My Brother-in-law is the Prince - Chapter 432

Chapter 432 Bruised bones and ashes

At this time, many people have started to move around, looking for the number one scholar.

But obviously, the efficiency of these people is much lower, far inferior to the factory guards.

It’s a pity that if you want to find the champion, you will definitely not have anything to do with the factory guard.

Ma Yu was quite pleased when he heard that someone next door asked about him, and he had his own way of dealing with it.

But leisurely returned to his study, meditating on the next thing to do.

Bulk goods, from shipment to berthing at the port, and then to the sale of the payment, as well as the interest of the bank and the settlement of the merchants.

There are too many things that need to be finalized by yourself, and any mistakes in any link will be fatal.

“Hey… I just hate that there are too few scholars in the feudal kingdoms.” Ma Yu sighed, and muttered to himself: “If there are more scholars, that would be great. You can make some friends everywhere, even if you provide some information. That’s fine too.”

Ma Yu said, shaking his head with regret.

Ma Sandao: “Master, I heard that this Taiping Mansion is arresting scholars everywhere.”

“How can this be called arrest.” Ma Yu smiled and said, “This is called asking scholars to find something to do, which is called loyalty and filial piety.”

Ma Sandao: “The little one doesn’t really understand. I only know that inside and outside the Taiping Mansion, no one dares to wear a Lun scarf or a Confucian shirt easily, for fear of being considered a scholar and being arrested for loyalty and filial piety.”

Ma Yu listened, and laughed: “Interesting. Isn’t that just like me, even though I have fame, but I don’t look like a scholar when I look at it vertically?”

Speaking of this, he seemed to suddenly think of something, slapped his head suddenly and said: “Yes, I have a new idea.”

After finishing speaking, he said excitedly: “Come, give me pen and ink, and repair the book.”

Ma San said with some reluctance: “Master, master, do you want to reply a letter…”

Ma Yu lost his interest in vain, shook his head and said: “Now is not the time, if he knows that I have resigned, he will be furious, and he will come to the capital to beat me.”

Ma San cried and said: “I’m afraid I will have my legs broken too, woo woo woo… My leg is gone.”

Ma Yu remained silent, lowered his eyebrows and raised his pen, ignoring it.

…

Wenyuan Pavilion.

“Have you found Ma Yu?” Hu Guang almost every now and then would ask someone to look for her.

But Scheeren’s answer every time is: “The Ministry of Punishment has sent people to search for it, but… no matter what, they can’t find it, and a reward has been issued.”

Hu Guang frowned and said, “Is there no one in the world who saw him?”

Sheren said dumbfoundingly: “Returning to Mr. Hu, it’s not that no one saw it, but after the reward was awarded, it was said that too many people saw it. In just ten days, people came to report everywhere, saying that it was an investigation. There are more than a thousand clues to his whereabouts, and the people from the Ministry of Punishment verified them one by one before discovering that… most of them… are just guessing…”

After hearing this, Hu Guang said angrily, “Why is it so easy for Jin Yiwei to find someone?”

“This…” Nasheren said: “Jinyiwei is different. They have a special…what is it called intelligence analysis, they also collect clues, but they have a special intelligence thousand households to screen all the information, and there are set up everywhere. The news is much more reliable if you listen to the eyes and ears, or Hu Gong will send a note to the King of Wuhu County…”

Hu Guang hastily stopped him and said, “Isn’t that a sheep coming into the tiger’s mouth? Who is Ma Yu? Back then, Ma Yu cursed Zhang Anshi many times. Have you ever heard that Han and traitors are against each other? Well, there must be some people who are proud of their talents. If Jin Yiwei is really asked to investigate, and Jin Yiwei finds out some of his deeds, who knows if he will kill him? Even if Zhang Anshi is generous, he can’t help those people under Jin Yiwei. .”

“I understand now. But I heard that scholars are in danger now. In the past, Jin Yiwei arrested scholars, and later, the number one scholar disappeared without a trace…”

Hu Guang sighed: “Hey… let’s continue to search.”

He only sighed, but he became more and more worried about the current situation.

The sea trade in Taiping Prefecture finally started with the launching of sea ships.

