Chapter 64: Married Life

Ma Xun felt as though someone was calling his name, so he slowly blinked his eyes open in a daze.

Liu Shuning looked at him with a mixture of shyness and bashfulness, whispering, "Husband, it is time to rise."

Ma Xun raised his hand and rested it gently on Liu Shuning’s shoulder. "What time is there to speak of? There is no need to wake up so early."

Realizing the lateness of the hour, Liu Shuning began to grow anxious and gently urged, "It must be past the hour of Chen by now; we really ought to get up."

"Our household has no such rigid rules. We sleep for as long as we please." Ma Xun’s hand began to drift downward, his eyes remaining half-closed. "There is no need to rise yet. Let us rest a while longer."

A deep blush spread across Liu Shuning’s delicate face, and she pressed on, "Husband, I must also go to pay my respects to your late parents, and then present formal greetings to my elder brother and sister-in-law. If we linger abed any longer, what would people say if word of this gets out?"

Giving the matter some thought, Ma Xun realized she had a point. He had grown far too accustomed to sleeping in at home, where those around him never minded and indeed indulged him.

However, if he were to continue lounging about today, while it might not affect him much, Liu Shuning’s reputation could very well suffer for it.

With this thought in mind, Ma Xun finally sat up. "Very well then, let us get up."

Blushing crimson, Liu Shuning murmured, "Then you should get up first."

"I dress quickly. You rise first." Fully focused on the matter, Ma Xun was certainly not going to get out of bed ahead of her. "We must make haste, or people will be arriving shortly."

Liu Shuning’s face grew even hotter, but realizing she had no other choice, she mustered her courage and sat upright.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the view, Ma Xun finally sprang up swiftly, threw on a robe, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ezi, have the bathwater prepared!"

Liu Shuning blushed even deeper, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "I thought my husband always dressed himself."

"Did you wish to dress me yourself?" Ma Xun retorted with a grin. "If so, that would be quite agreeable to me."

Liu Shuning hastily clarified, "I merely assumed that since my husband is a person of high station, you would naturally have servants to attend you."

"What person of high station? What is so extraordinary about putting on one's own clothes?" Ma Xun laughed while musing aloud, "Those servants have certainly kept their distance; they wouldn't dare eavesdrop outside our door."

Liu Shuning blushed more furiously still, but Ma Xun had already pushed the chamber door open by a crack and continued to call out, "Ezi, prepare the hot water quickly so the mistress may bathe and change."

A response echoed from the distance a moment later, "Master, everything is prepared."

The busy morning commenced. Once Ma Xun and Liu Shuning had bathed and changed into fresh attire, they hurried off to the ancestral hall.

Xu E, He Da, and the others formally paid their respects to the new mistress of the house, and Liu Shuning accordingly distributed generous rewards to all the household staff.

Liu Shuning then ventured to ask, "Husband, ought we not go to present tea to our elder sister?"

A wave of scalp-tingling dread washed over Ma Xun. "If I step foot inside the palace once, there is no telling whether I will be able to emerge in ten days or half a month."

For a moment, Liu Shuning did not know how to respond, but Xu E quickly chimed in, "The master need not worry. With the mistress accompanying you today, you will surely be able to go and return swiftly."

Liu Shuning added her own persuasion, "For a newlywed bride to be so remiss in her duties would certainly invite ridicule from others."

Only then did Ma Xun relent. "I suppose we should be able to make a swift trip. Shall we set off then?"

Xu E immediately stepped forward to support Liu Shuning as they went out, everything having been prepared well in advance.

Hardly had they entered the palace when a young eunuch came forward to lead Wangcai away to a small courtyard, making Ma Xun realize the situation was turning grim. Moreover, the path he and Liu Shuning were being led along led straight toward the Imperial Ancestral Temple, specifically toward the shrine dedicated to the Prince of Xu.

Empress Ma beamed brightly as she took Liu Shuning by the hand, the relationship between sister-in-law and bride appearing remarkably harmonious.

Once the sacrificial rites concluded, they returned to the Rouyi Palace, where Empress Ma inquired, "Little brother, what are your plans for the future?"

"Did we not previously agree that I would oversee the Imperial Academy?" Ma Xun asked with a puzzled expression. "I understand very little of those classical texts, so I shall simply go through the motions. I plan to build a schoolhouse at the foot of Jiming Mountain, dedicated entirely to teaching nursing."

Empress Ma recalled the conversation and nodded approvingly. "That is acceptable as well. With military campaigns still underway, having more medical officers and assistants can only be a good thing."

Empress Ma then added, "It is good to find some proper work to occupy yourself, but do not forget to extend our family lineage and continue the bloodline as soon as possible."

Before Ma Xun could reply, Liu Shuning quickly interposed, "Your daughter-in-law shall strictly observe wifely virtues and carry on the lineage of the Ma family."

