History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 28 Debunking the Rumors
Despite her doubts, she replied to Xi Jiao without delay: "Understood, thank you for informing me, fellow disciple Xi."

"It's nothing. It's thanks to my fellow disciple Xie Wei for not leaving alone yesterday despite the danger, and for repeatedly persuading Yuan Heng and me."

"When the incident at Bingfang Flower Shop occurred on the third day of the Lunar New Year, my fellow disciple Xi also risked his life to help me."

"I can tell that my fellow disciple Wei doesn't want to owe me a favor."

Wei Yao's gaze returned to her desk, which was considered an admission of his conclusion.

Xi Jiao adopted a serious tone: "But the case at Bingfang Flower Shop is unusual. More and more people are being implicated, and it won't be resolved in a short time. Yesterday's assistance is only enough to offset what I just told you."

Wei Yao looked at him again.

This time, Xi Jiao ignored her and tacitly accepted her thoughts... She still owed him a huge favor!

Today, Master Guo is giving a lecture. The new poem "The Peasant" is the longest fu-style poem that the students have learned so far, and it is the second longest poem in the fifteen "Airs of the States" chapter.

Each teacher had a different focus when lecturing. Master Guo tended to analyze the structure of poetry. In this process of analysis, he would constantly compare and verify the poetic techniques he had learned before, so he needed to take a lot of notes.

After the midday classes ended, it was much brighter. Wei Yao saw that three of her classmates hadn't left, so she continued studying in the dormitory. There was a brazier burning, so it wasn't very warm, but she was content that her hands didn't freeze.

As evening approached, a servant came to remind her that she was alone. She quickly changed back into her leather boots and headed back to her quarters. The snow lessened, but the wind picked up. She hadn't gone far before she was completely frozen. Her boots were soaked again, and her heels felt like they were lying directly in the ice and snow, suffering terribly.

Upon entering the lodgings, the room wasn't much warmer than the outside. Fortunately, the maid named "Chaoxi" saw her return and brought over two warm copper stoves along with her dinner. One was for warming her hands, and the other was tucked into her bedding.

Wei Yao wrapped herself in the quilt and continued reciting all the content that Master Guo had taught that day. After memorizing it thoroughly, she reviewed what she had learned before. She had a method for reviewing. Her method was to set questions for herself. Tonight's question was to pick out poems with the style of fu poetry. When her hands were frozen, she would recite them aloud. When they warmed up, she would write them down. She did this alternately and diligently.

She hadn't forgotten her promise to Wei Mao, and when she was too tired to concentrate, she began writing notes on the poem "The Peasant".

The humble room was cold and damp, the smoke and snow had dissipated, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

From the north, the heavy city gates creaked open, and Gao Lou set off with the caravan, leaving behind the old capital where she had suffered injustice but also gained friendships.

Wei Jing waved goodbye to her, but couldn't resist opening the letter she had left for him, Wei Zhen, and Wei Yao. It read: "I met my own Lou Su star in Pingcheng. May you all achieve academic success and be happy every year. We will meet again someday."

Wei Jing recited the last line, "We'll meet again someday," and then found another reason to skip class. Beicheng was too far from Wei Clan Academy, and even if he ran, he wouldn't make it to the second class. However, this place was close to Zheng Academy, and he hadn't seen Wei Mao for many days, so he bought some snacks and went to find his friends.

Fortunately, they went! As soon as the two met, Wei Mao asked, "Tomorrow, ask Zhen if she and Yao have found the young lady Gao that they were trying to help? She's the girl who jumped into the well at the state school a few days ago."

"You mean Gao Lou?" Wei Jing took out the letter. "I just parted ways with her. She's going home today, and this letter is what she left for me. What's wrong? Why are you asking about her?"

"Recently, something happened in the northern suburbs. Everyone is saying that many travelers have died. I don't know who spread the word first, but they said that an unclaimed body looks a lot like Gao Xiaoniangzi."

"Nonsense!! Whoever spread this, I'll tear their mouth apart!" "The best way to debunk rumors is with facts. Give me the letter, and you can leave it alone."

