The Ming Dynasty: My sister, Empress Ma

The third day of the third month in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign.

At dawn, more than a hundred scholars filed into the steps in front of the Fengtian Hall.

Ma Wenyuan straightened his blue robe and stepped across the dividing threshold, his heart pounding like a drum.

He had waited too long.

The main hall was filled with the aroma of incense and shimmered with gold and jade.

The candidates sat in order of their ranking in the imperial examination, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones prepared on each table.

Ma Wenyuan took a deep breath.

Five years, who knows how he spent those five years.

Five years ago, he was still working overtime in the county's top official's office, worrying about the future of the county.

In the short time it took him to take a nap, he transmigrated.

He transmigrated into the body of a thirteen-year-old child, an orphan with no parents, no home, and no money.

In my previous life, I majored in physics as an undergraduate, and then went into politics.

That was a time when war and chaos had just ended; who knows how difficult it was for him?

Doing business is impossible. Not only do I lack money, but being targeted by others is a dead end.

Having no other choice, Ma Wenyuan could only design small trinkets for wealthy families while preparing for the imperial examinations, following the old path.

It's a cruel twist of fate. In his previous life, Ma Wenyuan studied science his whole life, and at most, he read some history books when he was older, and roughly read things like the Zizhi Tongjian.

The Four Books and Five Classics, these subjects for the imperial examinations, were completely blank in his mind.

In his previous life, Ma Wenyuan never imagined that he would one day study the Four Books and Five Classics.

The only lucky thing is that Ma Wenyuan feels that his memory has become excellent after he transmigrated, and everything from the past is as if it were yesterday.

Furthermore, the classics are logical and the policy arguments are structured, so they can be applied like mathematical formulas.

Even though we are no longer in an era where the rigid, formulaic style of writing is prevalent, it doesn't mean that writing it is unacceptable.

Therefore, after studying for more than three years, Ma Wenyuan read the Four Books and Five Classics no less than thirty times.

He then used modern memorization methods to organize his thoughts and finally passed the county examination with flying colors, ranking first. In the provincial examination in the third year of the Hongwu reign, he achieved fifth place.

Next came the imperial examination. Ma Wenyuan brought all his family property with him—"two bags of rice, a quilt," and some gifts from his former boss.

Working while traveling.

Only ghosts know how arduous it was to travel in the cold winters of ancient times, having to be wary of robbers and thieves while also resisting the cold.

Ma Wenyuan thus traveled from Guangdong to Yingtian to prepare for the imperial examination.

My hands and feet were covered in chilblains, and I was tanned dark.

Huang Tian deserves a caring person.

Ma Wenyuan's do-or-die strategy did not fail.

In the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, he stood out again in the imperial examination, even though he was only at the bottom of the list and not among the top five.

But Ma Wenyuan already felt extremely fortunate to be able to enter this magnificent hall as a tribute student.

"Once I get through this, I, Old Ma, will finally be able to make it through," Ma Wenyuan thought to himself.

"Strategy—"

The official's voice echoed in the hall. Then, the yellow silk scroll was slowly unrolled, and the examiner loudly read out the exam questions.

In the palace examination, both the essay and the policy essay were required to be straightforward.

The Emperor decreed: "I have heard that the ancient wise kings, in governing the world, always prioritized education before resorting to punishment."

"When education is effective, customs become beautiful; when punishment is imposed, wickedness is quelled. Now I have received the Mandate of Heaven and possess the entire world. I am diligent day and night, fearing that even one person will not be in a proper place."

"However, since I ascended the throne, the fields have not become prosperous, and the bandits have not been completely eradicated. What is the reason for this? You, my lord, have been studying for many years. Please answer me carefully, without being vague or evasive."

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After regaining his senses, Ma Wenyuan pondered deeply.

The central idea of ​​this policy question is the "dialectical relationship between education and punishment," which tests the priorities of governance strategies.

His thoughts quickly unfolded—he began by addressing the issue, pointing out that education and punishment are both indispensable, but not interchangeable;

The discussion then moves on to the main point, analyzing that the crux of current social problems lies in the ineffective implementation of the system, rather than in the flaws of the policies themselves.

Further elaborated in four levels:

First, rectify official corruption and broaden channels for public opinion.

Second, reduce corvée labor and encourage agriculture and sericulture.

Third, establish community schools and prioritize education.

Fourth, use punishments with caution and strictly prohibit wrongful convictions.

It's just a bunch of clichés.

By the time the palace examination is reached, one's future official position is basically secured. At this point, the best course of action is to use platitudes; it's better to make no contribution than to make a mistake.