Not long after, Zhang Anshi issued a royal edict to protect all merchant ships traveling within the four seas of the world.

This kind of protection is not only for the vassal state, but also for the maritime merchants of Dashi, or the maritime merchants of Tianzhu.

At this time, the most satisfied person was Zhu Qiongda, king of the Tang Dynasty who was building a city in Malacca. After he came to the capital, he immediately keenly felt that his good time had come.

There are many Han people in Malacca, but the defense here is narrow and there are many natives. If it is not for the mutual horns with the kings of Annan, Chenla and other places, they may really be driven into the sea by the natives all over the mountains and plains.

Therefore, his development progress was not fast, and now he only built three cities, and Malacca, connecting the Tianzhu Sea and the Western Ocean, is an important sea channel.

This means that ships from many vassal states may stop in his vassal land for relay. Not only that, a large number of big food sea merchants and sea merchants from Tianzhu, once they can transfer here, their own vassal land will be in the future. , with the greatest benefit.

The other vassal states have also prepared a large amount of products, just waiting for the ships from Taiping Mansion to arrive.

Time is a business opportunity. When a ship goes to sea, merchants almost take advantage of this opportunity to immediately carry a large amount of goods and go to sea quickly.

At Songjiang port, ships gathered all of a sudden.

Dozens of shipyards, in order to build ships, are invariably desperately improving their craftsmanship, especially the manufacturing process.

Originally there was a large amount of technical reserves in the manufacture of ships going to the West. Now, under the temptation of gold and silver, the level of this kind of manufacturing management has become higher and higher.

The ships of the first batch of merchants have already set out to sea.

Like a group of people who eat crabs, everyone in the Taiping Mansion seems to be waiting for news.

At the end of the eighteenth year of Yongle.

Chen Li lamented that there are fewer and fewer scholars nowadays, and even if there are scholars, they refuse to go out in Lunjin Confucian shirts. It is really difficult to recognize.

Zhang Anshi had no choice but to comfort him. The road is tortuous, but the future is bright. There will always be a time when all the scholars will be swept away and sent to the world to make them fulfill their filial piety and loyalty.

As long as the imperial court still conducts the imperial examination, there is no fear that scholars will not come to Beijing. Even if they hide their identities after entering Beijing, once the results are released, they are not afraid that they will not go to see the results.

Arresting people under the rankings is very effective. People in high school are naturally made to be officials.

At this moment, an old man entered the capital.

This person is wearing an old shirt and a worn towel.

Fortunately, he is old, even with such a dress, no one is interested in him.

Jin Yiwei likes the kind of young and strong scholars, not the old Confucian scholars who are sent to the ship and who might have a banquet when they arrive.

The old Confucian scholar looked sad, and under the care of an old servant and a young man, he arrived at the Confucius Temple first.

This young man is his youngest son, Ma Chao.

And this old Confucian scholar, whose surname is Ma, is famous.

Although his name is Ma Yangming, he is a heir to his family of poems and books, but his luck is not good. He has studied books all his life, but he has not become famous. In fact, he is just an old boy.

The family business has been accumulated for a long time, and it is not known whether it is poor management or bad luck. These generations are no longer as prosperous as before.

Even so, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and the Ma family still has talents. For example, his eldest son, Ma Yu, is the number one scholar in high school.

The news spread to Shandong, and the chief envoy and Xuezheng of the Shandong chief envoy paid a visit to Ma’s house in person. This was a blessing that the entire Shandong chief envoy had not seen for hundreds of years, and it reversed the blank of the northerners without a champion in one fell swoop. .

At that time, Ma Yangming was so happy, the ancestors accumulated virtues!

It didn’t take long for me to be happy, but I learned that my son had resigned.

Someone from the Ministry of Punishments went to Shandong to search and asked if Ma Yu had returned home.

Ma Yangming’s face turned pale with shock at the time, and he waited anxiously for the news, but Ma Yu disappeared without a trace, as if disappeared out of thin air.

Although he also wrote a letter and came back, but this letter is also vague, saying that he does not want to be an official and wants to do something of his own.

Ma Yangming, he… can’t accept it.

