Chapter 5: A Nephew Calls Upon His Uncle

Zhu Yuanzhang led his children in paying respects to Old Master Ma before stepping aside, while Zhu Biao and the others continued to cast curious glances at this suddenly appeared uncle.

For years, the only relatives in the impression of Zhu Biao and his siblings had been their aunt’s family, a cousin whose memory was fading, and their sworn brother. As for their mother’s side of the family, there had truly been none!

Ma Xiuying took Ma Xun’s hand and stood up, then felt something was amiss. "Where is Wenying?"

Ma Xiuying still found it difficult to change how she addressed him. Mu Ying had been adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying when he was eight years old; it had only been the year before last that he was allowed to revert to his original surname.

Zhu Biao immediately replied, "Third Brother said that since he has reverted to his original surname, he should only pay his respects from outside."

Ma Xiuying was immediately displeased. "Tell him to come here and kowtow to his grandfather!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was also somewhat annoyed. "A child I raised, and now he is acting like a stranger!"

Ma Xiuying held Ma Xun’s hand and asked softly, "Little Brother, you must have suffered a lot over these years, haven't you?"

"How could that be? Look at how big and strong I am; do I look like someone who has suffered?" Ma Xun said with a smile. "Also, Your Highness, are you truly certain I am a member of your family? I have no tokens to prove it."

Ma Xiuying said immediately, "With you looking just like this, how could I be mistaken? And as for our father's name, how many people in the world would even know it?"

As they spoke, a spirited young man walked into the small shrine and kowtowed directly. "Grandson Mu Ying pays his respects to his grandfather!"

Ma Xun looked down; this was Mu Ying, the famous Prince Mu. However, the current Mu Ying was still only a commander; titles of nobility and high military rank were still far off.

"Little Brother, this is Mu Ying, my foster son," Ma Xiuying said, pulling Ma Xun’s hand. "Wenying, pay respects to your uncle."

Mu Ying immediately stood up and stepped forward, but Zhu Biao moved faster. "Nephew Zhu Biao pays his respects to Uncle."

Ma Xun was startled. This was the Crown Prince of the Great Ming; how could he bow to him? Just as Ma Xun was about to move, Ma Xiuying grabbed his arm. "Biao’er is your nephew; you should accept this courtesy."

Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply gratified; his eldest son was filial and outstanding in every respect. Matters of etiquette were naturally important, and he had decreed that while formal court etiquette was required in official settings, family etiquette should be observed in private. This meant that even if Zhu Biao became Emperor in the future, while he would be the sovereign in the court, their family seniority would still be maintained in private.

Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, Zhu Di, Zhu Su, as well as Zhu Jingru and Zhu Jingxian, immediately followed suit and knelt. "Nephews Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and others pay our respects to Uncle."

Among these children, only Zhu Biao held a formal status as the Crown Prince. The others were simply princes and princesses, not yet enfeoffed with titles.

Ma Xun felt extremely awkward and unused to such grand displays of respect. "Everyone, please stand up. You are all too kind." He fumbled through his pockets and sleeves, finding only a few copper coins. Having no gifts for his nephews and nieces made him feel even more embarrassed.

Seeing Ma Xun’s awkwardness and helplessness, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying felt a pang of heartache—their little brother had truly suffered too much.

Zhu Biao immediately stepped forward, taking the initiative. "Thank you, Uncle, for the gift. Father and Mother never give me money. I will take my younger brothers and sisters to buy some fruit with this later."

Ma Xun embarrassedly handed the few copper coins to Zhu Biao. "I hope you don't find it laughable; it’s hard to even buy fruit with these few coins."

"Uncle is being too formal," Zhu Biao said with a smile. "I am happy to see you, Uncle. Since you have nothing else and gave all the money you had to buy us fruit, it shows how much you care for your nephews and nieces!"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said happily, "Little Brother, your nephew speaks well! A small gift carries great sentiment. You were willing to give your nephews everything you had; that is true sincerity!"

Ma Xiuying glared at Zhu Yuanzhang and comforted Ma Xun. "We lack nothing now, so set your heart at ease." She then said, "Chongba, let Biao’er stay here, and the rest of you go back and rest."

"Alright." Zhu Yuanzhang turned and left immediately. "You lot, hurry up!"

Zhu Shuang and the others had no complaints. It had been like this since they were children; their father only had eyes for the eldest brother. Their mother was slightly better, but in important situations, she also prioritized the eldest.

Gently stroking the coffin, Ma Xiuying asked, "Little Brother, where have you been all these years?"

