The Ming Dynasty: My sister, Empress Ma

Xu Miaoyun is gone.

Still using a VPN.

He climbed over the backyard of the Ma residence to the backyard of the Xu family, and then quietly returned to his own room.

No one knows how Xu Miaoyun managed to avoid the maidservants guarding the door.

Just like no one knows how Xu Miaoyun avoided the guards at the Ma residence.

Ma Wenyuan guessed that she might have a great talent in this area.

Before leaving, Xu Miaoyun left a message, just like her father, Xu Da.

She said she would definitely come tomorrow and told Ma Wenyuan to remember to be prepared.

……

It was late at night.

The entire Yingtian Prefecture fell silent, with only the occasional sound of string and wind instruments echoing from the banks of the Qinhuai River.

Night watchmen occasionally pass by Dagongfang Street.

First update.

Two updates.

Ma Wenyuan didn't go to sleep until the third watch of the night, because he didn't want to break his promise.

Furthermore, Ma Wenyuan wants to change some of the ideas prevalent in the present era.

This matter may be a bit difficult, but it cannot be left unresolved.

Ma Wenyuan has the opportunity now but doesn't take it.

If things proceed as they normally would, and after several hundred years of development, wouldn't the Chinese people have to pay a huge price again?

Even without looking to the future, just focusing on the present, Ma Wenyuan felt that since he had come here, he shouldn't let the people live the same way they used to.

He had at least received so much "red education" (revolutionary education).

……

The next day, it was dawn.

Ma Wenyuan got up early, and the maid who was waiting outside heard the noise and immediately came in to help him change.

Looking at the two young maids, Ma Wenyuan waved his hand, "Go and rest."

Ma Wenyuan had no intention of being served; it wasn't like he couldn't get clothes on.

The work of the servants was quite strenuous.

Before the master of the house prepares to go to bed, the maids will warm the bed, make the bed, serve the washing and grooming, and even prepare the nighttime utensils.

Once the master of the house is asleep, the maid will stay by his side, either by the footstool, in the corridor, in the outer room, or on a narrow, low bed. She cannot fall into a deep sleep; she must listen for any sounds at all times.

That is, a night maid.

There were also night maids, the kind who waited at the door.

In the morning, these maids had to prepare toiletries in advance, instead of waiting for their masters to get up before slowly preparing them.

In many people's eyes, this is what they should be doing. They're paid this much and receive this kind of treatment, so they should do this kind of work.

During the Hongwu era, the maids and servants in the mansions of powerful and wealthy families did not receive good treatment and even had no human rights. They were regarded as the property of their masters. If a slave was killed without cause, the punishment was only fifty strokes of the cane and one year of penal servitude.

Ma Wenyuan felt that people like this should be treated with more tolerance.

That's all he can do. As for liberating the slaves...

That's pure nonsense. Zhu Yuanzhang did try it, but there's always a way around it.

If you won't allow slavery, then raise adopted sons and daughters. Isn't it natural for children to serve their parents?

What can the government say?

Ultimately, it's because the productivity of our time is so low that most people can't afford to eat and can only survive as slaves.

If we want to completely solve this problem, we can only do it from the bottom up, not from the top down.

First, we must liberate the minds of ordinary people; second, we must address their livelihood issues.

Clearly, the problem is quite serious and cannot be solved by Ma Wenyuan right now.

"This servant wouldn't dare."

The maid carrying the towel answered.

"Go."

Ma Wenyuan forced a gentle smile and waved his hand.

This terrified the maids, who knelt on the ground and begged for their lives.

This annoyed Ma Wenyuan, but he didn't say much. He casually wiped his face and went out.

……

The Ma residence is bustling with activity right now.

The servants began cleaning and sweeping, while the veterans from the Yiluan Division began their daily training.

Led by the forestry workers, this man was in his early twenties, in the prime of his life, and his troops were quite energetic.

Zeng Qing was also in the group.

Ma Wenyuan's mood improved somewhat.

"gentlemen."

As Ma Wenyuan walked to the front hall, he saw Zeng Xiu waiting for him.

Now that Ma Wenyuan has moved, his two personal students naturally moved in as well, and even moved into the young master's room.

The old lady from Qingxi Lane wholeheartedly agreed; she didn't want to jeopardize her grandchildren's future.

"morning."

Ma Wenyuan greeted everyone and then sat down at the head table.

