My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 104 Zhao Min
First, Zhu Biao was escorted to the palace gate before Ma Yu and Zhu Shuang took a carriage home.

When they were almost home, Zhu Shuang suddenly suggested getting out of the car and taking a walk.

Ma Yu immediately understood what he meant; he wanted to say something that was inconvenient for others to hear.

Whether at home or elsewhere, they were all being monitored by members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Even on this open road, you could be watched by someone hiding in the distance.

However, precisely because it was open, the people monitoring them dared not get too close, and they didn't have to worry about being overheard when they spoke.

After sending the driver away, and seeing that there was no one else around, Zhu Shuang said:

Do you know what the biggest obstacle is in getting my dad to agree with new ideas?

Ma Yu didn't pretend not to understand and asked, "Imperial power, is that right?"

Zhu Shuang nodded and said, "Yes, it's about ensuring the legitimacy of imperial power."

"The premise for the widespread adoption of the various schools of thought in ancient China was that they recognized the legitimacy of the monarch's power."

"As you said before, the Mohists argued for the idea of ​​natural monarchy, and the Confucians later followed suit and proposed the idea of ​​natural monarchy."

"No matter how excellent your ideas are, if you can't satisfy my father on this point, you won't get his support."

"When we go to the palace tomorrow, they will definitely ask you questions about this. Are you prepared?"

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've taken that into consideration too."

"However, for your father, the new ideas do indeed have a trap, a trap that no one can discover until it explodes."

"But once it erupts..."

Zhu Shuang quickly interrupted him: "Shut up, don't talk to me about this. You want me to be unable to have both filial piety and loyalty, right?"

Ma Yu paused for a moment and said, "Don't worry, this trap will take a long time to activate."

"It might not erupt until the day the Ming Dynasty falls."

Zhu Shuang said irritably, "Then don't tell me, I'm not interested in that."

"Right now, I just want to get a fiefdom as soon as possible and go to my fiefdom to find some peace and quiet."

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "Do you think you'll find peace and quiet once you go to the fiefdom?"

Zhu Shuang sighed, "That's still better than staying here."

Ma Yu suddenly said seriously, "If you really want to be free from any constraints, there is a way."

Zhu Shuang's eyes lit up, and he pressed, "Tell me quickly, what's the plan?"

Just as Ma Yu was about to answer, he suddenly saw four people riding by on horseback not far away, so he stopped.

Before long, the four of them arrived nearby.

One of them was an old man with a big beard, and the other was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen.

The remaining two should be servants or guards.

Although they were all dressed in Han Chinese clothing, their hairstyles revealed their Mongol identity.

Ma Yu's gaze swept over the four people, finally settling on the girl, and her heart skipped a beat.

The girl was tall and slender, probably around five feet tall (1.67 meters), and had a beautiful face.

Unlike most women who pursue a slender figure.

She had a round face and a somewhat robust but very well-proportioned figure.

Four words involuntarily popped into his mind: "perfectly chubby."

This is his favorite body type.

Moreover, the dashing posture of riding a horse touched a nerve in his mind.

Even he, who didn't believe in love, couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.

Could this be what it feels like to be smitten?

The four people probably didn't recognize them, and left without stopping to say hello.

Ma Yu stared at them for a long time until they disappeared around the corner, then reluctantly looked away.

Then he saw Zhu Shuang's strange gaze and couldn't help but blush:
"Uh, where were we?"

Zhu Shuang said seriously, "We were just talking about why we like fat women."

Ma Yu: ...

"That's not fat, that's plump."

Zhu Shuang teased, "Oh, so you're starting to feel sorry for me now?"

Ma Yu rolled her eyes and said, "I just like this kind of thing, is that wrong?"

Zhu Shuang stopped mocking him and instead said:

"Wait a minute, didn't you tell my mom before that you like pretty girls?"

Ma Yu argued, "Isn't this girl pretty?"

Zhu Shuang thought for a moment and said, "His face is alright, but he's too fat. I prefer someone thinner."

"Besides, she's a Mongolian barbarian who doesn't understand Han Chinese etiquette, so I don't like her."

Ma Yu's eyes lit up: "Do you know who she is?"

