Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 15 Monthly Salary Register, Silkworm Rearing Ceremony

Ma Xiuying recounted everything in detail, and Zhu Yuanzhang listened with his head spinning, utterly shocked.

It wasn't that he couldn't think of these methods, but rather that he had never paid attention to them, never thought about them from this perspective, let alone delve deeper into them.

For an emperor...

Priority is naturally given to major national affairs, while minor details are often easily overlooked.

And undoubtedly, Ma Xiuying has completed this piece of the puzzle.

"Girl, my good girl."

"Meeting you, young lady, is truly a stroke of good fortune for our Zhu family. Your words are far more powerful than any imperial edict. How come we never thought of that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang grinned from ear to ear, his face full of joy. "Let's call Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen and the others, as well as Xu Da."

It also conveniently led to the engagement of Xiao Si and his daughter. That's what you call killing three birds with one stone, achieving three goals at once. Girl, don't you think so?

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly, strutted away with a dragon-like gait and a triumphant air.

Before he arrived, he never expected that his sister could be of such great help to him.

And now!

If Ma Wenxiang were present, he would surely find this scene strangely familiar.

This measure bears a striking resemblance to the later practice of giving extra points to the families of martyrs in the college entrance examination.

Inside Kunning Palace, political affairs cannot be easily known to outsiders. Even Ma Xiuying's two personal maids, Sun Miaoran and Su Qing'er, were just waiting respectfully outside the palace.

After Zhu Yuanzhang left, Kunning Palace returned to its former appearance.

"Your Majesty, judging by the time, the silkworm-raising ceremony is approaching. Shouldn't the entire palace begin preparations?"

As a female official in Kunning Palace, Sun Miaoran was in charge of most matters, big and small, so she naturally gave a heads-up.

The silkworm-raising ceremony was one of the most important duties of Empress Ma Xiuying after the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

The purpose was to encourage sericulture throughout the land. The empress would lead many concubines and noblewomen to the Altar of the Silkworm Goddess to hold a ceremony to worship the Silkworm Goddess and personally pick mulberry leaves. This was one of the most formal and public national ceremonies, and it was of great significance.

This matter may seem trivial, but it has always affected the livelihoods of people across the country: on a small scale, it can provide families with more extra income and more hope for their livelihoods; on a larger scale, the nation's military equipment cannot function without textiles.

Without textiles, how could cotton clothing and armor be made?

How did the soldiers endure the bitter cold of the coldest days at the border?

How then can we prepare all the necessary military supplies?

The small reveals the big, and the big cannot exist without the small; the two are inherently interdependent.

In the past, Ma Xiuying personally handled all the preparations for the silkworm-raising ceremony.

And this time...

She had already decided to put Ma Wenxiang to the test: "It's a good opportunity to give this young man a try."

"Although the silkworm-raising ceremony is grand, it is merely a formality. If he cannot even handle this sacrificial ceremony properly, how can he, as the Empress, accomplish matters of great importance concerning the nation and its people in the future?"

Ma Xiuying smiled gently.

Since she couldn't help but discuss matters beneficial to the country with Zhu Chongba, she could only further deepen her trust in Ma Wenxiang.

"Young Wen, you mustn't let your good older sister down. If you handle things properly, the Ma family might just become a wealthy and powerful family in the Ming Dynasty in the future."

Ma Xiuying has always set an example by not engaging in any power struggles with her maternal relatives, but this Ma family is not the same as the other Ma family, and they have no blood relation to her whatsoever.

and so.

Since they have rendered meritorious service to the country, why can't they be generously rewarded?

This is indeed in line with the temperament of the current Empress.

Seeing that Ma Xiuying had a break, Sun Miaoran stepped forward, holding a list of names from the beginning of the month.

This register was responsible for the monthly allowances of the many concubines, female officials, eunuchs, and palace maids in the palace, including various supplies such as clothing, jewelry, and meals.

We organize and distribute the materials almost every month.

Ma Xiuying took the roster and personally checked it.

She only had the authority to manage the treatment of a few concubines in the palace; all other matters concerning female officials, eunuchs, palace maids, and other servants were handled by Su Qing'er.

Matters outside the palace are the responsibility of Sun Miaoran, while matters inside the palace are the responsibility of Su Qing'er.

The two men had long been adept at handling the complex affairs inside and outside the palace for Ma Xiuying, and had never made a mistake, which earned them Ma Xiuying's high regard.

Ma Xiuying is well-read. Although she doesn't have the prodigy ability to remember everything she reads, she can grasp the general idea after just a short reading.

She quickly flipped through the roster.

But when I turned to a few pages, my hand suddenly stopped moving.

Suddenly, a name appeared in the Cold Palace: Consort Hu, formerly of Yongshou Palace, now banished to the Cold Palace.

Their palace allocation and treatment were basically based on the standards for concubines who had committed serious offenses in the palace.

If Ma Xiuying remembered correctly, this Consort Hu was previously a high-ranking concubine who had given birth to a prince. Her status and treatment in the palace were basically top-notch.

What a sudden and shocking reversal! The contrast is so huge!

Seeing the Empress's strange expression, Su Qing'er stepped forward, boldly glanced at the roster, and then puffed out her cheeks angrily, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Hu has only herself to blame."

"Previously, Her Majesty had only eaten more food and changed into a few new clothes, but she instigated the palace maids to gossip about Her Majesty. Her Majesty is kind-hearted and only let her suffer a few strokes of the cane, but His Majesty did not let her off so easily. If it weren't for the sake of the Sixth Prince (Zhu Zhen), given His Majesty's temperament, who knows what might have happened."

Su Qing'er continued speaking angrily, clearly feeling indignant on behalf of her mistress.

Ma Xiuying pressed for details.

They soon learned how Ma Wenxiang had punished Consort Hu in the Kunning Palace.

His methods were measured and subtle, handling even the most difficult situations with ease; he even managed to resolve the matter of Zhu Zhen pleading for leniency.

Even if Ma Xiuying herself handled it, the degree of control involved would be so perfect that it could only be slightly better than expected.

"That young Wen has such abilities? He's not just bound by convention, but adaptable and flexible. Could he be a precocious genius?"

Ma Xiuying has weathered decades of trials and tribulations alongside Zhu Yuanzhang, rising from humble beginnings. What kind of people hasn't she seen?

So a reasonable explanation for the situation quickly came to mind.

Within the Ming Dynasty and in historical records, geniuses and child prodigies were rare, but not nonexistent.

Not to mention that she and Ma Wenxiang have both experienced such a mysterious swap, making her precociousness seem rather ordinary.

"This matter was handled well."

Ma Xiuying parted her lips slightly, a warm smile on her face, and praised him in a rare, gentle tone.

Clearly, Ma Wenxiang's actions had truly touched her heart.

Without making a sound or changing his usual style, he once again established his authority in the palace, and instead of instilling fear in those close to him, they became even closer to him.

The concubines in the palace also became increasingly enthusiastic towards Ma Wenxiang, including his former close friends Consort Guo Ning and Consort Li.

No wonder these concubines visited her almost every day during the few days that Ma Xiuying had been exchanged for her.

It is evident that the remarkable effectiveness of Ma Wenxiang's methods has deeply resonated with people.