The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 5 Nephew Meets Uncle
After Zhu Yuanzhang led his children to pay homage to Master Ma, they stepped aside, while Zhu Biao and others were still secretly looking at their uncle who suddenly appeared.

Over the years, the only relatives Zhu Biao and his family remembered were his uncle's family, his cousin whose impression of him was becoming increasingly vague, and his brother-in-law.

I don’t have any relatives from my mother’s side!

Ma Xiuying held Ma Xun's hand and stood up, then she felt something was wrong, "Where's Wenying?"

Ma Xiuying still couldn't change her name. When Mu Ying was eight years old, he was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying. It was only two years ago that they changed his surname back to his original one.

Zhu Biao immediately said, "Third brother said he changed back to his original surname, so he can only kneel outside."

Ma Xiuying immediately said unhappily, "Let him come over and kowtow to Grandpa!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was also a little annoyed, "The child I raised is now afraid of strangers!"

Ma Xiuying grabbed Ma Xun's hand and asked softly, "I guess I've suffered a lot these years, brother?"

"How could that be possible? I'm so tall and strong, I don't look like I would endure hardship." Ma Xun said with a smile, "Well, Your Highness, do you really think I'm a relative? I don't have a token of my loyalty."

Ma Xiuying immediately said, "How could I have remembered you wrongly when you look like this? How many people in the world know your father's name?"

As he was speaking, a high-spirited young man walked into the small temple and kowtowed directly, "Grandson Mu Ying, kowtow to grandfather!"

Ma Xun looked down and saw that it was Mu Ying, the famous Prince Mu.

However, Mu Ying is still only a commander now, and it is still too early for him to be granted a title of nobility or a general.

"Little brother, this is Mu Ying, my adopted son." Ma Xiuying took Ma Xun's hand and said, "Wenying, meet your uncle."

Mu Ying immediately stood up and stepped forward, but Zhu Biao got there first, "Nephew Zhu Biao, meet your uncle."

Ma Xun was shocked. This was the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty. How could he pay homage to him?

Just as Ma Xun was about to move, Ma Xiuying pulled his arm and said, "Biao'er is your nephew, so just accept the gift."

Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased that his eldest son was filial and excellent in all aspects.

Things like etiquette are naturally important. He stipulated that the emperor and his subjects should observe etiquette in formal occasions, and family etiquette in private.

In other words, even if Zhu Biao became the emperor in the future, he would be the emperor in the court, but he would still be able to discuss seniority in private.

Zhu Chong, Zhu Gang, Zhu Di, Zhu Su, Zhu Jingru and Zhu Jingxian immediately stepped forward and knelt down.

"Nephew Zhu Chong (Zhu Tan) and others come to see uncle."

Among all these children, only Zhu Biao has an official status now, that is, the crown prince.

Zhu Chong and others are now only princes and princesses, and have not yet been granted titles of king or princess.

Ma Xun was very embarrassed, not used to such a big gift, "Stand up, stand up, you are too polite."

I felt my purse and sleeves up and down, and only had a few copper coins in my hand. It was even more embarrassing that I didn't even have a gift for my nephews and nieces when I met them.

Seeing Ma Xun's embarrassment and helplessness, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying felt distressed. They thought that Ma Xun was suffering so much.

Zhu Biao immediately stepped forward and took the initiative to speak, "Thank you for the gift money, uncle. My parents never give me money. I will take my brothers and sisters to buy some fruit later."

Ma Xun awkwardly handed a few copper coins to Zhu Biao, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. It's hard to even buy a piece of fruit with these two coins."

"Uncle is being too polite." Zhu Biao said with a smile, "My nephew is happy to see me. I have nothing but money and I gave it to my nephew to buy fruit. Isn't it because I like my nephew?"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said happily, "My dear brother, your nephew said it so well! The gift is small but the sentiment is great. You are willing to give such a small thing to your nephew. This is true love!"

Ma Xiuying glared at Zhu Yuanzhang and comforted Ma Xun, saying, "We have everything we need now, just rest assured."

Then Ma Xiuying said, "Zhongba, let Biaoer stay here, you go back and rest first." "Hey." Zhu Yuanzhang immediately turned around and left, "You guys, go!"

Zhu Chong and his brothers all had no temper either. It had been like this since they were young. The emperor only had eyes for his eldest brother. The queen mother was a little better, but in important occasions, she only paid attention to the eldest brother.

Gently stroking the coffin, Ma Xiuying asked, "Little brother, where have you been all these years?"

