The Ming Dynasty: My sister, Empress Ma

Old Deng is gone.

Do not take away a cloud.

He left only one string of cash for Xiao Deng, euphemistically calling it a donation.

Ma Wenyuan did not refuse; his integrity had been worn down over the past five years.

The sun gradually set in the west.

Ma Wenyuan walked slowly, clutching the string of cash Lao Deng had given him.

I first went to the grain shop at the alley entrance and bought some coarse rice. Then I picked out two pounds of fine flour that could be stored for a long time. After carefully wrapping it in coarse cloth and tying it tightly, I carried it on my back. Only then did I feel a little more at ease.

If we eat these rice and noodles sparingly, they can last for about half a month.

Carrying his belongings, Ma Wenyuan silently pondered how he needed to prepare for his upcoming appointment as an official.

In the Ming Dynasty, as long as one could enter the palace examination, there was an extremely low probability of being eliminated, especially since it was the founding of the dynasty.

Therefore, whether it's his elder brother, younger brother, or him, they will all likely get an official position.

They could either join the Hanlin Academy, go to one of the Six Ministries, or go to a local government post.

This year's imperial examinations are hopeless.

Old Zhu felt that they were all young people, and that they were all flashy but impractical, so he didn't really care about this year's students.

There's no future in it; you can barely make ends meet on your salary.

Therefore, Ma Wenyuan had to consider the future.

……

The late spring of the fourth year of the Hongwu reign was truly unusual.

It should be a time of drizzling rain, but the sky above is overcast all day long, and a few days ago it even started to snow lightly.

A gust of wind swept by, and Ma Wenyuan, feeling the cold, instinctively wrapped his coarse cloth short coat tighter around himself.

Although the Ming Dynasty's treatment of scholars was not as good as that of the Yuan and Song Dynasties, it was still quite decent.

Even now, with Zhu Yuanzhang in power.

Scholars were exempt from taxes and were not required to bow to officials. Those who were particularly outstanding, such as Lin Sheng, also received a salary from the imperial court.

Logically speaking, a powerful figure like Ma Wenyuan, who is at the half-step official level, should not be so poor.

But things in this world cannot be judged by common sense.

The main reason was that Ma Wenyuan was in a great hurry to take the imperial examinations; he was so anxious that he would spend any money he had as soon as he had it.

They simply don't have time to cultivate their own identity.

Last August, as soon as the results of the provincial examination were released, Ma Wenyuan hurriedly set off for Yingtian, braving wind and rain to prepare for the metropolitan examination.

After passing the provincial examination, Ma Wenyuan began preparing for the upcoming palace examination, studying diligently behind closed doors.

The time was so tight that most of the local gentry hadn't even had time to react before Ma Wenyuan's group set off.

Ma Wenyuan had no relatives, so the local gentry had nowhere to send him money.

Only a few who had been in contact with the local gentry sent some gifts; most of the others had to give up.

But that little bit of knowledge is completely insufficient for a test taker.

So Ma Wenyuan was naturally a bit poor.

Actually, there is another way to go.

For example, in May of last year, Zhu Yuanzhang issued a decree that, since the country had just been pacified, all provinces were to hold examinations for three consecutive years. Furthermore, due to the large number of vacancies in official positions, all candidates were exempted from the metropolitan examination and were to go to the capital to be selected.

This means that starting from the third year of the Hongwu reign, three provincial examinations were held consecutively over three years, and those who passed the provincial examinations during these three years could directly enter the capital to await official appointments.

In this way, Ma Wenyuan could manage his identity while saving a lot of money.

However, this path is obviously more dependent on luck, and if one can become a Jinshi (进士) and be granted an official position, why bother with a Juren (举人) position?

Higher education levels obviously lead to higher official positions.

In fact, Ma Wenyuan is not a very ambitious person.

How high an official position is considered "great"? How much money is considered "a lot"?

Having experienced the ups and downs of officialdom in his previous life, Ma Wenyuan's mindset remains the same.

Having been given a second chance at life, his thoughts remained simple and pure.

I do not seek fame or fortune, nor do I aspire to great success.

I only hope that I can live a good life. If I have any ties in the future, I just wish that my family can live peacefully and together.

If you have the energy to do something, then do something.

This is probably the thought of most Chinese people: a wife, children, and a warm bed.

The main reason I considered becoming an official was because ordinary people were having a hard time living these days.

Old Zhu was strict with corrupt officials, but not so friendly to ordinary people.

