend his uncle in public! Today someone condones the Prince of Jingzhao's offense against his uncle, will tomorrow they try to incite him to offend the Emperor?!"

After she finished speaking, she scanned her surroundings, and everyone she saw took a big step away from Li Shixian.

Yuan Yu cursed Wei Yao with eight hundred swear words in her heart, but her legs were quite sensible and she also took a step back.

"Huh?" In the blink of an eye, Li Shixian tasted the bitterness of heartbreak, fear, and regret.

Yuan Yu shouted, "Send him!"

The emperor arrived, glaring at Yuan Yu: "You speak first, why did you beat your elders?"

Whoever gives their reason first is at a disadvantage, because the person who speaks later can use the preceding statement to cover up their lie.

Li Shixian was unsure whether the emperor had heard Wei Yao's accusations against him. He was panicked and anxious, hoping that Yuan Yu would not implicate him.

Hopes dashed.

Yuan Yu dared not mention Yang Aofei or Yang Lianluo. He had just been reprimanded, and more than a dozen officials had been arrested. He didn't know what punishment he would receive after the trial. So he took the ladder handed to him by Wei Yao and pushed Li Shixian out as a scapegoat: "I shouldn't have listened to the instigation of villains and attacked my fourth uncle. I apologize to my fourth uncle now and will not dare to do it again."