"He was running around. It seems like he gave birth to me after he escaped from Dingyuan." Ma Xun said, "I was born in Zhejiang, but there was chaos there, so he took me to Fujian."

Ma Xiuying wiped her tears and asked, "Haven't you heard about the uprising in Haozhou?"

"I vaguely remember that at that time, people said that the Guo family had failed." Ma Xun said awkwardly, "That was a long time ago. The old man never said that. He just asked me to come back."

Zhu Biao knelt quietly on the side, burning paper money silently. There were some topics he would not participate in.

Ma Xiuying turned her head to look at Ma Xun and asked, "How have you been living these years?"

Ma Xun smiled and replied, "If one person is full, the whole family will not be hungry. Life is good anyway. I catch fish today and hunt rabbits tomorrow. In the past few years, there was war and no one cared about me. I just went wherever I wanted and lived a comfortable life."

"If you really lived so comfortably, why did you become a monk?" Ma Xiuying asked directly, "You don't even know how to be a monk. I heard from your brother-in-law that you also begged for food?"

Ma Xun immediately said unhappily, "He's just talking nonsense. I work for others to eat, how can that be begging? I work for others, how can I, a strong laborer, beg for food?"

Ma Xiuying looked at Ma Xun distressedly and asked, "I'm not talking about these two years, but the past few years. You were only ten years old when Dad passed away, right? How did you survive, a ten-year-old child?"

Ma Xun said nonchalantly, "It just happened so smoothly. Your Highness, it's not a big deal for an old man to stop here. I do have a hairpin here, I wonder if it counts as a keepsake."

Looking at the hairpin that Ma Xun took out, Ma Xiuying took a look and said, "This is a keepsake from Dad. He left it to you as a thought. You can either keep it or be buried with Dad."

Not to mention Ma Xun, even Zhu Biao could see that this was not a token of trust.

Ma Xiuying took Ma Xun's hand and said earnestly, "Little brother, you are my brother. Your nephew has kowtowed to you, and you don't acknowledge your nephew?"

Zhu Biao immediately echoed, "Uncle, although this is the first time I've met you. I feel close to you when I see you. Did I do something wrong to make you angry?"

Ma Xun was immediately more embarrassed and could only explain, "I dare not, I really don't dare! Your Highness is the Queen, how dare a royal relative like her associate with you? Besides, we have to be careful when it comes to recognizing relatives, it would be terrible if something goes wrong!"

Ma Xiuying could naturally understand it. After all, it was because her current identity was different, and Ma Xun was afraid that something might go wrong.

Everyone else is eager to be related to the emperor and the empress, but it seems that my little brother is unwilling to acknowledge them.

It is really like Chongba said, I must have suffered a lot when I was a child and I am timid. I always think about how to protect myself and dare not take any risks.

Ma Xun thought carefully before saying, "Your Highness, that humble man is too bold. It's not a big deal if the old man's coffin is left there."

Ma Xiuying understood what Ma Xun meant and smiled to comfort him, "Your brother-in-law and I know this. Dad has been posthumously named King Xu. We were planning to build a tomb and temple for him. Now that he's back, we should hold it in a grand manner."

Ma Xun nodded, but he didn't know what to say. He was still very embarrassed in front of Empress Ma.

For three days in a row, Ma Xiuying and Ma Xun were at the vigil, and Zhu Biao was basically with them the whole time. As for Old Zhu, he came to burn incense and worship on time every day, and the other princes and princesses did the same.

However, many things were progressing in an orderly manner, such as the preparation of new coffins and sacrificial offerings. Many officials also rushed to Suzhou. The emperor and empress were offering sacrifices to Prince Xu, and it was said that there was also a royal uncle.

Ma Xiuying returned to the post station worriedly, "Zhongba, why is my younger brother so unfriendly to us?"

"He is afraid, he is timid." Zhu Yuanzhang turned over and said, "Time will tell, we should not rush now, otherwise he will be more afraid."

Ma Xiuying nodded and then said, "Why don't you respond to Tianfu? Don't you care about political affairs?"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately put his arm around Ma Xiuying's shoulders and said, "Sister, you know what I'm thinking. I originally thought that it would be enough to bring Biao'er with you. Now that they've all been brought here, I want to see what kind of trouble Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen and others will cause when the empress and the regent are not in the capital!"

Ma Xiuying rolled her eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang. Her husband was a natural strategist. Even if some unexpected changes occurred, he could use them to arrange many things.

(End of this chapter)