My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 92 Kidnapping
Suzhou, Xiangcheng, Lingying Palace.

An elderly man with white hair and beard is explaining the principles of Yin and Yang numerology to a middle-aged man in his thirties.

This should have been a harmonious scene.

Strangely, the teacher was a Taoist priest, while the student attending the class was a Buddhist monk.

Neither of them felt there was anything wrong with their partnership.

One taught with dedication, and the other listened attentively.

"...Daoyan, you are well-versed in the three teachings, and your erudition is no less than that of anyone in this world."

"However, your talent is too sharp to be concealed. If you rashly seek an official position, you may encounter setbacks."

"But if you can escape this calamity unscathed, and then spend several years honing your skills and shedding your sharp edges, you will surely achieve great things."

After a long silence, the monk Daoyan said, "What you say is very true, Master."

"However, with the world about to be unified and everything in need of rebuilding, this is the best time for us to realize our ambitions."

"How can I possibly calm down?"

Xi Yingzhen sighed: "To be a politician, one must be able to endure loneliness, resist temptations, and withstand hardships."

"You can do the latter two, but the former... that will be your biggest weakness."

Dao Yan retorted, "If one does not experience hardships, how can one refine one's true nature to a smooth and thorough state?"

Xi Yingzhen shook her head and said, "Enough, enough. Your knowledge is already no less than mine, and you are eloquent in Buddhism. I can't argue with you."

Just when Dao Yan thought he was about to give up trying to persuade her, Xi Yingzhen suddenly changed the subject and said:
"I have a premonition that my time is coming to an end. You are my most outstanding disciple. I hope you can accompany me on my final journey and observe three years of mourning for me."

Dao Yan smiled wryly: "Teacher, you..."

He really wanted to say, "Teacher, stop joking around. With your level of cultivation, would you care about such a mundane custom as mourning?"
But he knew in his heart that Xi Yingzhen truly didn't care about worldly etiquette and was doing this to keep him trapped for a longer period of time.

Let him learn patience in silence.

The key point is that Xi Yingzhen's move was an open scheme, and no matter how smart he was, he couldn't refuse it.

Of course, he had many ways to avoid observing the mourning period.

However, if he actually did that, he wouldn't be able to get past his own conscience.

Therefore, once Xi Yingzhen opened his mouth, it was destined that he would be confined to this corner of the world and unable to make any moves in the short term.

Xi Yingzhen looked at his disciple's bitter face and laughed like a mischievous child.

No matter how knowledgeable or eloquent you are, you can't overcome the hurdle of the fundamental bond between teacher and student.

However, at that moment, the door was pushed open with a bang, and seven or eight burly men in black filed in, subtly surrounding them.

The master and apprentice were shocked. What was going on?
They even exchanged a glance: Did you cause this trouble?
The last man to enter, a burly man in his thirties, greeted us with a broad smile and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect:
"My name is Jiang Rufeng. I am here on the orders of my host to invite you two to be my guests."

guest?

Looking at these fierce-looking, burly men, the master and apprentice knew that being a guest wouldn't be so easy.

Dao Yan then got up to speak.

But as soon as he moved, the two burly men beside him looked at him with cold eyes, and even raised the knives they were holding.

Dao Yan's heart sank even further.

Jiang Rufeng laughed and said, "Oh, don't be rude to the master."

The two men took a step back, but their eyes remained fixed on Dao Yan's every move.

Such elites cannot be cultivated by ordinary people.

Who exactly is looking for them?

Dao Yan's mind raced as he recalled everyone he knew and had ever met, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Xi Yingzhen was much more straightforward and asked directly:
"May I ask who your master is? And what business do you have with us?"

Jiang Rufeng smiled and said, "You'll know when you get there, Master."

Seeing the other person's expression, Xi Yingzhen immediately knew that she wouldn't get any information out of them.

He immediately stopped trying to get information out of them and said, "I'll inform the people in the temple so they won't worry."

Jiang Rufeng still smiled and said, "No need, someone will naturally inform them of their whereabouts."

Xi Yingzhen's heart sank. Could it be that the disciples outside had already been killed?

But why didn't we hear any sound?
Dao Yan also wore a solemn expression.

Jiang Rufeng seemed to have guessed what the two were thinking and said:

"Rest assured, both of you, all the disciples in the temple are safe and sound."

Without waiting for their response, he asked someone nearby for two black cloth bags and threw them in front of them:
"Both of you are highly respected and dignified people, so I don't need to force you, do I?"

The master and apprentice exchanged a glance, knowing there was no room for resistance, and decisively picked up the black bag and put it over their heads.

Jiang Rufeng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this; this was a genuine guest, and he dared not offend him.

Now that the other party is so cooperative after being intimidated, he is spared the role of the villain.