Empress Ma was exceedingly pleased by Liu Shuning’s sense of duty. Once delighted, she began showering her with praise. Praise alone not being enough, she bestowed additional gifts upon her younger sister-in-law and commended the Liu family for their excellent upbringing of daughters.

Since Liu Bowen could not be directly showered with rewards on this occasion, rewards were instead generously granted to Liu Bowen’s two daughters-in-law.

Ma Xun sat stiffly on the side, watching Empress Ma and Liu Shuning clasp hands affectionately and whisper to one another, a sight that left him utterly bewildered. The two women had barely known each other previously, yet they were now acting like the closest of kin.

Before long, Zhu Biao arrived after finishing his lessons, accompanied by his younger brothers and sisters.

Though Zhu Biao, the crown prince, stood aside respectfully, the younger princes like Zhu Shuang still had to perform formal bows to their aunt. Though somewhat flustered, Liu Shuning accepted the greetings under the gentle encouragement of the Ma siblings.

By the time Ma Xun drifted back to his small courtyard in a daze, he had a strong premonition that he was destined to spend another few days residing within the palace walls. Hopefully, they would not make him wait until Liu Shuning conceived a child before allowing him to leave, but rather permit him to depart after a brief stay.

Li Zhen was deeply gratified to see that Ma Xun had settled down and established a family, and he chattered endlessly about how to properly manage a household while Ma Xun listened attentively.

As evening fell, Empress Ma arrived at the courtyard accompanied by Liu Shuning, followed closely by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao. The entire extended family gathered together once more, the only difference being that Ma Xun was no longer a solitary bachelor.

Ma Xun appeared quite adapted and at ease, whereas Liu Shuning seemed somewhat constrained. Such a familial atmosphere was unfamiliar to her; the imperial household seemed to possess fewer rigid rules than her own maiden family.

After the evening meal, upon returning to their courtyard, Liu Shuning remarked with a hint of worry, "Husband, His Majesty and the Crown Prince bestow such boundless favor upon us."

Ma Xun replied with casual familiarity, "I felt uneasy about it at first as well, but now I have grown much more accustomed to it. As long as we avoid causing them trouble and mind our own duties, there is no need to overthink the rest."

Liu Shuning nodded repeatedly. Over the past two days, she had felt somewhat lightheaded; although she had known prior to marriage that Ma Xun, the imperial brother-in-law, was greatly favored, she had never imagined that the rumors of the Emperor and Empress's deep affection for him fell far short of the reality.

However, Liu Shuning soon understood why Ma Xun detested entering the palace. Remaining sequestered within the palace grounds all the way until the end of the first month—nearly half a month in total—he was finally permitted to leave only after repeated entreaties.

During his time in the palace, Ma Xun spent his days reading books, occasionally visiting the Dabentang Hall to oversee the education of his nephews, or handpicking a few physicians from the Imperial Hospital to serve as instructors for the 'nursing department' he was establishing.

Liu Shuning, meanwhile, was far from idle, visiting Empress Ma every day to learn the arts of household management and needlework, keeping herself remarkably busy.

By the time Liu Shuning returned to her maiden home for a formal visit, the entire Liu household was brimming with joy.

Once Liu Shuning had retired to her maiden chambers, Liu Bowen remarked, "Grand Counselor Li has tendered his resignation on account of illness."

Ma Xun nodded. "I only heard of it a couple of days ago. His Majesty has bestowed upon him several hundred qing of land in Linhao, assigned one hundred and fifty households to guard his ancestral tombs, granted fifteen hundred tenant households, and provided twenty guards of honor."

For Li Shanchan's retirement, Zhu Yuanzhang's bestowals were exceptionally heavy.

At present, the Secretariat was led by Wang Guangyang and Yang Xian serving as the Left and Right Vice-Grand Counselors, while Hu Weiyong, upon Li Shanchan's recommendation, had ascended to the position of Participating Councillor in the Secretariat. Liu Bowen, meanwhile, remained the Censor-in-Chief.

Liu Shuning’s father, Liu Bowen, then stated, "Now that you have established a family of your own, despite the favor shown to you by the Emperor and Empress, you must never grow arrogant or extravagant."

Previously, it had been difficult for him to say much, but now, as Ma Xun’s father-in-law, Liu Bowen was fully qualified to offer a measure of guidance and instruction.

Liu Bowen continued, "You should visit the Imperial Academy frequently, but regarding the affairs of the Chief Military Commission, you must listen much and speak little."

Ma Xun nodded eagerly in agreement. "That is precisely my plan. I intend only to focus on my own affairs. At the Imperial Academy, I shall observe more and speak less, let alone meddle in the Chief Military Commission."

Hearing Ma Xun speak thusly, Liu Bowen was even more gladdened. Though his son-in-law held a unique and elevated status, he possessed not a shred of overbearing arrogance, leaving little cause for undue anxiety.

What brought Liu Bowen the greatest comfort, however, was the clear evidence in his daughter’s glowing complexion that her post-marital life was harmonious and happy, confirming that she had indeed wed the right person.