My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 78 Don't Bow Your Head, or Your Crown Will Fall
Ma Yu knew that Zhu Yuanzhang and others were still lacking in motivation.

What they want most right now is to restore peace to the world as soon as possible so that everyone can live in peace.

They are not particularly interested in unprecedented changes or radical transformations.

It's necessary to put some pressure on them, forcing them to speed up their progress.

If it were today, it would definitely be delivered to Zhu Yuanzhang by secret agents.

So telling Liu Bowen was actually telling Zhu Yuanzhang as well.

"Lord Liu, I have a favor to ask of you. I wonder if you could help me?"

Liu Bowen asked curiously, "Young Master Ma, please speak. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "I want to gather some information from the book."

"But this information spans thousands of years and is recorded in a scattered manner in countless books."

"It is very difficult for one person to filter them out."

"Liu Zhongcheng is a great scholar who has met many learned people and read a lot of books. I wonder if he could help me collect them?"

Liu Bowen was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but think to himself, "What do you mean?"

This young master Ma talks too erratically; why does he always like to talk about unrelated things?
Didn't we just talk about a major change that has never happened in a thousand years?
You haven't convinced me yet, why did you suddenly change the subject?
However, despite his complaints, he was also curious about Ma Yu's motives:

"What information does Young Master Ma wish to gather?"

Ma Yu said, "It's related to the climate and temperature."

Liu Bowen was even more puzzled: "Temperature?"

Ma Yu thought for a moment and decided that explaining temperature changes to him would be too complicated, so she would keep it simple and just give him an example.

"Bare, elephants, rhinoceroses and other creatures generally live in the warm south and are rarely seen in the north where the temperature is relatively low."

Liu Bowen nodded; he naturally knew this.

But he was even more confused. Why are you suddenly talking about bamboo and elephants?
Is this how you used to chat with people?
Ma Yu ignored his confusion and continued:
"But that's not always the case. At times, the north can be quite warm, and southern plants and animals can frequently be found there."

"For example, in the third year of the Jianlong era of the Northern Song Dynasty (Zhao Kuangyin), a herd of elephants migrated to Henan. Later, the court sent troops to capture and kill them in Nanyang."

"For example, rice was grown in Guanzhong during the Tang Dynasty."

"For example, during the time when King Wu of Zhou was conquering King Zhou of Shang, soldiers riding elephants were used."

"This situation indicates that the temperature in the north was relatively high during that period, which was somewhat similar to that in the south."

Liu Bowen suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is. Young Master Ma wants me to collect this kind of information to determine temperature changes?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Yes, but not entirely."

"We need to collect information not only about rising temperatures in the north, but also about falling temperatures."

"Take the Huai River as an example, it doesn't normally freeze."

"If the temperature in the north is generally low during a certain period, the Huai River will freeze."

"For example, in the sixth year of Huangchu, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, led his army to attack Eastern Wu, but was defeated because the Huai River froze."

"This means that temperatures in the north were generally lower than normal during that period."

"Of course, in addition to this information, you can also pay special attention to the rainfall situation in northern Shaanxi and the Hetao region."

"If there is a period of particularly little rainfall in these two places, it indicates that the north is generally colder."

"If these two places experience a lot of rainfall during a certain period, it indicates that the temperature in the north has entered a high-temperature period."

The expression on Liu Bowen's face had been completely replaced by shock.

Having said that, he understood Ma Yu's true purpose.

Does the temperature fluctuate periodically, getting colder and warmer?
He had farmed before and knew how sensitive crops were to temperature.

Often, just a few days' delay in planting can result in a significantly different harvest.

If temperatures drop across the north, it will be a huge disaster for agriculture.

Then, thinking back to what Ma Yu just said about the unprecedented changes in a thousand years.

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty is about to enter a period of cooling temperatures?

Thinking of this, he could no longer sit still and pressed for an answer:

"Young Master Ma, are you saying that the temperature will change like the four seasons, with periods of cold and periods of warmth, and that the Ming Dynasty is about to enter a cold period?"

Ma Yu thought to himself, "As expected of Liu Bowen, he could even guess this."

However, he did not answer the question, but instead said:

"Why ask me, Liu Zhongcheng? I have already told you the method. The truth will be known as soon as someone investigates."