Clothing was strictly hierarchical; merchants could only wear silk and cloth, while the status of military households and artisan households was self-evident.

The farmers are slightly better off, but that's about it; they have no money.

In addition, there were travel restrictions, numerous exorbitant taxes, and forced labor.

Indeed, Zhu Yuanzhang was a wise ruler, and it is no exaggeration to call him one of the greatest emperors of all time.

However, throughout the entire history of feudal dynasties, the common people in any era had it all easy.

This applies to periods of Han Jing, the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras of the Tang Dynasty, and various other dynastic revivals.

The difference between a prosperous era and a chaotic era may simply be whether one can survive or not.

The saying goes, "When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer."

Being an ordinary citizen these days is really tough, that's all I can say.

To live a good life, one must be in a position of power.

……

As we left the bookstore, it grew even darker.

Dusk slowly crept over the horse-head walls in the south of the city.

Carrying the newly acquired paper and ink, Ma Wenyuan walked slowly towards the rented courtyard.

Curfew will be in about an hour.

The curfew in Yingtian Prefecture was quite strict. Going out on the street in the middle of the night would result in fifty strokes of the cane, and as night fell, it would be forty strokes.

The alley where Ma Wenyuan lived was quite lively; it could be considered a commercial street.

Most of the residents were merchants, and there were very few pedestrians on the road at this time. Most shops were also preparing to close, with only a very few still open for business.

Ma Wenyuan's landlady was one of them.

The landlady, an elderly woman, was waiting in her shop. Upon seeing Ma Wenyuan, she immediately greeted him with a smile, "You're back?"

"I'm back."

Ma Wenyuan smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

This old woman's husband and son both died at the hands of the Yuan people during the war, leaving only her grandson and granddaughter to depend on each other for survival.

The old lady loved to talk, especially with Ma Wenyuan.

When Ma Wenyuan got tired of reading, he would come over and chat for a while.

The main thing was listening to the old lady's rambling and incessant chatter.

She recounted her experiences over the decades.

I keep thinking about this place called Yingtian Prefecture.

The old lady didn't know many characters, but she was indeed a local and knew all the famous scenic spots by heart.

She talked about everything from the Qinhuai River to Yuhuatai, from the Southern Liang Bodhisattva Emperor to her husband.

Dried goods don't offer much nutritional value, but they're good for comfort.

Ma Wenyuan has lived in this world for five years, but in reality, he has no friends or relatives.

He was willing to listen to the old lady's ramblings.

The old lady was running a small street food stall.

They specialize in selling the famous Osmanthus Sugar-Stuffed Lotus Root from Yingtianfu City.

This item has been famous since the Southern Song Dynasty.

Stuff tender lotus root segments with glutinous rice, add brown sugar and simmer slowly. Sprinkle with dried osmanthus flowers before serving. The sweet aroma wafts through half an alley and is loved by the literati and scholars of Nanjing.

However, the price isn't exactly affordable.

After all, they don't really like being approachable.

For Ma Wenyuan, who is currently strapped for cash, even eating out occasionally is a luxury.

He shamelessly tried it once without paying.

At that time, the old lady said that Ma Wenyuan had passed the imperial examination and insisted on celebrating.

Ma Wenyuan couldn't refuse the other party, so he could only try a few bites, and the taste was indeed good.

"Sir, haven't you packed up your stall yet?"

Ma Wenyuan passed by the stall and asked with a smile.

"No, they're not sold out yet."

Rubbing her wrinkled hands, the old woman suddenly asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

"I still have some, you..."

"I've already eaten." Ma Wenyuan had no intention of continuing to freeload.

Ma Wenyuan only liked to rob the rich to help the poor, eating the food of the rich to support himself, a poor man.

Ma Wenyuan has never been one to take advantage of ordinary people.

The old lady in front of us is the latter.

"Alright then." The old lady's initial joy dimmed somewhat.

As you pass by the stall, a few passersby occasionally bow to Ma Wenyuan.

"Mr. Ma."

"Master Ma."

They may be addressed as "Mr." or "Master."

They were all neighbors from the vicinity, and were witnesses to Ma Wenyuan becoming a tribute student.

Therefore, they were all very respectful, or rather, fearful.

Ma Wenyuan didn't say much about the attitude shown by most of his neighbors, and nodded in acknowledgment when someone bowed to him.

He has no intention of spreading the idea of ​​equality for all, and there's no need for it.