After the two men put on their hoods, he waved his hand and four burly men stepped forward to restrain them, and everyone quickly left.

After leaving the room, Xi Yingzhen and Daoyan listened intently to the sounds coming from inside the temple.

Upon hearing the faint sounds coming from the front hall, they were all somewhat relieved.

At least the other side didn't go on a killing spree.

Based on their familiarity with the terrain, they then realized that the group had swaggered out the back door.

Clearly, there was an inside agent for the other side within the temple, and this agent must have held a certain status.

Only in this way can the inside agent transfer everyone in the backyard away, allowing the other side to break in and take them away without alerting anyone else.

From this perspective, the other party must have started planning this a long time ago.

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't figure out who it was.

After all, the chaotic times were not truly over, and there were many people qualified to train so many elite soldiers.

The key question is, why did the other party kidnap him and his master?

To become a strategist and contend for supremacy?

Although they were both proud of their knowledge, they also knew that their reputation as master and apprentice was not great.

When Zhang Shicheng occupied Suzhou, he did not give Xi Yingzhen a prominent position.

Moreover, with the world about to be unified, even if someone is still unwilling to give up, they wouldn't go so far as to come here to kidnap their master and disciple.

But apart from their vast knowledge, the master and apprentice couldn't think of anything else that others would remember them for.

Before long, the master and apprentice were loaded onto the carriage.

The other party did not take a detour to deliberately make them lose their way, but drove the car directly to the dock and then forced them onto the ship.

Then the ship headed directly north.

They were also allowed to remove their hoods and eat food during the event.

Through this, the master and apprentice finally realized that the other party probably had no ill intentions.

This put their minds at ease a little.

But this doesn't solve the fundamental problem: who exactly is it, and why are they being kidnapped?

The two men couldn't see outside from inside the cabin, and they couldn't tell the time either, only making a rough estimate.

Around noon the next day, the boat stopped, and the two were loaded onto a carriage and transported around.

This time they could feel that they were being transported to the mountain.

Based on the distance calculated silently, it should be within the territory of Yingtian.

As for which mountain it is, I don't know.

But this deduction made the master and apprentice uneasy again.

Yingtian is the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Could it be that someone is planning something here?
They did not doubt Zhu Yuanzhang.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was about to unify the country, and Zhu Yuanzhang only needed an imperial edict to see them.

There's no need to go through so much trouble.

If it weren't for Zhu Yuanzhang, the problem would be much bigger.

But we're at their mercy, so worrying is useless; we can only take it one step at a time.

The car traveled for most of the day before finally stopping in the middle of the night.

The master and apprentice were carried around and moved around until their hoods were removed, at which point they found themselves in a secret room.

Jiang Rufeng remained all smiles and very polite, even serving the two a sumptuous meal.

The master and apprentice were no ordinary people; they knew that a full meal was the most important thing. So they didn't stand on ceremony and ate every last drop of food.

Then Xi Yingzhen asked, "When will your master come to see us?"

Jiang Rufeng smiled and said, "I don't know either. Please wait patiently."

"If you two need anything, just pull this rope. As long as it's not excessive, we can accommodate you."

After speaking, he turned and left.

The master and apprentice looked at each other for a moment, then sighed at the same time.

Dao Yan was about to start a discussion about the current situation when Xi Yingzhen yawned and said:
"It's a blessing, not a curse. It's a curse that cannot be avoided."

"I'm a little sleepy, I'll rest first, you should rest early too."

He then lay down fully clothed and soon began to breathe evenly.

Dao Yan was speechless at first, then filled with admiration.

This level of self-cultivation far surpasses my own.

He was actually quite tired from the journey, and although he kept yawning, his mind was a jumbled mess and he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he did when he closed his eyes.

In the end, all I could do was silently recite Buddhist scriptures over and over again, which finally calmed me down temporarily.
-
Zhu Yuanzhang had just received a letter from Empress Ma, which was very long-winded, detailing every single thing he had experienced on his journey.

He even recounted how many bowls of rice he ate and how many bowls of water he drank.

Zhu Yuanzhang, however, was very pleased with what he saw, and it somewhat made up for his regret at not being able to travel.

The letter ended by mentioning Ma Yu's improvements to the spinning and weaving machines, and included several drawings.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also very surprised. He immediately put down his work and found craftsmen to make it according to the design.

Then they found a weaver to test it.

I discovered that efficiency has really improved significantly.

And it's not just a doubling or tripling, but at least seven or eight times.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who witnessed all of this, was extremely shocked.

The productivity course that Ma Yu had given him before involuntarily came to mind.

After attending that class, he understood the importance of productivity.

However, that feeling is not direct; there is always a layer between you and it.