Ma Wenyuan took another deep breath and began to write.

He writes extremely fast, with a natural flair for his writing.

In his policy proposal, Ma Wenyuan particularly emphasized that "the salary system should be sufficient to replace farming"—only when honest officials do not have to worry about making a living can they be considered truly incorruptible.

Furthermore, citing Confucius's concept of "teaching before punishing" from Confucian classics, it is argued that the essential purpose of punishment is not punishment, but to educate through punishment.

Ma Wenyuan was very careful with his writing.

There was no empty talk about benevolence and righteousness, nor was there any radicalism.

It only put forward a few specific and feasible policy suggestions.

In my past life, I learned calligraphy when I was a little older, and I wrote it quite well, though back then it was just for show.

Now it's come in handy.

Just as he was writing the third section, "establishing the system of land tax and equalizing the number of taxes and corvée labor," a bright yellow shadow was cast in front of his desk.

In the corner of my eye, the edge of the yellow robe flashed by.

He felt a chill run down his spine—the emperor was making his rounds.

Ma Wenyuan did not look up. He was a modern man, but that did not mean he would disrespect imperial authority.

Ma Wenyuan is still very much like Wei Junjie; he kneels when he should kneel and bows when he should bow, so he doesn't live a shameful life.

Ma Wenyuan is very good at recognizing reality, knowing when to be a certain type of person and what to say to different people.

Therefore, even though he had the opportunity to see the emperor from history books during the palace examination, he did not look up, nor did he wonder whether Zhu Yuanzhang had a long face.

Having finally reached the palace examination, Ma Wenyuan did not want any mistakes to happen.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked very slowly.

He strolled along, his gaze sweeping over the scholars who were engrossed in their writing.

Fengtian Hall was still a bit chilly in late spring, but charcoal braziers were burning in the four corners of the hall, so our hands weren't too cold.

Several young scholars noticed the emperor's arrival, and their wrists trembled slightly, causing their handwriting to become somewhat unsteady.

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that he was still young and impatient.

When he reached the end of the hall, he suddenly stopped.

The scholar had his head down, and only half of his face could be seen.

But it was that half-profile that struck Zhu Yuanzhang like a bolt from the blue—the eyebrows, eyes, and face shape were exactly the same as Biao'er's.

He was very similar to his empress, who was known for her wisdom and virtue.

It made Zhu Yuanzhang feel as if he saw Empress Ma in her youth.

"Prime Minister Li," Zhu Yuanzhang called softly.

Li Shanchang immediately stepped forward and, following the emperor's gaze, was slightly taken aback: "Your Majesty, that is Ma Wenyuan, a tribute student from Guangdong. His ancestral home seems to be Suzhou. He ranked twenty-first in the metropolitan examination."

Ma Wenyuan.

His surname is Ma.

Ancestral home: Suzhou...

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart suddenly raced.

He looked again at the young scholar who still hadn't raised his head.

The other person was focused on writing something on the paper, completely absorbed, unaware of the emperor's gaze.

That calm and composed demeanor was unlike that of a candidate taking the imperial examination for the first time; it was more like that of a seasoned official who had seen many storms.

He suddenly remembered what the Empress had said yesterday—"Your Majesty need not worry too much about the palace examination tomorrow. There is an inexhaustible supply of talented people in the world. As long as Your Majesty knows how to recognize and appoint capable people, that will be fine."

The way she spoke, gentle yet resolute, bore a resemblance to the calmness of the person before her.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly withdrew his gaze, but did not leave immediately. He stood behind Ma Wenyuan with his hands behind his back, and leaned down to read a few lines of the policy proposal.

His handwriting is neat yet sharp, his wording is sophisticated yet measured, every sentence hits the nail on the head, yet every word is carefully chosen.

Even if the writing is not as eloquent as that of other students, it is still practical.

Zhu Yuanzhang praised him in his heart, calling him a great talent.

He finally took a step away, but after taking three steps, he looked back one last time.

Ma Wenyuan still did not look up.

The figure in the blue robe stood straight as a pine tree, which seemed particularly out of place among the silent scholars in the hall.

It was also very familiar to me.

Upon reaching his seat, Zhu Yuanzhang slowly sat down.

The coldness of the dragon throne came from his back, but he was completely unaware of it, only subconsciously gripping the armrests tightly.

That person's surname was Ma.

That man looked exactly like Biao'er.

Is there really such a coincidence in the world?

Li Shanchang carefully observed the emperor's expression.

That usually serious face now showed a rare, almost dazed expression.

I don't know what she's thinking.