Chapter 15: Relatives

Page 1 of 3

There was no such thing as love at first sight. It was simply lust at first sight.

Knowing perfectly well that he had no say in choosing his own marriage, Ma Xun naturally hoped to find himself a beautiful wife with a reasonably pleasant disposition.

When Ma Xun returned to the imperial palace, he was told to go straight back to the courtyard. He immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The courtyard was packed with unruly children. Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and the others were relatively well behaved, but Zhu Di and Zhu Su were busy teasing Li Jinglong. That little rascal Li Jinglong was no better, eagerly joining Zhu Di and the others in their games.

“Quick, quick, quick! Take Wangcai back.” Ma Xun’s head began to ache. He immediately turned to Mu Ying. “Tie him up properly, lock the door, and then come back.”

Mu Ying was suppressing a laugh when Zhu Shuang ran over.

“Uncle, I’ll take Wangcai back!”

Ma Xun immediately stopped him. “All of you go back. Let Mu Ying take him! Go on!”

Li Zhen and the others watched with broad smiles. Given enough time, one could see what a person was truly like. Although Ma Xun still maintained a certain distance, he no longer treated everyone as an outsider.

Several little tagalongs began protesting. One after another, they complained that their maternal uncle was stingy, unwilling even to lend Wangcai to them for a while.

“It looks as though you’ve taken a fancy to her?” Ma Xiuying teased.

Li Zhen was delighted. “That’s wonderful. Your younger brother has high standards. If he has taken a fancy to her, then all is well.”

Zhu Yuanzhang was displeased. He sneered, “You’re awfully particular for a man who owns nothing. You want to marry some young lady from a wealthy household? What are you thinking?”

Ma Xiuying grew even more annoyed, her words edged with sarcasm. “Even a cowherd dares to set his sights on the landlord’s daughter. My family comes from a scholarly household, with poetry and learning handed down through the generations. How could we possibly be unworthy of Mr. Liu’s daughter?”

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately fell silent. If only Xu Da, Tang He, and the others were in the capital, they would have torn those mouths apart. Loose lips, always saying whatever came into their heads!

Zhu Biao said cheerfully, “Wan’er once told me that my future aunt is quite talented and clever. She must be a perfect match for Uncle.”

Zhu Yuanzhang instantly bristled. “When did you see her again? What did the two of you talk about? Have you forgotten all propriety?”

Deep down, Zhu Yuanzhang still possessed some of the rigid, old-fashioned attitudes of the traditional scholar. He took certain matters very seriously.

Ma Xiuying was even more displeased. “What nonsense are you talking? Anyone who didn’t know better would think Biao’er and Wan’er had secretly pledged themselves to each other. Watch your mouth. If word gets out, how will Wan’er ever hold her head up?”

Li Zhen also reminded Zhu Yuanzhang, “Chongba, how can you say such things? You are an elder, and a highly honored one at that. People are bound to read too much into your words.”

Ma Xun seized the opportunity to add insult to injury. “Brother-in-law is right. His Majesty is the emperor. I imagine the Crown Prince merely saw her a few days ago while escorting them in and out of the palace and exchanged a few words with her on the way.”

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed. “Am I the only outsider here? Brother-in-law, our relationship is even closer than theirs! How can you side with them and gang up on me?”

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

“Your brother-in-law supports reason, not relatives,” Ma Xiuying said with a laugh. “And besides, am I an outsider now? Little Brother is getting married next year. Once his hair grows a little longer and he can wear a proper cap, he can marry.”

Ma Xun’s hair was not especially short; it reached the nape of his neck. But by the standards of the present day, it was still considered short. Anyone who did not know the circumstances might have thought he had only recently left the monastery—or had just been released from prison.

Zhu Yuanzhang began laughing as well. “And you still claim you were never a monk? You only ran away from the temple last year!”

Ma Xiuying gave Zhu Yuanzhang a slap. During this period, they had also sent people to Fujian several times. Based on what Ma Xun had previously told them, they had conducted their own investigations.

They had managed to reconstruct part of the life paths of Old Master Ma and Ma Xun. Many people had no recollection of Old Master Ma, but quite a few remembered Ma Xun.

“I was never a monk. I didn’t have an ordination certificate.” Ma Xun held firmly to his position. “Besides, if I hadn’t shaved my head, do you think I could have walked all the way back from Fujian? Wouldn’t the authorities have arrested me and dragged me back?”

Zhu Yuanzhang, Ma Xiuying, and the others understood what he meant. Although the realm had only recently been pacified, the household registration system was gradually being put into effect. Ordinary people truly could not travel wherever they pleased.

Crossing provincial borders was out of the question. Even traveling from one county to another was difficult.

Two tables were set once more: one for the children and one for the adults.

“Little Brother, first take up a post in the army. In a few days, I’ll arrange some duties for you so that you can earn military merit,” Zhu Yuanzhang said, setting down his chopsticks. “Next year, we’ll make you a duke and arrange your marriage. We’ll settle everything at once.”

