Chapter 7: We Are All Stray Dogs

Oh. Wei Ba, as if awakening from a dream, quickly reined in his fanciful thoughts and said with a serious expression: "Miss, have you read the Records of the Grand Historian?"

Wei Ba noticed that the young girl seemed to lose her composure and referred to herself as a concubine. Although he understood that this was merely a term of humility and did not signify anything substantial, he could not help but let his imagination wander. Hmm, this girl is quite attractive, and her temperament is intriguing; how could I possibly take her as a concubine? Oh dear, for someone like me, who is well-versed in matchmaking, having such a beautiful and charming wife would truly be a stroke of luck. Ah, right, in this era, it is permissible to take concubines, hehehe. Oh dear, for someone like me, who is well-versed in matchmaking, having such a beautiful and charming wife would truly be a stroke of luck. Ah, right, in this era, it is permissible to take concubines, hehehe.

Wei Yan laughed heartily, waved his hand, and said dismissively: "My son is frail and cannot go to war; he merely reads a few books for his own amusement. In front of the descendants of the Ma family from Fufeng, how could he dare to speak of any knowledge? Please do not mock him, Captain Ma. Hahaha... Captain Ma, you command the elite cavalry of Xiliang, and I presume you will also be stationed in Hanzhong for a while. There will be many opportunities for us to meet in the future. If the young ones encounter any difficulties in their studies, we might as well engage in some mutual exchange. What do you think? Hahaha..."

Wei Ba feigned a sigh of regret: "Could it be that the knowledge of the Ma family of Fufeng lies solely within the classics?"

Wei Ba smiled. From the moment he saw the young girl, he knew that her intentions today were not good; she must have come prepared to seek retribution. Now that she asked, it was indeed as he expected. If he had not made preparations in advance, he would surely have shown signs of weakness today

The young girl let out a cold laugh and said, "Forgive my limited knowledge, but I truly do not know from which classic this term 'lost dog' originates. It is not found in any of the Five Classics; could it be that you composed it yourself?"

"Here." Wei Ba turned to look at the girl in white, offering a faint smile: "Miss Ma, I have already explained to you that day, while 'a dog without a master' is not exactly a compliment, it carries no derogatory meaning either. Confucius could be called that, but your father cannot be?"

Wei Ba was taken aback, wondering if there were several versions of the Records of the Grand Historian. He quickly clarified, "What I mean is the Book of the Grand Historian, the Records of the Grand Historian written by Sima Qian."

The young girl curled her lips slightly, her gaze sharp as a blade, staring intently at Wei Ba. Her tone was very humble, yet the underlying meaning was still as aggressive as a knife's edge. "It is precisely because I have searched everywhere without success that I have the audacity to come and seek your guidance. May I ask, from which scripture or transmission does this allusion originate?"

The Family of Confucius

Ma Dai cupped his hands towards Wei Yan and said with a forced smile, "Your son is indeed well-versed in knowledge and possesses extraordinary insight. General, you have taught your child well, and he serves as a model for others. I dare to congratulate you, General."

Wei Ba praised once again. Although his father did not show much affection towards him, the protective aura he exuded was indeed formidable. At this moment, as long as he uttered a single phrase, "That's not the case," everything would surely come to a halt. To be so openly protective in front of Ma Dai, and to do so with such justification and composure, was truly remarkable. Though he did not bear the surname Li, he was even more impressive than those who did.

Wei Yan saw Wei Ba speaking eloquently, appearing spirited and animated. It was not until he heard the young girl say this that he came to his senses and promptly said with a serious expression: "Indeed, these three words are not very pleasant to hear. Young man, you should apologize to Officer Ma."

The girl in white raised her eyebrows, her eyes flickering, and asked, "Which volume of the Records of the Grand Historian is it?"

Wei Ba had long been prepared. Clearing his throat, he recited aloud: "Confucius traveled to Zheng and lost his disciples. Confucius stood alone at the eastern gate of Guo... like a dog that has lost its home. Zigong reported this truthfully to Confucius, who smiled and said: 'The appearance is but the end, yet it is likened to a dog that has lost its home. How true, how true.'"

