Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 29 Empress Ma: Young man Wen has such great talent?

Leaving aside others, let's talk about the second prince, Zhu Shuang.

Although he appears to be cultivating his mind through reading, he occasionally reveals his tyrannical nature.

Previously, Ma Xiuying had witnessed him beating eunuchs and maids in the palace. If she hadn't intervened in time, who knows how far things would have escalated.

later.

Although she punished Zhu Shuang by confining him to his room, her worries only deepened.

The dragon has nine sons, each different from the other.

Even she, the reigning empress, who was the mother of the nation, did not achieve the desired results in educating her sons, despite her best efforts and different methods.

Not to mention the second son, Zhu Shuang, even the third son, Zhu Gang, and the fifth son, Zhu Su, often showed their character flaws.

Of the five sons of the Zhu family, only the eldest son Zhu Biao and the fourth son Zhu Di were the ones who pleased her the most.

From a young age, they were well-behaved and sensible, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Even among all the princes of the Zhu family, the two were considered the most outstanding and the most promising.

Upon arriving at the village's private school, Ma Xiuying discovered that she was exceptionally popular that day.

As soon as I sat down, the desk was covered with all sorts of dried fruits, snacks, and fancy treats.

Looking around, she saw that the other students in the school were looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and deep respect.

Then I thought of Sun Yat-sen appearing next to me when I woke up.

This child's manner of speaking and demeanor clearly indicates that he could not have been raised in a small village like Majia Village.

"What happened now?"

Ma Xiuying frowned, muttering to herself.

Just then, Ma Wenxiang and Sun Wen had already taken their seats.

Grandpa Ma had already spoken to Wang Yangsheng early in the morning, so arranging for the two to sit together was not difficult.

"If you can't even sweep your own room, how can you sweep the world?"

"At least today, in this small Ma family village, no one can rival Brother Wen. His name, a divinely ordained prodigy from Qingfeng, is already known to everyone."

Sun Wen's eyes were bright and he would occasionally glance at the dried fruit and snacks on Ma Wenxiang's desk. He was indeed a gluttonous child. Ma Xiuying would not take such a childish nature to heart.

She casually handed over some snacks, then asked, "Has anything unusual happened in Ma Family Village lately?"

Although it was unclear why the "little teacher" had suddenly asked such a question, Sun Yat-sen still answered obediently.

My father had given me these instructions before I left home.

Although he was young, he was very intelligent and kept it in mind.

So Sun Yat-sen recounted Ma Wenxiang's deeds in detail.

As she listened, Ma Xiuying's phoenix eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilated in surprise, and her lips curled into a wide grin: "Young Wen actually possesses such great talent?"

She was so shocked she could hardly believe it.

Although he realized that Sun Yat-sen had not lied to him, he still subconsciously wanted to verify it.

Subsequently, she held each and every piece of the eight-legged essay like a precious jewel, quickly skimming through them.

Even so, the profound meaning contained in the carefully chosen and interconnected text, as well as the immense value hidden behind it, stirred the heart of the reigning empress.

"The eight-legged essay style of the imperial examinations can greatly promote education in the Central Plains. Now, this young scholar has even become a disciple of Qin Yubo. The local powerful families have probably already been tempted, and even the prefect of Daming Prefecture must have taken action by now."

"And this is just the beginning."

Essays for the times have existed since ancient times, and the eight-legged essay may seem ordinary, merely a further supplement to the essays for the times. However, careful study reveals its true meaning.

Each of the first to fourth shares has clearly defined sections.

As long as you fill in the framework piece by piece and stay on topic, the resulting article, while not a masterpiece that is perfectly formed or groundbreaking, will certainly be considered above average.

Such writing is sufficient to pass the provincial examination and become a successful candidate; it may even help one achieve a good ranking in the imperial examinations in the capital in the future, thanks to a solid foundation.

What may seem like just a matter of the imperial examination system at present will affect the officials of the Ming Dynasty for decades to come, and even more so, the fate of the Ming Dynasty. It is entirely beneficial and without any harm.

Empress Ma, with her superior perspective and broader vision, was better able to discern the true power and terrifying influence of the eight-legged essay.

Its value far surpasses that of Daming Prefecture or even a single province.

"What a fine example of the rigid, formulaic writing style of the time."

Ma Xiuying's eyes were filled with joy, and a faint smile couldn't be hidden from the corners of her mouth.

Later, when Ma Xiuying learned that Ma Wenxiang had made an appointment with the famous scholar Qin Yubo to meet in Daming Prefecture the next day, she smiled slightly and said, "He does have some ambition."

But her face immediately darkened, her embroidered brows furrowed, and she felt a surge of shame and anger. "That Wen brat has certainly made a clever plan. When we meet again, who will be the one to leave, him or me?"

Ma Xiuying was a well-read person, and when she suddenly saw such a novel method of education, she naturally began to study it diligently, just like any other scholar, and devoted herself to exploring the essence of the eight-legged essay.

Even if you know its appearance, if you don't know its essence, even if you can imitate it in the future, it will only be a inferior work.

Even among those of above-average talent, there are differences in quality and level, which require careful consideration.

However, at this moment, while Ma Xiuying was studying the eight-legged essay, a sudden thought struck her: with the help of this eight-legged essay, wouldn't it be possible to obtain the title of the top scholar in the capital in the future?

It should be noted that Ma Xiuying had never had such audacious ideas before, and her formidable rivals were the renowned scholars and intellectuals from prominent families in the south.

But right now.

Her academic foundation was already quite good, and even by today's standards, she could certainly be considered among the top.

She was originally only about 50% certain of winning the top scholar title.

Now that this set of eight-legged essays has suddenly appeared, perhaps there is indeed a glimmer of hope.

For a moment, Empress Ma Xiuying felt a strange sense of anticipation: "Women cannot hold office, but if a woman takes the body of a man, not only can she become an official, but she might even surpass the top scholar in the imperial examination and stand above thousands of men."

Such a scene is truly comforting.

……

Inside the palace, this is where the princes are taught.

Main hall.

As the imperial court reopened the office of historians and continued the compilation of the History of Yuan, Song Lian, who was subsequently appointed as the chief editor, was also invited to teach here because he was originally a member of the Hanlin Academy.

At this time, Song Lian was already quite old, sixty years old, with white hair and beard, but he was still very energetic.

When instructing the princes.

He could recite the words of sages without taking a breath, which shows how powerful his lungs were.

Compared to him, Ma Wenxiang felt inferior.

The Confucian classics used to teach the princes were not much different from those used in the Ma family's private school; they were simply the original texts of the Four Books and Five Classics, along with moral teachings that encouraged people to do good.

In addition, there were historical books specially prepared for the princes, such as the Zizhi Tongjian, the Book of Han, and the Book of the Later Han; they would also study some moral classics from time to time, such as the Da Ming Ji Li, the Classic of Filial Piety, the Record of Punishments, and the Notebook, to cultivate the princes' ability to distinguish between loyalty and treachery and to treat ministers with courtesy.

Ma Wenxiang is also in this main hall, but he is hiding behind a curtain.

Although the method of switching bodies with Empress Ma Xiuying greatly helped him, his own knowledge and talent still needed to be accumulated and refined.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

This matter concerned his life and fortune, so Ma Wenxiang knew that speed was of the essence and he had to plan ahead.

At this very moment, inside this main hall, besides the "Empress," there were two little mushroom-headed girls squatting beside her.

The two of them had rosy cheeks.

While listening to Song Lian lecture on the literary content of the sages' books, the focus and determination in his eyes were much stronger than that of the princes in the main hall.