He had absolutely no clue how to develop productivity.

But now, the flying shuttle and the new spinning machine have allowed him to directly experience the changes brought about by the increase in productivity.

One person can create the value that previously required six or seven people.

If every household adopted this new type of machine, there would be a large surplus of labor.

The imperial court could then redirect surplus labor to other areas.

For example, cultivating more land, building roads, and so on...

The impact of witnessing something firsthand is far greater than any language.

At this moment, he finally understood the deeper meaning of Ma Yu's lesson.

Watching the weavers spinning and weaving at lightning speed, he silently thought to himself:

"We finally see hope for feeding hundreds of millions of people and getting through the cold period."

Then he thought of Ma Yu.

This kid once said that he had learned a wide range of things and knew a little about everything, but his understanding was not deep. At the time, we thought he was just bragging.

I never expected that they even knew about craftsmanship.

It seems he wasn't just boasting.

It's just unknown how many other superb skills he possesses.

Thinking of this, he was filled with anticipation.

He wished he could call Ma Yu back immediately, lock her in a dark room, and write down everything that was on his mind.

Having personally verified the authenticity of the new machines, Zhu Yuanzhang did not delay and immediately issued an edict to popularize them throughout the country.

"We must ensure that people all over the world can use the new machines in the shortest possible time."

At first, the courtiers thought the emperor was making a big fuss, thinking it was just about improving a machine.
Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?

However, they were equally astonished when they saw the efficiency of the new machines with their own eyes.

Now I finally understand why the emperor was in such a hurry.

At the same time, people couldn't help but look at Ma Yu with new respect for his improvement of these two machines.

Even Confucian scholars felt that these two inventions were beneficial to the country and its people and should be commended.

Confucianism only criticizes ingenious and frivolous skills, but it highly values ​​and encourages inventions and creations such as agricultural tools.

At that very moment, Jiang Rufeng entered the palace to report:

"Your Majesty, Master Xi and Master Daoyan have been invited."

Zhu Yuanzhang was busy promoting new textile machinery and didn't have time to meet the two men, plus he had other plans.

"Treat them well, but do not let them leave the secret room."

"Observe their every move and then report back to us."

Knowing the principle of not looking too much or asking too many questions, Jiang Rufeng immediately accepted the order and left.
-
Xi Yingzhen and Daoyan, master and disciple, were thus locked in the secret room. Because they were kept in the dark, they gradually lost their sense of time.

The time can only be estimated based on the pattern of food delivery.

Xi Yingzhen truly lived up to her word: "Since I'm here, I'll make the best of it."

He ate, drank, and slept as usual every day, and even had someone find Taoist scriptures to study daily.

It felt just like being at home.

Dao Yan also wanted to be like him, and at first he did learn it quite well.

But he couldn't keep it up for long.

First he became irritable, then restless, and finally he couldn't even read the scriptures anymore.

I kept trying to find clues and try to get information out of the person who delivered the food.

Xi Yingzhen watched all of this silently, saying nothing, and continued as before every day.

Until one day, Dao Yan could no longer contain himself and asked:
"Teacher, are you really not worried at all?"

Xi Yingzhen said calmly, "At my age, what is there to worry about?"

Dao Yan fell silent.

The 79-year-old man has seen it all and has come to terms with everything.

I had long been prepared to face death.

What could possibly be something for him to be afraid of?

But Dao Yan is different. He is still young, and more importantly, he has countless ambitions and ideals that he has not yet been able to realize.

Unable to face death with equanimity.

Xi Yingzhen suddenly sighed and said, "Now you know why I had to force you to submit, right?"

Dao Yan was taken aback, not expecting him to bring this up, but he quickly realized what he meant and put his hands together, saying:
"I can finally understand some of the teacher's profound meaning."

Xi Yingzhen handed him the scriptures and said, "If you understand, then read the scriptures with me again."

"Perhaps this is the last time I will teach you."

Dao Yan's heart sank, and he took a deep breath and said, "Yes, please teach me, teacher."

After that, the master and apprentice began their lessons in this secret room.

As time passed, Dao Yan's restless heart gradually began to calm down.

Although he still couldn't achieve the same composure as Xi Yingzhen, he was able to control his emotions and prevent them from affecting his judgment.

Jiang Rufeng would tell Zhu Yuanzhang everything that happened in the secret room once a day.

Zhu Yuanzhang greatly admired Xi Yingzhen's composure, thinking he truly deserved to be called a wise and virtuous man.

He also highly praised Daoyan's change in mindset, saying that a great teacher produces a great student.

Just then, news came from the Embroidered Uniform Guard that Empress Ma and her entourage had set off to return to Yingtian.

Zhu Yuanzhang finally decided that it was time to meet the master and his disciple.

(End of this chapter)