My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 79 The clothes almost came undone.

Ma Yu was already mentally prepared for Zhu Yuanzhang's invitation to enter the palace.

If he could still sit still after hearing what Liu Bowen said yesterday, he wouldn't be Zhu Yuanzhang.

However, Ma Yu was not in a hurry to enter the palace. While eating his fried eggs, he said:
"The morning court session is about to start, and it will be an hour or two before he finishes. What's the rush?"

"Come on, come on, don't be shy, have some first."

Sun Fu paced anxiously, "Oh dear, you have no idea, I even skipped today's morning court session just to see Your Majesty."

"Please don't make things difficult for this old servant, come with me now."

What?
Ma Yu was shocked. Zhu Yuanzhang, this work machine, had actually stopped holding court.
I knew he would pay close attention to this matter, but I didn't expect him to care so much.

This is no time to waste, otherwise if this stinking beggar really gets angry, I'll be the one who suffers.

He quickly stuffed the remaining half of the fried egg into his mouth, drank the rice soup in a few gulps, and prepared to follow them into the palace.

He had just gotten up when he suddenly stopped.

No, we can't just go to the palace like this.

Yesterday I really gave that stinking beggar a good beating, and he might suffer if he enters the palace like this.

Thinking of this, his eyes darted around, and he said to Sun Fu:
"Please wait a moment, Eunuch Sun."

After saying that, he ran to the side courtyard and shouted, "Second Brother, Zhu Second Brother, come out quickly!"

Zhu Shuang dried his wet hair with a towel and came out of the room, saying:
"What's wrong? Calling back the soul?"

He was covered in sweat after his morning exercise and had just taken a shower.

Ma Yu feigned anxiety and said, "Your father wants us to go to the palace to see him immediately; even the morning court session has been suspended."

Zhu Shuang immediately guessed that it was caused by yesterday's topic:
"You said it yourself, so you can go. Why are you calling me over?"

Ma Yu said calmly, "Perhaps there's something I need to tell you to do later, after all, you're in charge of a portion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Stop dawdling and come with me to the palace."

"Your dad is so stingy. If we delay any longer, he might just pick a fight and scold us."

Upon hearing this, Sun Fu, who had followed, stumbled and nearly fell.

Then, without saying a word, he turned around and ran back. I didn't hear anything.

Zhu Shuang didn't suspect anything and nodded, saying, "That's right, I'll change my clothes in a bit."

After saying that, he glanced at Sun Fu, who was fleeing in a disheveled state, and said mockingly:

"Grandpa Sun is timid, don't scare him into becoming like Chang Mao."

Chang Mao is still afraid of Ma Yu's mouth.

Ma Yu herself found the whole thing hilarious, and would tease him on purpose whenever she had a spare moment.

So much so that now, unless one of the four people—Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, and Chang Yuchun—is present, it's impossible to know.

Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to stay with Ma Yu.

Of course, the two had a very close relationship and didn't really mean to mock Chang Mao.

People just occasionally joke about it.

Soon after, Zhu Shuang changed his clothes, went to the front yard to find Sun Fu, and together they headed to the palace.

Sun Fu originally wanted to remind him that His Majesty only consulted Young Master Ma, not the Second Prince.

But when he thought of what Ma Yu had just said about Zhu Yuanzhang, he immediately shut his mouth.

I'm just a lowly eunuch who relays orders; why should I worry about so many things?

Soon the group entered the palace and bumped into officials returning from the court.

They were only informed upon arriving at the main hall that there would be no court session that day.

People were initially worried that the emperor might be unwell, given that Zhu Yuanzhang was known as a workaholic.

True minor injuries do not keep one from the front lines.

The sudden suspension of court proceedings without any apparent reason naturally caused concern among the people.

Even though the eunuch repeatedly emphasized that His Majesty had suffered from insomnia the previous night and, since there were no major events recently, wanted to rest for a day, the emperor was still unable to sleep.

The courtiers remained somewhat worried.

Li Shanchang, Song Lian, and others immediately requested to see the emperor.

This is actually the rule.

If the emperor fails to attend court without a valid reason, high-ranking officials such as the prime minister have the right to see the emperor.