Apologizing to Captain Ma, rather than to Miss Ma, is the only thing Wei Yan can do to help Wei Ba at this point. After all, Ma Dai is older than him, and it is certainly easier to apologize to Ma Dai than to the younger white-clad girl. Wei Ba is grateful for his father's good intentions, but he does not wish to apologize. He knows that while it is easy to apologize to the Ma family, his father would lose face, and in the end, he would still face consequences. More importantly, this incident would leave a lasting impression, making it difficult to remedy in the future. He understands that while it is easy to apologize to the Ma family, his father would lose face, and in the end, he would still face consequences. More importantly, this incident would leave a lasting impression, making it difficult to remedy in the future.

Wei Ba was somewhat surprised: "You have already checked?"

May I ask, from which book does this originate? If you could kindly inform me, it would greatly broaden my knowledge

The young girl lightly bit her lip, lost in thought and silent. She was unsure whether the knowledge of the Fufeng Ma family was truly confined to the classics. Her ancestors had little scholarly attainment, much like the Wei family, being purely martial in nature, and thus could not truly uphold the reputation of the Fufeng Ma family. However, she was aware that Wei Yan and his son were also not well-versed in scholarship; his second son, Wei Ba, was frail and sickly, having abandoned literature for martial pursuits, and could only recognize a few characters, having read only a few introductory books, which hardly qualified as scholarly learning. In contrast, she had devoted herself to studying numerous texts over the past few years. Although she was far from being a great scholar, she believed she could manage in dealing with Wei Ba, as she had at least read through the Five Classics. Yet, she knew that Wei Yan and his son were not particularly learned, and that Wei Ba, being weak and sickly, had forsaken literature for martial arts, knowing only a few characters and having read a handful of elementary books, which did not amount to any substantial scholarship. Nevertheless, she had immersed herself in her studies for several years, and while she was still distant from the great scholars, she felt confident in her ability to handle Wei Ba, having at least read through the Five Classics.

Wei Ba discerned his father's intention; this was no longer an apology but rather a display of pride. However, he did not take the easy way out but shook his head instead: "Father, that is not the case. When Confucius went to Zheng, he faced starvation and lack of water, which led people to describe him as a dog that had lost its home. Yet, Confucius remained steadfast in his aspirations, and upon returning to Lu, he devoted himself to the classics, ultimately becoming a great sage. Now, we are all far from our homes, and it is precisely the time to feel shame and strive for courage. To use the term 'a dog that has lost its home' to motivate ourselves is to inspire diligence and hard work, to strive for excellence, to rid the Han dynasty of its remnants and filth, and to cleanse the universe. The saying goes, 'The golden monkey rises with a thousand-jin staff, the jade sky clears for ten thousand miles of dust.' This is the true principle; how can we focus on whether the words sound pleasant or not?

Then you speak your reasoning. If you speak well, I will spare you this time; if you do not, let me see how I will deal with you

Ma Dai's expression was somewhat unnatural, his face showing anger, yet he remained silent. The young woman in white, however, smiled slightly: "General Wei, when he said this, not only I and several guards were present, but your third son Wei Wu was also there. Even if the general does not believe me, can he not trust his own son? The general might as well call Wei Wu now and ask him, to see if I have lied or framed your son."

Wei Yan felt somewhat embarrassed and shot a furious glare at Wei Ba. He had originally intended for Wei Ba to deny it and simply brush it off, but he did not expect the girl to be so astute, directly using Wei Wu to silence him. It was already too late to send someone to notify Wei Wu.

Wei Yan was taken aback, his gaze towards Wei Ba filled with surprise. In the past, whenever Wei Ba saw him lose his temper, he would tremble in fear, unable to articulate his words properly, readily admitting to any accusation. Today, however, not only did he refuse to admit his fault, but he also rebutted with a sense of justification, marking an unprecedented occurrence. Wei Yan's eyes shifted, his expression remained stern, yet his tone softened considerably.

Wei Yan looked coldly at Wei Ba, noticing that he not only showed no signs of guilt but was instead aggressive, even raising the banner of Confucius. He couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Although he still maintained a stern expression, the anger in his eyes unconsciously transformed into a look of joy

Ma Dai forced a smile, thinking to himself that since you have said so, what more can I say? He gave the young girl a glance, signaling her to refrain from further debate. Wei Ba truly appeared to be knowledgeable; your limited knowledge might not even be a match for him. Continuing the argument would only lead to self-humiliation and unnecessarily offend Wei Yan. The girl in white felt somewhat wronged but was also helpless, so she could only lower her head and bow, saying, "Thank you for your guidance." She returned to her seat, her head bowed in silence.

