The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 186 Zhu Family Descendants Lack Education

The nephew is a member of the Zhu family, while the niece is from a different family, and Zhu Yuanzhang made no secret of this.

Although Zhu Wenzheng had made a big mistake, he was still Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew. So even though he was no longer around, the title of King of Jingjiang was given to his son.

Li Wenzhong's military achievements were very great, but since he was "Li" after all, he could only be the Duke of Cao, and would be posthumously named a king.

As for Mu Ying's adopted son, although he was treated as his own son, he was still an adopted son. Therefore, Mu Ying was Marquis of Xiping until his death, and was posthumously named King of Qianning.

Therefore, Ma Xun had long been satisfied with his title of Duke of Xu. If he were given the title of King of Xu, he would have run away long ago.

Many people are aware that sometimes excessive rewards can lead to disasters.

Zhu Shouqian was now being pressed to the ground by Zhu Gang and Zhu Di, and Zhu Chong was whipping Zhu Shouqian's buttocks hard with a bamboo stick.

Ma Xun stood aside, holding a gold-plated stick, looking at the crying Zhu Shouqian with an expressionless face.

"Your father was dissatisfied with the reward back then, which led to a disaster." Ma Xun looked at Zhu Shouqian and said seriously, "You can't learn from it, but instead threaten him with it. You are so bold!"

Zhu Wenzhen was a great man with an extremely stubborn character, and neither Zhu Yuanzhang nor Ma Xiuying could do anything about him.

Zhu Shouqian cried out loudly and could only beg for mercy, "Uncle, I know I was wrong."

Zhu Chong seemed to be reluctant and said, "Uncle, please spare Tiezhu this time."

Ma Xun said angrily, "Do you really think I can't see? He's wearing so many clothes, and you saw that he was hitting hard and loudly. Did it really hurt him or injure him?"

Zhu Shouqian cried even harder, "Uncle, my second uncle really hurt me!"

Zhu Chong didn't know how to protect his cousin for a moment. It was really a hopeless case, so he just shouldn't tell the truth at this point.

Ma Xun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The naughty child lacked discipline. "I'll write a letter later. It's the father's fault if the son is not well educated. Your father is gone, but your mother is still here. What principles did you teach her to make her return to Zhongdu?"

Zhu Chong and others immediately stood by in a serious manner. Zhu Shouqian was really scared at this time.

If the son behaves badly, both parents may be implicated.

Ma Xun's meaning is very clear now. Zhu Shouqian has made a mistake now, and the person involved will definitely be beaten directly. Another reason is Zhu Shouqian's mother Xie Cuiying, who will be called to Fengyang by Ma Xun.

Even though Xie Cuiying was in her thirties, she was still Ma Xun's "nephew's wife". If she was allowed to go back to Fengyang, she would be disciplined in front of the ancestors, almost scolding her for not cultivating her virtues as a woman.

Zhu Shouqian realized what was wrong and begged, "Uncle, please forgive me this time."

Ma Xun looked down at Zhu Shouqian and said seriously, "You are a member of the royal family. If you are so lawless and dissolute, it will be a disaster for the country. Who should you blame for your family's failure to educate you well?"

Ma Xun then looked at Zhu Chong and said, "Ask Princess Fucheng to send Tiezhu's mother over here."

Zhu Chong's face changed even more. Princess Fucheng was Zhu Shouqian's aunt and Zhu Wenzhen's sister.

Zhu Gang also helped to plead, "Uncle, there is no need to do this, right?"

Ma Xun said unhappily, "This is not only a state affair, it's also a family affair. Do you want to ask your uncle to come over? He is highly respected and more suitable to take care of your Zhu family's affairs!"

Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang immediately stopped their activities. If their uncle came, it would not just be their uncle who would come, but also their father, the emperor and their mother, the empress.

Ma Xun then said, "Please submit a petition to request that Princess Fucheng's husband Wang Kegong and Princess Qingyang's husband Huang Chen return to Fengyang to serve as the governors of Zhongdu."

Zhu Di whispered, "Uncle, my brother-in-law is still quite capable."

Princess Fucheng's husband, Wang Kegong, was not particularly capable, but he had certain military qualities and could barely be considered capable of taking charge.

Ma Xun glared, and Zhu Di also stopped making moves. It was not the turn of the younger generations like them to speak on this matter.

Now I can only do what my uncle says. Whatever my parents and mother decide is their business.

The younger generations were not allowed to say much about the matters discussed by the elders in the family, and sometimes they could only listen from the side. The only one who had some say in these matters was the emperor's brother.

However, the emperor's brother is sometimes mean and cowardly. He pretends to be deaf and dumb when it comes to matters concerning his elders and will never express his opinion easily.

Ma Xun, the miracle doctor, does have some skills. Prince Jingjiang, who was unable to get out of bed a few days ago, recovered after seeing the miracle doctor. He cried, sweated, and had red marks on his buttocks, but he became full of life again.

Ma Xun stood in the parade ground, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. He stood on the platform in gorgeous armor, watching the three princes and one duke practicing flag signals.

Fighting a war is a science. In the absence of communication methods such as radio, the most basic requirement for a qualified general is to know flag signals.