If they refuse to grant an audience, then it means there's something wrong with the emperor.

The prime minister has the authority to take emergency measures.

This was also to protect the emperor from being kidnapped by people in the inner palace.

Therefore, when Li Shanchang, Song Lian, and others requested to see the emperor, the eunuchs did not dare to stop them.

The group was relieved to see that Zhu Yuanzhang was safe and sound when they arrived at the Qianqing Palace.

If any other monarch dared to skip court, they would certainly be questioned about why they didn't attend court.

However, when Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the court, the officials had no objections at all; on the contrary, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

So even emperors aren't made of iron; they do know how to rest.

Great.

Then everyone paid their respects to the dragon throne according to the established procedure, and the court session ended.

This delay allowed them to run into Ma Yu and Zhu Shuang, who were entering the palace.

Most people didn't think much of it, only marveling at how favored Ma Yu was, able to come and go from the palace so easily.

A minority of people, however, felt that this was abnormal.

Sun Fu was also there, which clearly meant that the emperor had sent someone to bring them here.

And judging from the time, they must have gone there very early in the morning.

Why did the emperor summon Ma Yu so early in the morning when he was not attending court? Is there something he needs to discuss?

Li Shanchang thought about it the most, but with so little information, he couldn't come up with any clues at all.

He could only snort coldly and went to the Prime Minister's residence to work.

Song Lian watched Ma Yu's figure, his heart filled with regret.

What an outstanding young man, it's a pity we're on different paths.

Wang Guangyang, Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian, and others all wore thoughtful expressions.

This young master Ma is truly favored.

The emperor finally got a break, but he still had to summon him to the palace.

It seems I need to interact with him more.

If Liu Bowen were here, he would surely be able to guess the truth.

Unfortunately, he took sick leave after meeting Ma Yu yesterday and will not be attending court for the next few days.

Ma Yu was unaware of what the courtiers were thinking and followed Sun Fu all the way to the Qianqing Palace.

Just as Sun Fu was about to go in to announce his arrival, the eunuch at the door said:
"His Majesty has decreed that Young Master Ma may enter directly upon arrival without prior notice."

Ma Yu shrugged and entered the main hall with Zhu Shuang.

Sun Fu was about to follow him inside when the eunuch stopped him, saying:
"Please wait, Your Majesty. His Majesty has said that no one except Young Master Ma is allowed to enter the main hall."

Sun Fu straightened his back, flicked his whisk, and said calmly:

"Well done."

The eunuch quickly smiled obsequiously and said, "It was all His Majesty's order. I had no choice. Please forgive me."

Sun Fu then said with satisfaction, "You're quite clever."

That haughty demeanor completely concealed any trace of his previous humility.

On the other side, Ma Yu entered the main hall and found that there wasn't even a single eunuch to serve him, which immediately made him feel uneasy.

Sure enough, no sooner had they exchanged greetings than Zhu Yuanzhang walked over and kicked him in the backside:
"We'll teach you to be short-sighted."

Another kick: "We'll teach you to be stingy."

Another kick: "We'll make your crown fall off."

Ma Yu was furious: "What right do you have to hit me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang kicked again: "We're stingy, what's wrong with that?"

Ma Yu: *&%￥#@
Zhu Shuang, who was standing nearby, was overjoyed to see him get beaten up.
"Haha... Good job, Dad! You should teach him a lesson and make him cricket at you every day."

He should have kept quiet, because once he opened his mouth, he immediately drew Zhu Yuanzhang's attention.

He walked over and kicked her: "You like to put on airs, don't you?"

Another kick: "Let's kick that little beast to death."

Zhu Shuang instinctively said, "How could you scold yourself..."

You're my father, and I'm a little beast, so what are you?

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening, and immediately flew into a rage:
"We'll beat you to death today, you little...unfilial son."

Zhu Shuang realized he had said the wrong thing and ran outside.
"I'll go pay my respects to Mother. Father, you go ahead with your work."

Upon seeing this, Ma Yu also followed suit, leaving behind a furious Zhu Yuanzhang.

Reaching the entrance, the two glanced at each other, said nothing, and turned to run towards Kunning Palace.

