The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 93 Huaixi Family
There is no calendar day in the mountains, and the year is unknown in the cold weather.

This statement also applies to Ma Xun and Liu Shuning, because they have basically no idea what it means to stay in the palace for a short period of time. Three to five days is considered a short stay, and ten days or half a month is nothing.

Ma Xun followed Zhu Yuanzhang to Beiping and was relatively free. But Liu Shuning was different. In early spring, she followed Ma Xiuying back to her hometown in Suzhou to worship her ancestors, and she has been with Ma Xiuying ever since.

I learned how to be a housekeeper and educate children from the queen, and we chatted and did needlework together when I had nothing to do. I was also advised on how to get along with some nobles, etc.

These are all academic knowledge. Liu Shuning learned a lot when she was at her mother's house, and she looked like a lady from a noble family.

But the foundation is there, and now as the daughter-in-law of the Ma family, there is more to learn. Even if there is a certain family education, Liu Shuning is less than 20 years old after all, and there is still a lot to learn.

I have made great progress in recent times. I have learned how to be a more suitable daughter-in-law of the house and how to become the wife of a powerful and wealthy family or the wife of the king's brother-in-law.

Ma Xiuying was also relieved. Liu Shuning was chosen because of her temperament. If the Ma family had married an unvirtuous wife, it would have been difficult for them.

Liu Shuning has a good temperament, is well-educated, gentle and virtuous, and is very receptive to advice. She is much better than her stubborn brother.

Before the young couple entered the house, Chang Mao jumped out and said, "Uncle, I'll be there in a moment. There's going to be a banquet at home!"

Ma Xun thought it was ridiculous, "Hold a banquet? What kind of banquet?"

"It's a celebration banquet!" Chang Mao said confidently, "Many uncles and aunts have returned this time, and everyone is here. The banquet has been ready for several days, just waiting for my uncle to come back."

This made Ma Xun feel even more absurd, "Okay, who are these people coming here?"

"My father's subordinates, those under General Xu, and those under Uncle Deng and Brother Wen Zhong." Chang Mao listed them all, "They are all family members, and my uncle should get to know them better."

Currently, the only ones who are qualified to be called "generals" in the army are Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Deng Yu and Feng Sheng. They are qualified to lead the army alone, while the others are not quite there.

Therefore, Fu Youde, Geng Bingwen, Tang Shengzong and others were either under the command of Xu Da or subordinates of Chang Yuchun.

Ma Xun and Liu Shuning just went to the ancestral hall first after returning home, and then accepted the greetings from Xu E and others, and then the couple went to visit the neighbors next door.

Lan Yu was happy when he saw Ma Xun, "Brother, come quickly and try this new bow."

"Uncle, this is the bow made by my uncle." Chang Sen said quickly, "No one knows better than my uncle whether this bow is useful or not."

Ma Xun and Lan Yu were present at the same time, so the three boys of the Chang family could only call Lan Yu "uncle" to make a slight distinction.

Lan Yu was a little surprised, but he didn't think it was strange. "It's normal for me to make this thing. Next time we go to war, I will follow my brother-in-law. You two will guard the center, and I will be the vanguard!"

Wang Bi next to him immediately said, "This won't work. I have to be the vanguard, and the uncle-in-law will stay in the center!"

"How dare you!" Lan Yu was anxious. "When my brother-in-law leads the army, I am always the vanguard. Wang Bi, don't think that you can take the vanguard position just because we have a good relationship!"

Wang Bi directly exposed his shortcomings, "The general is leading the army, and you have been following the general for many times. Why are you always the vanguard?"

Lan Yu was speechless. When he followed his brother-in-law to fight, he was just a small general under his command, and most of the time he followed Chang Yuchun. It was not easy to be a vanguard!
A burly man next to him clasped his fists and said, "Lu Zhongheng, meet the uncle of the king."

Ma Xun quickly returned the greeting and said, "Hello, Brother Lu, just call me by my name."

Lu Zhongheng was one of the twenty-four generals of Huaixi who followed Zhu Yuanzhang. He made great contributions in the battle against Chen Youliang and participated in the campaign to pacify Guangdong. Among the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang ranked him ninth, second only to Tang Shengzong among the marquises.

Tang Shengzong also spoke up at this time, "Does the emperor know that Yang Xian was executed?"

Ma Xun shook his head subconsciously, "He was executed so soon?"

"What happened yesterday." Hua Yunlong sneered, "That person is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. He really thinks that we Huaixi people are easy to bully. He is arrogant and domineering, forming cliques for personal gain, and even ostracizing us Huaixi people."

All the generals present laughed at once. Yang Xian seemed to be in power a few days ago, and many people thought he was extremely powerful. But he was executed by the emperor yesterday without causing any ripples.

Many people were also in a trance at this time. The emperor's methods were very powerful.

At the beginning of the year, Li Shanchang retired and returned to his hometown. Then Wang Guangyang was impeached, and Yang Xian, who was just rising, was executed. Now Hu Weiyong is in charge of the Secretariat.

After all this, it seems that the people from Huaixi are still in charge of the Secretariat. However, even if Hu Weiyong was promoted by Li Shanchang, his foundation and prestige are completely different from Li Shanchang.

