My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 27 Calling Auntie (Two Chapters in One)

Li Zhong stumbled all the way back home: "Dad, this is bad."

Li Shanchang frowned slightly and scolded, "How can you be so flustered? Stand still first."

Under normal circumstances, Li Zhong would definitely admit his mistake first, then tidy up his appearance before discussing the problem, but he didn't do that today.

Instead, he said dissatisfiedly: "You are still drinking tea here, something big has happened."

Li Shanchang said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? Did the sky fall? Or was the Northern Expedition Army completely annihilated?"

Li Zhong said anxiously, "Master Ma Ba beat up the Second Prince. His Majesty is furious and has ordered people to arrest Shi Jian."

Li Shanchang's hand shook, and the tea in the cup splashed onto his hand, scalding him so much that he grimaced.

After a flurry of activity, he put the teacup away and wiped his hands while asking:

"Tell me quickly, what happened? Didn't we ask him to cause trouble for Ma Yu? How did he end up hitting the Second Prince?"

Li Zhong shook his head and said, "All the guards from the Guard Division who were on duty at the prison today were also taken away. I can't find out what exactly happened."

"All we know is that Master Ma Ba followed our plan and broke into the depths of the prison. Not long after, news came out that the Second Prince had been beaten."

Li Shanchang cursed angrily: "Stupid, stupid, you can't do anything good, but you are more likely to cause trouble."

Li Zhong said aggrievedly, "I did this according to your instructions. Why are you scolding me?"

Li Shanchang was choked. "I scolded Master Ma Ba... You are not much better than him. You can't even handle such a small matter."

Li Zhong felt even more aggrieved, but he did not dare to complain anymore and could only say:

"What should we do now? Will Shi Jian betray us?"

Li Shanchang paused, regained his composure, and said:
"He wouldn't dare, and there's no need for him to confess. It's clear who did it."

Li Zhong panicked: "What should we do? Will His Majesty..."

Li Shanchang scolded: "Why are you panicking? The sky is not falling."

"Let alone the prince being beaten, even if it was the crown prince who was beaten, I would be able to escape unscathed."

"But I still have to save face. I will take the initiative to go to the palace to apologize later."

Li Zhong was surprised and asked, "Ah... Is this really going to be alright?"

Li Shanchang said confidently: "If I didn't have this confidence, would I dare to look for Shi Jian?"

"It's a pity that I won't have the chance to interfere in the affairs of the Guard Bureau in the future."

At this moment, he thought of something and asked, "Where is Ma Yu?"

Li Zhong replied, "They were all taken to the palace... Is it worth it for a beggar like him?"

Li Shanchang sighed: "What do you know? He can influence the thoughts of those above him. He is more dangerous to us than Liu Bowen."

"What I fear most is that he and Liu Bowen's group will become corrupt. By then, we will no longer have the final say in the court."

"I originally just wanted to let Mr. Ma Ba go and test it out, but I didn't expect it to cause such a big mess."

"It will be even harder to target him in the future."

Li Zhong disagreed. Ma Yu did have some talent, but how much was his talent?

And without any foundation, how could he fight against his own father?
You have to know that behind my father stood the entire Huaiyou Group, the founding team of the Ming Dynasty.

Now, for such a meaningless person, I have made myself so embarrassed.

But he didn't dare say this out loud and could only complain in his heart.

Afterwards, Li Shanchang changed his clothes and prepared to go to the palace to apologize.
-
The news that the second prince was beaten spread quickly. Everyone was shocked at first, but when they reacted, their reactions varied.

When Song Lian heard about this, he was silent for a long time before he sighed:
"I didn't expect that he would be dragged into this quagmire."

Then he looked in the direction of Li Mansion and said:

"I'm afraid it won't be long before you regret what you did today."
-
Even with Liu Bowen's cunningness, an expression of gloating appeared on his face.

Facing his son's doubtful gaze, he said affirmatively:
"This must have been done by Prime Minister Li. No one else can command the Gongwei Division."

Liu Lian was overjoyed: "The prince was beaten, and he even took advantage of the queen's relatives..."

"Even with his status, it would be difficult for him to escape unscathed."

The smile on Liu Bowen's face disappeared immediately, and he scolded:

"Who taught you to think like that?"

Liu Lian argued, "Li Chu has been making things difficult for you and even publicly humiliated you. What's wrong with me thinking this way?"

"If you ask me, what would have happened if you had refuted him right then and there? I don't believe he could have done anything to cover up everything."

Liu Bowen sighed, "You don't understand. Prime Minister Li's position in the hearts of His Majesty and His Majesty cannot be easily shaken."

"We have no chance of winning if we go against him. Instead, we will become the rafters that stand out."

"What's a little humiliation? At least my family can be saved."

