Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 68 Arrival in Beiping

"How much longer? Are we not going to make it this time either?"

Ma Wenxiang asked.

"hehe."

Riding his tall horse, Ma Jin sneered at Ma Wenxiang's question, "What, so eager to see His Majesty? When His Majesty finds out about this, it might not be a good thing for you."

Ma Wenxiang swallowed hard, then thought for a moment.

With the Empress protecting him, what is there to be afraid of?

Moreover, he had a clear conscience and had never done anything to the Empress's body.

Besides, although the Empress is said to be a beauty of unparalleled grace, Ma Wenxiang is still a handsome young man. No one owes anyone anything, so it's even.

not to mention.

What he did for the entire royal family can be considered a considerable contribution.

At that time, even the famous founding emperor, out of respect for the monk, should show some leniency towards Ma Wenxiang.

The more Ma Wenxiang thought about it, the more confident he became, and all his previous fears vanished instantly.

To put it simply...

Ma Wenxiang did not violate any laws of the Ming Dynasty; more broadly speaking, his contributions to the education of princes Zhu Biao, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Su were considerable.

In this situation.

If something really happened to Ma Wenxiang, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, An Qing, and Ning Guo might be easily fooled, but that Crown Prince…

Ma Wenxiang blinked, feeling that His Highness the Crown Prince had actually noticed something, but just hadn't said anything.

Therefore, he was even more confident.

Even if all else fails, there's still the Empress, isn't there?

He could be replaced in ten days. Even if the Hongwu Emperor was willing to be ruthless to him, could he really be ruthless to his own sister?

Even if he agreed, the old brothers of the entire Huaixi faction probably wouldn't agree, not to mention that Ma Wenxiang now carries the hope of the revival of culture and education in the Central Plains.

Zhu Yuanzhang still had to be a little bit wary of him.

In summary...

Ma Wenxiang may appear to be walking a tightrope, but in reality, he is safe and sound, sitting firmly on the sidelines.

Having figured everything out, Ma Wenxiang happily admired the scenery along the roadside, leaving Ma Jin, who was standing next to him, somewhat depressed.

He was quite surprised to find that Ma Wenxiang had such a good attitude.

Ma Jin thought to himself: As expected of someone from the Ma family.

At this moment, he no longer cared whether Ma Wenxiang in front of him was a true member of the Ma family.

Anyway, at worst, we can just marry his daughter to the other party. In this way, the other party's offspring will have the bloodline of the Ma family, which is the safest thing to do.

Ma Jin is determined to become this maternal relative.

No one could stop him, that's what he said.

……

Gradually, the group moved from Daming Prefecture to nearby Beiping.

Sun Xingzu, the Grand Commander of Beiping, had already received orders to come and escort them.

Sun Xingzu had long been curious about the talented young man Ma Wenxiang, as evidenced by his eldest son Sun An's letters. Now, with this opportunity, it was a perfect time to meet him.

"This must be the young master? His reform of the current literary style is indeed a great contribution to the literary world of the Central Plains. Today, it is better to see him in person than to have heard of him."

Sun Xingzu arrived on horseback, followed by a group of soldiers, all of whom were elite troops from the garrison.

It could even be said to be the most elite armed force in the Central Plains.

Compared to the elite troops drawn from various regions behind Ma Wenxiang, the troops under Sun Xingzu's command were clearly more organized and disciplined, far superior to the troops transferred from various regions. There was still a certain gap between the two sides.

Sun Xingzu dismounted and faced Ma Wenxiang with great respect.

At least Ma Wenxiang helped the Sun family, and his contribution was certainly not insignificant.

"Uncle is joking. It's just a matter of having a bit more luck."

Ma Wenxiang said humbly, "With favorable timing, location, and people, our great clans in the Central Plains are now prosperous. Today, I am just a minor retainer under this powerful family. There is really nothing else to say."

Sun Xingzu nodded slightly after hearing his words.

In a letter delivered by the eldest son, Sun An.

He already knew Ma Wenxiang's temperament: he was indeed a handsome young man with good character and a kind personality.

Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I can finally feel at ease.

After all, the entire Sun family has placed their bets on Ma Wenxiang. Although they are not yet entrusting the fate of the entire family to him, the investment is certainly not small.

Otherwise, how could Ma Wenxiang's reputation as an "auspicious prodigy" have spread so easily throughout the Central Plains, and been so sought after by families all over the Central Plains, reaching the level it is today?

This is something that no ordinary person could do, and the Sun family's contribution was definitely not small, ranking among the best.

"Haha, you truly are a handsome young man. Only now, meeting you in person, do I realize that the rumors are true and your reputation is well-deserved."

Sun Hsing-tsu continued to praise.

For a moment, Ma Wenxiang was so flattered that he became a little embarrassed, chuckled, and subconsciously scratched his head.

Where was the same resolute and powerful demeanor he had displayed in the Kunning Palace?

Ultimately, even if Ma Wenxiang came from the future, he was only in his twenties. He was only slightly better than people in ancient times in terms of vision and knowledge of the future. In other aspects, he was still very self-aware.

Then.

Their group then followed Sun Xingzu into the city of Beiping before them.

Roughly calculating the time, it seems that Beiping City will soon become the next fiefdom of Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

Looking at the ancient and grand city gate of Beiping in front of me, it is a pity that due to the continuous wars in the Central Plains, although the city wall bears the vicissitudes of time, there are also many broken parts, which is really regrettable.

Once they entered Beiping, the initiative of this team seemed to have shifted to the Sun family.

Even Ma Jin was willing to hand over all the control to the other party.

Compared to Sun Xingzu, who rose through the ranks based on his military achievements, this minor relative of the emperor was only superior because of his relationship with Empress Ma Xiuying; in reality, he held no official position.

Compared to ordinary middle and lower-level officials.

He considers himself superior, but compared to those who actually hold real power, he is undoubtedly a different story.

"Young man, remember not to tell this Lord Sun about the body swap. This matter is of utmost importance, understand?"

Ma Jin reminded Ma Wenxiang again.

Ma Wenxiang immediately nodded, reassuring him that he was not such a reckless person.

Seeing this, Ma Jincai was completely relieved.

Ma Wenxiang's character and conduct, coupled with the qualities recognized by the Empress.

He still wants to believe.

……

Time passed by, and Ma Wenxiang's team had stayed in Beiping for quite some time, nearly seven days in the blink of an eye.

Within these seven days, Sun An, who was originally in Qingfeng County, has now returned to Beiping City.

Upon seeing Ma Wenxiang, his gaze was resentful, as if he had been abandoned by the other party, and he was unwilling to even greet him.