Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 13 Zhu Yuanzhang: Sister, look, this is the title I bestowed upon you?

Sitting a little further away is Consort Dading.

She was originally a concubine of the deceased Chen Youliang, and was later taken into the harem by Zhu Yuanzhang. She was the mother of Prince Qi, Zhu Fu, and Prince Li, Zhu Qi.

"There's no secret to Kunning Palace, you've all misunderstood."

Ma Xiuying smiled gently and then shared her usual eating habits and health preservation methods. The Imperial Hospital had already taken notes, and as long as Consort Guo Ning and Consort Li followed her advice, it would definitely be useful.

"Your Majesty, I thank you."

"That's what Consort Dading said weakly."

In the Kunning Palace at this time.

Her status was the lowest. If she hadn't given birth to two princes, her life in the harem would probably have been even more difficult, let alone the fact that she was able to come to see Ma Xiuying today with Consort Guo Ning and Consort Li Shu.

Then came the daily pleasantries of the palace women, which consisted mainly of jewelry, silk weaving, and, most importantly, the education of the princes.

Interspersed throughout were anecdotes and casual conversations about palace life, but these were only touched upon briefly, merely to ease the atmosphere and make the time spent together more enjoyable.

"The Kunning Palace is really lively today."

Suddenly, a loud, bell-like laugh came from outside the palace. The sound rose from the ground and instantly reached the ears of Ma Xiuying, Consort Li, Consort Guo, and the others.

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."

Ma Xiuying, along with all the concubines, bowed in unison.

"Get up, all of you."

Zhu Yuanzhang strode in, carrying several long memorials in his arms, clearly indicating that he had official business to discuss.

At his signal, Consort Li, Consort Guo, and Consort Da withdrew first.

With no outsiders around, Ma Xiuying no longer maintained the court etiquette she had been just moments before.

Whether inside or outside the palace, once the door is closed, this is their little home.

In this household, the husband and wife treated each other with utmost respect. There was never any emperor or empress; there was only Zhu Chongba and Ma Xiuying, a couple who had gone through thick and thin together.

"You wouldn't come to our temple without a reason; you must have ulterior motives!"

Ma Xiuying picked up the teacup and brewed some light tea. This tea was not ordinary tea, but a medicinal tea prepared by Physician Wang of the Imperial Hospital. It had only a light medicinal taste, not strong, and beneficial to the body and mind.

Ma Xiuying usually drinks it as a regular hot beverage.

"Girl, you can't say that."

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled, spread his fingers, and placed the documents he had been carrying on the table. As he unfolded them, he said, "If we truly had ill intentions, didn't our ancestors have an old saying?"

"A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—that's just malicious. Don't you think so, sister?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smugly flaunted his scholarly airs.

Ma Xiuying's chest heaved with anger. She glared at him and said, "You Zhu Chongba, you're insulting me indirectly!"

talking.

She slammed her hand on the table, causing it to shake violently and spill most of the tea.

"What nonsense!"

Zhu Yuanzhang put on the act of a wronged and honest man, and his performance was so vivid.

A man who's three-tenths drunk can make you cry while acting.

Zhu Yuanzhang was one of the best among them.

He quickly tried to comfort her, saying, "Girl, calm down, don't hold it against us. You know we haven't read as many books as you, how can we compare to you?"

"He's starting to be sarcastic again."

Ma Xiuying said irritably.

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly changed the subject: "Come on, sister! Let's take a look at these regulations first."

"No need for you to worry, sister. In just one or two days, we've basically finalized all the titles for this investiture ceremony. Look, sister, these are the titles we personally bestowed."

talking.

He started boasting and bragging again, becoming quite pleased with himself.

Ma Xiuying finally gave in to him and glanced at the regulations.

But it would have been better if I hadn't swept it; I could have just looked at it at a glance.

His expression immediately changed.

She read aloud softly: "Xu Da, Duke; Chang Yuchun, Duke; Lan Yu..."

After a moment's consideration, Ma Xiuying looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's furrowed brows and could only sigh, agreeing with him, "A marquisate is not out of the question."

"Our sister has good taste."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately revealed a simple, honest smile, and was overjoyed.

Ma Xiuying continued reading, but the more she looked, the deeper her furrowed brows became.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt a sudden pang of regret.

I should have known better than to let the girl see it.

But by then it was too late.

"Zhongba, you've gone mad."

Ma Xiuying pointed at the plan and said, "How come Liu Bowen was only granted the title of Earl? His contributions were no less than Li Shanchang's. Even if he wasn't a Duke, he should at least have been granted the title of Marquis."

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could refute her, Ma Xiuying saw another civil official.

It was Hu Weiyong, whom Li Shanchang had recommended earlier. However, Hu Weiyong's name did not even have a title; the regulations only listed his name.

Ma Xiuying didn't seem to care much about this.

But as I looked, I didn't see Tang He's name among the military generals.

Scrolling down, I discovered that Tang He had only been granted a minor marquisate among the military officers.

"Zhongba, you're really foolish."

Ma Xiuying emphasized, "Back when you were still a wandering monk, Tang He was already a commander of six. In terms of merit, Tang He should not only be a duke, but also the head of the six dukes."

Zhu Yuanzhang was unusually embarrassed about this, but he still snorted and said, "Sister, my own sister."

"Tang He's contributions are considerable, but since returning to court, he has always considered himself the foremost military general and spends his days colluding with Li Shanchang, the foremost civil official. Do you think we shouldn't be wary of him?"

For a moment, Ma Xiuying was speechless.

Collusion between civil and military officials has always been a major taboo in the imperial court.

Even if she wanted to persuade them, she really didn't know where to start.

Having no other option, Ma Xiuying changed the subject: "Xu Da's eldest daughter is of good age and quite beautiful. I'm considering marrying her to Xiao Si. What do you think?"

"That's a good idea."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. Finally, he said with satisfaction, "Xu Da is our closest brother, and Xiao Si is our bravest prince. If our two families become in-laws, wouldn't Xu Da become a member of the imperial family?"

"The girl is clever; this is called using softness to overcome hardness. No, we need to adjust her position. We need to elevate Xu Da to the head of the Six Dukes, even above Li Shanchang."

Zhu Yuanzhang acted immediately, taking paper and pen and actually began to do official business in the Wuying Hall within the Kunning Palace.

After making some adjustments, he posted the charter on the wall, looked it over carefully, and only then did he feel truly at ease.

"With our sister around, we've truly gained a living female strategist."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily.

He has always been biased towards his own family, and the closer they are to his family, the better he wants to give them.

While Zhu Yuanzhang was preoccupied with state affairs, Ma Xiuying began to think about her personal matters.

"Now that Xiao Si's marriage is settled, that young man from the Ma family is about the same age as Xiao Si, or even slightly older. It's time to arrange a marriage for him too..."