History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 93 Qu Rong Gets Beaten
Hu Wuwu, huddled under the covers, shouted, "Where did that dog barking come from?"

"Hahahaha..." It was so satisfying, the whole room burst into laughter.

Xin was instantly relieved and bypassed Xu Jiaoqing to share a bed with Hu Wuwu.

Zhang Wenzhi trembled with rage, her face contorted with a murderous ferocity, completely devoid of any trace of her Buddhist compassion. It was infuriating that she couldn't discern who was behind this trouble, but it didn't matter; there was plenty of time. A bunch of little devils! Just wait and see!
May 12th.

Wei Xue Guan (尉学馆).

Today, Wei Yin substituted for the students in the Book of Songs class, explaining the first new poem in the "Wei Feng" section, "Ge Ju" (蓦屦). After class, Wei Yin informed the students that the sixteenth would be the joint examination day for this month.

Qu Rong raised his hand and asked with concern, "What should we do if our fellow disciple Yao can't participate in the joint exam?"

"There's a big hunt this month, so many students won't be able to take the joint exam. The government will definitely make arrangements. Let's dismiss the students."

Wei Puti has been unable to bear hearing the words "Great Hunt" lately. In the joint examination at the end of April, he managed to get into the top three in the academy, but Wei Yao's score was still ranked, so even though he got into the top three, he was not eligible for the Great Hunt reward.

So he always left school last to avoid being pointed at and talked about on the way home, as if getting into the top three was something shameful.

Qu Rong waited until all his fellow disciples had left, then said to Wei Puti, "You heard what Master Wei said, right? I think that when Yao comes back, she won't need to take the make-up exam at all."

"Take it or leave it." Wei Puti was too lazy to say more.

"I just feel that the joint entrance exam that we value so much is not important to some people," Qu Rong sighed as she left.

On the way, he was a little nervous and a little smug. He didn't believe that Wei Puti wasn't overthinking what he had just said. Indeed, he wasn't wrong. The new school regulations made the joint examination so important, but what happened? Those who participated in the grand hunt were already quite glamorous—a whole month to travel and enjoy themselves, without having to study. Why shouldn't they even have to retake the exam?
What about those students who study diligently? Just because they can't get the top score, just because they don't have the noble birth of Young Master Mao, do they have to accept all the bad luck? And if they do accept it, do they have to pretend to be happy?
Why!
As soon as Qu Rong entered the house, his father, who had been waiting for him, swung a bamboo rake and started hitting him all over the head! Qu Rong covered his head and dodged, making sure to close the courtyard gate first.

As he chased Qu Rong away, Qu's father cursed, "You little beast, you troublemaker! We provide you with so much food, buy you paper and ink, and instead of studying, you've learned to spread lies!"

"Let's talk inside! Let's talk inside!" Mother Qu stood in front of her son, urging him not to break his skin, as he had to go to school tomorrow.

"Get out of my way!" Mr. Qu snapped. He wasn't going to protect this brat today!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qu Rong ran into the main house, then cried out, "What have I done now? If I've made a mistake, just say so! I'm a student now, I'm ten years old and you still hit me! If the neighbors hear this, how can I face them?"

"You...you don't deserve to be called a human being!" Mr. Qu was so angry he could hardly breathe, and his wife quickly patted his chest to help him.

They really were father and son. Qu Rong was stunned by the curse, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, and he couldn't catch his breath.

Qu's father, having recovered somewhat, roared, "The authorities found your brother-in-law and said you were spreading lies at the school. Did you say that one of your classmates went to some palace or copied some books? Did you? Did you ruin his reputation and say he didn't deserve any reward?"

"Look at the bastard you gave birth to! The moment I saw him like this, I knew I hadn't wronged him!"

After scolding his wife, Qu's father continued to berate Qu Rong: "What right do you have to tell us if something given to someone by the prefecture is acceptable or not? Do you think that just because you went to the fifth dormitory to spread the word, no one will know that the lies came from your own dormitory, from your mouth?"