Sun Fu and the others were left completely bewildered.

What's going on?
Sun Fu was peeking into the main hall when he saw Zhu Yuanzhang chasing after him with a dark face.

He quickly shrank back, pretending he knew nothing. Only after Zhu Yuanzhang had passed did he breathe a sigh of relief, and he hurriedly followed at a distance with several eunuchs.

In her heart, however, she kept lamenting that she shouldn't have let Young Master Ma and the Second Prince enter the palace together.

Why didn't they have the courage to stop the Second Prince back then?

Ma Yu and Zhu Shuang jogged all the way to Kunning Palace, where Zhu Biao and Zhu Gang were also present.

Zhu Di and Xu Miaoyun played with their younger siblings nearby.

This time, Ma Yu didn't even bow; he rushed directly to Empress Ma's side.
"Auntie, I got hit! Waaaaaah!"

Zhu Shuang was completely taken aback by his performance and stared at him in shock, momentarily forgetting to bow.

Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, Zhu Gang, and others were all startled, and Zhu Di and the others who were playing also looked over curiously.

After realizing what was happening, Empress Ma flew into a rage:
"This is outrageous! Who has the audacity to hit you? They're showing no respect for me!"

Zhu Biao and Zhu Gang were equally furious; this was their own cousin!

Hitting him would be tantamount to slapping the royal family in the face; who would dare to be so audacious?
While wiping away imaginary tears, Ma Yu said:
"Forget it, the other side is too powerful, we can't beat them."

Empress Ma was about to speak when she seemed to remember something.

He first looked thoughtful, then his expression turned to one of bewilderment, a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Zhu Gang, however, did not think so much and suddenly stood up and said:
"Cousin, don't be afraid, tell me who that person is."

"I want to see who he is, that he dares to be so presumptuous."

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice came: "It's me. You want to help him get revenge?"

"Huh?" Zhu Gang was dumbfounded.

He glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was walking quickly towards him, and then at Ma Yu, who looked aggrieved.

He opened his mouth again and again, but couldn't utter a single word.

Zhu Biao also realized what was happening and wore the same expression of being both amused and exasperated.

This cousin of mine is such a goofball.

Seeing that the third brother seemed a little embarrassed, he smiled and smoothed things over:
"You don't have much contact with your cousin, but you'll find out later; that's just his personality."

Zhu Shuang, naturally, also saw the situation, and said through gritted teeth:
“Dad only called him over, but he was afraid of getting beaten, so he lied to me and said that Dad called both of us over.”

"As soon as I arrived at Qianqing Palace, my father kicked me several times, and my clothes almost came ripped."

After saying that, he pointed to several clear footprints on his buttocks.

He only realized he had been tricked by Ma Yu after he was beaten up.

Zhu Gang looked down and saw that it was indeed true. He felt relieved and then smiled speechlessly:

"Cousin, really... I thought you were really being bullied."

Ma Yu said aggrievedly, "I was bullied and kicked several times for no reason."

Empress Ma gently patted his head and said:
"If you continue spouting nonsense, I'll hand you over to His Majesty for punishment."

Ma Yu quickly shut her mouth, not daring to say anything more.

As they were talking, Zhu Yuanzhang also came over, and Zhu Biao and the others quickly bowed.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, and seeing Ma Yu complaining, he was furious and kicked him in the buttocks again.

He didn't actually use much force, but Ma Yu still shouted:
"Ouch, it hurts! Auntie, help me!"

Empress Ma pointed a finger at his forehead and said irritably:
"Deserved it."

Zhu Biao, Consort Chang, Xu Miaoyun, and the others couldn't help but laugh.

Zhu Gang couldn't help but smile, and the slight resentment that had just arisen in his heart completely disappeared. Instead, he felt that this was what family was all about.

Zhu Biao also took this opportunity to tell Zhu Gang about how Ma Yu often cricketed Zhu Yuanzhang.

Of course, this is a simplified version.

“Yesterday, this kid was muttering about our dad again, and the second son was muttering along with him, so our dad is scolding them.”

Zhu Di also quietly crept over and said:
“My cousin is bad; he bullies little kids like me.”