Liu Bowen said angrily, "Young Master Ma, this matter is of great importance, please answer me."

You old codger, you don't care about nothing either, do you?

Ma Yu still did not give a direct answer: "Even if I tell you, you will still investigate and verify it."

"Why bother with all that?"

“If I tell you the truth, you will have other doubts.”

"Go and investigate for yourself; the truth is there."

Liu Bowen took a deep breath to calm himself down:
"Young Master Ma, have you told His Majesty about this?"

Ma Yu shrugged and said, "His Majesty will know soon."

A look of understanding appeared in Liu Bowen's eyes, and he suddenly smiled wryly:
“Young Master Ma, we have no other relationship. I really have no way to repay your kindness.”

Ma Yu said all this just to persuade him.

The two had absolutely no connection whatsoever, yet others were still trying so hard to persuade him; he appreciated the gesture.

Ma Yu was overjoyed; Old Liu wasn't an ungrateful person after all.

"I have two reasons for advising you. The first reason is what I just mentioned; Her Majesty the Empress asked me to do."

"The second reason is that you are a person who is willing to do practical things for the people. The Ming Dynasty is in dire need of people like you to stand up and rebuild."

At this point, Ma Yu sighed and said, "You are knowledgeable and experienced, you should know how powerful the local gentry and clans are."

"The Ming Dynasty must also confront this problem."

“During the Yuan Dynasty, you dared to confront the powerful gentry and landlords and uphold justice for the people.”

“In the Ming Dynasty, you dare to defy power and say no to the powerful and wealthy.”

"If you take the lead in cracking down on powerful clans and gentry, it will be a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and for all the people."

"I used to be puzzled by many of your actions, but I understand now after talking with you today."

"Your ambition is not to fight for power and profit in the central government, but to do practical things at the grassroots level."

Liu Bowen sighed, "My parents gave me life, but it is Master Ma who truly understands me."

Ma Yu was secretly overjoyed. "See? I told you I had the potential to be your father. You admitted it yourself."

On the surface, however, he said in a serious tone: "Knowing people and appointing them to appropriate positions is the most basic quality of an emperor."

"You are the way you are now, it's not your fault, it's the emperor's fault for making mistakes in how he uses people."

"He shouldn't get you involved in the power struggles at court; instead, he should put you in charge of local development."

Liu Bowen was greatly alarmed and said in fear, "Young Master Ma, be careful with your words and do not speak ill of His Majesty."

"How to appoint people is a matter of the emperor's mind and decision; how can we, his subjects, offer any opinion?"

Ma Yu sneered, "Heh, you've suddenly become loyal."

Seeing that Liu Bowen wanted to explain, he waved his hand and said:

"Just kidding, don't take it seriously. Let's stop here for today."

"Don't rush to resign. Gather all the information I've given you, and I'll tell you what will happen later."

Liu Bowen knew this was a reminder that it was time for him to leave.

Although he had a lot more to say, he knew that saying anything now would be superfluous.

The most urgent task is to collect information on temperature changes.

He then stood up to express his sincere gratitude and promised that he would do everything in his power to gather relevant information upon returning home.

After seeing him off, Ma Yu breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled happily.

Another laborer found, perfect.

The temperature change cycle he mentioned is what he referred to in his previous life as the Little Ice Age.

In today's world, it would be very difficult to verify this matter in any civilization.

Only China can do it.

There's no other reason; our ancestors simply liked to write things down whenever they had free time.

Those who are capable should write history.

Many of the historical books we see today were compiled by private individuals.

It wasn't until the Tang Dynasty that the state officially began compiling official histories.

Even so, the practice of compiling history among the common people remained prevalent.

Those who lacked the ability to write history would still write travelogues, notes, and other works.

These books all record some of the circumstances at the time.

Although most of these books were damaged during their transmission.

However, some of them will still survive.

The one who truly dealt a devastating blow to these folk books was Emperor Zhangzong of the Qing Dynasty.

Under the guise of repairing books, they actually destroyed them, and the number of books destroyed was ten or even a hundred times the size of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries).

Fortunately, it was the early Ming Dynasty, so there were still many books of various kinds that could be collected.

You might find the relevant information in some book.

However, due to the poor communication in ancient times, it was very difficult to collect these books from the people.

