Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 25 Old Master Ma Returns, Little Brother Sun Wen

Ma Wenxiang exhaled a breath of stale air, his mind now clear.

With a calm expression, he bowed deeply to Wang Yangsheng: "I have received your kindness in the private school, and I will never forget it in my life."

That's all.

Ma Wenxiang bowed slightly, his tone solemn.

"good!"

Wang Yangsheng immediately exclaimed in admiration, full of satisfaction, "In that case, our teacher-student relationship has not been in vain."

He had indeed intended to take Ma Wenxiang as a true disciple, rather than merely a student who studied and was taught by him in a private school.

The former is the true "Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher," while the latter is no different from the teacher-student relationship in later schools; frankly speaking, it is more like a barter transaction between merchants.

"I will leave the rest to Lord Qin."

Wang Yangsheng turned to Qin Yubo and said respectfully.

Qin Yubo nodded in agreement and said, "Although I am not young, I have never taken even one person as my disciple in my entire life. Today, I will take this young man as my own son, and he will inherit my mantle in the future."

"Thank you, Lord Qin."

Wang Yangsheng bowed again.

This was the last thing he could do for Ma Wenxiang at the moment, to bring about this beautiful story.

Subsequently, witnessed by Wang Yangsheng.

Ma Wenxiang performed the kowtow and tea ceremony: the first cup of tea was offered to Wang Yangsheng to express gratitude for his enlightenment and teaching; the second cup of tea was offered to Qin Yubo to show his sincerity in becoming a disciple and to demonstrate the order of seniority.

Only in this way can today's apprenticeship ceremony be completed without being criticized by others in the future.

"Student Ma Wenxiang greets the King and the Qin."

After Ma Wenxiang finished offering tea, he bowed again and still addressed the two men as his teachers.

Qin Yubo revealed a satisfied smile.

The emptiness that Wang Yangsheng had felt earlier was now filled once again.

In fact, he had always respected Ma Wenxiang's wishes. Now, upon careful consideration, his previous idea of ​​taking Ma Wenxiang as his apprentice seemed naive.

How could a prodigy like this, blessed with auspicious signs from heaven, possibly be accepted into the fold by a mere scholar like him?

If that were the case, it would be a terrible waste of resources.

That day, Qin Yubo had lunch at the Wang family's private school, and then led all the scholars and officials who had signed their names on the previous list, as well as the clansmen entrusted by their families to investigate, to leave first.

He did not bring Ma Wenxiang with him.

"Young man! Once you pass the county examination and become a scholar, I will be waiting for you at the provincial examination site in Daming Prefecture."

On the carriage, Qin Yubo shouted loudly from afar, his voice full of vigor, truly showing that he was no ordinary man, as his skills had not diminished with age.

"Students will never fail their teachers' kindness."

Ma Wenxiang responded loudly, full of youthful vigor and lofty ambition.

Subsequently, Ma Wenxiang gradually left the Wang family private school.

His identity suddenly changed at this moment.

The previous "auspicious omens from heaven" and "prodigy of Qingfeng" only garnered him fame in Daming Prefecture and the surrounding areas; but he became Qin Yubo's disciple.

His social status then truly changed.

While the overt class structure remained unchanged, the covert class had already risen to the top of the social hierarchy in the Central Plains.

Even when Ma Wenxiang met the magistrate or assistant magistrate of Qingfeng County again, although he still had to show the respect due to a junior, he was treated as an honored guest.

Watching Ma Wenxiang's departing figure.

In the bamboo grove of the private school, the teacher's wife sighed deeply, looking regretfully at her daughter who was sleeping soundly in her arms, and murmured, "Such a good husband, Shushu will not be able to marry him."

"If I cannot be your wife in the future, I can only be your concubine."

These words immediately enraged Master Wang Yang, causing his beard to bristle. Thinking of the possible future events, he loudly proclaimed, "This is absolutely impossible!"

……

When Ma Wenxiang returned home, although there was no major construction in the fenced yard, it had been repaired within a few days.