Ma Xun no longer refused, because refusal was impossible. “I can’t fight. Fear of death is one thing, but I’m more afraid that I lack the ability and would only get soldiers killed.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t be sent into battle. How many times must I tell you?” Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly reassured him. “At most, you’ll accompany Bao’er and the others. Bao’er has plenty of military achievements; he can give some credit to you when the time comes. Besides, you are the father-in-law’s son. No one can object to your being made a duke!”

Zhu Biao joined in. “It would be good for Uncle to have a position in the army. With Second Brother, Third Brother, and Uncle at my side, I’ll be able to keep the military power in my hands and won’t need to worry about those arrogant and unruly generals.”

All these years, Zhu Biao had never changed the way he addressed them in private. His eldest brother was his cousin Zhu Wenzheng, his second brother was Li Wenzhong, and his third brother was Mu Ying.

The three of them had also watched him grow up. Unfortunately, several years earlier, Zhu Wenzheng had committed an error and been placed under house arrest in Tongcheng, where he had died in despair. He had left behind a son, Zhu Tiezhu, who was now also living in the imperial palace and studying alongside the Crown Prince.

“Shuning is gentle, graceful, and talented. She is the most suitable match for Little Brother.” Ma Xiuying spoke with a smile, clearly delighted with her future sister-in-law. “We also had their birth charts matched. They could hardly be more compatible.”

If the Empress said their birth charts were compatible, then compatible they certainly were.

Zhu Biao immediately played along. “Mother, in a few days I’ll go and present the betrothal gifts on Uncle’s behalf!”

Now it was Ma Xun’s turn to be teased, but he was accustomed to it. A man of age should marry, and a woman of age should wed; there was nothing unusual about that.

Turning to Ma Xiuying, Ma Xun asked, “Sister, would it be all right for me to move out?”

Although Ma Xiuying was not particularly pleased, she still replied, “If you are truly starting a family, then of course you should move out.”

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

“There’s no need to move out in such a hurry. Your sister and your nephews still need you to look after them.” Zhu Yuanzhang became even more anxious and hurriedly objected. “Stay in the palace for now. Even after you marry, continue living here.”

Ma Xiuying was exasperated and amused at once. “What nonsense are you talking? Biao’er and I are perfectly fine. The other boys merely need to be more careful. Look at the fourth and fifth children—do they look as though anything is wrong?”

Watching his sons gnawing enthusiastically at their meat, Zhu Yuanzhang felt somewhat reassured. It was enough to know where the problems lay. As long as they kept them under control and took sufficient precautions, they could prevent as many unpleasant events as possible.

Ma Xiuying continued, “We are looking for a residence for you now, one worthy of your status. What worries me most is that you’ll be bullied. Your disposition is so mild that, if someone mistreated you, you probably wouldn’t even protest.”

Zhu Yuanzhang thought this was absolutely true. Judging from their earlier interactions, as well as the reports sent back from Fujian, his brother-in-law truly was the sort of person who simply endured whatever happened to him.

In the past, one could have said that his low status prevented him from making trouble. But now that he held an honored position, he showed not the slightest inclination to flaunt it.

“I’m the emperor’s maternal uncle. Who would dare bully me?” Ma Xun said with a smile. “I went to my future father-in-law’s home today. How could he not know why I was there? Even if he was unhappy, didn’t he still sit there and exchange pleasantries with me?”

Ma Xiuying was instantly pleased. Her little brother had finally begun to understand. One should not flaunt one’s status without reason, but when the occasion called for it, one had to make use of it. Most importantly, he had grown a little thicker-skinned. A man could not afford to be too thin-skinned.

Zhu Yuanzhang was displeased again. “That old bastard was unhappy? Once this marriage is settled, he’ll probably hide in his room and laugh with delight!”

Ma Xiuying coughed and said nothing more, sparing Ma Xun’s dignity.

Mu Ying interjected, “Mr. Liu seems somewhat reluctant, but his two sons are pleased. Uncle has his status, along with a handsome face and a distinguished bearing. Who wouldn’t like him?”

Ma Xun looked toward the table beside them. Mu Ying was still young, and apparently his eyesight was poor.

“Jingru, Jingxian, do you think I’m handsome and distinguished?”

Zhu Jingru and Zhu Jingxian immediately shook their heads, without the slightest hesitation.

The adults burst into laughter, amused by the two girls.

Ma Xiuying hurriedly said, “Of course Little Brother is handsome and distinguished. He only needs to put on a little weight and grow fairer. Children are too young to know what they’re looking at.”

Zhu Yuanzhang, loving his wife’s family, added, “Little Brother has a fine foundation. He only needs to be properly nourished. Among our relatives, Bao’er is the most handsome, and Little Brother comes next.”

No one else seemed to object. But when Ma Xun glanced at Li Zhen, he concluded that Li Wenzhong must be a remarkably handsome man.

The entire room rang with laughter and conversation. There was none of the stiffness one might expect from the imperial family. It felt just like an ordinary household paying a visit to relatives.

Page 3 of 3