History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 6: The Joint Entrance Examination is Approaching (Thanks to the friends who donated monthly tickets)

Wei Mao: "Yeah. I came in second."

"Compared to the ranking, I feel more accomplished in taming this wild horse." This is the truth, not flattery from Wei Yao.

"Help me think of a name for it."

"Me?" Wei Yao looked at the spirited steed's proud head held high and felt that any name would be an insult to its arrogance. "How about we call it 'Wild Horse'?"

"Wild Horse." Wei Mao stood up. "Alright, let's call it Wild Horse!"

The animal horn rang.

The second round of the competition, "Chasing Birds and Shooting Beasts," has begun.

The rule is that within a 15-minute time limit, eight young riders, each riding a tamed mount, will race around the arena at high speed without stopping, while servants in the garden release sparrows and rabbits.

The rule for calculating the number of kills is that one sparrow is worth two rabbits.

Wings fluttered, rabbits darted about, and blood stained the ground. Arrows clashed frequently, further fueling the competitive spirit of the eight men.

When Wei Mao and Xi Jiao began their horsefight after two arrow collisions, Wei Yao indulged herself in gazing at Xi Jiao for a moment. Nine-year-old Xi Jiao, unlike the naivety of other boys, possessed a composure ingrained in his very bones, despite his bravery and fighting spirit.

The winners of this round of competition are Xi Jiao, Wei Mao, Lu Baozhen, and Changsun Wuzhuo.

Wei Mao didn't go back to the rest area. Everyone changed their bows and then competed in the final round, "Piercing the Ring at Hundred Paces".

It was said to be a hundred paces, but it was actually ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). Based on the ranking of the previous "bird chasing and beast shooting" competition, three rounds of archery were conducted in turn.

Whoever can shoot an arrow that hits the copper ring hanging on the tree branch and then pierces the tree through the ring will be the winner of today's competition.

Looking into the distance, Wei Yao wondered if things would be the same as in her previous life. Xi Jiao had ended the contest with a single arrow?
The moment she made the thought, the whole audience cheered.

Xi Jiao's archery skills were beyond question; his movements of drawing the bow and releasing the arrow were fluid and graceful, making him the ultimate victor.

Amidst the shouts and cheers, countless handkerchiefs and flowers were thrown at Xi Jiao. His friends Zhou Tai and Changsun Wuzhuo protected him and shoved and teased him. When Xi Jiao picked up the most inconspicuous pink handkerchief from the ground, the crowd erupted in even louder cheers.

The little girl who threw the handkerchief was pushed forward by her companions, her face blushing even more beautifully than the color of the handkerchief. Xi Jiao wrapped the handkerchief around his wrist and smiled gently at the little girl.

At this moment, Wei Yao could not feel anything, only the coldness creeping up from the ground, chilling her from body to heart.

It turns out that her initial infatuation was a misunderstanding!

He would pick up whatever was inconspicuous or looked cheap on the ground!
It turns out that even without her, there would be other young ladies!

Even with a different person in charge, the cheering and celebrations remain the same.

She walked off the field, her heart sinking behind her, heavy and bitter, a burden she had to drag along with great effort.

Wei Mao's servant caught up with them: "Young lady, Mao Lang has gone to change his clothes. He asked you to wait for him."

"Okay." Not wanting to stand at the crossroads where the crowd was leaving, she went to wait under a tree not far away. Unexpectedly, Xi Jiao and two companions came this way. She hesitated for a moment, but did not hide.

If we are to become strangers, we cannot be timid and run away.

This is the tree where the copper ring was hung earlier; Xi Jiao came to check the depth of the arrow's penetration. Empty fame wasn't enough to sway him; he wasn't satisfied with his arm strength.

Wei Mao changed into clean clothes and strode over. He greeted Xi Jiao and the other two with a smile and said to Wei Yao, "Let's go, the bookstore has received some books."

Her love for books lessened her disappointment. After walking a short distance, Wei Yao said, "Don't worry, fellow disciple Mao. I haven't written many notes during this time, so I won't take any more books."

"what ever."

"Okay, okay."

Wei Mao chuckled, his frustration at losing the competition dissipating. He joked, "If that tree were as thick-skinned as Yao's face, Xi Jiao would definitely lose."

Under the tree, Changsun Wuzhuo observed Wei Yao's departing figure and said in bewilderment, "How strange! I've seen young women who are fond of Ajiao, and I've seen those who deliberately ignore her, but this is the first time I've seen one who truly has no regard for Ajiao." Xi Jiao frowned, "Don't talk nonsense again!"

