My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 63 Yi Bo Yuntian
After chatting for a while longer, Zhu Yuanzhang left.

He has too many official duties to attend to, so leaving the palace is not easy, and he cannot stay for too long.

If Ma Yu hadn't suddenly given a lecture, he would have returned to the palace long ago.

As for what Ma Yu mentioned, it's not really needed right now.

First, go back and research the relevant information, then formulate policies based on the actual situation.

This process can take anywhere from six months to a year.

Even if we continue to talk, it will be difficult to come up with anything substantial.

Since none of us were the type to be long-winded, we naturally dispersed.

Li Wenzhong also left, saying before he left that he would be setting off on a campaign the next day and would not come to say goodbye.

At this crucial juncture of unifying the country, a commander of a field army like him could not afford to rest for an extended period.

It's already quite an achievement to be able to rest here for ten days or so.

After they all left, Ma Yu and Zhu Shuang also got up and left.

Lan Yu is also going to war tomorrow, and Chang Yuchun must have something to say to him. It would be tactless for the two of them to stay here any longer.

Chang Yuchun did not keep them, but asked Chang Mao to see them off.

After everyone had left, he exclaimed, "No wonder the Empress wanted to take him as her nephew; he is indeed learned and talented."

Lan Yu also said, "Yes, although I don't understand a lot of it, judging from the reactions of Shangwei and General Li, what he said is quite astonishing."

"The second brother did a good job this time, being able to get to know such a learned person."

Chang Yuchun suddenly said, "We misjudged them."

Lan Yu naturally understood what he was saying and echoed his sentiments:
"Yes, he has the ability, and with the Empress around, he really doesn't need to curry favor with us."

"Even knowing that he would be misunderstood, he still ignored the ridicule and insisted on speaking out to remind people."

"This guy really treats the second brother like a brother."

Chang Yuchun said with shame, "Not only did we misunderstand them, but we also owe them such a huge favor... I have never lost face like this in my life."

"The second son is still learning from him, isn't that a kind of human kindness?"

"We cannot be ungrateful people."

Lan Yu said, "I'm afraid this favor will be difficult to repay."

"Given his current status, there's nothing we can do to help him."

"Besides, he spoke up to save me out of brotherly affection for his second brother."

"If we insist on returning it, he might think we have tarnished their brotherhood."

Chang Yuchun said solemnly, "A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude."

"No matter what he thinks, we must remember this kindness and repay it even if it costs us our lives."

Lan Yu nodded and said, "This is only right and proper. A real man should repay kindness and avenge wrongs."

"and……"

He lowered his voice and said, "Didn't the eldest girl say that he can influence the thoughts of the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince?"

"It has already effectively influenced the formulation of the Ming Dynasty's national policies."

"That alone is enough for us to maintain a certain level of understanding with him."

Chang Yuchun nodded slightly and said, "I didn't quite understand a lot of what he said today."

"But one thing is clear: we must treat our soldiers well."

"As long as he sticks to this idea, we can support him in other government affairs."

"Moreover, he has done us a great favor, and we have every reason to support him, both publicly and privately."

Seeing that he agreed with her point of view, Lan Yu couldn't help but beam with joy and said:
"We're just too uneducated. We can't compete with those scholars in the imperial court, and we always suffer losses."

"Now that someone can speak up for us, we're no longer afraid of being bullied by those civil officials."

Chang Yuchun nodded at first, but then warned:

"With me here now and our eldest daughter in the future, as long as our family doesn't cause trouble, no one will dare to bully us."

"You should also fight the war honestly and not cause trouble for no reason."

“Especially now that you’re back in the army, there will definitely be people who will gossip about you.”

"Don't be misled by others. Cooperate well with Siben and take control of the entire army as soon as possible."

Lan Yu hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Are you really just handing over the army to him like this? You personally trained them."

Chang Yuchun said sternly, "Have you forgotten what I just said?"