Zhu Shuang said, "That old man is Aruwen, the Prince of Liang in the Yuan Dynasty, and that girl is his granddaughter."

He added, "Yes, she's Wang Baobao's sister..."

Ma Yu asked in shock, "What did you say? Wang Baobao's sister?"

Zhu Shuang said, "What's so surprising about that? The Ming Dynasty had many Mongol nobles who surrendered or were captured, including members of the imperial family."

Ma Yu thought to himself, "This is Zhao Min! How can I not be surprised?"

and……

She seemed to be your wife in your past life.

Thinking about this, Ma Yu couldn't help but feel a burning urge to bite back.

Such a wonderful girl, and you didn't even know how to cherish her in your past life, you even abused her, you beast!

but……

Ma Yu quickly pressed, "You really don't think she's pretty? You don't want to marry her?"

Zhu Shuang asked in surprise, "Marry? You're not serious, are you?"

Ma Yu said, "Never mind that, answer me first."

Zhu Shuang shook his head and said, "I don't like it. I've already said I prefer someone thinner, gentle, and well-mannered."

"She's as fat as a ball and also wild. I can't understand what you like about her."

Ma Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you don't like it, it's good that you don't like it."

Since you don't like it, then I can't say I stole your love.

Yeah, buddy, I'm here to rescue you from being forced into a marriage by your dad.

As for whether Zhu Yuanzhang would agree to let him marry Zhao Min...

Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll fight them to the death.

Of course, this is a joke.

Ma Yu wouldn't self-destruct for the sake of a woman.

But if possible, he still wants to try to marry her.

After all, this is Zhao Min.

Moreover, her appearance and figure are exactly his type.

After exchanging a few jokes, the conversation returned to its original topic.

Ma Yu said solemnly, "Your father's personality means he will not trust outsiders. In the future, you brothers will all be entrusted with important responsibilities."

“Especially you older folks, there’s a high probability you’ll be sent to the frontier to oversee things.”

Zhu Shuang questioned, "Wasn't it said that we would be enfeoffed?"

Ma Yu said, "The enfeoffment will be ten or twenty years from now, by which time the young prince will have grown up."

"They will most likely be blocked out first."

"You older ones who have a good relationship with the Crown Prince, continue to guard the frontier."

"Only when the Ming Dynasty is firmly established will we consider granting you fiefdoms."

This was Ma Yu's analysis based on the original world's story of Zhu Yuanzhang enfeoffing the Sai King.

It may not be accurate, but he thinks the probability is high.

Zhu Shuang thought about it and agreed that the probability was not small, so he said dejectedly:

"Does that mean I'll have to endure working under that old man for decades to come?"

Ma Yu said, "But there are also advantages to doing this, as it can accumulate more political capital."

"When you are granted a fiefdom in the future, you will be able to take even more with you."

"The key is... you can choose a place far away from the Ming Dynasty, but with great potential, as your fiefdom."

Zhu Shuang frowned slightly: "Far from the Ming Dynasty, yet with huge potential? You don't mean to send me to the Western Regions, do you?"

Ma Yu said meaningfully, "The world is much bigger than you imagine."

Zhu Shuang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly."

Ma Yu shook her head and said, "You'll understand in the future."

Seeing that he wouldn't say, Zhu Shuang knew that pressing him would be useless, so she complained:

"They always keep things a secret."

Ma Yu then added, "By the way, your father really wants you to guard the frontier."

"You must choose a place that is close to the sea, preferably with a natural harbor."

"Forget it, let's just choose Beiping."

Zhu Shuang said somewhat impatiently, "Alright, alright, I know. Let's go, curfew is about to start."

Unbeknownst to them, Aruwen and Guanyinnu also saw them.

After turning the corner and losing sight of the two people, Guanyin Nu said:

"Grandpa, those two are the Second Prince and Young Master Ma, right? Why are you pretending not to see them?"

Aruwen said with a dark face, "So what if we see them? Should we stop and bow to those two juniors?"

Guanyin Nu didn't know what to say.

Should one advise others to learn to bow their heads when under someone's roof?

My maternal grandfather held a high position and great power as the Prince of Liang during the Yuan Dynasty, but he was forced to surrender to the Ming Dynasty due to circumstances.