Upon closer inspection, it already possesses a sense of the vicissitudes, simplicity, and freshness of the birthplace of culture and education; the furnishings and small objects inside the house are brand new, and although they are not particularly valuable, it is extremely rare to find such an arrangement in a farmer's home.

Suddenly, Ma Wenxiang saw someone in the courtyard who should never be there at this moment, yet had already returned, and instinctively cried out in surprise, "Master!"

"You little rascal, now that you're all high and mighty, you're even planning to disown your own father?"

Grandpa Ma grinned, his breath carrying no foul odor, but rather a rich, meaty aroma.

Before Ma Wenxiang could ask any questions, Old Master Ma explained why he had returned today: "Little Erzi, why don't you come out and give your brother Wen a good look? Haven't you been clamoring to see him these past few days?"

"I've lived this long, and I've never seen you show such affection for anyone."

Although Old Master Ma said that, the smug look on his face was obvious even to the simpleton Er Shazi at the east end of the village.

As soon as he finished speaking, several light footsteps sounded.

Then another boy, about three to five years younger than Ma Wenxiang, appeared in the courtyard.

This boy was quite different from the other children in the village and the students in the private school: his eyes were bright and lively, his eyebrows were clear and handsome, his clothes were made of fine cloth and were well-tailored, his hair was neatly combed, and he walked with a graceful and dignified manner.

It's obvious at a glance that he's from a wealthy family; a farmer's environment could never produce such an air of refinement.

As soon as this person appeared, Ma Wenxiang noticed that he was different.

The young man stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "This junior student, Sun Wen, greets the young teacher."

Surname Sun?

After a moment's thought, Ma Wenxiang subconsciously thought of Sun, the centurion of the centurion's office where his old man worked.

The old man was a junior officer, above him was a general officer, and above the general officer was a centurion. This centurion Sun was the head of the centurion's office where the old man Ma worked.

His status within that fortress was comparable to that of a "local tyrant".

A family with a hundred households is considered well-off, not only in this village or town, but even in the county seat; if it is a commander of a thousand households, they are on equal footing with the county magistrate.

Not to mention that it is currently the founding year of the nation, and there are still wars in various places, so military generals still have a higher status than civil officials.

Ma Wenxiang squinted as he sized up the other person, thinking to himself.

His surname was Sun, and his given name was Sun Wen.

What a grand style!

"Little Erzi is the youngest son of my grandson, the centurion of the centurion's office."

Old Master Ma smacked his lips, seemingly complaining that the benefits were too few, but in reality, he was full of pride. "The reason I came here is because Lord Baihu heard about the reputation you've made recently, and he thought he should bring his youngest son here to give him some experience."

"Three days later, I will return to the centurion's garrison!"

This matter may seem simple, but it actually has enormous benefits.

If it really works out, Old Master Ma's situation in the Hundred Households Office will definitely improve significantly in the future.

Eat people with short mouths, and take people softly.

Many things are left unsaid.

Even though Ma Wenxiang currently enjoys considerable prestige and has become a disciple of the renowned scholar Qin Yubo, a local official is more powerful than a county magistrate, so…

Ma Wenxiang stepped forward, glanced sideways at Sun Wen, and smiled, "Young man, what do you think of me?"

Without a second thought, Sun Wen, as if speaking from the bottom of his heart, immediately replied loudly, "Brother, your face is like jade, your eyes like stars, your steps are graceful and radiant, truly a celestial being descended to earth. Your temperament is elegant and refined, naturally handsome, and your speech is even more elegant and refined, comparable to a dragon among men."

"Simply by standing there with such grace, one can command respect and awe from all around, exuding an air of nobility. If he were to hold a writing brush, he would be even more remarkable."

"With a single stroke of the pen, the nation can be at peace; with a single drop of the pen, the battlefield can be secured."

"In short, my admiration for you, elder brother, is like a surging river, endless and boundless; like the Yellow River overflowing its banks, unstoppable. To be able to see your true face here is the greatest fortune of my life."

"When I return home in the future, I will definitely burn incense and pay respects to my ancestors to thank them for the good deeds they accumulated, which have given me this great affinity with my elder brother today..."