“The government investigated it thoroughly! Your brother-in-law has lost all face in front of the high-ranking officials in the prefecture. Your older sister, heavily pregnant, knelt down and fainted from crying. Only then did your brother-in-law not have you taken to the government office and take the blame.”

"Waaah—" Mother Qu burst into tears.

Qu Rong slumped into a seat, his whole body cold. It turned out it was because of Wei Yao's trip to the old palace to copy books some time ago. But him, but him…

“I only passed on a few words,” he muttered to himself, gradually fading from his father’s shouts and his mother’s piercing cries. “Who doesn’t talk behind people’s backs? Who hasn’t said bad things about others? Has she never said anything about me? Humph, I don’t believe it.”

“I only said a few words to her, why did it escalate to the yamen? Why did it involve my brother-in-law? Besides, did I say anything wrong? She just wasted the reward. I was standing up for Chen Yu from Dormitory 5. I never said I should give the reward to her.”

"Besides, if everyone else keeps their mouths shut, no matter how many lies I make up, they won't get out of the school's walls."

"In the end, it's all my fault again. As parents, won't you say a word in my defense? Just one word would be enough."

"Only Master Du said that..."

"Qu Rong, it's not your fault." Qu Rong curled up on the ground and cried, "My dear teacher, I miss you."

Father Qu was filled with rage. He smashed the bamboo rake a few more times to vent his anger. Besides, this was all for General Wei's benefit; otherwise, how could it be justified? The more the sons suffer, the easier life will be for the daughters. After all, there are two lives on the other side!

Deep within the Junji Mountains, within the territory of Rouran.

"kill--"

"Over there, over there!"

After General Yuan and Prefect Yuan gathered a thousand elite warriors, they surrounded the Rouran tribe in the mountains from all sides, killing anyone who resisted!

Zhao Zhi moved among the felt tents, shooting and wounding those who tried to escape with her bow and arrow. No one within her sight could escape!
Suddenly, a cold arrow shot out from a hole in the felt tent behind her.

This arrow is exceptionally long! Its arrowhead is gleaming with a golden light, gleaming black!
poisonous!

Upon hearing the sound, Zhao Zhi leaped into the air and flipped backward.

The arrow snatched away her drooping hood.

Landing, turning around to nock the arrow, releasing the arrow.

Another arrow.

The third arrow.

The fourth arrow.

flutter.

flutter.

flutter.

flutter.

Each sound pierced through the holes in the felt tent, reaching above, below, left, and right.

With her fifth arrow, she leaned to the side, aiming for the tent door.

"Uh!"

An arrow pierced the head of the man who had escaped.

"Futu—" Upon seeing this scene, the Rouran people rushed over regardless of their own lives.

The small-scale battle ended quickly. The prisoners identified the Futu that Zhao Zhi had shot as Yujiulü Futu, the son of the Rouran Khan. This confirmed Zhao Zhi's initial suspicion: the Rouran people in the mountains were all soldiers, not ordinary Rouran civilians.

After confirming Fu Tu's identity, Yuan Zhen was both happy and annoyed. He was happy that he would get a share of this great achievement, but annoyed that he wished Zhao Zhi were his Wuchuan Town garrison commander! Alas, he should have pretended to be confused and promised to give Yuan Zhi five hundred warhorses when Yuan Zhi slapped him.

Six hundred is fine too!
Xi Jiao and other imperial princes, along with Wei Mao and other meritorious officials, were allowed to come over. They were responsible for searching the prisoners, grouping them into sets of five and tying them together with long ropes. Don't underestimate the task of cleaning up the battlefield; their contributions will be recorded in the merit book for the subsequent tasks of escorting prisoners and supplies.

In the height of summer, on the road north from Luoyang to Jianxing County, a group of people from various factions traveled leisurely, their destination being the old capital, Pingcheng.

There were more than a dozen young men in the group, one of whom was surnamed Zong and named Yin.

Yujiulü Futu: Yujiulü is the surname of the Rouran Khanate. The events in the novel are purely fictional. Historically, Futu inherited the Khanate in 506 AD and was killed by the Gaoche king Mietu during a western expedition against the Gaoche in 508 AD.

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(End of this chapter)