The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 91 I Manage the Emperor's Nine Clans

Yang Xian had a tendency to eliminate dissidents and form cliques for personal gain in the capital, but not to mention Zhu Yuanzhang was not worried, even Ma Xun did not take it to heart.

Because the group of people riding their horses now are Zhu Yuanzhang's biggest trump cards. They are Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Deng Yu and others. Mu Ying, Lan Yu and others cannot come to the table now.

Just looking at these flags of generals is enough to make one's heart surge with excitement. Little Yang Xian naturally doesn't need to take it to heart, because his power itself comes from what Zhu Yuanzhang has given him.

There was no obstacle at all in dealing with someone like Yang Xian. It was really just a matter of Zhu Yuanzhang's order.

Yang Xian is now jumping up and down as if no one in the entire court dares to go against his will. However, this is just a grasshopper in autumn. When Zhu Yuanzhang returns to Beijing, he will realize how powerful he is.

"Second brother." Mu Ying quickly caught up and said, "How about we have a horse race?"

Li Wenzhong became interested and asked, "Which ones?"

"Lan Yu, Sima Xu and others, I don't know if my uncle is willing to participate." Mu Ying thought he was free to do something else. "If you ask me, my uncle definitely doesn't want to participate in horse racing. He will definitely not be happy to come if he knows he will lose."

Li Wenzhong immediately said, "Then add some spice, and you go and organize the game."

Mu Ying immediately became active. They were some rough and brave men in the army, and many of them were only in their thirties or forties, in the prime of their life and full of energy.

Seeing that the emperor also wanted to go on stage, Xu Da spoke up to stop him, "Sir, if you go to compete, no one will dare to win."

"I don't think so. Chang Mao dared to do it, and Lan Yu probably dared to do it too." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ma Xun who was eager to try and said, "This guy probably dared to do it too, but he just doesn't have the ability to win."

Chang Yuchun smiled and said, "If you want to be in a high position, you should stop your younger brother. He finally had the nerve to race with us. If he loses miserably, he won't know how long he will hide in the corner and sulk."

Zhu Yuanzhang said indifferently, "Then blame him for not being as skilled as others, not others. You just let go and I'll add a prize. I'll give you a royal horse, and whoever has the ability can take it away!"

Although these generals all have fine horses, the people in the army like fine horses. Who would complain about having too many good horses?
With the emperor adding some incentive, others were even more eager to try, but ordinary soldiers were not eligible. Only generals who were granted titles of duke or marquis were eligible.

"Ride Wangcai!" Zhu Yuanzhang enthusiastically offered advice, "We are trying to capture the sheep now. Wangcai runs a little slower but has good endurance. You are not a good rider, so you will have a chance of winning if you ride him. To win in chaos, endurance is the key."

Ma Xun was a little moved, "Is it true?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said seriously, "Do you know how to grab sheep? A group of people riding horses to grab the colorful balls and sheep heads on the ground, they hide in the stirrups and use flying horses to step on the ground, do you have the ability to do this?"

Ma Xun was convinced instantly. Although he knew he would not win, the most important thing was to participate.

Seeing Ma Xun happily going to find Wangcai, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly broke down and laughed out loud, thinking that something good was going to happen.

Riding Wangcai's horse, Xun was ready to go, but suddenly he felt like he was dead. Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and others were riding tall horses, but he was riding a donkey, and everyone looked at him jokingly.

Before Ma Xun could protest, Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order, "Go!"

Several horses carried the knights out galloping, while Wangcai followed with his head held high and barking. Even though his four short legs were moving very vigorously, he could not change the fate of following behind and eating dust.

Deng Yu had just turned his legs when Guo Xing rushed over. Chang Yuchun grabbed the reins with one hand and bent over, but Tang He had already jumped off the horse.

But he was still a little slow. Wang Bi grabbed the reins with his left hand, lifted his leg to dismount, grabbed the sheep's head with his right hand to use the force to jump up, and sat steadily on the horse's back.

These people came back after a circle, and Ma Xun was still riding on the barking Wangcai and running back happily.

This is the real social death.

For Ma Xun, this was a social death as he was betrayed by his trusted brother-in-law.

But for Wangcai, it was a thrilling and evenly matched match.

Chang Yuchun patted Ma Xun on the shoulder, laughed and asked, "Who gave you this idea?"

“Who else could it be!” Ma Xun was very angry. “I thought you were really thinking about me, but I didn’t know you were just trying to make fun of me!”

Deng Yu joked, "You are so heartless to say that, my Lord. If we compete like this, you will definitely fall off your horse. It's better to ride a donkey. You may not win, but it's safer!"

Tang He also said, "That's right. The superior is concerned about your safety, so he gave you advice."

Zhu Yuanzhang is in a very good mood now. Looking at these old brothers makes him happy. It is not a bad thing to trick his brother-in-law a little.

Ma Xun, who was slightly tricked, was not angry. Such a harmless joke was really nothing.

A large group of people are returning to the capital. Regardless of how much momentum they will bring, once these people return to the capital, they will inevitably have a huge impact on the political situation.

When Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and others were not in the capital, the civil officials could still jump around. Once these people returned to the capital, the civil officials would worry about whether their loud voices would disturb these arrogant soldiers and generals.

Seeing the once prosperous Bianliang now in ruins, Ma Xun felt mixed emotions. Along the River During the Qingming Festival, Dongjing Menghualu, Xiangguo Temple, Fanlou, Liu Shishi.

