The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 49: Instead of urging marriage, urging childbirth!
The food was ready, and it was still the same as before, with one table for adults and one table for children.

Zhu Biao was naturally at the table with the adults. Li Jinglong could have relied on his young age and seniority to be held by Li Zhen. But the child was not happy about it and happily sat next to Zhu Di and Zhu Su with his bowl and chopsticks.

Li Zhen was in a good mood and said, "I am really thoughtful. I went out to fight and prepared so many good things to bring back."

Ma Xun smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, please don't make fun of me. I'm not going out to fight, I'm just traveling. There's nothing else to do, so I'm just looking for some local specialties along the way."

Zhu Yuanzhang refused at first, "Why don't you have anything to do? You saved Lao Chang, that's a great achievement! Little brother, I found the orange peel you mentioned earlier."

Ma Xun immediately asked with concern, "Have you asked the people from the Imperial Hospital to take a look?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said quickly, "I looked at it and asked about its medicinal properties. You said that there are so many things in this world, and I have never heard of such a good thing before!"

Ma Xun was not surprised by this. At present, Huajuhong is known by some people in Guangdong. The first time it was officially recorded in history was in the local chronicles during the Wanli period.

At this stage, it is only known by some people in small places, which is not surprising. The world is so big and customs vary from place to place. In this era, communication is inconvenient and information transmission is very slow. There is nothing much to say.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "That's good. I will discuss with the imperial doctors later to see how to combine the medicine."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled happily. He didn't trust the imperial physician on some matters and only trusted his brother-in-law.

Ma Xun knew that his limited knowledge was not professional enough, so he needed to discuss it carefully with the imperial doctors and ask about the best way to use the medicine, etc. However, he was still willing to trust the professionals.

Ma Xiuying rolled her eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "I haven't even had a rest yet, but you're already rushing me!"

"Little brother, eat the goose." Ma Xiuying passed the goose leg to Ma Xun and said, "Old Chang fell off his horse and scared your brother-in-law. We can't lose him in the war in the north."

Zhu Biao said in a humorous way, "Wan'er is probably waiting. When uncle returns home, she will definitely go and kowtow to him."

Before Ma Xun opened his mouth, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "You should go and kowtow to your uncle. It sounds dangerous to me. Fortunately, your uncle is here, otherwise Old Chang would really be gone."

Everyone present seemed to think the same, but Ma Xun was also at peace with himself. If he was not there, Chang Yuchun would indeed be gone.

Ma Xun looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with some concern and asked, "Brother-in-law, General Xu is not here, and General Chang is not here either. Wang Baobao must be going to attack Lanzhou, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, "You, even without me and your sister, you can live well. With your cautious nature, you always think about protecting yourself and always think the worst of others."

Ma Xiuying unhappily nudged Zhu Yuanzhang with her elbow, obviously dissatisfied with such a statement.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "Lanzhou is guarded by a great general, and Guanlong also has a large army. Tiande will go to Qingyang after a rest for a while, what could happen?"

Ma Xiuying also said, "When you leave the palace in two days, Wenying's family will bring Mu Chun to greet you and see what you say. You are the only one who is suspicious and insists on letting Wenying stay in Qingyang!"

Ma Xun smiled and said, "How could she ask me these questions about military and national affairs?"

Li Zhen also asked with a smile, "Have you seen Baoer?"

Ma Xun said with emotion, "I have seen him! Before, everyone said that Wen Zhong was good-looking, but I didn't believe it. After I really saw him, I felt that what they said before was not enough. He also became close to me when he saw me, but it was a pity that the war was urgent."

Li Zhen and Zhu Yuanzhang both laughed. When it comes to handsomeness, it really is Baoer!

"You look so old!" Ma Xiuying said with a smile, "Bao'er and Wenying are much older than you, but you are acting more and more like an elder now."

Li Zhen corrected him with a smile, "I am the elder, how can Baoer not acknowledge him as his uncle?"

Ma Xiuying said, "I used to be fairer, but I got darker this time. Fortunately, I'm stronger now, and my hair is longer. I'll be able to get married in two months."

Zhu Yuanzhang also said quickly, "Bao'er is good-looking, and I am also handsome. I like children, and when I have a son, I am afraid he will be no worse than Bao'er and Jinglong."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter, but several people at the children's table were completely confused and didn't understand anything.