"If you confront him head-on, your family will be destroyed and your whole family will be destroyed."

Liu Lian objected, "It's true that he has made contributions to the Ming Dynasty, but you have also made contributions to the Ming Dynasty. I don't believe that Your Majesty can't see it at all."

Liu Bowen shook his head and said, “You…he can call His Majesty the superior, but I can only call him Your Majesty. Don’t you understand?”

Liu Lian remained silent.

Looking at his devastated son, Liu Bowen felt helpless. This was the reality he had to accept.

Then he asked, "What about Ma Yu? Is there any news about him?"

Liu Lian cheered up and replied, "They were taken into the palace together. No news has been released yet."

"How many secrets can a beggar have? Is it worth your attention?"

Liu Bowen said seriously, "If I can influence Your Majesty, I am no longer an ordinary beggar."

"Although I don't know what exactly happened, but to make Prime Minister Li resort to such a desperate measure, there must be a bigger secret."

"Keep a close eye on Ma Yu and report his every move to me."
-
Hu Weiyong, the Minister of Rites, was overjoyed and called over the servants who were waiting for him to come.
"Go back immediately and tell Madam to prepare a generous gift for Prime Minister Li. Hurry."

After the servants left, he hid in the office alone and laughed silently.

The prince was accidentally injured, which would be a capital crime for others, but it was not a big deal at all for Li Shanchang.

But with such a big thing happening, he will still be affected to a certain extent.

I guess many people are laughing at the joke and are even ready to take action.

He went there to show his loyalty as soon as possible. Although it could not be considered as timely assistance, going against the current would definitely gain points with Li Shanchang.

Pave the way for future promotions.

This is truly an opportunity that falls from the sky.

As for that Ma Yu... he was just a little beggar with no background.

Even if he had talent, even if the emperor wanted to use him, that would be decades later.

It has nothing much to do with him, Hu Weiyong.

But we still have to pay some attention to him, and I'll arrange someone to keep an eye on him when we get back.
-
Wang Guangyang was the second happiest one.

After all, Li Shanchang was unlucky, and he was the one who benefited the most.

Who doesn’t want to sit in the position of prime minister?

However, he did not show this joy, but became more cautious and respectful.

The more times like this happen, the more we cannot afford to make mistakes.
-
Why do we say that Wang Guangyang is the second happiest person?
Because there is someone who is happier than him, and that is Yang Xian.

As for the reason...Yang Xian's courtesy name was Xiwu, and Yang Xisheng, who was impeached and dismissed from office by Li Shanchang, was his younger brother.

It would have been fine if he had just been dismissed from office, but soon afterward Yang Xisheng was stabbed in the face, had his nose cut off, and was exiled.

This can be said to be an irreconcilable feud.

Li Shanchang was deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang and was also the prime minister, so Yang Xian had no choice but to be respectful to him.

But that doesn't mean he is content with this.

He has been secretly collecting evidence of Li Shanchang's crimes.

Now it finally has it.

He immediately wrote a memorial demanding severe punishment for Li Shanchang.
-
Some people chose to hide aside and watch the joke.

Whose are you looking at?
Royal, of course.

Important minister? Loyal minister? Relatives by marriage?

Hahahahaha...

But more people were waiting, waiting to see how the emperor would deal with the matter before they could react.

As for Ma Yu, he has indeed attracted a lot of attention.

But most people disagreed, and the reason was similar to what Hu Weiyong thought.

It's not that we discriminate against his background, but he is too young. Even if he is talented, he can't achieve anything great without another 20 or 30 years of development.

Who can predict what will happen in twenty or thirty years? There will be too many unexpected events in between.

Moreover, the story of Zhongyong being injured is not uncommon.

It's not worth making a fuss over him.

Therefore, many people do not understand Li Shanchang’s behavior. Is it necessary to do this?
But there are also a few people who think that Li Shanchang is used to being domineering and cannot tolerate any disharmony.

Now that he has finally gotten into trouble, it depends on how he ends up.

Ma Yu in the palace didn't know all this.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was concerned about the relationship between husband and wife. Although he was very angry, he did not directly punish Master Ma.

Instead, he was handed over to Queen Ma for disposal.

It was considered to save the couple's face and also give her enough face.

Afterwards, Empress Ma took Master Ma Ba and Ma Ye to Kunning Palace.

Ma Yu thought about it, and then followed quietly behind.

Zhu Yuanzhang actually saw him, but he just glared at him and did not keep him.

Queen Ma naturally saw it as well, but did not stop it.

In other words, without her nod, how could Ma Yu enter the harem?

Both husband and wife knew that what was going to happen next would be complicated and cruel.

If he were present, he would probably be envied by many people.

Queen Ma naturally didn't want him to fall into new danger just after being released from prison.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang, who was very unhappy with him, did not want the talent he had just found to fall into the quagmire.