No, it’s Li Shishi.

It is not known whether she followed Yan Qing. Otherwise, if Song Huizong believed that the swindler Guo Jing could turn beans into soldiers to defend Bianliang, Li Shishi's reputation would surely have brought her a miserable end.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Ma Xun and asked, "What are you doing now?"

"It's sad and sorrowful. When the country prospers, the people suffer. When the country perishes, the people suffer." Ma Xun laughed, "Brother-in-law, we must keep someone here. Which nephew is it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said uncertainly, "It's normal for the fifth child to come, but it's hard to say about that child. It's okay that he's not as capable as his other brothers, but the sixth child is more capable than him. He's a good child, but he's spoiled by your sister."

The sixth son, Zhu Zhen, was also a capable man. Although he was not as capable as Zhu Di and others, he was also good at leading troops in battles and was adept at suppressing rebellions of barbarians.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "According to that, I still think it's best for the fifth brother to stay in Kaifeng. This place is closer to the capital, and he doesn't have to lead troops like the second brother and the others. If Yunnan and Guizhou are not stable in the future, the sixth brother can also lead troops, so he has to go to the south."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded. He still had some confidence in his sons. They would be able to control the generals and take control of the military power after they became fiefs.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked, "Biao'er will be married next year, and the second son should be of age, so whose family do you think is suitable?"

Ma Xun said quickly, "Brother-in-law, didn't you say that the second son and the Deng family were childhood sweethearts? Or do you think that Brother Deng is too powerful to be the second son's father-in-law?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said confidently, "That's not the case. Your nephews will definitely marry the daughters of these noble families."

Ma Xun immediately said, "In that case, let the second son marry into Brother Deng's family. If they get along well, there will be less trouble. After all, the second son is the eldest of the royal family."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and then whispered, "The woman from the Deng family is not a woman of virtue."

Ma Xun looked at Zhu Yuanzhang. Everyone said that Zhu Chong was extremely tyrannical after he became a vassal, but he and Deng Yu's daughter were a perfect match. They both liked to do some immoral things.

However, there is no way to talk about these things now. At present, Zhu Chong is not as good as Zhu Biao, but in the eyes of many people, he is also a young, intelligent and strategic prince.

"That needs to be taught." Ma Xun said, "It's a good opportunity for me to take good care of her. After Biao'er gets married, let the Crown Princess also properly control the other princes' wives."

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked, "Do you know there is a Dazongzhengyuan?"

The Da Zongzhengyuan, also known as the Zongrenfu, which is in charge of the clan roster of the emperor's nine clans, was established this year.

Seeing Ma Xun nod, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "The second son is too young now, otherwise he could be appointed as the clan leader. I thought of letting your eldest brother-in-law be the clan leader, and you would be the left ancestor. You two are of the same generation, and your sister and I are the only ones of the same generation."

Ma Xun knew that this was something he couldn't refuse, so he said, "Brother-in-law, as a relative of the royal family, it's not easy for me to speak on matters of the royal family. But for the next two years, my eldest brother-in-law and I will be in charge of the Da Zongzhengyuan. In a few years, when the second son grows up, he will have to take charge."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Even if the second son is old, how can he really be in charge of these things? It must be the subordinates who are doing the work. You are just occupying the title and official position. After all, you are the royal family."

This is not a question of whether Li Zhen or Ma Xun are willing to take charge, but rather that their identities are suitable and they must do it.

The only person of the same generation as Lao Zhu is Li Zhen, and the only person of the same generation as Ma Xiuying is Ma Xun.

If Li Zhen and Ma Xun were unwilling to take over some things in order to avoid suspicion or to stay free, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying would also have a headache because they really couldn't find anyone else to take charge.

This is how the affairs of the Dazongzhengyuan are. If Li Zhen and Ma Xun do not take over the management of the emperor's nine-family roster, compile the jade book, and record the royal family's children, legitimate and illegitimate children, and other matters, it will be difficult for others to take over.

After all, the Da Zong Zheng Yuan is not just a nominal decoration, it also has real power and is responsible for managing all major affairs of the emperor's nine clans.

It is necessary to introduce talented and virtuous people, and most importantly, to record the crimes and faults of the royal family, and even punish them directly.

Li Zhen went to punish him, and Zhu Chong and others had to listen because he was their uncle.

It was ok for Ma Xun to punish them, because he was their uncle. Even a bastard like Zhu Zhen had to call Ma Xun his uncle, because in today's era, the only legal mother of all the princes and princesses was Ma Xiuying.

He bravely shoulders the heavy responsibility and is now directly responsible for managing the emperor's nine clans.

Even if he was just Li Zhen's deputy, even if it was just a temporary task, or even just a mouthpiece for Zhu Yuanzhang.

But no matter what, Ma Xun is now in charge of the nine clans of Emperor Hongwu!
Just thinking about it makes me feel a little excited, but if I think about it more carefully, Ma Xun is one of Zhu Yuanzhang's nine clans, because he is Ma Xiuying's younger brother, so this is the 'wife's clan'.

Even when Zhu Biao became emperor, Ma Xun was still one of the emperor's nine clans, that is, the 'mother clan'.

Even if it is narrowed down to the 'three tribes', Ma Xun is included.

(End of this chapter)