History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Amidst the clinking of glasses and lively banquet, hidden beneath the surface lies a scheme among individuals. Musicians play the zither and sheng, while dancers leap and twirl, their movements a rhythm that resonates with the calculations in their hearts.

Old Master Wang Yuanjia was the first to get drunk, and Yuan Yu and Yuan Yi helped him leave the table. When Yuan Yu and Yuan Yi returned, Yuan Yong was also drunk. He sat down with Yuan Cheng and put his arm around Yuan Cheng's shoulder, talking as if shouting.

Yuan Cheng's ears ached from the noise, so he pointed at the musicians and dancers. Yuan Yi immediately ordered the singers and dancers to leave. Yuan Yong's voice suddenly became even louder: "Uncle, we've got a deal. If anyone impeaches me and tries to drive me out of the capital, you have to help me, you have to help me!"

"Take a sip of this hangover soup, and don't worry, I'll definitely help you."

Yuan Yong blocked his way: "Why drink hangover soup! You should be sincere when asking for help. Someone, bring me a crane-shaped wine cup!"

"All of you step back, we'll take care of things here." Yuan Cheng took the opportunity to dismiss all the maids who were serving the wine and food.

Wei Yao and Prince Pengcheng exchanged a glance without making a sound.

Yuan Cheng then deliberately snatched Yuan Yong's wine cup and pointed at Yuan Yu and Yuan Yi, saying, "Nephew, don't be silly, they've changed the water in their cups."

Yuan Yi explained: "No..."

He had barely uttered a word when Yuan Yong caught Yuan Yu's playful grin. The latter was furious. He picked up the wine jug and went over to personally fill everyone else's cups with this strongest wine in Luoyang, not even sparing Wei Yao. His words were already slurred as he ordered everyone present: "Change to this! Anyone who dares to change to water is a coward!"

Yuan Cheng was relieved. Yuan Yong was about to get drunk, knowing that he could say such offensive things to Wei Yao.

During this process, Yuan Xie observed his fourth brother Yuan Yu and his nephew Yuan Yi.

Nephew, you still lack experience. You treat the banquet where you formed your faction as a regular family dinner, and you regard your relatives with their own agendas as family. You should know that the position of "Attendant-in-Ordinary" is in charge of all confidential imperial edicts. If you get drunk, whether or not you leaked the affairs of the Secretariat, you will not be able to explain yourself afterwards, and the enemy will use it as a handle to frame you!
Yuan Xie's gaze returned to his fourth brother, Yuan Yu. Just now, his fourth brother was laughing and joking, clearly intending to cooperate with their clan uncle, Yuan Cheng, to provoke his fifth brother, Yuan Yong, into a drinking contest. So... when and how did his fourth brother and clan uncle form an alliance? And to the point where they cooperated without needing to say it outright!

Soon, Yuan Yong succumbed to his drunkenness and collapsed, snoring loudly.

Yuan Cheng sat down next to Yuan Yu and said, "Neither of our residences has such fine wine."

Yuan Yu smiled as he poured himself a drink, staring at the wine spilling out of the rim, and said, "It's too full. It reminds me of the fishpond in my uncle's mansion."

Yuan Cheng laughed and invited him, "Come to my house next time you have a day off."

The two passed their cups around until they were truly drunk. Yuan Yu then took out his waist fan, used it as a weapon, and dragged Yuan Cheng to dance the Mulan Dance.

He sang some of his favorite verses, but changed the meaning of many of the sentences.

"Ask me what I am thinking, ask me what I am remembering."

"I have nothing to think about, and nothing to remember."

“I returned from the capital to see the emperor. The emperor sat in the Mingtang Hall and bestowed upon me a hundred thousand rewards. He asked me what I desired. I wished to return to my hometown, not to sit in the general's seat, but to wear my old clothes.”

Hearing that Yuan Yu sang the last two lines with a choked voice, Yuan Cheng was afraid that Yuan Yu would say more wrong things due to his drunkenness, so he pulled him outside: "This wine is still not strong enough. Come on, I'll take you to find stronger wine!"

"Listen to, listen to your uncle." Yuan Yu called out to Wei Yao before parting, "When you write back to your mother, don't forget to mention me. I really miss you..."