“We are not an ordinary family. Others need an army to ensure their wealth and status, but we don’t.”

"As long as we are of one mind with the royal family, wealth and glory will be within our grasp."

"If you don't know what's important and try to fight for everything, you'll end up ruining things."

At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "You know those people were brought out by me."

"Does fighting a few battles with other generals mean one can switch allegiances?"

"If there really is such an idiot, then we should get rid of him as soon as possible, so that he won't stab us in the back in the future."

Lan Yu suddenly realized and said, "I knew it... Brother-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely cooperate with General Li."

Afterwards, Chang Yuchun began to instruct him on what he needed to do in the army and what he needed to pay attention to.

After all, he is my brother-in-law and his spokesperson, so I have to teach him many things step by step.
-
After leaving the Chang residence, Ma Yu and Zhu Shuang did not go straight home, but instead went to a tea and snack shop.

On the way, Zhu Shuang kept joking: "Tsk tsk, Your Majesty is wise. It is really unexpected for me to hear you say such a thing."

Ma Yu said irritably, "What? You're happy just because I called him an idiot?"

Zhu Shuang was speechless for a moment. Although he often scolded his own father, it was different from scolding him to his face.

Ma Yu continued, "Do you even understand language skills?"

“I was just flattering him on purpose so he would accept my advice, not because I really wanted to praise him.”

You need to be clear about this.

"Don't think I'm like you, talking about him while secretly treating him like a father."

Zhu Shuang rolled her eyes: "Nonsense, that really is my father. How could you not acknowledge him as your father?"

Ma Yu chuckled and said, "I don't care, anyway you're two-faced and a hypocrite."

Zhu Shuang retorted, "Pah! You're the hypocrite, I'm the real villain."

Ma Yu followed his words and said, "Fine, fine, you're a petty person. I'm not like you, I'm a gentleman."

Zhu Shuang: ...

The two bickered as they walked, and Zhu Shuang even helped push a cargo cart for someone, earning a string of thanks in return.

We soon arrived at the tea and snack shop and entered through the side door.

After all, it's a business, and as its reputation spread, business got better and better.

It's very inconvenient for people in small groups to come and go.

So Wang Yun suggested that a side door could be built, and a separate area could be set up specifically for the small group members to rest.

The other areas are designated as business areas.

Ma Yu naturally had no reason to disagree with this suggestion.

Moreover, this incident proves once again that Wang Yun is indeed quite organized in his work, and is worth getting to know better and being properly mentored.

The members of the small group who were playing inside the store all stood up to greet the two as they entered.
"Brother Ma..."

"Brother Ma..."

Unlike before, the way they called him "Brother Ma" now was very enthusiastic, and their eyes were full of respect when they looked at Ma Yu.

As for Zhu Shuang, the second prince, he became a supporting character.

Zhu Shuang himself didn't seem to mind. He casually greeted everyone and then found an empty seat to sit down.

Ma Yu also greeted everyone warmly.

Everyone whose name he called looked flattered and surprised.

Ma Yu was also quite pleased with himself, realizing that rescuing Chang Yuchun was truly the right move.

Although these people used to call him Brother Ma, it was only because of his status as Empress Ma's nephew.

In addition, Zhu Shuang and Chang Sheng both supported him.

To put it bluntly, those people don't respect him as a person, but rather the labels attached to him.

He didn't really listen to what he said.

Everything changed after he saved Chang Yuchun, despite all the criticism he faced.

He went from a poor beggar who managed to rise in social status by sheer luck to the righteous and loyal Brother Ma.

People respect him not only for the labels attached to him, but also for who he is.

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, with Chang Yuchun's connection, he was no longer the young man who relied solely on Empress Ma for support.

Rather, it is a mountain with deep roots.

They have truly earned the right to plant their own flag and become the boss.

Regardless of their previous reasons for joining the organization, Ma Yu now deserves their respect.