Finding relevant information from a vast sea of ​​books is even more difficult.

Ma Yu doesn't have the ability to do that.

Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed capable, but his every move was under intense public scrutiny.

Once something is done, it's hard to hide it from people.

It's best not to let too many people know about this until the matter is thoroughly investigated.

Otherwise, someone might take the opportunity to cause trouble.

Liu Bowen would be quite suitable for this job.

It's worth noting that he, along with Song Lian and Gao Qi, was known as one of the three great masters of the early Ming Dynasty.

There are no problems with his scholarship or reputation.

The key is that he's not rigid; he knows how to be flexible, so there's no need to worry about him leaking information about the Little Ice Age.

Moreover, talented people are hard to find, and we should try to save as many as we can.

It wasn't that Ma Yu wanted to be a savior or anything; the main issue was that the Ming Dynasty truly lacked capable people when it came to governing the country.

Although Liu Bowen was not a pure person, he was at least someone who dared to do things and was willing to do things, which was better than villains like Hu Weiyong and Yang Xian.

He also wanted to see what Li Shanchang's attitude would be if Liu Bowen did not resign but was instead given an important position.

Wow, this is lively.

Just as he was lost in thought, Zhu Shuang suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said:
"What are you thinking about? I called you several times and you didn't respond."

Ma Yu then pulled him back to the main hall and asked in return:
"Didn't you go to the shop? Why are you back?"

Zhu Shuang sat sprawled out in his chair and said:
"It's a mess over there now, so I came back because it was boring."

Because of Zhu Yuanzhang's personal approval, small organizations have now become highly sought-after.

Who wouldn't want to be the crown prince?

Many sons of powerful and wealthy families were eager to join.

However, while the tea shop welcomes all guests, obtaining a waist tag is difficult.

Ma Yu set up several levels of hurdles; only by passing all the assessments could one become a member of the small organization.

I showed everyone with my actions that you used to ignore me, but now you can't even reach me.

Even so, the shop was still packed with speculators every day.

Zhu Shuang went there a few times and got tired of it, so naturally he didn't want to stay there any longer.

In fact, Ma Yu didn't like the current situation either, but he knew how to control his emotions.

Among these people, there might be future allies, so we can't afford to offend them carelessly.

However, one thing no one expected was that, thanks to the selfless contributions of these speculators, the tea shop actually turned a profit.

They've made quite a bit of money. Ma Yu's previous promise to use the money for charity can finally be fulfilled.

At this point, Zhu Shuang asked again, "Liu Bowen left so quickly? Did the meeting not go well?"

Ma Yu said smugly, "How could that be? Don't you know who I am?"

"After just a couple of sentences, Lao Liu was so moved that he started treating me like his father."

Zhu Shuang scoffed, "Tch... Keep bragging."

However, since Ma Yu actually called him "Old Liu," it was clear they were having a pleasant conversation. Curious, he asked:
"Old Liu may seem smooth and diplomatic, but he's actually very principled and hard to persuade."

"What exactly did you say to him?"

Ma Yu then gave a brief account of their conversation.

Zhu Shuang was completely unconcerned about temperature changes; instead, he was very interested in the unprecedented changes of the past millennium.

"You're not lying, are you? Is this really a once-in-a-millennium change?"

Ma Yu rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not so bored as to lie about something this big."

"For civilization, this world is a dark jungle."

“Every civilization is both a hunter with a knife and the prey of other civilizations.”

"We are walking in the dark, trying our best to hide ourselves from being discovered, while at the same time trying every means to find out where the other party is in advance."

"Then deliver a fatal blow to the enemy, devour everything they have, and grow stronger."

Zhu Shuang frowned and said, "What you're saying is too barbaric."

"Dark jungle? The world is only so big, who doesn't know who? How can you hide yourself?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "You've read history books, so you should know how big the original territory of China was."

"How did the Ming Dynasty come to be such a vast empire?"

"Where did all the people who used to live in these places go? Where did their culture go?"

"To give another example, you should know about the ancient Shu Kingdom, right?"

"After being destroyed by the Qin state, how many of its deeds have been passed down?"

Zhu Shuang immediately fell silent; there was no better example than himself.

Ma Yu continued, "Chinese civilization is quite good; it is inclusive."