Wei Ba glanced at the charming girl with a frosty demeanor, secretly praising her and composedly said: "Father, I indeed said such words"

"You insolent fool, why aren't you speaking up?" Wei Yan, infuriated and embarrassed, exclaimed sharply, striking the table with his palm, causing the ink and brush to leap uncontrollably.

After being ridiculed and teased by Wei Yanming, Ma Dai felt extremely awkward. He forced himself to sit for a moment before rising to take his leave. Wei Yan, feeling even more pleased with himself, did not even bother to see him off, merely instructing Wei Ba to escort them out. He then sat comfortably in the hall, sneering, "The Ma family of Fufeng is nothing more than this."

Wei Ba was immersed in a daydream of having three wives and four concubines, and his gaze became somewhat lewd and unnatural. The young girl, upon seeing this, felt displeased but could not express her anger, so she merely cleared her throat and raised her voice: "May I ask a question"

Wei Yan's face turned red with anger. Regardless of whether he held Ma Chao in high regard, it was indeed extremely disrespectful to evaluate him in front of Ma Chao's family and refer to him as a stray dog. Even if he wanted to protect his own, he could not neglect to give Ma Dai an explanation. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more he found Wei Ba displeasing. If it weren't for the presence of outsiders, he might have ordered someone to drag him away and give him a good beating. "Ignorant child, spouting nonsense, why don't you apologize to Officer Ma?" The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more he found Wei Ba displeasing. If it weren't for the presence of outsiders, he might have ordered someone to drag him away and give him a good beating. "Ignorant child, spouting nonsense, why don't you apologize to Officer Ma?"

The young girl pondered for a moment and then forced a smile, saying: "Although there are precedents, it is ultimately not a good phrase."

Wei Ba organized his thoughts and bowed respectfully, saying: "Father, I did not speak incorrectly, so why should I apologize?"

Records of the Grand Historian? Which volume of the Records of the Grand Historian?

The girl's gaze tightened: "Not in the classics?"

Wei Ba shook his head: "The young lady's perspective is too narrow. Knowledge in the world is not confined to the classics alone"

The girl in white met his gaze and let out a soft hum

On that day, upon hearing Wei Ba criticize her late father, Ma Chao, she, in her anger, retorted. However, she unexpectedly encountered a reference she was completely unaware of, which made her feel somewhat guilty. After returning home, she spent several days poring over classical texts but still could not find this reference. It was then that she suspected she might have fallen into Wei Ba's trap, so she came to confront him. If Wei Ba continued to refuse to apologize, she intended to force him to state the source in person, waiting for him to run out of arguments before humiliating him again to seek justice. To her surprise, Wei Ba claimed that this reference was not found in the classical texts, leaving her feeling uncertain once more. Still unable to find this reference, she felt she might have been deceived by Wei Ba, prompting her to come and demand an explanation. If Wei Ba persisted in his refusal to apologize, she would compel him to reveal the source in front of her, and once he was at a loss for words, she would shame him again to obtain justice. Unexpectedly, Wei Ba stated that this reference was not in the classical texts, which left her feeling uncertain again.

"What a wonderful statement!" The magistrate of Mianyang, upon hearing this, lost his composure and could not help but exclaim loudly in praise. He was a learned man; although Wei Yan did not regard him highly, he was nonetheless pleased that the magistrate agreed with Wei Ba's viewpoint and spoke in support. Wei Yan cast a glance at Ma Dai, his eyes betraying an unmistakable sense of pride: "Captain Ma, although my son is arrogant and ignorant, there is some truth in these few words. I wonder what you think, Captain Ma?"

This passage was printed on the cover of that book and is one of the few ancient texts that Wei Ba could recite. Today, being prepared is wise; reciting it aloud exudes the aura of a great scholar. Regardless, the few people in the hall did not notice any flaws, and even the Mianyang magistrate, who had been sitting quietly listening, stroked his beard and nodded frequently.

The young girl looked at Wei Ba in surprise. Seeing his certainty, she realized that there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that it was true, and that he was not just talking nonsense. It was truly her own lack of knowledge that had exposed her shortcomings. Upon thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a bit flustered, her confidence slightly diminished. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance. May I ask how it is stated in the Records of the Grand Historian?"