Although the Ming Dynasty did not treat him poorly, it did not give him any important official position, but only a sinecure as a way to win him over.

Moreover, their every move in Yingtian was monitored, making them extremely restricted. Therefore, he felt very resentful, which led him to develop an alcoholic habit.

However, Guanyin Nu sometimes secretly rejoiced that her grandfather had surrendered first and settled in Yingtian.

Otherwise, his fate would be grim if he were captured.

Then she thought of her brother, Wang Baobao.

I just hope he can escape to the grasslands safely, so that the siblings can meet again someday.

But she was more worried about herself.

My brother is a powerful figure in the Yuan Dynasty and an important force in resisting the Ming Dynasty. Who knows, the Ming Dynasty might use her against me someday.

How will she deal with it then?
We can only take one step at a time.

Sigh, I really wish someone could save me.

With that thought in mind, she followed Aruwen back to her residence in Yingtian.
-
The next day, Ma Yu went to the palace early in the morning, naturally pushed there by Zhu Shuang.

Empress Ma greeted him warmly with concern.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were both in court at the time, they didn't discuss serious matters but instead chatted idly.

The conversation also touched on the tools that Ma Yu invented and improved.

Empress Ma said happily, "Last year, His Majesty distributed the blueprints to various regions and ordered local government offices to promote them."

"Based on feedback from various regions, the promotion has been very effective."

Ma Yu was also very happy, as this could be considered a benefit to the people.

The only downside is that it's probably not cheap, and there's still a long way to go before it truly becomes popular among the general public.

Regardless, this is good news.

As they chatted, the topic turned to marriage.

Empress Ma looked at the two of them and said, "You are both getting on in years; it's time for you to get married."

"In a few days, I will bring you information on eligible young women from the families of important officials in the court. You can take a look and see if there are any you like."

In the past, Ma Yu would have definitely declined, but this time he hesitated.

Zhu Shuang knew him well; he could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He spoke up:
"Mother, you know what, Old Ma actually found a girl."

Empress Ma asked in surprise, "Really?"

Ma Yu mentally gave Zhu Shuang a thumbs up and nodded to indicate that this was true.

Zhu Shuang said, "Of course it's true, it's just that her identity is a bit special."

Empress Ma said nonchalantly, "How special could his status be? More special than my nephew's?"

“Whose daughter is she? Tell your aunt, and your aunt will stand up for you.”

Zhu Shuang's expression was strange as he said, "Aruwen's granddaughter, Wang Baobao's sister, Guanyin Nu."

Empress Ma's expression gradually faded. She looked at the two of them and said:

"You guys aren't kidding me, are you?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Zhu Shuang then recounted their chance encounter the previous day.

The emphasis was placed on the way Ma Yu looked at other girls:

"You didn't see it, Old Ma's eyes almost popped out."

love at first sight?
Empress Ma was very helpless and asked, "You only glanced at it by the roadside and made a decision? Isn't that too hasty?"

Ma Yu finally spoke, saying, "I can't say that I will marry no one but her in this life, but if it's not her, I have no plans to get married for the time being."

Empress Ma rubbed her temples and said, "Why does it have to be her?"

Ma Yu said, "I know that His Majesty probably wants to marry her off to a prince in order to win over Wang Baobao."

"But I feel that, as your nephew, I am also reasonably qualified."

Empress Ma was not surprised that he could guess Zhu Yuanzhang's plans, after all, this was not the first time.

Moreover, anyone who knows Zhu Yuanzhang could guess this, and some ministers have already made the suggestion.

But that wasn't what she was worried about: "That's not the problem. The problem is that you're even more special than Wang Baobao."

"Even if you wanted to marry a princess, His Majesty would agree, but this woman... is difficult."

What neither of them saw was that Zhu Shuang's face showed a look of horror when he heard their conversation.

Did he marry Guanyin Nu to the prince to win over Wang Baobao?

Since it's about winning someone over, she'll definitely become the legal wife.

With my eldest brother now married to Sister Chang, the only two people of suitable age left are me and the third brother.

But how can one skip over the second son to find a wife for the third son?

In other words, my dad wants me to marry that fat woman?

