Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 34 The Blessing of Having Multiple Women: I, Ma Wenxiang, am roughly equivalent to Old Zhu.

Su Qing'er blinked, her previous grievances long gone, her eyes filled with curiosity as she watched the spectacle unfold before her with great interest.

Sun Miaoran calmly rolled up the curtain in front of the phoenix bed and placed it on a shelf beside her, answering as she did so, "How could a servant like me compete with Your Highness for imperial favor?"

This is a strategy of retreating to advance, which sounds pleasing, but in reality, Sun Miaoran has already made her choice.

She didn't choose Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor, but instead chose Ma Wenxiang, a young man from outside the palace.

Ma Wenxiang chuckled after hearing this; he was quite satisfied with the answer.

"And what about you, little one?"

He shifted his gaze slightly and looked at Su Qing'er again.

Without thinking, Su Qing'er blurted out, "Qing'er is naturally the same as Sister Miaoran."

"You're such a clever little guy."

Ma Wenxiang gently stroked Su Qing'er's nose, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Su Qing'er immediately objected, resting her head against Ma Wenxiang's chest, the faint scent of jasmine wafting into his nostrils.

"Your Majesty, you are not feeling well, so your sister has come to take care of you."

Consort Hu said softly.

She has a kind heart and has not let Ma Wenxiang down.

Although she had female officials with her, she personally sat opposite Ma Wenxiang, picked up the medicinal soup sent by the Imperial Hospital, blew on it gently, and then fed it to Ma Wenxiang spoonful by spoonful.

These medicinal soups are just health-preserving recipes. "Every medicine has some toxicity," so they should be used in moderation.

"Thank you for your help, little sister."

Ma Wenxiang felt a sense of comfort.

Being served by Su Qing'er and Sun Miaoran on a daily basis is ultimately different from being served by Consort Hu in front of you.

Ma Wenxiang had long regarded the first two as his close associates and future family members; but Consort Hu was ultimately just an outsider, and outsiders and family members are inherently different.

However, Consort Hu did not seem to think so.

"It is only natural for a younger sister to take care of her older sister. In the past, the older sister took great care of Xiao Liu, and today it is finally time for the younger sister to make it up to her."

As she spoke, she opened the food box she had brought, tasted a piece of pastry herself, and then handed it to Ma Wenxiang, saying, "This is apricot blossom cake made by my younger sister. Her skills may be a little lacking, but it's still palatable. Why don't you give it a try, older sister?"

Ma Wenxiang tried a piece of apricot blossom cake. It tasted quite good, though not exactly a heavenly delicacy and slightly inferior in texture, but it reflected Hu Chongfei's thoughtfulness.

He truly felt it.

"Old Zhu really knows how to enjoy life."

This was the first time Ma Wenxiang had looked at Consort Hu so seriously.

She had a round face and was not tall, but she had the appearance of a girl from a good family. Judging from her appearance alone, she was a woman who would bring good fortune to her husband.

The most important thing is...

There was a clear sense of naiveté in her eyes.

It's not that she lacks cunning, but rather that her cunning is easily seen through; she simply can't keep secrets.

In the inner palace, those who are straightforward and outspoken, like Consort Hu, are much easier to deal with than those who secretly plot.

"I'll be able to enjoy the bliss of having two women on my left and right from now on."

Ma Wenxiang savored the faint sweet fragrance, glancing occasionally at Su Qing'er and Sun Miaoran as they went in and out of the palace.

For a man in this world, it is already a great blessing to have one woman fall in love with him, but Ma Wenxiang was able to win the favor of three women at once.

Although he was not of imperial or noble birth, he had such a virtuous woman by his side.

He was already extremely content.

After Consort Hu left...

That night, Ma Wenxiang slept soundly under the care of the two women and had a wonderful dream.

……

When the book was tapped, it did not emit the pungent smell of dust that had not been cleaned for many days. Instead, it was filled with the fragrance of lip rouge and ink that had been carefully maintained for many years and even soaked in tree oil.

These books in the private school's attic were sent by the renowned teacher Qin Yubo, and they were full of the teacher's heartfelt wishes.

Looking at the several cartloads of books, Ma Xiuying felt a slight stirring in her heart and began to have some respect for Qin Yubo.

This former Yuan Dynasty official, now a renowned scholar and scholar of our time, will be entering the court to serve as an official in a few months. Perhaps he will be offered a high-ranking position and generous salary to test whether he lives up to his reputation or is truly worthy of it.

At least, Ma Xiuying's first impression of Qin Yubo was quite good.

These books were not only beneficial to Ma Xiuying.

The father, Ma Xiulin, and Wang Yangsheng, a scholar from the private school, would also participate in the imperial examinations in the future, and all of them could borrow the books at any time.

They cherished these books, reading them constantly and treating them like precious treasures.

In ancient times, books were the "food" of the monopolistic class, especially these rare collections, whose value goes without saying.

Every book contains the terrifying power to change social classes, and the ancient knowledge transcribed in them is passed down from generation to generation.

Unless it was an extremely close relationship like that between teacher and student, these literary families would generally never easily give away their property to others unless the emperor confiscated it.

This is precisely why it is so difficult for children from poor families to achieve success, and why it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to cross social classes.

The so-called "foundation" refers to these books.

Inside the attic, on one side was a tea table filled with the aroma of tea. Ma Xiuying sat cross-legged, flipping through books.

At first glance, it's just a matter of reading ten lines at a time, but gradually you get into it and often you only need to glance at it a few times to memorize the entire page.

While her previous exposure to some of the books and the subsequent reactivation of her memories certainly played a role, the main reason was that Ma Xiuying's memory had returned to its youthful state. Coupled with her past experiences, she was able to draw inferences from one instance to another. Sometimes, she only needed to delve into the essence of the book to understand its profound meaning word by word, which is why she possessed a remarkable ability to remember everything she read.

Sun Wen, who was standing to the side, looked at her and turned a page in three breaths. However, he only read the first few lines and did not have time to read the rest of the page carefully.

It took almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but in the end, I had completely forgotten even the very first few lines.

"Brother Wen is truly the reincarnation of the God of Literature, so different from us mere mortals."

Sun Wen looked troubled and put aside his competitive spirit.

Now that I felt relieved, I started reading it through as usual.

Wang Yangsheng entered the attic and, although he found the scene amazing, he was already prepared.

After all, this wasn't the first time they'd witnessed Ma Xiuying's abilities.

He opened his mouth, intending to say a few words as a teacher, but in the end he was speechless.

Why should a child prodigy like this need to be taught by ordinary people?

Perhaps saying too much will hinder her future.

Even so, seeing Ma Xiuying finish reading a book in the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Wang Yangsheng was secretly alarmed: he was afraid that in a few more days, she would be able to read all the books that had been delivered by the carriage.

A book that an ordinary scholar might spend several years reading.

Ma Xiuying only needed a few days; such a difference is truly inhuman.