The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 192: Uncle Ma's Debate with Scholars

When Ma Xun started to block the door, many people could do nothing but sit there helplessly, especially since he seemed determined to block the door and people, which made others even more helpless.

It is impossible for him to run away. Not to mention that he does not have enough title and official position, the most important thing is that he holds multiple positions and seems to be in charge of everything.

Ma Xun looked at Tao Kai and asked directly, "Young Duke Cao was attacked by the ministers, is it because the court was defeated in Sichuan?"

Tao Kai hurriedly explained, "Duke Xu is overthinking. The previous incident has nothing to do with the war."

Song Lian also helped and said, "Uncle, we did not criticize Duke Cao."

Tao Kai finally realized that it was a good thing that Song Lian had been careful. Otherwise, he would have fallen into the trap and everyone would have been attacking Li Wenzhong together.

Ma Xun didn't care, he just felt puzzled, "I thought it was about that matter. He, the Left Commander, failed to arrange the troops and the Duke of Wei failed to raise military supplies, so you impeached them."

This is just nonsense and confusion of concepts. They are obviously two different things, but they have to be related to the war.

Zhan Tong also chimed in at this time, "Duke Xu, we are only discussing etiquette and strategy, and we are only thinking about applying the kingly way."

Ma Xun asked curiously, "Everyone talks about the kingly way and the hegemonic way. I haven't been to school. Can you tell me what the kingly way is?"

Temporary illiteracy is also a characteristic of Ma Xun. If things don't go his way, he can be illiterate.

Zhan Tong could only say, "Duke, the second sage once said: benevolence is human; in other words, it is the Tao."

The so-called kingly way is more about ruling the world with benevolence and righteousness.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "I have also heard that educating the world is a great achievement, and educating the barbarians is even more so. By the way, does the court have any envoys to send to the barbarians?"

Tao Kai suppressed his displeasure and replied, "To reply to Duke Xu, last year the Imperial Academy Scholar Zhang Yining was ordered to go to Annan."

Ma Xun nodded and said, "This is very good and necessary. We must let the barbarians around our Ming Dynasty know about our great achievements in literature and military governance, so that they can send envoys to the court and accept the imperial canonization."

No one thought there was anything wrong with this matter, as people had always been accustomed to it. It was normal for the Central Plains dynasties to enfeoff foreign countries in the surrounding areas.

What is special now is that Annan is not very honest, but they also have the capital. In history, they have resisted the southward advance of the Mongolian army three times, and now they are the overlord in Indochina Peninsula.

Goryeo was not honest either. They had always been a vassal of the Mongols. The queens of Goryeo were basically Mongolian nobles, and they still often went to Karakorum.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, let alone "all nations coming to pay tribute", there was not even normal diplomacy.

Tao Kai quickly replied, "Duke Xu is right. I heard that the King of Annan has died, and the son of his elder brother has succeeded to the throne. He has sent an envoy to Beijing to accept the imperial canonization."

Ma Xun was not very interested in this, and then said, "After all, they are barbarians. Annan is like this, and Goryeo is even in contact with the Mongols. I think, how about sending a great scholar to Goryeo?"

Tao Kai was silent for a moment before he said, "Duke Xu is right. I can report to His Majesty and ask him to select a great scholar to go to Goryeo."

There was nothing wrong with going to Goryeo as an envoy of the imperial court. Although this was a difficult task, for many officials, as long as they succeeded, it would be a reward for their qualifications and achievements.

So this is not Ma Xun’s retaliation, this is just a normal personnel arrangement of the court, and it is a diplomatic job.

Ma Xun continued to nod, and then said, "We should also send people to Helin. We need to send important officials to stabilize the Yuan emperor and Wang Baobao. The court was defeated in Sichuan. If Wang Baobao led his troops south, the court would be in a passive position."

Tao Kai was stunned and reminded, "Duke Xu is worrying too much. Although the court suffered a disadvantage in the first battle, the loss is not great. With Duke Wei and Duke Zheng stationed in the north, the Mongols dare not go south."

There is really no need to worry. Although the imperial army suffered a disadvantage in the first battle in Sichuan, the losses were not great.

The most important thing is that there is still a group of elite soldiers and generals in the north. The Mongols are now taking advantage of their time to recuperate and have no intention of going south. Now they are just praying that the Ming army will not continue its northern expedition.

Joining forces with Ming and Xia to attack the Ming Dynasty is just an idea. It is totally unrealistic. Self-preservation is more important.

Ma Xun nodded in sudden realization, and then said with emotion, "I thought that after a defeat, the court was in danger. I was also thinking that since there were no women of the royal family of the right age, should we select a few daughters of officials to raise in front of the queen and send them to Mongolia as princesses."

At this moment, Tao Kai and others' faces changed. What Ma Xun said was exactly the routine of marriage alliance.

However, in the history of the Han and Tang dynasties, the daughters of the royal family were often chosen for marriage, not necessarily the daughters of the emperor. However, it was not impossible to choose the daughters of ministers.

The most important thing is that the Ming Dynasty had never thought of a policy like marriage alliance.

Ma Xun continued with emotion, "I heard that during the Northern Song Dynasty, many daughters of officials in Bianjing were sent to the Jurchen camp and abused. I thought that if I failed, I would risk the wrath of the world and choose someone."

This time, he no longer cared about Ma Xun's identity. Zhan Tong's face turned pale, "Duke Xu, I will impeach you in front of the emperor!"

Song Lian, Tao Kai and other officials all had grim faces and shared a common hatred for the enemy. Ma Xun's words were intended to humiliate and ridicule them.