"After eliminating the opponent, it will not destroy the opponent, but will absorb and integrate it into itself."

"Therefore, those conquered cultures also became part of us and were recorded in history books."

"The fact that some of the ancient Shu Kingdom's stories have been passed down is also thanks to this."

"Other civilizations don't have this kind of inclusiveness. Once they conquer another civilization, they will completely destroy everything there."

“Write, books, beliefs, and so on, erase everything that happened there.”

"Then, we will write a completely new chapter with our own culture."

Zhu Shuang's expression also turned solemn. To be destroyed and forgotten was unacceptable.

Ma Yu sighed and said, "As for hiding, you can hide your strength and ambition."

"Take advantage of someone's inattention and deliver a fatal blow."

"Of course, we must also guard against others using the same tactics against us."

"Learn more about the outside world; only in this way can you gain a more accurate understanding of it."

"Only then can I understand why I say that we are facing a great change that is unprecedented in a thousand years."

Zhu Shuang stroked his chin and said, "My father has been sending people to collect information from beyond the realm. I'll ask him for it later and see what the situation is."

At this point, he seemed to remember something, and his whole demeanor became excited:

"If we really have to fight against extraterrestrial civilizations, would I have the opportunity to lead troops into battle?"

Ma Yu thought to himself, "You've finally figured it out, kid. All my lessons to you every day have paid off."

"That's for sure. You are a prince of the Ming Dynasty and you know military strategy. If we were to fight against a civilization from outside the region, you would definitely be the main force."

"But don't get too excited yet. Given your dad's personality, he'll most likely prefer to avoid trouble."

"Moreover, the current task for the Ming Dynasty is to carry out reforms and stabilize its internal affairs."

"Even if we were to go to war with extraterrestrial civilizations, it would be twenty or thirty years from now."

Zhu Shuang's interest remained undiminished, and he said, "I was only forty years old back then, in my prime."

As he spoke, he jumped off the chair and shouted in a childish, adolescent voice:

"Behold me commanding thousands of troops, sweeping across the battlefield."

"Let the enemy tremble and kneel down to surrender at the mere mention of my name."

"At that time, the world will know my name: Zhu Shuang, Prince of the Ming Dynasty."

"Ugh!" Ma Yu clutched her stomach and pretended to vomit.

Zhu Shuang said nonchalantly, "You're all talk, you won't get the chance."

"However, I am merciful and compassionate, so I will appoint you as my number one lackey."

"I'll take you with me to become famous throughout the world."

Ma Yu pounded the table with her fist in regret, wishing she hadn't told him those cringeworthy anime stories from her past life.

Zhu Shuang laughed loudly, "No need to be so touched, we're brothers after all."

Jokes are jokes.

After the jokes, Zhu Shuang asked seriously, "Can Old Liu really be relied on?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "He stood firmly on the side and did not betray us during such a good opportunity as the Battle of Poyang Lake."

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has gained control of the country, it will soon be time to reap the fruits of victory, so he has even less reason to betray us."

"Besides, even if he still has some affection for the Northern Yuan court, it's actually a good thing."

"This shows that he is not an ungrateful person."

"What the Ming Dynasty needs to do is not to doubt him, but to value him even more than the Yuan Dynasty, so that he will wholeheartedly lean towards the Ming Dynasty."

"Moreover, Liu Bowen represented not only himself, but also a large group of Yuan Dynasty officials who had surrendered."

"Among these surrendered officials, many were parasites, but quite a few genuinely wanted to do practical things."

"The newly established Ming Dynasty needs talent everywhere. It would not be worthwhile to just abandon them all."

"With a little screening, recruiting those who are truly talented and willing to work can help the Ming Dynasty get back on track ahead of schedule."

Zhu Shuang nodded: "What you said makes sense."

Ma Yu changed the subject and continued, "Actually, both your father and Lao Liu are responsible for Lao Liu's situation."

Zhu Shuang asked curiously, "Oh, tell me your thoughts."

Ma Yu said, "Your father's responsibility lies with him; he failed to recognize and appoint capable people."

"Liu Bowen clearly didn't want to get involved in factional struggles; he just wanted to do something practical. But your father insisted that he oppose Li Shanchang."

"In the end, they drove a perfectly good person to become disloyal and alienated."