Days off always fly by.

In the Book of Songs, the voices of the fourteen students in the dormitory were all hoarse. Qu Rong inquired about it and soon learned about the riding and archery competition the day before.

He was the only one who didn't go!
They're all from the same school, so why didn't anyone tell him?
Midwinter is coming.

The Xianbei warriors' hunting expeditions before the New Year had begun, and Wei Mao and some other students no longer came to the school. Some had caught a cold or pretended to have a cold to ask for leave. In short, there were only five or six students coming to class each day at most.

Only Wei Yao and Qu Rong remained steadfast.

During the break, Wei Yao organized the bamboo slips, while the other three classmates warmed their hands around the brazier.

Qu Rong said with annoyance, "There are just too many interpretations and explanations involved in the poem 'Zhong Feng'."

“Exactly. What’s with all this talk about former Duke Zhuang, later Duke Zhuang, and former deposed Duke? The more I hear it, the more confused I get! Ugh… I should have asked for leave too.” This was another disciple from a different family, Wu Ji.

Qu Rong: "Fellow disciple Yao will definitely understand. Fellow disciple Yao, could you explain it to us again?"

Wei Yao: "The twelfth and thirtieth rulers of the State of Wei shared the same posthumous title, 'Duke Zhuang.' Later generations referred to them as the Former Duke Zhuang and the Later Duke Zhuang for easier distinction. Zhuang Jiang, mentioned in the preface to 'Zhong Feng,' was the wife of the Former Duke Zhuang. Zhou Yu, the son of the Former Duke Zhuang and a concubine, killed Duke Huan of Wei, the son of the Former Duke Zhuang and another concubine, Dai Gui. Zhou Yu was killed a few months after regicide and seizing the throne, so later generations called him the Deposed Duke of Wei."

She spoke slowly and deliberately, and the three people by the fire pit finally understood.

Qu Rong suggested, "Could we borrow these notes? We can take turns copying them after class at noon before going home, how about that?" The following words were to solicit the opinions of Wei Zhen and Wu Ji.

The other two nodded, looking at Wei Yao hopefully.

Wei Yao unfolded the bamboo slips she had just compiled and pulled out the ones related to Zhuang Jiang. "You can borrow them to copy, but you have to promise not to lose or destroy them."

Wei Zhen smiled and took it: "Don't worry."

Qu Rong finally got the notebook, his joy mixed with inferiority: if he had asked Wei Yao for it alone, she definitely wouldn't have given it to him.

One poem, one preface.

"The drums beat loudly, and the soldiers eagerly prepare for battle..."

"The 'Male Pheasant' is a satire of Duke Xuan of Wei..."

Time flies.

It's already the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is the first joint examination of the new school order. Wei Mao and the others who went hunting have not yet arrived, but their respective servants have already contacted Master Duan to inform him that the young masters will participate in the examination.

At lunchtime, the drizzle turned into light snow, making the roads slippery and difficult to walk on.

Wei Yao was completely focused on her footing, walking with even more caution than if she were searching for lost property. In the second-floor pavilion of the "Shi Jia" restaurant on the street, Changsun Wuzhuo called to Zhou Tai at a table: "Look, isn't that the person who was with Wei Mao in the plum garden last time? Hey, young lady—"

After calling out, he grinned widely, waved to Wei Yao, and then closed his mouth again.

Zhou Tai: "Ha, she turned her face to the side. Oh dear, look, it's your fault. You scared the girl so much that she fell."

Oh no! For a moment, Wei Yao was distracted and fell backward, her book box hitting her back. She thrashed about for a couple of seconds before finally getting to her feet. The papers and wooden slips that had fallen out were all wet, and she quickly wiped them with her sleeve.

At this moment, Xi Jiao's servant Fei Ming came over and asked with concern, "Is the young lady alright?"

Wei Yao wouldn't bring her past life's emotions into it, and simply replied, "It's alright." After saying that, she slung her book bag over her shoulder and continued on her way.

The servant follows the master. In her past life, when Xi Jiao and she were on good terms, Fei Ming would smile before speaking to her. But as Xi Jiao and she drifted apart, the servant became cold and indifferent, making her experience the fickleness of human relationships time and time again.

Dai Gui: A concubine of Duke Zhuang of Wei.

Zhou Yu: Son of Duke Zhuang of Wei. The character "吁" in this name can also be pronounced "yù".

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(End of this chapter)