Ma Xun was curious and asked in confusion, "Shouldn't it be like this? The imperial army was defeated, and Wang Baobao is a great threat. If you are too embarrassed to do so for the sake of your reputation, I will go. Then I will bring the treasures and bribe his wife to persuade him to withdraw his troops." Tao Kai and others were shaking with anger. Faced with the scoundrel Ma Xun's misinterpretation, these people were left with only anger.

Ma Xun continued, "If it doesn't work, I can take the King of Qin as a hostage to show my sincerity, and the Mongols will not move south."

Zhan Tong shouted loudly, "Duke Xu, what did you say!"

"What am I saying?" Ma Xun said, "I am just telling you what is in your heart. The imperial court has been defeated and the northern border is in turmoil. The Duke of Wei and the Duke of Zheng are preparing for war against Wang Baobao, and you are here to ask for peace. Why, I have made it clear, but you can't accept it?"

Tao Kai and others were furious. They wanted to show their willingness to recruit Wang Baobao by showing him some favors, in order to increase their chances of winning him over.

But with Ma Xun's misinterpretation, how did it become that the Ming Dynasty was planning to seek peace?
Ma Xun continued to exaggerate, "You are scholars and important officials, the pillars of the court. It is not good to damage your reputation. How about I do it?"

Tao Kai gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Duke Xu, we just don't want to use force and waste money and manpower. Why is Duke Xu so aggressive?"

"Aggressive?" Ma Xun asked with a sullen face, "Who was aggressive first? The army is preparing for war, and you are thinking of stopping the troops. Can you bear the blame for shaking the morale of the army?"

Zhan Tong said hurriedly, "Duke Xu, please don't make unfounded arguments. How can we shake the morale of the army?"

"No?" Ma Xun asked back, "Then let me ask you, you have no intention of shaking the morale of the army, do you want to disturb His Majesty's family affairs? Or are you dissatisfied with the crown prince?"

Tao Kai and the others were so angry that they said, "Duke Xu, you are so brave!"

"How can you be the uncle of the emperor if you are so domineering?"

"You are so rebellious! We will report this to His Majesty!"

Ma Xun's words almost stirred up a hornet's nest. It would be strange if anyone was not anxious at this time.

Faced with the attacks from the civil servants, Ma Xun seemed not to care at all. He let them criticize him and wanted to see what else these people had to say.

Hua Gao was already prepared. According to his understanding, what would happen next would be that Ma Xun would get angry and beat up one or two civil servants.

At that time he would have to step out and stop those civil servants who wanted to stop the fight, and wait until Ma Xun had fought enough before he could really stop the fight.

As for some military officers, they were eager to try. They were not good at quarreling, but they were good at cursing. If they really started fighting, it would not take a moment to knock down all these civil officials, making them wail and roll.

But there is no signal now, and the king's uncle hasn't taken any action yet, so it's not appropriate for us to interfere.

The most important ones were the young Duke Cao and Mu Ying, the assistant to the Grand Marshal's Office and the general guarding the country. These two were restraining the military honors in the crowd.

Ma Xun rushed forward and grabbed Tao Kai by the collar, "Are you the one who requested that Wang Baobao's sister be made the Princess of Qin?"

Tao Kai was even more ashamed and angry, "I am doing this for the sake of the country, so why can't I file a petition for this?"

"Let me ask you, why was Wang Baobao's adoptive father killed and abandoned by the Yuan Emperor?" Ma Xun asked with a sullen face, "Tell me, do you want to see the wife of the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty be a foreigner?"

Tao Kai was a little panicked at this moment, because Wang Baobao in the Yuan Dynasty would only obey orders and not decrees.

Even though he and Emperor Yuan Zhao have now reunited in Helin, before that, the two of them even joined forces to seize the throne of Emperor Yuan Shun.

In other words, during the reign of Emperor Shun of Yuan Dynasty, Wang Baobao only obeyed orders and not announcements, and often disobeyed the emperor's orders.

Moreover, he and his adoptive father Chagan Temur had long been involved in the struggle for imperial power and wanted to support the then crown prince to seize the throne.

Ma Xun stared at Tao Kai and asked directly, "What's the point of trying to persuade Wang Baobao to surrender? Do you want to embarrass the King of Qin, or do you want the King of Qin and Wang Baobao to join forces?"

Tao Kai broke free from Ma Xun's restraints and argued loudly, "Duke Xu, what right do you have to slander us!"

"You are harboring evil intentions!" Ma Xun stepped forward and grabbed Tao Kai's collar again, and also grabbed Zhan Tong's collar who was trying to stop the fight. "You are such a bad person who wants to depose the emperor and is the uncle of the eldest of the Ming kings. Do you think you have no other intentions? Do I believe you?"

Zhan Tong and Tao Kai began to struggle hard, but it was a pity that the old man in his fifties or sixties could not get away.

Although Ma Xun was not very strong in fighting, he was good at farming. Now he was eating well and getting enough nutrition, so he became stronger.

"Ouch!" Hua Gao suddenly rushed out, "Don't start a conflict, don't fight."

The fifty-nine-year-old old man blocked Song Lian and pushed him back.

"Who dares to make a move?" Li Wenzhong also rushed out, grabbed the two civil servants by the neck and pushed them back, "My uncle and the minister are discussing matters, what do you have to do with it?"

Mu Ying and others also rushed forward, but did not hit anyone. They pushed away all the civil servants who wanted to come forward.

This means that Ma Xun grabbed Tao Kai and Zhan Tong by the collars, leaving a large empty space around them. It was this uncle of the emperor who continued to scold!
(End of this chapter)