"Actually, your father should really read Mencius and learn how to handle the relationship between ruler and subject."

"Does he really think that if he becomes emperor, everyone else will be loyal to him?"

"Also, your dad is sometimes a bit stingy."

"Didn't he often take Emperor Wen of Han as his role model?"

"How magnanimous Emperor Wen of Han was!"

"Once, Emperor Wen of Han was chatting with Feng Tang and lamented that he did not have generals like Lian Po and Li Mu, otherwise he would not have been afraid of the Xiongnu."

"Feng Tang put it bluntly: even if you have people like Lian Po and Li Mu, you might not be able to discover and give them important positions."

Emperor Wen of Han was very angry, but he did not lash out; he simply hid in the palace and brooded.

"It'll be fine in a little while, then you can go about your business."

“If it were your father, Feng Tang would have been torn to pieces.”

"Relationships between people are built through interaction. Even before your father became emperor, he was still able to treat scholars with respect."

"Once he became emperor, he put on quite a show."

At this point, Ma Yu recalled a joke and said with a smile:

"What's that saying again? Don't bow your head, or your crown will fall."

Instead of being angry when his own father was being swatted by crickets, Zhu Shuang became more and more excited as he listened.

"Well said, Lao Ma, you're absolutely right."

"Don't bow your head, or your crown will fall."

"Hahaha... How did you come up with that? It's hilarious."

Ma Yu suppressed a laugh and said in a serious tone, "Ahem, your father values ​​the crown on his head too much."

"But little did they know, the true crown lay not on his head, but in the hearts of the people."

Zhu Shuang nodded repeatedly: "You're right, that's exactly the kind of person my father is, always pretending to be serious."

Ma Yu finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

In fact, why did he suddenly say these words to Zhu Shuang?

Was this meant for Zhu Shuang?

No, it was said to Zhu Yuanzhang.

If Zhu Yuanzhang said that to his face, he would definitely lose face.

But when these words were put into writing and presented to him as an observer, he found them easier to accept.

Of course, I'll still be very angry.

As for who to vent your anger on...

Ma Yu glanced at Zhu Shuang, who was still laughing uncontrollably, and silently mourned for him for three seconds.

Cousin, I'm sorry to have wronged you.

Who made you laugh so happily?

If I don't beat you up, will your dad still be your dad?

After laughing, Ma Yu continued:

"Liu Bowen's responsibility lies in doing the right thing at the wrong time."

Zhu Shuang immediately understood his meaning and agreed:

"Killing corrupt officials was the right thing to do, but at that time, the Ming Dynasty was at a critical juncture in unifying the country, and the most important thing was unity."

"Moreover, Li Shanchang is the head of the civil officials, and half of the people in the court have connections with him."

“If he quits, the consequences will be too severe.”

“After this happened, my father could only comfort Li Shanchang, and Lao Liu felt that he was being suspected.”

Ma Yu nodded, then shook her head and said, "Your father has never really trusted Lao Liu, plus Lao Liu really did a rough job with this."

"With his intelligence, he couldn't possibly have failed to realize that it was not the right time to take action against Li Shanchang, yet he still did it anyway."

"No matter how you look at it, his actions seem to be undermining internal unity and sabotaging the cause of unification."

"It's understandable that your father has doubts about him."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shuang frowned slightly: "Then why did he still kill Li Bin?"

Ma Yu shook his head and replied, "I don't know. People aren't purely rational; they often do things that even they find strange."

"Of course, there is also the possibility that he believes that although the Ming Dynasty has not yet unified the world, it is already unstoppable."

"After the world is unified, many people will have different ideas."

"He felt that this was an opportunity to make an example of someone and deter those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of him."

Zhu Shuang thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Ma Yu sighed, "In short, due to communication problems, this matter has escalated to such an unmanageable state today."

"I only hope that my efforts have not been in vain, and that Lao Liu can serve the Ming Dynasty with peace of mind."

Zhu Shuang said confidently, "I believe your efforts will not be in vain."

Before Liu Bowen could make a move, Zhu Yuanzhang became restless.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the chief eunuch Sun Fu came to knock on the door.

Ma Yu was eating at the time and even invited, "Would you like to have some, Eunuch Sun?"

Sun Fu said anxiously, "Oh my young master, please come with me to the palace."

(End of this chapter)