Although Ma Yu didn't know this, he knew he was safe after successfully sneaking into Kunning Palace.

At least it's safe for now.

The group arrived at the main hall of Kunning Palace. Empress Ma had just sat down in the main seat and had not spoken yet.

Master Ma knelt down again and kowtowed:

"My Queen, I know I was wrong. Please spare my life."

He was really scared and knocked his head very hard. His forehead was broken in a few hits, revealing bloodstains.

Ma Ye also knelt down and kowtowed to plead for him.

Although Queen Ma was very angry, she couldn't bear to punish him further after seeing this situation.

"Stop knocking your knees and get up first." Mr. Ma Baye wanted to continue knocking his knees, but fortunately Ma Ye next to him reacted first and pulled him back.

Seeing this scene, even though Queen Ma was in a bad mood, she couldn't help but nod secretly.

I was wrong about him before. This kid is much better than I thought.

But unfortunately, after this happened, it was impossible for him to stay in the capital.

Even your future life will be affected.

After a slight regret, she turned her gaze to Ma Yu:
"This matter is caused by you. What do you think should be done with them?"

Both Ma Baye and Ma Ye were extremely shocked. Wasn't he a criminal pretending to be a royal relative? Why did the Empress still seek his opinion?

Then they were worried, fearing that Ma Yu would take the opportunity to retaliate against them.

Ma Yu, who was hiding in the corner, was helpless and could only step forward and reply:

"This is Madam's family affair. It's not right for me, an outsider, to butt in."

"Heh." Queen Ma sneered and said jokingly:

"You said yourself that he is my nephew, but now you don't acknowledge him?"

Mr. Ma Baye and Ma Ye were even more shocked. The Queen's tone was not right. Did she want to recognize her relatives?
The eunuchs beside him were the same, and their eyes suddenly became eager when they looked at Ma Yu.

Ma Yu himself was also shocked. How could he not understand the meaning of Queen Ma's words?

He guessed that the royal family might not kill him, but he never expected that the other party would want to put an end to the matter in this way.

So, do you want to acknowledge this relationship?
Ma Yu hesitated for only 0.01 seconds before making the decision.

He pretended to straighten his prison uniform, then knelt down and said:

"Aunt, please accept my nephew's greetings."

Since I can't die, I have decided to live in this era.

Is there anything safer than recognizing Empress Ma as your aunt?

Besides, he would feel disgusted if he had to kneel down to others.

But he had no psychological burden at all when kneeling down to Queen Ma.

And with Empress Ma... bah, with a biological aunt protecting him, he wouldn't have to worry about losing his head if he complained about Zhu Yuanzhang in the future.

As long as the complaints are not excessive, he will have to endure it.

Queen Ma immediately showed a joyful smile on her face and said:
"Hey, dear boy, get up and stand next to your aunt."

Ma Yu stood up and stood beside her, being so well-behaved.

Empress Ma looked him up and down, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became:
"Stay by your aunt's side and no one will dare to bully you anymore."

The eunuchs nearby were very perceptive and immediately stood up and said:

"Congratulations, Madam, on the reunion of aunt and niece."

Empress Ma said happily, "Okay, everyone will get a reward."

The eunuchs were even happier: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ma Baye and Ma Ye were stunned watching from the side. At that moment, they felt like they were outsiders.

As for being jealous of Ma Yu, I dare not do that.

On the contrary, they were more worried.

If Ma Yu wanted to take revenge, they would have no room to resist.

Empress Ma did not forget the important matter. After recognizing her relationship, she asked again:
"We're all family now. You decide how to deal with them."

Ma Yu looked at the two people's fearful and pleading eyes and said:
"Big things become small things, small things become nothing."

Then he explained: "Eighth Master was also being used by others. I believe that anyone with a discerning eye can see this."

"No matter how we deal with Mr. Ba, we will be laughed at."

"It's better to handle it gently, so that the royal family can have a good reputation for being kind to relatives."

Mr. Ma Baye and Ma Ye felt as if they had been saved from a desperate situation, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Empress Ma asked, "If the princes are injured and they are not punished, where will the royal family's reputation be?"

Ma Yu said: "Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. Those who really should be punished are those with ulterior motives."

"Only in this way can the royal dignity be maintained."

"Otherwise, anyone will dare to use the clan members to achieve their ulterior motives."

"Only then will the royal dignity be truly shattered."

Empress Ma showed a satisfied smile on her face and said to Master Ma Ba:
"Did you hear that? Why don't you thank him?"

Ma Baye and Ma Ye quickly bowed to him: "Thank you... Thank you..."

Ma Yu turned sideways and half-saluted.