As one's identity changes, so does one's life.

He no longer needs to worry about meals, or even about such things.

As soon as you sit down at the table, someone will immediately bring you food.

"Mung bean chess piece noodles?"

Seeing the bright green noodles that were served, Ma Wenyuan tentatively asked a question.

Standing to the side was a woman named Yang Liu, who had served as a close attendant to Her Majesty the Queen since the time of the King of Wu.

Yang Liu bowed slightly and explained in a low voice,

"Reporting to the Imperial Uncle, it is indeed mung bean noodles. His Highness was worried that the Imperial Uncle would not be used to it, so the cook in the mansion is also from the palace."

Mung bean noodles, as the name suggests, are thin, diamond-shaped noodles that resemble chess pieces. They are typically a refreshing summer food.

Old Zhu was happy to eat it.

Ma Wenyuan nodded, then invited Zeng Xiu to sit down and eat with him.

After what had happened, Ma Wenyuan did not call Yang Liu and the others again.

These people came from the palace, unlike ordinary noble families. The sense of hierarchy that these people had developed over the years could not be changed overnight.

Now let them go their own way; Ma Wenyuan could only say that the task ahead was arduous and the road was long.

"Haha, I'm here!"

A hearty laugh rang out.

Ma Wenyuan's previous displeasure vanished, and he said to Yang Liu, "Go and bring a bowl of noodles for the young students."

The person who arrived was Xu Miaoyun.

Xu Miaoyun was not dressed the same as yesterday; today she was wearing a red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), which had some dust on it.

"Using a VPN again?"

Ma Wenyuan asked with a smile.

"certainly."

Xu Miaoyun nodded, then climbed onto the table as if they were old friends, waiting for the meal to be served, before finally getting to the point.

"Uncle Ma, are you ready?"

Ma Wenyuan looked at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten.

"No rush."

"Hmph." Xu Miaoyun wasn't in a hurry; she'd finish her meal first.

She had actually already eaten, but she just wanted to eat another meal with Ma Wenyuan.

To avenge yesterday's humiliation.

While eating, Ma Wenyuan started rambling on and on.

"What you talked about yesterday were 'Xuan Ye Shuo' and 'Xun Meng Jue Ju'. Regarding the sky, Zhu Xi believed that it was the accumulation of 'qi' and its color was 'cang cang'."

"This is right, and this is wrong."

"That's right, there is no solid cover in the sky, but rather a mass of gas."

Xu Miaoyun focused intently on eating her noodles, occasionally pricking up her ears to listen to a few words.

Zeng Xiu didn't even dare to eat noodles, she just listened the whole time, afraid of missing any knowledge points.

"The problem is that azure isn't the sky's natural color. After all, the sky changes color with sunrise and sunset; it's hard to say that the sky's true nature changes multiple times in a single day, is it?"

"The reason why the sky has its color is not due to the purity or turbidity of the air, but to the perception of light and the reception of air."

"Light has seven colors, each with its own nature. Blue is 'restless,' easily interacting with dust particles in the air; red is 'sinking,' able to pass through dust."

"The sun rises in the east, its light as white as silk, illuminating the entire world. Its blue color is caused by the restlessness of the sun, which spreads across the fields, hence the sky is blue;"

"Its red color is due to its deep color, which directly enters the eyes, hence the sun appears red. This is not a pale blue color, but rather the result of the interaction and exchange of the sun's essence and energy."

It's actually based on the principle of Rayleigh scattering.

Ma Wenyuan changed the format to a more literary one, making it easier for Xu Miaoyun to understand.

Xu Miaoyun just nodded as if she understood, and didn't seem to really understand.

After the meal.

The sky gradually brightened.

Seeing that it was almost time, Ma Wenyuan took out the equipment he had prepared in advance.

The first thing to do is to break down the light.

Ma Wenyuan filled the ceramic basin with water and placed it in the sunniest spot.

Then they submerged the bronze mirror at an angle in the water, with half of it submerged and the other half exposed.

Finally, carefully rotate the mirror so that the reflected light falls on a white wall.

A curved band of colored light appeared on the white wall.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—seven colors.

The artificially created rainbow made Xu Miaoyun and Zeng Xiu's eyes light up.

Ma Wenyuan told them that this was light, and that light itself contained seven colors, not pure white.

Ma Wenyuan then moved on to the topic of scattering.