My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 38 King Yu’s Cauldron

royal palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang was discussing the list of students to accompany him to study with Empress Ma.

This was not only a means of winning over nobles, but also an opportunity for the prince to cultivate a trusted team, so the couple naturally attached great importance to it.

Empress Ma said, "Chang Mao and Tang Ding are definitely necessary."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Of course we can't miss one. It's a pity that Yun Gong from the Tiande family is too young."

Empress Ma smiled and said, "You can't just focus on your son. I like his eldest daughter Miaoyun. Why not summon her to the palace and take care of her for a few years?"

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, no, Boren's daughter has already been promised to Biao'er. If we bring Tiande's daughter over, it will just be a mess."

Empress Ma laughed and said, "Who said she was going to marry Biao'er? We already have four sons."

"Let the eldest girl stay in the palace for a few years and interact more with the second, third, fourth, and fifth sons. Then marry her to whoever she gets along with."

Zhu Yuanzhang was also amused and said, "I was wrong. Your idea is good. Let her enter the palace in a few days."

The couple then began discussing the list issue.

Finally, five people were selected, namely:
Li Qi, the third son of Li Shanchang.

Deng Yu's eldest son is Deng Zhen.

Because Feng Sheng had no son, he asked his elder brother Feng Guoyong, who died in battle, to use his eldest son Feng Cheng to study with him.

Geng Tianbi, the only son of General Geng Zaicheng who died in battle.

Hua Wei, the only son of General Hua Yun who died in battle.

The first three were added because their fathers were too important, and the last two were added as representatives of the heroes who died in battle.

It can be said that the couple took great pains to put together this list, taking all aspects into consideration.

It’s not that they don’t want to choose more, but there is no need at the moment.

First, build the main hall, and then whoever has made meritorious service will have his child become the prince's tutor.

It can also be considered a reward, which can motivate the generals to fight bravely.

Now that the list was finalized, the couple breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to have it announced.

At this moment, the eunuch Sun Fu hurried in and said:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, General Xu has sent an urgent memorial eight hundred miles away."

Tiande? 800-li express?
Judging from the time, when this memorial was sent out, the Northern Expedition Army had probably just set out not long ago.

Could there have been an accident?

Even though Zhu Yuanzhang trusted Xu and Chang very much, he couldn't help but feel a little worried and quickly asked them to submit the memorial.

Queen Ma was equally worried, but she did not make any noise to interfere.

After receiving the memorial and just reading the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression relaxed.

Everyone has their own habits. When Xu Da encountered big trouble, he would start by stating the topic and then go back to describe the detailed process.

There is not a single word of nonsense in the whole article.

It allows you to understand the whole picture in the shortest time.

If there is no big trouble, he will start by greeting and saying hello, then talk about his current situation, and finally talk about the matter.

Just like chatting with friends.

Although there is nothing serious in the whole story, you won’t feel bored.

This memorial belongs to the latter.

He first greeted Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, and then talked about what happened after Zhu Yuanzhang left, as well as the preparations for the Northern Expedition to Yuan Dadu.

Finally, he talked about his personal trip to Zhangde Prefecture and described the process of discovering the big tripod.

Zhangde Prefecture, large bronze tripod.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but feel a little excited. Could it be that they really dug up some ritual vessels from the Shang Dynasty?

And it’s a large bronze tripod.

The symbolic meaning of this thing is absolutely incomparable to things like oracle bones.

Queen Ma knew from his expression that it was not a bad thing, so she waited for him to finish reading and asked:

"What good news? Look how happy you are."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "It's really a happy event. You will know when you see it, sister."

Empress Ma took the memorial and read it quickly, and she couldn't help but be delighted:
"Such a large tripod must be a ritual vessel for offering sacrifices to the heavens."

"Okay, okay, Tiande really gave us a huge surprise."

Then she added, "It seems that what Yu'er said is true. There really are Shang Dynasty ritual vessels buried beneath the earth."

Zhu Yuanzhang had to admit: "Well, his family is really full of outstanding people, but it's a pity that I can't use them."

Empress Ma rolled her eyes at him and said, "You've got something, but you're still greedy. Instead of feeling sorry for it, you should think carefully about how to make better use of Yu'er."

Mentioning this Zhu Yuanzhang made him angry: "Is it that I don't want to use him? It's obvious that he doesn't know how to appreciate my kindness. He finds ways to disparage me every day."

Empress Ma laughed and said, "You are the great emperor of the Ming Dynasty, why are you angry with a child?"

"Oh, right, call Yu'er over here too. Let him see if this large tripod is indeed a Shang Dynasty ritual vessel."

"Then we can decide how to make use of it."

This time, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything, but ordered someone to call Ma Yu over.

Ma Yu was at home, learning the etiquette and rules of the era with Yuan Lang, when he suddenly heard that the emperor wanted to see him, and he was very reluctant.

But when he heard that Empress Ma was there too, he followed her quickly.

When he entered the palace and learned what had happened, he couldn't help but feel moved.

Anyang? Dading?
Over a thousand pounds, this shape, these parameters.

