The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Li Jinglong stepped forward, looking speechless: "Ma Sandao, what are you doing here?"

Ma Sandao, Marquis of Poyang, lost both of his sons in the Battle of Poyang Lake when they rammed Chen Youliang's warship with a fire ship in an attempt to save Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang remembered this favor and bestowed upon Ma Sandao the title of Marquis of Poyang, along with an iron certificate granting him immunity from death.

"What are you doing here?" Zhu Bai sheathed his longsword.

Ma Sandao chuckled: "I've come to see my wife."

"Your wife?" Li Jinglong was stunned.

Xiao Cui had already stood up, walked gracefully to Ma Sandao's side, and gave a graceful bow.

"Young Master Li." She raised her head, her eyes clear, "Master Ma wants to redeem me from my servitude."

"Ma Sandao!" Zhu Bai's eyes widened. "You're going to marry a courtesan?"

"Yes," Ma Sandao raised his head, speaking with self-righteousness, "My wife has been dead for many years, and I have never remarried. Now I have taken a liking to Xiao Cui, and Xiao Cui likes me too."

Zhu Bai was so angry his hands were trembling: "You're a marquis, what kind of woman can't you have?"

Ma Sandao remained unmoved, puffed out his chest, and said, "I like Xiao Cui."

Zhu Bai almost choked.

Li Jinglong turned to look at Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui stood there, her figure graceful and her features exquisite.

"You like him?" he asked.

"Yes, young master." Xiao Cui met his gaze. "I'm sticking with Master Ma. He's the only one who's truly good to me."

Ma Sandao nodded repeatedly, a smug look on his face: "Did you hear that? Xiao Cui truly loves me! I'll marry her, live a good life with her, and have a healthy baby boy. My two sons are gone; I need to leave an heir for the Ma family."

"She likes you?" Zhu Bai sneered angrily. "Ma Sandao, you old geezer, what does she want from you? Your age? Your lack of hygiene?"

Ma Sandao blushed, his neck stiffening, and exclaimed, "This is love!"

"I love you, you bastard!" Li Jinglong rolled his eyes, pointed at Xiao Cui, "She's a courtesan from a brothel, what kind of people hasn't she seen? Why would she fall for an old geezer like you? She just wants you to redeem her, your family fortune, and your noble mansion."

Tears welled up in Xiao Cui's eyes, brimming with emotion: "So this is how you see me, young master."

Ma Sandao snorted and put his arm around Xiao Cui's shoulder: "If that's the case, I'm willing."

Li Jinglong: "..."

Zhu Bai: "..."

Xiao Cui leaned on his shoulder, tears streaming down her face.

"Master Ma..."

"Xiao Cui..."

The two gazed at each other with deep affection, oblivious to everyone else around them.

"Hey, you two are feeding me a mouthful of dog food." Li Jinglong facepalmed.

Ma Sandao looked at Zhu Bai with a puzzled expression: "Your Highness Prince Xiang, what are you doing at the Jiaofangsi? I remember you never go to places like this."

Zhu Bai's face turned cold as he looked at Li Jinglong: "Li Jiujiang, is this what you meant by someone forcibly abducting women and selling them to the brothel?"

Li Jinglong looked embarrassed.

Ma Sandao and Xiao Cui both looked at him.

"I heard someone wanted to redeem Xiao Cui from her servitude," he said honestly. "I thought it was some lewd old man trying to harm the girl, so I came to rescue her."

Zhu Bai glared at him: "If you're going to save someone, then save someone! Why are you dragging me into this?"

Li Jinglong blinked: "We need a helper, right? What if a fight breaks out? You're the King of Heroes, who else can I turn to for this kind of thing besides you?"

Zhu Bai's lips curled up slightly, and he waved his hand: "Never mind, I don't blame you."

"Your Highness, if His Majesty finds out about what happened today, you'll have to cover for me." Li Jinglong chuckled.

Zhu Bai snorted and slashed with his longsword: "I will bear this alone."

"Truly worthy of the title 'King of Heroes'!" Li Jinglong clasped his hands in a fist salute. "So loyal!"

Zhu Bai, with an air of nonchalance, said, "Let's deal with the immediate problem first."

The two turned their heads and looked at Ma Sandao and Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui stepped out from behind Ma Sandao, straightened her clothes, and knelt down: "Young Master Li, I am extremely grateful for your help in saving me. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life. Yesterday is gone and cannot be retrieved. From now on, I will serve Master Ma wholeheartedly and without any disloyalty."

Li Jinglong looked embarrassed and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Don't say that. It's as if we're having an affair."

"Do you really have it?" Ma Sandao asked urgently.

"Absolutely not. Xiao Cui and I are completely innocent, as pure as snow in winter," Li Jinglong affirmed.

Zhu Bai stood to the side, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the three of them: "This matter involving the three of you is complicated."

"Not complicated at all! Not complicated at all!" Li Jinglong was speechless. "I used to just come here to listen to Xiao Cui play a piece, have a cup of tea, and chat. I treated her as a friend, nothing more."

Xiao Cui nodded slightly: "Young Master Li is right. What kind of person am I? How dare I try to curry favor with Young Master Li of the Duke of Cao's mansion?"

"So what do we do now?" Zhu Bai shrugged.

Li Jinglong was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "If you really want to live a peaceful life, I don't object. Old Ma is honest and kind. If you go with him, he will treat you well."

Xiao Cui raised her right hand, joined three fingers together, and pointed to the roof: "Young master, I swear to heaven that I will never betray Master Ma in this life. If I have any disloyal intentions, may I die a horrible death."

Hearing this from the side, Ma Sandao's eyes welled up with tears. He roared in a rough voice, "Me too! I, Ma Sandao, swear to heaven that I will never betray Xiao Cui in this life! If I have any other thoughts, may I be struck by lightning!"

"Damn, I've been fed another mouthful of dog food." Li Jinglong was speechless.

Zhu Bai watched this scene and sighed softly, "If the two of you are truly sincere, I offer my blessings. At Old Ma's age, it's a good thing to have a caring woman by his side."

Ma Sandao chuckled: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

Li Jinglong sat down; "Old Ma, how much did the madam ask for to redeem Xiao Cui?"

"Three thousand taels." Ma Sandao held up three fingers.

"Ma Sandao, where did you get so much money?" Zhu Bai frowned.

Although Ma Sandao was a marquis, his salary in the Ming Dynasty was paid in rice, not silver.

A marquis's annual salary, converted into silver, would be at most two thousand taels. After adding in household expenses, social obligations, and the cost of raising horses and servants, being able to save three to five hundred taels would be considered a sign of his thriftiness.

Three thousand taels?

He would have to save for many years, but the problem is that Ma Sandao isn't the type to save money.

"Isn't the imperial examination going to be reopened next year? The Ministry of Works is going to rebuild the examination hall." Ma Sandao chuckled. "The Marquis of Linchuan is in charge of this job. So I went to him and got a job procuring materials."

Li Jinglong frowned: "What does this have to do with three thousand taels of silver?"

"The Marquis of Linchuan told me to use inferior materials to buy timber, stone, and lacquer," Ma Sandao said, shrugging. "That's how I earned three thousand taels."

Li Jinglong's eyes widened: "!!!"

Zhu Bai abruptly stood up: "Ma Sandao, you're breaking the law, do you know that?"

Ma Sandao waved his hand: "I have an iron certificate of immunity from death, I'm not afraid. Even the Marquis of Linchuan, who is your maternal grandfather, isn't afraid."

Li Jinglong was secretly pleased.

Unexpectedly, there was an additional benefit.

"Old Ma, tell me in detail how you make money," he asked.