So he stayed at home for several months, anxiously looking forward to the family letter. After several disappointments, Ma Yangming finally decided to bring his whole family to Beijing to find his son.

Came to the big capital of Nuo, Ma Yangming looked sad. After staying in the inn of Confucius Temple, Dang even asked his second son Ma Chao to visit his fellow countrymen and inquire about news.

And when he heard that Mr. Ma had arrived in Beijing, his fellow countrymen, the same year, and even many princes from temples who had been paying attention to Ma Yu all came here admiringly.

Some people are purely out of sympathy.

Some people also want to hear some news from Father Ma.

There are still people who think that Ma Yu is missing, but at least he is the number one scholar. Maybe he will find him in the future, and he still has a bright future. At this time, it is better to burn a cold stove.

Of course, there are also purely caring.

Suddenly, the small inn was full of horses and horses, and even the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, Xia Yuanji, came in a hurry, talked with Father Ma for a long time, and then left.

As for other court officials, there are quite a few Hanlin, Yushi, and even the heads of various ministries and doctors.

Many Jinshi from high school with Ma Yu also came to pay their respects.

Ma Yangming has mixed feelings. If his son is safe, he should be like them in this life, and maybe even have a bigger future than them.

But now…

He burst into tears several times, and after crying again and again, he couldn’t sleep.

Immediately afterwards, some fellow countrymen came to visit.

When I arrived in the capital, I heard the local accent, so I couldn’t help but feel extra cordial.

“How come there is no news at all? Such a big person, so good-looking, why did he disappear?”

Ma Yangming’s lips trembled, and he pursed his lips, with a sad expression on his face.

Ma Chao, who was standing on the side, also said worriedly: “Father, nothing will happen to your brother.”

When he said this, Ma Yangming immediately jumped into a rage, raised his staff and beat him, scolding: “Bastard, what good is your brother’s accident? You bastard, you only steal and play tricks on weekdays, and you don’t make any progress in studying. , without your brother, the Ma family will be defeated by you.”

Ma Chao hid himself and said, “I said it casually…”

The villagers all came to stop them, saying: “Magong calm down, calm down…”

“This is not the solution to the problem, just call when you go home.”

Ma Yangming was out of breath, his eyes were red, and he said sadly: “I am miserable, I am miserable. I have been studying all my life, but I am just an old boy, I can’t hold my head up. I finally had a promising child, but now… it is gone. .My place is the most well-behaved, the most responsible, and well-behaved, how come it disappeared… woo woo woo…”

whimpered and burst into tears.

Ma Chao muttered sadly: “The family would never be able to make a living. This time when I came to Beijing, the expenses along the way were all paid by selling the family’s seven or eight acres of land…”

At this moment, someone finally said: “Magong, I just want to ask you, have you heard of some things?”

Ma Yangming looked at the man with a solemn look, quickly stopped his tears, and said, “What’s the matter?”

“You don’t know, no one told you before?”

Ma Yangming shook his head, looking at a loss.

“Hey, it seems that everyone is too wise to tell the truth…”

Ma Yangming became more and more worried when he heard this, and said seriously: “Go ahead, folks in the village, if you have any news, don’t hide it from me… I… I will kowtow to you.”

The fellow from the village was astonished, and quickly waved his hands and said: “I am also Zhesha, I am also Zhesha, okay…”

This man was heartbroken, and stomped his feet and said: “These days, Jin Yiwei has caught scholars everywhere and sold them overseas. Many scholars have suffered unreasonable disasters. It is so miserable that it is hard to describe in words. In fact, many people doubt whether it is Brother Ma Nian , he was captured by Jin Yiwei and sent to Java.”

Ma Yangming shivered suddenly, and said in disbelief: “He is the number one scholar, so it shouldn’t be like this.”

“Jin Yiwei didn’t dare to do anything all these years!”

Ma Yangming said again: “But he still studied and returned to his hometown…”

“You don’t know, Jin Yiwei is very cunning. He arrests people and teaches them to study books and return to their hometowns. And Java, do you know? Some secrets have just been spread recently, saying that Java deceived many scholars back then. They were sent to serve as corvees, and they were taught to write books, and all letters had to be checked, and only good things were allowed to be said, and if they said bad things, they would suffer disaster.”

