The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 159 Do what needs to be done

Ma Taigong was the first prince of the Ming Dynasty, even if he was conferred the title posthumously.

Now the Mausoleum of King Xu and the Temple of King Xu are still under construction, as the Hall of Worship and so on also need to be built.

Normally, no one would complain about the sacrifices at the Xuwang Temple, but Ma Xun still went to the tomb with a hoe and a hatchet.

Be it the tomb keepers or some people from the Wu family, they usually maintain the Xu Wang Mausoleum carefully, but that is their business, and Ma Xun also has to do his own thing.

He Da and others watched from a distance, observing Ma Xun cutting some weeds, adding soil, or sitting beside the tombstone and muttering to himself. No one dared to say anything.

People from the Wu family were not allowed to get close. It was only until the year before last that Ma Taigong sent them back. Last year, Ma Xiuying brought Liu Shuning back to worship their ancestors.

It was the same at that time. Ma Xiuying was sitting in front of the tombstone and chattering about a lot of things.

Sometimes, whether it is the Queen or the Duke, there is not much difference between them and the younger generations of ordinary families visiting the graves. It just seems to be a little more grand, more noble and more aura.

After the memorial service, Ma Xun naturally needed to get together with his cousins from the Wu family.

Although they had no previous contact, and even Ma Xiuying didn't have much affection for the Wu family, now that she was back, she had to get together and recognize her relatives.

There is no other reason, simply because this is the ancestral land, the hometown of Ma Taigong.

After the sacrifice and a simple gathering with his fellow villagers, Ma Xun, a big shot in the eyes of some people, set off again.

Coming and going in a hurry, this is also because Yingtianfu and Suzhou are relatively close, so it is convenient to travel back and forth.

Perhaps Ma Xun could be considered a powerful person now, but all the civil and military officials in the court were not surprised by his sudden disappearance for a few days.

Most people don't even know that he has left the capital, because he is the emperor's uncle who never attends court, sits in the government office, and almost doesn't take care of affairs.

Not to mention the nobles who were awarded titles for their contributions, even some officials above the fourth rank did not look more relaxed than Ma Xun.

Ma Xun got off the boat and rode a horse and led a donkey into the capital, and immediately saw Deng Zhen.

The boy was sitting on horseback, with his arms folded, looking down from above and questioning a "scholar" in an overbearing manner.

"Uncle!" Deng Zhen was very happy to see Ma Xun and decisively let the unfortunate scholar go. "This man is from Jiangxi and he is a disciple of Jie Xisi."

Jie Xisi, known as one of the "Four Confucianists of the Yuan Dynasty", participated in the compilation of the histories of Liao, Jin and Song.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "You look like you are already in your 50s or 60s, you should be more careful."

Deng Zhen said nonchalantly, "He also claimed to be a top scholar in Jiangxi and was a minor official in the Yuan Dynasty. A few years ago, when the country was in chaos, he resigned and returned home. He won the top scholar award last year."

For a moment, Ma Xun didn't know what to say. It was normal for him to study hard all his life.

Some people may be young and proud, and they seem to be good at studying. However, after entering the imperial examination, it is normal to fail repeatedly, not to mention the juren and jinshi in their fifties and sixties.

Some people will remain a student throughout their entire life and will never be able to become a scholar.

Ma Xun seemed to have read some books, but if he were to take an exam, he would definitely not be able to pass the first level of the imperial examination, the county exam. This was the reality.

Ma Xun looked at Deng Zhen and asked, "Are there many people from Jiangxi?"

"Except for those from Jiangxi, they are from Zhejiang, or they are from various prefectures in Jiangnan." Deng Zhen immediately took credit and said, "Chang Mao and the others will keep an eye on the mansions of various dignitaries, and I will keep an eye on the city gate to find out where these people came from."

The southern part of China is more literary, which is not surprising to Ma Xun. As for the imperial examination, Jiangnan, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi are the key areas at this stage.

There will be another Fujian in the future. The quality of scholars in these "provinces" is very high, so many southern students "immigrate to the imperial examination" and go to the north to take the exam.

Ma Xun encouraged, "Keep checking. I trust you to do your job."

Deng Zhen straightened his chest immediately, and was naturally happy to receive the praise. As for the fact that he was still a slender man now, that was nothing, he would definitely become a sturdy man in the future.

Ma Xun just rode away on his horse, and the white-haired 'Jie Yuan' who was previously interrogated by Deng Zhen looked at Ma Xun enviously.

The young man just now is someone who cannot be provoked. He is the eldest son of Duke Weiguo.

Although the exact identity of the young man who just rode past is still unknown, it is obvious that he is of a more noble status.

As soon as Ma Xun arrived at his own mansion, he saw Chang Lan and Chang Wan.

Chang Lan was a little annoyed, "Little brother, you didn't even tell us about such a big happy event. Do you still treat us as your own family?"

"Sister-in-law, you are wrongly accusing me of this." Ma Xun immediately complained, "As soon as I found out, I went to the palace to offer sacrifices to my ancestors, and then returned to my hometown to report the good news."

What Ma Xun said was also true. Ever since he found out that Liu Shuning was pregnant, he had not had a moment of free time.