The impeachment of Wang Guangyang represented the suppression of a number of civil servants in Jiangnan, and the execution of Yang Xian meant that some old officials of the Yuan Dynasty were cleared out.

The current Zhongshu Province seems to be dominated by the Huaixi people, but they are just a newly promoted role, and they are still fighting with those in Zhejiang East. No one can defeat the other, let alone suppress them. Chang Yuchun strode over, "What's going on? Why don't you go into the house in such a hot day? What are you doing here?"

Lan Yu immediately said, "I'm trying out the bow made by the uncle! We can still drink tea and talk about scriptures, so we should find something to do to relax."

Chang Yuchun laughed and scolded, "You rough people can't sit still, but the emperor's uncle is a scholar."

The others were also laughing. Ma Xun's identity could be changed at any time. No one objected to calling him a scholar, or a military commander, or even a craftsman or a doctor.

Ma Xun looked at Lan Yu curiously and asked, "When did Brother Lan come here?"

Lan Yu complained in a low voice, "It's the same as you. It's hard to even go back home. I've lived here for more than ten days and I almost don't even know where my own door is."

This is the embarrassment of being a brother-in-law. Lan Yu has his own mansion, but Chang Yuchun and Chang Lanshi are worried. So Lan Yu now hangs around Chang Mansion all day long, and when he wants to go back to his own home, Chang Lanshi scolds him for not being able to keep him accustomed.

Ma Xun began to gloat over his misfortune. He was better off than Lan Yu and could still go home when it was time.

This is because of the fear of comparison. Lan Yu was firmly controlled by Chang Lan. Li Zhen, the brother-in-law of the current emperor, is now "trapped" in the palace and it is difficult for him to return to his son's home.

While they were talking, Xu Da came with Xu Yungong, "Old Chang, why did I come here just because you gave me a banquet?"

Ma Xun quickly begged for mercy, "Brother Xu, I just left the palace, and I'm here before I even have time to sit down at home. I'm surprised that Brother Chang is hosting the banquet today."

"The superior said so yesterday, so Old Chang is hosting a banquet." Xu Da explained with a smile, "I will host a banquet the day after tomorrow, and I must come and show my respect."

Ma Xun could only speak up, "Brother Xu, that's enough. Even if you didn't say it, I was planning to visit you tomorrow."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying were not unhappy about Ma Xun's interactions with Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, but were very supportive. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun occasionally interacted with each other, and the emperor and empress did not take it seriously.

After all, these two men are Zhu Yuanzhang's right-hand men and the two leaders of Huaixi, and they are able to compete with Li Shanchang.

The men were making a lot of noise in the front yard, and the inner house was also very lively.

Liu Shuning had more or less come into contact with the wives or daughters of these Huaixi nobles before. Because of her status and seniority, she basically just sat there with them.

But things are different now. Whether it is out of love for her or other reasons, no wife or daughter of the Huaixi nobles would put on airs in front of her, and no one would say that she was pretending to be a lady just because she read a few books.

Some people even go to the extreme level and don't say obscene words in front of her, so as to maintain the dignity of a noble lady.

Chang Wan held Liu Shuning's hand affectionately, "My aunt has been in the palace these days, so it's difficult for me to ask her for advice on needlework."

Looking at Chang Wan and Liu Shuning, many wives and daughters of nobles were jealous. There was no other reason, the identities of these two were different, and they could not be simply viewed based on age and seniority.

One is the future Crown Princess, and the other is the Queen's younger sister-in-law, both of whom are unabashedly loved by the Queen.

Liu Shuning smiled and said, "I have been troubled by Her Majesty the Queen's advice in the palace these days, and I have made some progress. A few days ago, Her Majesty the Queen said that the princes and princesses are getting married one after another, and it's time to find them."

All the noble wives became serious about this. Whether their daughters could become princesses or their sons could become princesses consorts became important matters.

This represents whether one is loved and close to the emperor and empress, which means the inheritance of the family. Even though many of the wives of some powerful generals were born as village women, they all understand that these things are extremely important.

The fact that Ma Xun, the emperor's uncle, was captured by the people of East Zhejiang made the people of West Huai feel a little disappointed. But the princes and princesses could not be captured by others, as everyone was watching them.

Chang Wan smiled and said, "There are many young talents or virtuous maids in our close family. Please ask your aunt to say a few good words in front of Her Majesty the Queen."

Liu Shuning said modestly, "I don't have that ability, but I'm not familiar with many of the families, so I was planning to ask the Chang family's sister-in-law to take me around."

Chang Lan immediately said, "This is a small matter. If you and my brother were not newly married, I would have taken you to meet people a long time ago. We are all close to each other, so we should naturally visit more often."

"Where's Wan'er?" Although Liu Shuning is only three years older than Chang Wan, she is already an elder. "Her Majesty the Queen said earlier that Wan'er is familiar with the women of Huaixi families, and she wants you to give her more advice."

The wives of the Huaixi nobles felt like they were eating lemons. The girl from the Chang family had not yet entered the palace, but the queen did not hide her favoritism.

The marriages of the princes and princesses were decided by the Emperor and Empress. Even if they only allowed Chang Wan, the future Crown Princess, to make suggestions in name only, it was still to establish her absolute authority.

I'm afraid that the future wives of Huaixi nobles will be headed by Chang Wan, and Liu Shuning will just play a supporting role.

(End of this chapter)