Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 127 Ma Wenxiang: Your Majesty, are you trying to trick me?

On his way to the study, Ma Wenxiang's mind naturally began to flash through the image of the tenth prince, Zhu Qiang.

That is, the future experiences and personality of the Prince of Lu.

This Zhu Qiang is no better than the previous Zhu Shuang; in fact, they are completely the same kind of product.

After being enfeoffed to his fiefdom and becoming the Prince of Lu, he was instigated by a group of alchemists to directly refine elixirs using young boys and girls, and to levy exorbitant taxes within his fiefdom.

In the end, it was not him who suffered, but rather the Princess of Lu, Tang He's second daughter, who was used as a shield.

In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang tacitly approved of the matter.

Therefore, Ma Wenxiang really didn't have a good impression of this person.

In the past, he might have been able to lend a hand or chime in, but before Ma Wenxiang could even make a move, he was already preoccupied with the fact that his identity had been exposed, so everything else naturally had to be put on hold.

Ma Wenxiang was truly at his wit's end. He never expected that Zhu Qiang could escalate things to this point in such a short time. Ma Wenxiang was utterly impressed by him.

……

Upon entering the study, a faint scent of ink fills the air, and the interior furnishings are simple yet elegant.

Ma Wenxiang sat down leisurely and began to look through the relevant files and records after the case was filed in the palace.

In any other dynasty, these files would never have been sent out so easily, but this was the Hongwu era, and from the very beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma had personally overseen the case.

In this way, many things are naturally less constrained by rules.

This is precisely why Ma Wenxiang is able to sit comfortably at home while still getting involved in this major case in the palace, and his opinions even have considerable reference value, giving him significant decision-making power.

Half an hour later, Ma Wenxiang's back and waist no longer ached, but his gaze became extremely solemn.

The situation was much more serious than he had anticipated.

Ma Wenxiang has always held life in awe, and more importantly, this matter is simply a case of pulling up a radish and bringing up the mud.

When many things are not brought to the forefront, people may pretend to be confused and embellish them, and perhaps they can turn a blind eye. But once they are brought into the open and people are sent to investigate them thoroughly, they find that the filth inside is far more than just the one on the surface.

The evil deeds Zhu Qiang committed in this palace were far more than just killing the young eunuch.

On the first day of the second lunar month, he wantonly played with palace maids, and afterwards threw their bodies into a dry well next to the public toilet in Xiting; on the seventh day of the second lunar month, he tortured and killed the Persian cat kept by Consort Hu Chun, skinning and dismembering it, and finally tormented the cat to death; on the fifth day of the third lunar month, the twelfth day of the third lunar month...

Each and every case was meticulously recorded in the case file.

It's hard to imagine that these things were done by a seven or eight-year-old child.

After reviewing the records, it was truly shocking. The cumulative number of heinous acts was nearly thirty-eight, which can only be described as countless.

Seeing this, Ma Wenxiang rubbed his throbbing temples and suddenly understood why this matter had to fall on his shoulders.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma Xiuying ultimately couldn't bring themselves to do it.

After all, Zhu Qiang was a prince and the child of Ma Xiuying's good friend, so ultimately an outsider was needed to play the "bad guy".

"So, this person is me?"

Ma Wenxiang pointed at himself, feeling both amused and exasperated, his head throbbing with pain.

Why is he so unlucky?

"Your Majesty, you're not trying to trick me, are you?"

Ma Wenxiang wailed inwardly.

"Actually, I am still quite useful. I believe that I can contribute my share to the Ming Dynasty under the Zhu family. In addition, I have all sorts of wonderful methods, like a treasure trove, to bring blessings to the people."

At this moment, Ma Wenxiang was already silently planning in his mind how he could protect himself when he entered the palace the day after tomorrow: first, he would plead with Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and then go to His Majesty Zhu Yuanzhang.

He recounted the details of the matter, emphasizing the paramount importance of affairs within the palace.

How could Ma Wenxiang, a mere outsider, possibly handle this all by himself?

It was really too much to ask of him.

"I really can't do it. I really can't."

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day after tomorrow is almost here.

Meanwhile, in Kunning Palace, Sun Miaoran and Su Qing'er looked troubled, their expectant gazes frequently drifting towards Ma Xiuying, who was silently lost in thought on the phoenix bed, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

Now, eight or nine out of ten people in the palace know that this matter is really troublesome.

If it's done well, it's our duty and responsibility; but if it's done poorly, who can bear the blame?

Therefore, on the surface, only Empress Ma Xiuying, the head of the six palaces, could shoulder this heavy responsibility.

During the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, this case could be considered either a major or minor matter.

On a minor scale, the punishment for murder would be simply demoting the prince to a commoner; but on a major scale, this matter would directly affect the prestige of the royal family.

This is something that neither Ma Xiuying nor Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to see.

"I'll leave this matter to that young man Wen."

As if sensing their thoughts, Ma Xiuying took the initiative to speak in order to ease their worries, "If he can accomplish this, then I will owe him a favor."

The fact that a queen herself would make such a promise speaks volumes about her good intentions and also shows just how complicated this case has become.

After all, if it were an ordinary case, why would the Empress need to make such a solemn guarantee?

Isn't that redundant?

"Your Majesty, rest assured. He will definitely be able to resolve this properly."

Sun Miaoran comforted her, "With His Highness the Crown Prince assisting, along with Qi Qianjun and Lord Mao from the Duke of Wei's mansion helping to handle the situation, we will surely be able to resolve all issues properly, while also respecting Your Majesty's and the royal family's prestige and the rules of the palace."

At the beginning.

Her words were relatively clear and confident, but as she spoke, even she herself became less confident.

After all, although Ma Wenxiang was quite intelligent, the affairs of the palace were too thorny. Even if the Duke of Han, Li Shanchang, came, he would probably avoid him like the plague. Even Liu Ji, Liu Bowen, who was known for his wisdom and strategy in the court, would probably only be able to observe from afar and would not easily risk his life.

But now, those in the palace who truly know the inside story are placing all the burdens on Ma Wenxiang alone.

Sun Miaoran didn't say it aloud, but she was indignant on Ma Wenxiang's behalf.

She naturally knew that even her mistress was helpless in this matter.

No one else knew.

She knew very well that Ma Xiuying was a kind-hearted person, but no matter how kind-hearted she was, she would never tolerate Zhu Qiang's lawlessness.

Su Qing'er mustered her courage and said, "Your Majesty, everything will be alright."

She offered gentle words of comfort, trying to soothe the somber mood in the hall.

Ma Xiuying's gaze softened as she looked at the two of them, and she nodded slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the entire Kunning Palace fell into silence.