He clearly realized that he had been fooled by Ma Yu earlier.

Zhu Gang nodded repeatedly and couldn't help but laugh, "My cousin is really interesting. I always thought he was a very serious person."

After all, Ma Yu appeared very serious when he came out, and he also had exceptional knowledge.

Zhu Gang subconsciously assumed that he was a very serious person.

I only found out today that my cousin Ma is actually quite interesting.

Instead of feeling unfamiliar, I felt even more at ease.

Zhu Biao seemed to remember something and laughed, "That mouth of his! Chang Mao was fooled by him, and now he doesn't dare to be alone with him."

"You'll understand once you get to know them better."

Zhu Gang nodded. In the past, he only recognized Ma Yu's scholarship, and he didn't really care about whether they were relatives or not.

Therefore, he and Ma Yu have always been distant and have hardly communicated.

But today's events allowed him to see another side of Ma Yu and to truly accept this relative.

Now that you've accepted it, we should naturally get to know each other better in the future.

After some playful banter, the eunuchs were dismissed, and the group finally got down to business.

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and said, "Is the unprecedented upheaval you mentioned true?"

A major transformation unprecedented in a millennium?
Zhu Gang was unaware of the full story and was therefore quite shocked.

What could possibly warrant such praise?

Ma Yu said solemnly, "Of course it is true. Since Your Majesty has learned about the outside world, you should know that the world is not just this corner of the earth where we live."

"They are very backward now, far less powerful than China."

"However, civilization and technology progress through exchange."

"It was the impact of Buddhism that gave rise to Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, and the philosophy of mind."

"It was precisely through the exchange of technology that iron smelting techniques came into being."

"The temperature required for iron smelting is higher than that required for bronze smelting."

"The earliest sources of fire that people had access to could not melt iron ore."

"Later, some tribes modified the fuel and obtained fuel that was more durable and had a higher temperature."

"Another tribe improved the stove and increased the temperature."

"When the technologies of these two tribes were combined, a furnace capable of melting iron ore was created."

"When this technology was passed to the third tribe, they used it to smelt iron ore, and thus iron smelting was born."

"If these tribes had not exchanged technologies at that time, the emergence of iron smelting technology might have been much later."

"It might never even happen."

For example, Australia has iron ore deposits, but its isolated environment and sparse population make it impossible to develop smelting technology.

The Americas are a different story altogether, with their high-temperature furnaces and abundant metal reserves.

However, the mineral deposits there are mostly buried very deep.

Without metal tools, it is very difficult for people to dig out metal deposits buried deep underground.

However, there are no metal deposits, and metals cannot be smelted.

We're stuck in a vicious cycle.

"Western nations and several civilizations are engaged in intense exchanges."

"Frequent exchanges will inevitably promote the rapid development of their civilization and technology."

"Moreover, the Mongols also brought with them Chinese technology during their westward expeditions."

"If we shut ourselves off from the world, they will eventually leave us behind."

"Therefore, we must maintain communication with them; only in this way can we stimulate ourselves to keep evolving."

"Only then can we ensure that they don't surpass us."

"Therefore, we are about to enter an era in which we live alongside civilizations from beyond our borders."

"We must learn to communicate with these neighbors and how to deal with their challenges."

Apart from Zhu Shuang, Zhu Biao and the others all felt... wasn't this a bit of an exaggeration?
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, was unconvinced.

How can those tiny Western countries, which are constantly undermining each other, ride roughshod over us?

Ma Yu couldn't help but shake her head; it seemed that it would be difficult to change their minds based on this alone.

Let's serve the main course then.

Little Ice Age.

Thinking about this, Ma Yu felt a little helpless.

No wonder many religions come up with the concept of the end of the world; the fear of the future can really motivate people to do things they wouldn't normally dare to do.

All I can say is, thank goodness for the Little Ice Age.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang to take the initiative.

Now things are actually simpler.

I'll wait until you verify the existence of the Little Ice Age before I tell you that the Americas have high-yield, high-quality crops. I bet you'll be tempted.

Then you, you stinking beggar, will be begging me to launch a great sea voyage.

However, things should be done step by step. Let's start with the Little Ice Age.

(End of this chapter)