They all deserve to be called Brother Ma willingly.

Ma Yu naturally wouldn't really get caught up in the calls of "Brother Ma," he knew very well what he had to do.

Now that we have the right to plant our flag, it means that we can start a talent development program.

As mentioned earlier, he didn't form his small group just for fun.

The lesson of Wang Anshi's failed reforms tells us that it is difficult to succeed by going it alone. Only a group can fight against another group.

To achieve something in this world, you need a group of people to help you.

The second-generation descendants of founding heroes, with the resources of their fathers, can easily secure a place in the imperial court.

He wanted to select some talented individuals from this group of second-generation leaders in advance to cultivate them and make them his assistants in the future.

He had his eye on a few targets before, but he wasn't qualified to set his sights on them yet, and he also wanted to observe them more, so he didn't take any action.

Now that we've secured the right to plant our flag and have done our observations, it's time to move on to the next step.

After greeting everyone, he sat down near the center stage.

Located on the third floor, this place offers a commanding view.

It offers a great vantage point with views of both the stage and the area below.

There were about ten customers in the shop, which wasn't a lot.

A traditional opera performance has just finished, and the staff are cleaning up the stage.

The guests were chatting in small groups when suddenly someone called out:

"A new group of refugees recently arrived from Huaibei..."

"They said their hometown suffered another disaster and they couldn't survive there..."

"What kind of disaster? The Yellow River has diverted into the Huai River and flowed into the sea, blocking the river. It's drought when it doesn't rain, and flooding when it does..."

"What? You don't know what 'diverting the Huai River into the sea' means?"

"Come, come, before the opera singers are ready, let me tell you all about it..."

The customers in the store couldn't help but prick up their ears, eager to hear what he was saying.

Even many members of the small group were drawn to the attention.

Upon seeing this, Ma Yu knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had finally begun to take action.

Regarding this matter, some people believe it, while others do not.

Some people care, while others are indifferent and treat it as a joke.

Regardless, news about this matter has been disseminated.

After listening for a while, Ma Yu shook her head, got up and went to the conference room on the third floor.

This is a place for serious business discussions; people generally don't come here unless they have something important to discuss.

Just then, Wu Gao was doing his accounts, and Ma Yu came over to take a look and discovered that he was using numerical symbols.

He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Is this someone who went to school with Chang Sheng?"

Wu Gao said with a look of fear, "I learned it from him by stealing it. Third Brother was unaware of it. Please punish me, Brother Ma."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "What is this for? Only by popularizing knowledge can we benefit the country and its people."

“I teach them the numerical symbols in the hope that they can teach them to more people.”

At this point, he joked, "Besides, you and I are like brothers."

"What else besides one's wife cannot be shared?"

Although the atmosphere was inappropriate, Wu Gao couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, but he immediately replied, touched:

"Brother Ma is a man of unparalleled righteousness, I deeply admire him, and from now on I will follow his lead without question."

Ma Yu laughed and said, "What do you mean by following someone's lead? We're gathered together because we share the same ideals."

"Everything will naturally be decided by the brothers through discussion."

"If our ideas change in the future and we have disagreements, we can part ways amicably."

"Don't act like you're going up the mountain to become a bandit."

Wu Gao praised, "Brother Ma is truly righteous."

Ma Yu said a few words of modesty, then continued:
"You usually manage the accounts of the tea and snack shop."

"Since you're interested in mathematics, then how about this?"

"From now on, come to my house every day to study mathematics for half an hour."

Wu Gao asked in surprise, "This...is it really possible?"

Ma Yu laughed and said, "Why not? But you can't learn for nothing."

"If any of you brothers want to learn, please take some time each day to teach them."

He added, "It's not that I don't want to teach everyone, it's just inconvenient."

"Please explain this to everyone for me, so the brothers won't misunderstand."

Wu Gao finally realized that he wasn't just being polite; he was genuinely admiring him.