When to march, when to form a battle array, and when to close the battle array, all depend on flag signals. After all, the battlefield is noisy and the distance is far, so it is impossible to rely entirely on signal soldiers. Some grassroots officers must also understand flag signals, so that the army can be uniform and resolute in carrying out the mission.

This is military training. Although Zhu Chong and others have been exposed to this since childhood, they were also taken to the army by Ma Xun to practice marching formations when they were in the capital.

However, this time when he returned to Fengyang, he went directly to the Liaison Office and was fully exposed to various daily military exercises.

After a day of training, Ma Xun said, "Go take a bath, I'll have someone give you a massage."

Zhu Chong sighed and begged for mercy, "Uncle, I'm strong and healthy, I don't need a massage. Those people kneaded me a few times, but I felt sore all over."

"I'm not discussing this with you!" Ma Xun pointed at the hut and said, "You're young and strong, but you don't know what's good for you. If you really get sick, you'll be miserable!"

Youth is indeed an asset. You are strong and have a good recovery ability. However, if you don’t pay attention to protecting yourself at all, you may suffer in the future.

Ma Xun was taking a bath carefreely, covering his face with a towel, taking a bath was a real pleasure.

Zhu Shouqian asked, "Uncle, didn't you say you were very skilled in martial arts and had great abilities? Why do you have so many scars?"

Zhu Chong felt that Zhu Shouqian was not beaten enough, as some things were just irrelevant.

"What's that?" Ma Xun said nonchalantly, "No matter how brave you are, it's useless against rioters and bandits. You are now princes of the royal family. If you are a little bit unkind, countless people will be killed and injured, and countless families will be destroyed."

Ma Xun thought for a moment and said, "Looking at the weather, it's going to rain in two days. I'll ask some of my old neighbors to tell you about the past of King Injo."

Zhu Chong and others wanted to push Zhu Shouqian into the bathtub and drown him. They also wanted him to recall the past and accept the re-education of the poor tenants. By then, the meals would be some bran-filled cakes with wild vegetable soup, without any smell of oil.

If you don't eat, you will be beaten. If you eat, you will have to tell your feelings.

After a day of classes, you have to write an article. No matter the writing style, you have to write down your feelings. After your uncle has reviewed it, it will be sent back to the capital.

My uncle was beaten a lot and suffered a lot when he was a child, so now he has many ways to torment people.

Empathy may not exist, and it is impossible for everything to be repeated.

However, Zhu Chong and others have a better understanding of the lives of their ancestors or ordinary people.

Zhu Chong and others are now undergoing re-education, which makes some people in the capital feel sorry for them.

Zhu Yuanzhang threw the letter on the table angrily. "He beats and punishes people in my Zhu family at will! It's hard for me, as an uncle, to discipline them. How can he, a cheap uncle, want to take care of my niece's wife?"

Ma Xiuying was calm and asked, "Your niece-in-law is so virtuous, did Tiezhu teach her to be like that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang lost his temper, and then he said with all his strength, "I brought Tiezhu to the palace for you to teach me!"

"I didn't teach well." Ma Xiuying said calmly, "I couldn't teach well, and I had too many things to do, so I delayed your eldest grandson. My brother helped me teach, is there anything wrong with that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became even more short of breath. After a long while, he said, "Then tell him that Tiezhu has lost his father. He and Wenzheng are both strong-willed. If something bad happens to him, how can I explain to my brother and sister-in-law?"

Ma Xiuying sighed and said, "I didn't like Tiezhu's mother before, but now look at what she has done to her good child. It's fine if she loves laziness and hates work, because our family can afford to support an idle person. But this is so cruel and extravagant, what a lie!"

Zhu Yuanzhang felt even more guilty, but he quickly said, "Not really, not really, the child is still young and can be taught well. Sister, write a letter to me, don't beat me too hard."

Ma Xiuying asked with a smile, "Why don't you seal the letter yourself? It would be better if you do it. I will definitely listen to you."

"No, absolutely not." Zhu Yuanzhang said immediately, "I'll go and seal the letter. I'm sure I won't care about Tiezhu anymore. Who knows, the second brother and the others may not bother to care either."

Zhu Yuanzhang actually knew that Ma Xun was afraid of taking responsibility, and if given the opportunity, he would definitely abandon his job.

Ma Xiuying said, "That's not the case. After all, the second brother and the others are his nephews. I think my younger brother is better at some things than you and me."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and did not refute. He was reluctant to let his descendants suffer and wanted to arrange all the best things for them.

And Ma Xun took Zhu Chong and others to "suffer" so that these princes and grandchildren who enjoyed wealth and glory could understand the sufferings of the people. This was a big deal.

It's not just about pretending to eat bran buns as an experience of people's livelihood, but those guys are getting to know the people's lives more and more clearly.

Zhu Biao came with a letter, "Dad, Mom, the fourth child needs to be disciplined. Look, he didn't dare to raise any objections in front of his uncle, but wrote to me to complain."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying took the letter and read it, their faces turned unhappy. The fourth brother deserved to be punished!

Zhu Yuanzhang carefully looked at Ma Xiuying's face. If the sister was angry, she would not punish the fourth brother. She was mainly worried that the younger brother would know about this and really not take care of things in the future!

(End of this chapter)