Oh my god, could it be that the Si (Hou) Mu Wu Ding was dug out?

In the past life, it was the largest bronze tripod unearthed.
It is no exaggeration to say that it is a national treasure.

In the past, its cultural value far outweighed its political value, so it could only be placed in a museum.

But now it is the Ming Dynasty, and if it is operated properly, the meaning it represents will be different.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma had been paying attention to his expression and naturally noticed something unusual.

The couple looked at each other, and Queen Ma came forward and asked:
"Yu'er, have you thought of something?"

Ma Yu quickly thought of his words and nodded:
"Among the bronze ritual vessels my elders received, there was a bronze tripod, but it was much smaller than this one."

"Based on the inscription on the tripod, it's likely a ritual vessel used by a Shang king to offer sacrifices to his mother."

"It's just that because we don't understand the Yin and Shang characters, there's too little reference material, and the elders can't tell which Shang king it is."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but frown.

The meanings of the tripod used for offering sacrifices to heaven and the tripod used for offering sacrifices to relatives are completely different.

If this large tripod was also used by a Shang king to worship his mother, then it would be a false alarm.

Queen Ma had the same idea, but she had a different opinion:

"Tian De didn't mention the inscription in his memorial, and the regulations are different from what Yu'er's elders obtained, so it's likely that the purpose is also different."

"So we can't rule out the possibility that it's a cauldron used for offering sacrifices to heaven."

Ma Yu interrupted and asked, "No inscription?"

Empress Ma nodded and said, "Tian De knows the seriousness of the matter, and if there is an inscription, it will definitely mention it."

"It wasn't mentioned in the memorial, so I guess it didn't happen."

Ma Yu couldn't help but hesitate. There was an inscription on the inner wall of the Simuwu Ding. Could I have made a mistake?
Could it be that there is another large tripod with the same specifications as the Simuwu Ding?

Thinking of this, he couldn't sit still anymore and asked:
"Where is the big cauldron now? Can I go take a look?"

The tripod was still on the boat at the dock. Because we were unsure of its condition and didn't know how to treat it, we didn't rush to transport it to the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything more and immediately ordered someone to take him to the riverside dock to investigate it personally.

Once the situation of the tripod is determined, we will decide how to deal with it.

Soon Ma Yu saw the big tripod, which was carefully placed in the middle of the cabin. It looked very ancient and majestic.

With just one glance, he was sure that it was the Si (Hou) Muwu Ding.

He was also very excited to see such a national treasure.

He took two steps at a time and walked to the cauldron, then reached out and gently stroked it.

In my previous life, I could only admire replicas through glass, but in this life, I can finally touch the real thing.

Apart from anything else, the psychological feeling is still very good.

But he didn't get addicted to it. After satisfying himself, he asked someone to bring him a chair.

Step on it and observe the inner wall of the tripod.

This tripod clearly has an inscription, why didn't Xu Da mention it?

When he saw the situation inside clearly, he immediately understood the reason.

This tripod had been buried underground for two thousand years. Due to changes in terrain and compression, the mixture of soil and copper rust formed a very hard shell.

Although Xu Da had the large pieces of the shell removed, he didn't dare touch the cracks. The three characters "Houmuwu" were completely filled with rust, and no trace of the writing was visible.

No wonder he didn't mention the text.

Now that the identity of the tripod has been confirmed, the next step is to think about how to make use of it.

Announce its identity?

Ma Yu directly rejected this idea.

The ritual vessels for worshiping mothers and worshiping heaven are two completely different concepts.

Disclosing its identity will have limited effect.

The best way is not to disclose its identity, or even to intentionally hide its identity and let others imagine it.

Thinking of this, he already had a plan in mind.

After that, he asked someone to take him back to the palace quickly.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn't wait to ask him when they saw him come back:

"how?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "Without the inscription, we cannot determine the purpose of the tripod."

"However, the body of the tripod has coiled dragon and gluttonous patterns, so it must be something only kings and nobles can enjoy."

He only had a superficial understanding of his personality from his elders.

Of course, we cannot directly assert the identity of this tripod, otherwise Zhu Yuanzhang would suspect that there is a conspiracy.

Zhu Yuanzhang was disappointed: "If we can't determine its identity and purpose, what's the point of having it?"

Ma Yu said, "Otherwise, if the identity and purpose are unclear, it will be easier to make a fuss."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, "Do you want us to forcefully recognize it as the Shang King's Heavenly Offering Tripod?"

"No, if it turns out that this isn't the Shang King's Heavenly Sacrifice Cauldron, how will we save our reputation?"

Empress Ma also disagreed with the idea: "This is an act of deceiving Heaven, how can it be done?"

Ma Yu smiled and said, "No, no, no, there's no need to say anything. Just use the Imperial Road to transport the tripod to the palace."

"Let those who are interested trace the origins of the tripod and guess its purpose for themselves."

Zhu Yuanzhang knew what he was thinking, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

"This method...is not impossible."

"But even if they speculate on the Shang king's ritual vessels for offering sacrifices to heaven, what can we do? We can't admit it."