"Just wandering around. He seems to have had me only after escaping from Dingyuan," Ma Xun said. "I must have been born in Zhejiang, but things got chaotic there, so he took me and fled to Fujian."

Ma Xiuying wiped away tears and asked, "Had you not heard of the uprising in Haozhou?"

"I remember a little, but at the time, people said the Guo family had been defeated," Ma Xun said awkwardly. "That was so long ago, and the old man never talked about it; he just told me to return."

Zhu Biao knelt quietly to the side, silently burning paper money; there were some topics he would not involve himself in.

Ma Xiuying turned to look at Ma Xun. "How have you lived all these years?"

Ma Xun answered with a smile, "When one person is full, the whole family is fed—life was easy enough. Catching fish one day, hunting a rabbit the next. The past few years were chaotic and no one cared, so I just went where I pleased. It was quite free."

"If it was so free, why did you become a monk?" Ma Xiuying asked directly. "You couldn't even manage that, and I heard from your brother-in-law that you even had to beg for food?"

Ma Xun was immediately indignant. "He is talking nonsense! I worked for people in exchange for meals; how is that begging? I was working for others—as a strong laborer, why would I need to beg?"

Ma Xiuying looked at Ma Xun with heartache. "I’m not talking about these past two years, but the years before. You were only ten when Father passed, right? A ten-year-old child, how did you survive?"

Ma Xun said dismissively, "I just drifted through it, smooth sailing. Your Highness, leaving the old man's coffin here is not a long-term solution. I do have a hairpin here; I don't know if it counts as a token."

Looking at the hairpin Ma Xun produced, Ma Xiuying glanced at it and said, "This was Father’s token. He left it to you as a memento. You can keep it, or bury it with him."

Even without Ma Xun saying it, Zhu Biao could see this was no significant token.

Ma Xiuying took Ma Xun’s hand and said earnestly, "Little Brother, you are my brother. Your nephews have kowtowed to you; will you not acknowledge them?"

Zhu Biao immediately chimed in, "Uncle, although this is our first meeting, I felt close to you the moment I saw you. Have I done something wrong to offend you?"

Ma Xun became even more embarrassed and could only explain, "I wouldn't dare, truly! Your Highness is the Empress; how could a commoner like me dare to climb the social ladder? Besides, recognizing family should be done with caution; a mistake would be disastrous!"

Ma Xiuying naturally understood; ultimately, it was because her status was different now, and Ma Xun feared making a mistake. Everyone else was desperate to be related to the Emperor or Empress, yet her own little brother seemed determined not to recognize them.

It was exactly as Chongba had said: Little Brother must have suffered greatly as a child and was timid, always thinking of how to protect himself and afraid to take any risks.

After careful consideration, Ma Xun said, "Your Highness, this commoner dares to speak: keeping the old man’s coffin here is not proper."

Ma Xiuying understood what Ma Xun meant and comforted him with a smile, "Your brother-in-law and I have considered this. Father has been posthumously titled the Prince of Xu. We intended to build a tomb and shrine for him, and now that he has returned, we should conduct the arrangements with the appropriate grandeur."

Ma Xun nodded, not knowing what else to say. In front of Empress Ma, he remained very constrained.

For three consecutive days, Ma Xiuying kept vigil with Ma Xun, and Zhu Biao accompanied them almost the entire time. As for Old Zhu, he came to offer incense and pay respects on schedule every day, as did the other princes and princesses.

However, many matters were being pushed forward in an orderly fashion, such as the preparation of a new coffin and sacrificial offerings. Many officials had also rushed to Suzhou, hearing that the Emperor and Empress were paying respects to the Prince of Xu and that a new Imperial Brother-in-law had appeared.

Back at the post station, Ma Xiuying was worried. "Chongba, why do you think Little Brother is so distant from us?"

"It’s just fear; he’s timid," Zhu Yuanzhang said as he turned over. "Time will reveal his heart; let's not rush, or he will be even more afraid."

Ma Xiuying nodded and asked, "Are you not returning to Yingtian Prefecture? Are you going to ignore state affairs?"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately put his arm around Ma Xiuying’s shoulders. "My dear, only you understand my heart. I originally thought it would be enough to just bring Biao’er. Now that I’ve brought everyone, I want to see what kind of mess Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen will make when the Emperor and Empress are not in the capital and the Regent Crown Prince is also away!"

Ma Xiuying rolled her eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang. Her husband was a master of political maneuvering; even with an unexpected turn of events, he could use the situation to arrange many things.