Yuan Cheng was terrified and quickly covered his mouth, half-pulling and half-carrying him away.

At the end of the banquet, apart from Yuan Yong who was snoring, only Wei Yao and Yuan Xie remained.

"Grand Tutor." She rose and bowed. Yuan Xie: "Bring me your wine jug and sit down to talk."

"Yes."

Once Wei Yao sat down opposite him, Yuan Xie didn't beat around the bush and said, "As for forming cliques and factions, no matter who they are, if I want to know, I can find out. What you're wondering is that the two things you did for Yuan Yong are nothing if His Majesty doesn't pursue them, so why am I using them as a threat and giving you time to think about how to deal with them?"

Wei Yao smiled, her smile revealing a hint of confidence: "Grand Tutor underestimates me. I also have my own methods to test whether Yuan Yong has revealed that I helped him write the memorial. The answer is that he did not mention it to anyone. So how did you find out, Grand Tutor? Unless... someone else wrote the same memorial, submitted it to His Majesty for review, and His Majesty granted the request."

Then, she regained her seriousness: "But if such a thing really happened, how could I not investigate and make such a laughable mistake?"

Yuan Xie chuckled and exclaimed, "It spans the four dimensions and contains yin and yang; it encompasses the universe and displays the three luminaries. The great Dao of Heaven and Earth is infinitely mysterious!"

Wei Yao: "So, Grand Tutor, like me, experienced more things than ordinary people, as if in a dream, is that right?"

Yuan Xie nodded.

The two were of one mind, and neither of them fully explained the meaning of "being reborn."

Wei Yao asked, "May I ask, Grand Tutor, who first proposed the memorial regarding the repair of the city's neighborhoods?"

Yuan Xie glanced at the doorway and said, "The first one to get drunk."

The most senior prince, Yuan Jia!

Yuan Xie: "Wei Yao, I need your help with something."

"Grand Tutor, please speak. As long as it does not harm the state or kill innocent lives, I will never refuse!"

Yuan Xie: "In the upcoming court meeting, an official will recommend Gao Xian to transport military provisions to the Qibo County camp. If His Majesty asks for your opinion, then speak..."

Even though Yuan Yong was fast asleep, he still leaned forward and whispered in Wei Yao's ear the detailed advice on how to deal with the situation.

Wei Yao nodded: "I understand. I also have something to ask of the Grand Tutor."

Yuan Xie: "Who are the two masterminds behind the murder, Tian Shao and Tian Heng?"

Wei Yao shook her head: "I have a guess as to who they are, but the evidence is really hard to find. It's not that I haven't thought about eliminating them privately, but using such underhanded methods is not the right way of the law. As the Vice Minister of the Court of Justice, if I take one step towards evil, I will take a second step due to other problems, and eventually become a villain like them. The Grand Tutor has overseen the affairs of several prefectures. I only ask the Grand Tutor to help me find someone. This person is very young, not yet twenty, skilled in illusion and also good at manipulating people. Wherever he goes, he will use illusion to recruit disciples, and in time he will become a great threat to the court."

The person Wei Yao was looking for was the disciple "Liu Huan" mentioned in Liu Huo's confession. Liu Huo's surname was indeed Liu, but his given name was fake. His real name was Liu Shiming. A few years ago, he led a peasant uprising in Qizhou. Before the imperial court sent troops, the cunning Liu Shiming had a substitute continue the rebellion in his place, while he himself risked coming to Luoyang. Unexpectedly, he was targeted by "Tian Shao" as soon as he arrived in Luoyang because of his illusion skills.

Given Liu Huo's cunning nature, his apprentice "Liu Huan" must also be an alias. Therefore, Wei Yao only told Yuan Xie about Liu Huan's abilities, so that he could use this information to find the person.

Yuan Xie agreed to the matter, dipped his finger in wine, wrote a name on the table, and asked, "Is it one of Tianshao or Tianheng?"

He wrote "Yuan Zhao" as the Palace Attendant.

Wei Yao also dipped her brush in water and wrote down a name: "Yes, I guess he is Tianshao, and the other Tianheng is him!"

The person she wrote about was General Yuan Zhi. (End of Chapter)