"Don't worry, Brother Ma, I will explain things clearly to everyone and make sure they don't misunderstand you."

Then Ma Yu assessed his mathematical ability on the spot and said it was alright, at least he didn't need any help with the basics.

Having assessed his skill level, Ma Yu began by teaching him linear equations in two variables.

When Ma Yu easily solved the difficult problem in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art using a linear equation in two variables, Wu Gao was utterly astonished.

He had never seen or heard of this method of calculation before.

It could only be the knowledge passed down in Ma Yu's family.

Brother Ma is truly a man of great righteousness, even willing to impart such profound knowledge.

Wu Gao completely submitted to Wu Gao.

Ma Yu was somewhat surprised to notice the change in his mindset.

I never expected that something as simple as binary linear equations could win people's hearts.

Then what about sequences, statistics, calculus, and so on...?

Don't be surprised, if these were actually made public, all those who study mathematics in the future would have to call themselves ancestor.

For someone with a mathematical background, a linear equation in two variables is very simple, and Wu Gao quickly mastered it.

Then Ma Yu didn't linger any longer and got up to leave.

After he left, Wu Gao gathered everyone together and told them about Ma Yu's decision.

He even took out a linear equation in two variables and personally demonstrated it to everyone.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised and admired Ma Yu even more.
-
The next day, Wu Liang's steward paid a visit with generous gifts.

The steward was very humble, apologizing repeatedly upon meeting, saying that the head of the family, Wu Liang, should have come to thank him personally.

However, he was away commanding troops and couldn't come back, and the mistress of the house couldn't come over either, so he had to visit on her behalf.

He hoped Ma Yu wouldn't blame him, and that he would personally visit to apologize when the family head returned.

Ma Yu naturally knew that this was because he had taught mathematics to Wu Gao.

This was no ordinary teaching; it was the passing down of family knowledge to Wu Gao, making him no exaggeration to call him a mentor.

If the Wu family doesn't make any response, it would only show that they don't know how to behave.

Therefore, Ma Yu did not refuse this generous gift, but simply stated that he and Wu Gao were brothers, and Wu Liang was an elder.

There is no reason for elders to visit younger generations.

He would personally visit Wu Gao's mother another day.

In short, after exchanging pleasantries, both parties were satisfied, and a good relationship was formed.

For the next period of time, Ma Yu spent most of his time at home reading, except for occasionally listening to Chang Yuchun boast.

Wu Gao would come to his house every day to study arithmetic for half an hour, and then go to the tea and snack shop to teach arithmetic to others.

Then, within a few days, people began to visit the homes of members of the small group, delivering gifts.

Through this action, Ma Yu's network of connections was instantly opened up.

In addition to Empress Ma's nephew and Chang Yuchun's savior, he also established a completely new network of relationships.

His banner is now even more valuable.

If he had done this in the past, it would have certainly drawn a lot of criticism.

But this time, everyone just watched, and no one dared to say anything out of turn.

However, Ma Yu also knows that it is not the time for her to be high-profile.

So they didn't actually plant a flag, and apart from small groups, they didn't accept anyone who tried to join them.

A few days later, Ma Ye suddenly found him and said:

"Brother, Mr. Song said he would like to visit you. I wonder when you will be available?"

He still had excitement on his face.

He knew his elder brother was no ordinary man, yet a great scholar like Mr. Song had personally come to visit him.

It still struck him as incredible.

Ma Yu paused for a moment, thinking to himself, "Has Old Man Song finally lost his temper?"

Alright, it's time to visit him.

Now is a crucial juncture in the establishment of various systems in the Ming Dynasty, and Song Lian is a person who can influence the situation.

There are indeed some things that require reaching a consensus with him.

Thinking of this, he said:

“Mr. Song is an elder, and I am a junior. It is only right that I visit him.”

"When you go to the main hall tomorrow, ask him when he will be available so I can pay him a visit."

(End of this chapter)