If it cannot be acknowledged, the court will not be able to hold public sacrifices and will not be able to obtain political benefits.

Ma Yu laughed again and asked:
"Your Majesty, if the Imperial Seal appeared now, would you think it would be useful?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up suddenly, stared at him intently and said:

"Did your family find the imperial seal?"

Ma Yu was at a loss for words: "That thing was lost a long time ago. Where can we find it?"

"I'm just asking, if the Imperial Seal were to be discovered and appear in your hands, would it be of any use?"

Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that he was too excited, so he sat down again and said:

"That would be extremely useful. If we had the Imperial Seal in our hands, the process of unifying the country could be accelerated by several years."

"Why are you asking this question?"

Ma Yu did not answer him, and then asked: "Then tell me, is there anything in this world that can compare with the Imperial Seal?"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and said, "No..."

Empress Ma suddenly interrupted him and said, "Yes, the Nine Cauldrons of King Yu."

As soon as the words came out, the couple were stunned.

They finally understood Ma Yu's plan.

What is the tripod used by the Shang king to offer sacrifices to heaven?
The Nine Cauldrons of King Yu are the symbol of destiny, the only thing that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the imperial seal.

The key is that he doesn't need to admit in person that this is the Yuwang Ding, as long as he doesn't deny it.

As for whether others would associate it with the Yuwang Ding...

Others won't think about it, can't you guide them?

Once the news gets out...

Whether you admit it or not, as long as everyone thinks you have won the Yuwang Ding, then you have won it.

This is destiny.

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more excited he became, to the point that he had some unrealistic hopes:

"What do you think... is it possible that this is really one of the Nine Cauldrons of King Yu?"

Ma Yu rolled his eyes and said affirmatively:

"You are so good at thinking of beautiful things. This was unearthed in the old Shang capital."

"Historical records clearly state that after the Zhou Dynasty and the Shang Dynasty, the Nine Cauldrons were transported to Luoyi. Later, they were transported to Xianyang by the Qin State and disappeared."

"Even if it's buried underground, it should be in Guanzhong. It's impossible for it to have gone to the former capital of Shang."

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him hatefully and said, "Boy, be polite to me."

But he immediately calmed down and asked:
"I have one last question. If someone asks to inspect the cauldron, are you confident you can avoid detection?"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "At least it can't be discovered in the short term."

Ma Yu had thought of this a long time ago and said:

"I suspect there are inscriptions on the inside of the tripod, but they're covered in rust and dirt and can't be seen."

"As long as they are not allowed to clean the gaps in the inner wall, I dare not say how many there are, but no one will be able to see it in ten or eight years."

After eight or ten years, the Ming Dynasty had already unified the world.

Even if it is confirmed that this is not the Yuwang Ding, it will not have much impact.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression kept changing. After a moment, he seemed to have made up his mind and said:
"Okay, I'll do as you say."

"If this is accomplished, we will reward you handsomely."

Ma Yu muttered, "It doesn't matter whether you reward me or not, just don't kill me."

Zhu Yuanzhang was choked and couldn't speak for a long time.

Empress Ma laughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense, you little brat. Be careful that your uncle will get angry and give you a beating one day."

Ma Yu shrugged, putting on an attitude that said, "I'm afraid of you."

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he grabbed the jade ruyi on the table and threw it at Ma Yu. Ma Yu subconsciously reached out to catch it.

When he saw clearly what was in his hand, he immediately smiled:

"Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty. I was just in need of a scratch."

As he said that, he stuffed it into his sleeve.

Zhu Yuanzhang angrily cursed: "Get lost, get lost, I don't want to see you anymore."

Ma Yu said, "Okay, then I'll take my leave. You're busy."

After saying that, he bowed, turned around and ran away.

When he walked out of the door, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that the jade ruyi was gone and shouted:

"Come back to us."

However, it would have been better if he hadn't shouted. After he shouted, Ma Yu ran even faster and disappeared in a flash.

Queen Ma watched from the side and laughed with her hands covering her mouth.

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at her, but then he couldn't help laughing.

Compared to the 'Yu Wang Ding', a mere jade ruyi is nothing.

The jade ruyi was originally intended as a reward to Ma Yu, but the two of them didn't get along, and he couldn't bring himself to give it to him.

I threw it over on purpose under the pretext of hitting someone.
-
Early the next morning, the emperor's sedan chair came out of the palace, and it was guarded by a full battalion of imperial guards.

Everyone couldn't help but wonder, is the emperor going to leave the palace?

But I haven't heard of it.

But everyone soon discovered that the imperial carriage was empty.

This made everyone even more curious. Where were so many guards escorting the Aerial Chariot to?

Many people began to follow behind to find out what was going on.

Soon the imperial carriage arrived at the dock.

Then, under the gaze of everyone, a huge bronze tripod was loaded and transported back to the palace via the imperial road.

A huge bronze tripod, an imperial chariot, and an imperial road.

The government and the opposition were in an uproar instantly.

(End of this chapter)