As for not informing Chang Yuchun's family, there is nothing to say. After all, they are not real relatives, so it is normal to notify them after a while.

Chang Wan smiled and said, "Uncle, many people have come to the mansion these days. His Majesty and His Highness are here, so this matter cannot be kept secret."

Ma Xun also laughed immediately. He couldn't keep a low profile even if he wanted to. There was no other way. A few days ago, Zhu Yuanzhang and his family of three came happily. This was a big commotion. Even if there was no ceremonial guard, the emperor's family of three rode in a hurry. I don't know how many people knew about it. After all, there were many dignitaries in the area where Ma Xun lived.

Looking at the Queen's joyful expression and the fact that Ma Xun suddenly disappeared for several days, everyone could guess what had happened.

Chang Lan smiled and said to Ma Xun, "My sister-in-law's spinach, liver, kidneys, and tangerines were not eaten in vain."

Now that there is no folic acid, the only option is "food supplementation". After all, as the number one parenting expert in Ming Dynasty, Ma Xun, who is rich in theoretical knowledge, spent almost the entire last year preparing for pregnancy with Liu Shuning.

His hard work finally paid off. Although he hasn't gained a reputation as a magic formula for having children, some of his theories seem to be becoming more and more valuable.

It works well for others, but it is more effective for Ma Xun himself.

Ma Xun then asked with concern, "Sister-in-law, there are a lot of people coming to my house these days?"

"Many of them are from Huaixi. If there are others, they will be stopped." Chang Lan said with a smile, "Don't worry, it won't disturb my brother and sister-in-law. Everyone knows their limits."

When these people in Huaixi heard the news, the first thing they thought of was to send gifts, etc., and they didn't necessarily want to meet Ma Xun or Liu Shuning.

The more gifts you give, the less blame you will get. In short, it is worth being happy if you see your gift list entering the prince's mansion.

Ma Xun laughed, "I said before that I gave a lot of New Year's money to the younger generations, and Shuning and I are still thinking about having a child as soon as possible to make a profit."

Some gifts cannot be completely rejected, so just accept them first and return them when the time is right.

Chang Lan smiled and said, "My sister-in-law needs to rest and recuperate now, so Wan'er and I won't be polite. Some people wanted to give gifts, but we also rejected them."

Ma Xun immediately thanked him and said, "Then I'll have to trouble my sister-in-law and Wan'er to continue to help. I have always disliked social relationships, but some favors are hard to refuse."

Chang Lan and Chang Wan naturally understood this, which was why they came here on their own initiative.

Ma Xun is sometimes too polite and kind to everyone, so he doesn't like to reject people and of course he doesn't get close to some people.

Although Liu Shuning is now the wife of a duke, she is only from a scholarly family and is inferior to some people from Huaixi in age and experience.

The most important thing is that Ma Xun and Liu Shuning are both "gentlemen", while many people in Huaixi are unreasonable. At this time, Chang Lan is needed to take charge.

After chatting with Chang Lan and Chang Wan for a while, the dusty Ma Xun went into the house first.

Liu Shuning saw Ma Xun and asked with concern, "My husband, you are back so soon. Are you tired?"

"How can it be tiring? It's just riding horses and resting at the post station." Ma Xun said with a smile, "It's much better than going to war. There's no need to live in a military tent."

Liu Shuning recalled an interesting incident and said, "The King of Qin came the day before yesterday, probably to complain about living in a military tent. He was in the barracks, and Duke Cao and Wenying were training him every day."

This unfortunate child was still kept in the dark and didn't even know that Ma Xun had returned to Suzhou.

Ma Xun was also happy when he heard it, "If jade is not polished, it will not become a useful tool. I will also go to the military camp tomorrow. Baoer and Wenying are still reluctant to put in some hard work on the second child."

Liu Shuning would not try to persuade him, as she knew that Ma Xun loved the princes very much.

But even though he loves me, he can also be very strict when he is demanding. Scolding and criticizing are the norm, and he will even go as far as physically assaulting me occasionally.

At first, she was a little worried, because they were princes after all. But now she was used to it, and it was Ma Xun who had to do it anyway, not anyone else.

Ma Xun then asked with concern, "Father-in-law hasn't replied yet?"

Liu Shuning shook her head and said, "After all, it's hundreds of miles away, how can it be that convenient?"

Ma Xun and his companions rode as fast as they could, but the letter from Liu Shuning to Liu Bowen announcing the good news could not be rushed.

So it's nothing strange even if the letter is delivered a few days late.

People feel refreshed when good things happen to them. Ma Xun and Liu Shuning are in a happy state now, and they have a lot to talk about.

Even Xu E could see that although the King's Uncle and his Wife were very loving before, they always felt that something was missing.

Now that I think about it carefully, maybe it's just that I lack a little bit of "family affection".

Now that they have a child, even though she is only pregnant now, the aura between Ma Xun and Liu Shuning seems to be more harmonious.

This is what a real couple is like.

Some things are just so realistic, and the importance of children to a family is self-evident.

Just talk, chat and have a good rest, that's all.

To the extent that now Ma Xiuying doesn't need Ma Xun to enter the palace. It's enough for her to know that he has returned.

Her younger brother is important at this stage, but he is not so important anymore. For her, her nephew is the one she cares about the most!
(End of this chapter)