Thinking of this, Zhu Shuang couldn't help but shudder and quickly said:

"Old Ma is already like this, what else is there to worry about?"

"Could he abandon everything here and take that fat...woman to the grasslands to live a hard life?"

"As a good brother, I have to take care of this."

"If my dad objects, I'll... I'll..."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice came from not far away: "So what?"

Everyone turned to look and saw him walking over with a long face, followed by Zhu Biao, who looked helpless.

After exchanging greetings, Empress Ma dismissed all the eunuchs, leaving only the five of them in the room.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down in the main seat and pressed, "You haven't even answered me yet, and you're already asking what?"

Zhu Shuang was a little scared, but the thought of marrying that savage and rude fat woman made him hesitate.

He suddenly felt that his father wasn't so scary anymore, and mustered up his courage to say:

"I ran away from home."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "Ha, you've gotten bolder, haven't you? You're even giving up your status as a prince. You've got guts."

Zhu Shuang stiffened his neck and said, "I'll take Old Ma with me and run away to a place you can't find."

"With the two of us, we can have anything we want."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression froze; he had to admit this himself.

His own son was brave and resourceful, but lacked experience, a shortcoming that Ma Yu made up for.

With the two of them working together, it wouldn't be difficult for them to create a great business.

but……

"Bang!" He slammed his hand on the table and roared.

"You beast, do you even have any respect for us or your mother?"

Empress Ma quickly added, "Don't talk nonsense, look how angry you've made your father."

"Your father hasn't objected to this yet, so why are you in such a hurry?"

Zhu Biao also stepped in to smooth things over: "Yes, your cousin isn't even worried yet, why are you getting angry first?"

Zhu Shuang knew he had to make his stance clear today and make things definitive, otherwise his father would definitely still try to take advantage of him.

"You all know about my relationship with Lao Ma. It was my fault that I couldn't help him before."

"This time, we have to help him fulfill his wish no matter what."

"If I can't even help him get a woman, how can I have the face to call him brother?"

"What's the point of this prince position?"

Seeing his righteous and noble demeanor, Empress Ma and Zhu Biao could no longer reprimand him.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in approval, thinking that loyalty was a good thing and that such a person would definitely become a good helper to the boss in the future.

With brothers united, the Ming Dynasty's fate is secure.

Ma Yu was initially touched, but he soon noticed something was amiss.

Wait a minute, this kid seemed indifferent before, how come he suddenly became more aggressive than me?

It seemed like he wouldn't give up until he helped me marry Zhao Min.

No, no, there's definitely something fishy going on here.

But for the moment he couldn't guess why, so he could only keep his questions to himself and interrogate her properly later.

Zhu Shuang's sudden act of loyalty put Zhu Yuanzhang in a dilemma.

The main issue is still about Guanyin's slave.

Just like in his previous life, he was indeed planning to marry Guanyin Nu to Zhu Shuang in order to win over Wang Baobao.

But that's clearly not possible now.

Given the second brother's loyalty, there's absolutely no way he would compete with Ma Yu for a woman.

Let alone the second son, even the third son won't marry her once this gets out.

Well, that's off.

But as Empress Ma said, Wang Baobao was indeed very important, but compared to Ma Yu, he was nothing.

If he marries Guanyin Nu, will he be involved with Wang Baobao?

But I refused...

Looking at Ma Yu sitting in the wheelchair, he couldn't bring himself to say those words.

This guy is clearly blinded by the woman; he won't listen to anything I say right now.

The relationship between the two sides is already very strained. If we provoke him further, it might cause more trouble.

To be honest, he was really confused by Ma Yu.

When a person is truly unafraid of death, even an emperor can't do anything about it.

The key point is that Ma Yu is all alone and has no ties, which is equivalent to having no weaknesses.

However, if he really likes that Guanyin slave, could he use that to control him?

However, the troublesome one is still Wang Baobao.

Forget it, let's postpone this for now.

Maybe Wang Baobao will be captured alive in a few days, and all the problems will be solved.

Thinking of this, he coughed lightly and said:

"You are both still young, there's no rush to get married. It's not too late to talk about it in a couple of years."

"But don't worry, we'll keep that woman for you."

"If you still like her then, we can discuss this matter again."

(End of this chapter)