History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 59 Ants Become a Pawn [Thanks to the first leader, Zi Kexin]

After the exam, the gray clouds looked just like the dejected elementary school children.

Wu Ji asked Wei Jing, "How did you answer?"

"Sigh, same as last time. What about you?"

"Just like last time, I couldn't answer any of the questions I could!"

There will be no classes today and tomorrow, but students cannot go home yet. The school requires each student to visit the examination room for the spring joint examination. Each student must not only familiarize themselves with where they sit, but also move their desk and cushions there in advance.

Wei Mao left Wei Yao and Wei Zhen at the schoolhouse to sort out the odds and ends of their stationery, while he, Wei Jing, Wu Ji, and Wei Puti took turns moving things. The other students also formed groups, and since Qu Rong didn't speak up, who would have the time to invite him?

He bent over and dragged the desk backwards. When he was almost at the threshold, a large hand gently patted his shoulder.

"Master?"

Du Ling frowned and scolded him, "If you keep dragging it like this, when will you get there? You'll break the desk. Wei Yao, help Qu Tongmen carry it over."

Wei Zhen glanced at Master Du, then at Wei Yao… her slender waist and delicate arms, and said, “I’ll help Master Qu. Master Yao, you can…”

"Wei Yao!!" Du Ling's voice rose, his displeasure evident.

“Yes.” Wei Yao shook her head slightly at her fellow disciple Zhen. After going over, she bowed to Du Ling and said to Qu Rong, “I don’t want to talk to you because you always argue with me. Now that the teacher has asked me to help you, I dare not refuse. But let’s make it clear that if you argue with me again on the way, I will never help you a second time.”

Qu Rong: "Who's arguing with you!"

Wei Yao: "You're arguing with me right now!"

"Stop talking so much nonsense, hurry up and move to the examination hall." Du Ling's tone was not sharp this time, but even Wei Zhen could see clearly that the teacher was only looking at his fellow student when he said this.

And after the teacher's desk was carried out of the door, he followed and said, "Do you know where the examination room is? I'm just going there, I'll take you there."

Wei Zhen really wanted to throw the pencil case in her hand at the back of Du Ling's head! Is he even worthy of being a teacher? His favoritism is so blatant!

All the desks were provided by the Wei Academy; they were made of fine wood and were very heavy for stability. Wei Yao had to rest every few steps, and Du Ling earnestly advised her: "At your age, you can't just focus on studying; you also need to strengthen your body. Look at the entire Wei clan primary school; who is as thin and frail as you?"

Wei Yao was covered in sweat, her heart pounding. She could argue with Qu Rong, but not with Du Ling, otherwise she would immediately be accused of disrespecting her teacher.

Qu Rong was tired, but his spirits were high.

Du Ling urged, "It's going to rain, hurry up and walk a few steps."

Qu Rong chimed in, "Yes..."

When Wei Yao suddenly let go, causing Qu Rong to fall to the ground, his knee was also bumped.

"We can't move quickly." Even in her rapid breathing, she didn't forget to "care" for Qu Rong: "Are you alright? Did you bump into anything?" She then looked up at Du Ling: "Master, I... I really need to catch my breath. Even if it's hailing now, I need to rest." If you want to wait, then wait it out; if you don't want to wait, you can help him move!
Qu Rong rubbed his knees. Hmph, others may not understand Wei Yao, but how could he not? He half-complained and half-exposed her hypocritical face: "Fellow disciple Yao is quite the debater. She's only walked a few steps, yet she acts like she's been bullied so badly."

Wei Yao: "You've only walked a few steps, and you're already rubbing your knees. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were walking on your hands and feet..."

"Wei Yao!" Du Ling scolded, "How can you use the phrase 'using both hands and feet' so carelessly? You've only learned to memorize poems, but haven't you learned the etiquette within them?"

Some passing schoolchildren glanced this way, and Du Ling lowered his voice: "Have you rested enough? Stop dawdling and hurry up and move it."