"Originally, I should have been the one to propose marriage to you, but your brother-in-law let the second brother and his friends go." Li Zhen complained, "After all, the second brother and his friends are younger, and your sister was afraid that you would be bullied, so she asked the prince to propose marriage to you." Ma Xun smiled and said, "How can I be bullied?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe it. "With your mild and cautious personality, you would take three steps back when someone gives you a cold look. You won't take action unless you are pushed into a corner. You have never been good at martial arts, and you just don't have the ruthlessness!"

Ma Xiuying coughed lightly, and Zhu Yuanzhang immediately picked up some food and started eating.

Ma Xiuying immediately said, "Get married next year, at the beginning of the year, and give our Ma family a successor by the end of the year. If you don't know how to take care of a child, send it to the palace and I'll help you take care of it."

Ma Xun suddenly became anxious, "Not to mention the urgency, how can I ask my sister to help take care of the child?"

"You and your sister-in-law know how to take care of children? I wouldn't feel comfortable if someone else took care of the children!" Ma Xiuying looked at Zhu Biao and said, "In our Zhu and Ma families, the eldest sons of the family always follow their elders."

Li Zhen also said quickly, "I was worried before. Baoer can't live in the palace after he comes back. If he takes Jinglong away, what's the point of living? In the family, the old people take care of the young. This is the rule."

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately followed up, "Brother-in-law, you can just live in the palace and visit the mansion from time to time. Then your daughter-in-law will be relieved and won't have to pay you respects every day."

Li Wenzhong was not in the capital, so Li Zhen lived in the palace, but she missed her son. But the brother-in-law was reluctant to let him live in the palace.

There is also an Enqinhou Mansion outside the palace, where Li Wenzhong's wives and concubines live. If Li Wenzhong comes back, he will also live in Enqinhou Mansion.

Ma Xiuying continued, "I haven't taken care of my children for many years. I have to take care of them first."

Zhu Su, who was sitting at the table with the children next to him, was a little puzzled. I was raised by my mother!
Ma Xun said quickly, "Sister, if I really have a child, I will ask a few maids to help take care of him. I can't send him to the palace."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and said, "Speak!"

Zhu Biao was helpless and tried to hide for a long time without success. "If my uncle really gives me a younger brother, my mother will often go to take care of him. If I have a son, the first one will be raised by my parents."

Depend on!
After all this talk, it turns out that Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying were actually criticizing Zhu Biao.

Li Zhen also echoed the same opinion. No matter what the "tradition" of the Zhu, Ma or Li family is, the grandfather should take care of the eldest son of the eldest branch.

Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted. He picked up the goose leg and gave it to Zhu Biao. "You said this in front of your uncle and your uncle. This is the rule of our family. You can't deny it!"

Everyone seemed happy, but Ma Xun still felt a little stressed because he was expecting a baby before they even got married.

Zhu Biao naturally had his own pressures, as his uncle was being urged to have a baby before he even got married. He hadn't even proposed yet, but his parents wanted to have a grandson.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very proud and said to Zhu Biao, "I have already thought of a name for your offspring."

Zhu Yuanzhang then looked at Ma Xun and said, "I am not an outsider. As your brother-in-law, I have also thought about it. I am the emperor now, and your nephew will also be the emperor in the future. After all, we are family."

Ma Xun's heart skipped a beat. Could it be the periodic table?

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, "Your other sons don't care, but the eldest son of the eldest house must be named according to the rules. From now on, you will know which family he belongs to when you hear him!"

It really is the periodic table!
Even though Zhu Yuanzhang hasn't figured this out yet, he has already figured it out in his mind, otherwise all of his sons wouldn't have their names written with the character "木" (wood) in their names.

The mutual generation of the five elements had been determined long ago, it was just that Zhu Biao's generation did not take a generation name.

Ma Xiuying smiled and nodded, urging him, "It's already twenty-one after the Chinese New Year, and you should grow up! I also know that Tiande and Boren want to take you to the war, you want to go too, right?"

Seeing Ma Xun nod, Ma Xiuying immediately said, "It's easy if you want to go. You can give me a nephew first, or you can stay in Beijing!"

Ma Xun scratched his face. Is it so urgent to induce labor?

(End of this chapter)