After Ma Yangming heard this, his heart skipped a beat, and then he said with a face full of shock: “In this way, my son was probably taken away by the damned Java Kingdom or the Jinyiwei?”

“I can only say that it’s almost inseparable. It’s just this matter, Jin Yiwei is in the name of loyalty and filial piety, and scholars dare not speak out under this lustful power, hey…”

Ma Yangming stared at him, slammed the copybook, and said angrily, “Why don’t you dare to say anything? My son is gone, do they think the old man will be afraid? If I have the ability, I will kill the old man. If it is impossible, I will kill the old man.” My whole family, if my youngest son Ma Chao is chopped up and fed to the dogs, if the old man frowns at this, he is not considered a saint. As long as my Yuer can see the light of day again, the Ma family will be dead, and it will only be the size of a sesame seed thing!”

Ma Chao: “…”

He is so heartbroken!

The villagers began to discuss: “Yeah, how many lifetimes of virtue have been accumulated before such a champion…”

“Ma Gong…I’m afraid I have to ask Hu Gong or Xia Gong in the temple to see if they are willing to decide…”

“I don’t think Hu Gong and Xia Gong are useless. After all, people are gone, and there is no real evidence that they were taken away by Jin Yiwei. No matter how willing Hu Gong and Xia Gong are to help, as long as Jin Yiwei denies it, what can we do?”

Ma Yang clapped the case with great fame and said: “Other things, I don’t care about it. I only want a son. For the sake of Yu’er, I don’t care about anything. He is a great Jin Yiwei, then I will make a fuss to the point where God listens.”

Everyone said: “I’m afraid no one will care about this matter.”

Ma Yangming sneered: “Fortunately, you are also from Shandong, and you don’t know that our Shandong… has a way to deal with these people.”

Everyone is puzzled.

Ma Yangming didn’t say much anymore, his eyes burst out with a firm look, as if he had made up his mind, like an old monk sitting still.

…

Wuhu County Prince’s Mansion.

Outside the palace, there were many people coming and going, some were ordering, and some were coming to see.

Among the bustling crowd.

Suddenly three people emerged.

The first person is Ma Yangming.

Ma Yangming was at the forefront, and the next step behind was the trembling Ma Chao.

Ma Yangming went outside the palace, turned to Ma Chao and said, “Chaoer, give the old man the things.”

Ma Chao was so frightened that his teeth were chattering, and he said with a bitter face: “Father, you have to think clearly, even if you don’t think about yourself, you have to think about your son.”

Ma Yang was trembling with anger, and gritted his teeth: “Do you still want your brother? You bastard, how much is your life worth? You…you… can the Ma family still count on you? As long as your brother has a chance , even if we are all dead without whole corpses and broken into thousands of pieces, it is worth it, hurry up!”

“Father…” Ma Chao howled and sobbed.

But in the end, despite being stubborn, he obediently opened the bag and pulled out a huge silk portrait.

Immediately, under Ma Yangming’s fierce gaze, he propped up the silk portrait with a pole in a panic.

The guard of the county palace at the gate felt strange and wanted to question him.

You can take a closer look at the flag pan, and suddenly your expression changes.

But I saw that on the flag, there was a portrait. The person on the portrait…not to mention, but the characters on it were recognizable to everyone, and they wrote: “Imperial Taizu Gaodi Portrait!”

The guards were so shocked that they were speechless.

Then, Ma Yangming’s angry roar came out: “Emperor Taizu Gao is here, everyone come and see, Emperor Taizu Gao, open your eyes and see how the number one scholar in the department was killed by others, just look at it!” See, there is still no king in this world, alas, give it back to me, give it back to me.”

He called out.

Suddenly, the people around were startled and hurriedly backed away.

Even the guards of the palace did not dare to approach, hesitating, but they were clever people, quickly turned around, and ran like crazy into the county palace.

The portrait of Emperor Gao, the great ancestor, was unfurled, but the flagpole was trembling, but it was Ma Chao who was raising the flag, his body like chaff.

Every howl of his father made him feel that he was one step closer to being defeated.

(end of this chapter)