Zheng Academy was closest to the state academy, so any news or rumors from the state academy would first reach Zheng Academy, and vice versa. As evidenced by Gao Lou's letter, when Wei Yao left the Cui clan to return to her own clan to teach, no one was spreading rumors of Gao Lou's death anymore.

Swallows fly about, their calls echoing as they murmur the arrival of mid-spring.

The weather warmed up quickly, and new poems began to be recited in the elementary school: "You gave me a papaya, I returned a beautiful jade; it was not a repayment, but a token of lasting friendship..."

This poem is widely known and loved, with its unique repetitions making each line graceful and each word melodious. Even the most uneducated child could recite it long ago. However, it is precisely this straightforward expression of emotion that makes it a headache for teachers in various schools to explain.

To put it simply, the reason is that the Great Wei Dynasty has not yet enacted any laws regarding the age of marriage. Most people continue the old custom of getting married before the age of fifteen, and there are many as young as twelve, which leads to the age at which people begin to experience romantic feelings even earlier.

Delving deeper, it boils down to the steadfast adherence to "teacher's rules" and "family rules." People's understanding of poetry has always differed. Even though the preface to "The Papaya" clearly states that the poem was written by the people of Wei to express their gratitude to Duke Huan of Qi for his help in times of distress, some Confucian scholars and most ordinary people disagree. They believe that "to be forever good" is a poem about romantic love! The act of "returning a piece of wood with jade" is the best way to express a desire to pledge love to a beautiful woman!
The students Wu Ji, Wei Jian, and Wei Jiezhi are typical examples of this kind of understanding. All three of them were quite perceptive at a young age, so they read the poem with extra enthusiasm today, occasionally interspersed with laughter, winks, and whispering.

Wu Ji sat behind Wei Zhen, who was already annoyed by falling behind in her studies. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer, turned around, grabbed the other's poetry scroll, and was about to smash it! Wu Ji dodged backward, bumping his back against Wei Jiezhi's desk, which made the latter even more frantic, letting out strange "oh oh" cries.

Master Duan was so angry that his coughing and wheezing worsened, and he abandoned the class for the first time.

Wei Yao was both amused and exasperated. She remembered that this had happened in her previous life, with almost the same situation. In both lives, she had never heard the explanation of the preface to the poem "Papaya".

Wei Puti complained to those few people: "If you wanted to cause trouble, couldn't you have waited until after class? Now look what happened, you've angered the teacher and he's gone, so we can't concentrate on the lesson at all!"

Only Wei Zhen felt ashamed. Wu Ji not only didn't know he was wrong, but also shook his head and continued to provoke her: "Look at you, you've made the teacher leave, haven't you?"

The students at Shijing No. 1 School were dismissed early.

Qu Rong has been staying behind to leave for the past few days, and today is no exception. He feels guilty and doesn't have the confidence to look Wei Yao in the eye until he convinces himself that he has nothing to do with the crimes of those scoundrels. He doesn't dare to be as resentful as before.

Recalling the day before the Lantern Festival when the disaster relief ceremony began, he went to Sangqu Street as his father had instructed. It was too crowded there, and his father was stuck there with his mule cart, unable to move forward or backward. He then vented his frustration on him and said that he had just seen Young Master Mao with a group of companions.

No matter what reason his father gave for scolding him, it would quickly turn into a similar reprimand: "You're so useless! You're already a fellow disciple of Young Master Mao, why don't you play with him?"

With so many people coming and going on the street, his father grabbed his ear and scolded him!
He's already a scholar; where does he put his face?

That day, Qu Rong finally let out all the grievances he had been holding back for so long! Each sentence had been uttered in his heart countless times.

The teachings of teachers and the family traditions: As mentioned in Chapter 9, the "teacher's teachings" came first, followed by the "family traditions." During the Former Han Dynasty, the imperial court established the position of Doctor of Classical Studies (a government official title), and the teachings they transmitted were called the "teacher's teachings." Later, as the disciples of each master passed on their knowledge, different interpretations arose, forming their own "family traditions." The teacher's teachings are like the source of a river, while the family traditions are like its branches.

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(End of this chapter)