Empress Ma continued, "After what has happened, you can no longer stay in Yingtian. Go back and pack up and choose a day to return home."

Master Ma Ba kowtowed quickly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will go back immediately."

There was no trace of reluctance or nostalgia on his face, but instead it was filled with joy of surviving the disaster.

Although Yingtian is nice, it is not home after all.

My hometown is poor and dilapidated, but it is very safe and life is comfortable.

On the contrary, Ma Ye looked a little disappointed.

As a young boy, he naturally yearned for the bustling life in a big city.

But he also knew that after so many things had happened, it was not easy to get away with it.

How dare I ask for anything else?

At this time, Ma Yu said, "Your Majesty..."

Empress Ma said unhappily, "Call me aunt."

Ma Yu paused for a moment and said, "Um, aunt, can I have a moment to talk?"

Although Empress Ma was very confused, she still waved her hand and said:
"You all stand down."

However, the eunuch looked hesitant and looked at Ma Yu frequently.

The meaning is very clear, I am worried about him.

After all, he was a criminal before, what if he had evil intentions?

But Queen Ma said again: "Go down, don't I trust my nephew?"

This moved Ma Yu deeply, and he finally understood why Queen Ma had such high prestige.

Who can not be convinced by her when faced with such a woman?

The eunuch had no choice but to retreat.

Ma Baye and Ma Ye also withdrew.

After everyone left, Queen Ma asked, "Tell me, what tricks do you have?"

Ma Yu calmed down and said, "Do you want me to be included in the family tree or not?"

Empress Ma said bluntly, "I hope you can inherit my father's clan lineage, so naturally you must be included in the family tree."

Even though he had already guessed it, Ma Yu was still shocked when Empress Ma gave this answer.

Inheriting the clan lineage of Ma Taigong, he is really treated as his own nephew.

And if he remembered correctly, Ma Taigong was posthumously named King of Xu.

As the heir, I am qualified to inherit the title.

Of course, it is impossible to inherit the title of king. This is a posthumous title and cannot be inherited by a living person.

But there is no problem with a hereditary Duke of Xu.

This is really a big pie falling from the sky.

He was a death row prisoner one moment and a nobleman the next. The change was really huge.

Ma Yu was a little excited.

However, he did not get carried away. He took a deep breath and said:

"If they are included in the family tree, then I suggest keeping them as my helpers."

Queen Ma asked in confusion, "Why? Shouldn't they be a burden to you if they're here?"

Ma Yu explained, "As an outsider, I inherited Taigong's clan lineage. The Ma clan members will definitely have objections."

"The most worrying thing is that if they do something bad back home, I will be held responsible for it in the end."

"If I deal with it, not only will the Ma family members hate me, but outsiders will also call me ungrateful."

Empress Ma suddenly understood and said, "You want the Eighth Master and Ma Ye to come forward on your behalf and solve the problem of the Ma family."

Ma Yu said, "Yes, it's much more convenient for them to come forward than for me."

Queen Ma laughed and said, "I hadn't thought of that. You're quite smart, not bad."

"Eighth Master is actually not a bad person, he just lacks a bit of knowledge."

"After this incident, I believe he will become much calmer."

"I think Ma Ye is a talented person. If he is trained well, he can become your right-hand man in the future."

"But are you sure you can subdue them both?"

Ma Yu said confidently: "If I don't even have this ability, I'm not worthy of being your nephew."

Empress Ma laughed and said, "Haha, if you have the ambition, then I will do as you wish."

Afterwards, Empress Ma told him Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, which was that he could not inherit the clan lineage of Grandpa Ma for the time being.

We have to wait until the ritual vessels of the Shang Dynasty are found.

Otherwise, he would be opposed by the ministers, and it would not be good for Ma Yu personally.

Ma Yu naturally understood this and said that he would follow his aunt's arrangements.

After these matters were dealt with, Queen Ma called the people outside back in:
"Eighth Uncle, Ma Ye, Yu'er just pleaded for you and hopes that you can continue to stay."

"Ah?" Mr. Ma was shocked. Why did you change your mind again? I want to leave.

Ma Ye showed a look of joy and was even more grateful to Ma Yu.

Although he didn't understand what exactly happened, he knew that Ma Yu helped him.

Queen Ma ignored their reactions and continued:

"You two are too naive and don't understand the complexity of human nature. This time, you were tricked and got into big trouble."

"From now on in Yingtian, you will follow Yu'er and obey his orders in everything."

"So as to avoid being taken advantage of by others."

Although Mr. Ma was very reluctant, he did not dare to disobey Queen Ma's wishes and had to agree.

Not to mention Ma Ye, he immediately knelt down and acknowledged his relationship.

In this way, Ma Yu finally completed his identity transformation.

From a beggar and a criminal, he became the nephew of Empress Ma and a member of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)