When Wei Yao bent down again, her lips twitched, and tears streamed down her face, one after another, "drip, drip," making her look incredibly aggrieved. The more silent she was, the more pitiful she appeared.

"You're already crying? You're so delicate!!" Just as Du Ling was about to say "Never mind," Wei Mao and Wei Jing, who had rushed back, witnessed this scene.

The first one rushed over and grabbed Wei Yao to the side, while the other shoved Qu Rong: "Isn't this your desk? Why didn't you ask someone to help you move it? If you can't move it, call us! Why did you have to pick the weakest one!"

"Sigh, what kind of talk is this?" Du Ling picked up his desk with one hand and walked towards the examination hall with a sigh every three steps.

Qu Rong also cried. As more and more students came and went, Wei Mao worried that others would misunderstand that Wei Jing was bullying his fellow students. He pulled Wei Jing with his other hand, and the three of them headed back to the schoolhouse.

Wei Zhen, who had been anxiously waiting, lingered at the courtyard gate. When she saw them coming, Wei Yao burst into tears. She quickly pulled Wei Jing aside and whispered, "What's wrong?"

Wu Ji and Wei Puti also returned to make a second trip. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they called out, "We just saw Qu Rong and Master Du together. Master Du probably scolded him, and Qu Rong was crying. Fellow disciple Yao? What happened? What's wrong?"

Wei Yao recounted the events with choked breaths, while Wei Zhen added details from the side. Wei Jing then brought up the incident where Gao Lou threatened to jump into a well at the state academy.

Seeing his fellow students growing increasingly agitated, Wei Mao had no choice but to reveal the truth: "To be honest, I asked the headmaster about Du Ling. He said that the schools in Luoyang are spending heavily to hire Confucian scholars specializing in the classics, while the schools in our old city are trying to retain talent. Du Ling lacks professional ethics, but he has a deep understanding of the Book of Poetry and philology, so unless Du Ling resigns voluntarily again, otherwise..."

"It's not that serious," Wei Yao said, wiping away her tears. "I feel much better after crying. Let's go, let's hurry up and move one last load, and go check the seats. Tomorrow's spring exam is important, don't forget we have to grade the papers in the morning session."

Wei Mao was both annoyed and resentful to see that she couldn't even cry freely! At first, he thought that he could use his father's official position to drive the newly arrived Du Ling away from the school, but that obviously wouldn't work.

Father is Father, and he is him.

Therefore, in this life, no matter whose power you borrow, it is never as good as having power yourself!

As for Wei Yao, her crying wasn't all an act. She cried for the little A Yao from her past life, for that A Yao who had no idea what mistake she had made after being criticized.

After crying, she became who she is now.

Wei Yao knew that even if Du Ling restrained himself a little after what happened today, he definitely wouldn't be able to do so for more than a few days. It didn't matter; she couldn't talk back to the teacher. But if he was mistreated and cried every time, Du Ling's reputation would only get worse. What other way out did he have besides staying at Wei Academy?
In the near future, it will probably not be that Wei Xueguan is afraid he will leave, but that he is afraid that the school will not keep him!

As for Wei Mao's account of the school's predicament, Wei Yao couldn't help but sigh, "Wei Mao is still young and doesn't know that there must be sacrifices involved in the 'competition'!"
She, Wei Yao, born into poverty and without any support, was a pawn of the Wei Academy. The academy used her as a pawn, intending to exchange her for a Confucian scholar who would lecture on the Book of Poetry. This scholar was erudite and had no other faults except for his dislike of poor female students.

Aside from her temporarily good academic performance, Wei Yao had no other merits.

In the powerful Wei Dynasty, where the noble beget the noble and the lowly beget the lowly, she had to recognize that she was nothing more than an ant! If she wanted to break free from the chessboard and the players of the Wei Academy, there was only one way: to become stronger and stronger! Strong enough that those with higher status and more power would willingly help her!
(End of this chapter)