Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 69 I, Ma Wenxiang, am already engaged.

"Brother Wenxiang."

As Sun An entered the guest room of the Sun residence, his tone was so mournful that it was almost comparable to Meng Jiangnu's lament for the Great Wall.

Ma Wenxiang looked at Ma Jin beside him, and Ma Jin tactfully turned his head away, leaving the two of them some private space.

"Brother Wenxiang, didn't you say you were going to Daming Prefecture tomorrow? Why are you in Beiping now, and why are you suddenly going to the capital?"

Sun Anman was puzzled when these things were mentioned.

Ma Wenxiang suddenly had a good excuse.

He gave a wry smile: "The emperor has given an order; how dare I disobey? What else can I do but refuse?"

"this……"

Sun An asked softly, and immediately had nothing to say.

The Sun family was considered quite well-off in the Central Plains, but once they entered the capital, they were nothing more than a dish on a plate. The difference was not small, let alone the fact that it was ordered by His Majesty.

"Therefore, when we arrive in the capital, Brother Wenxiang, you must be even more careful to avoid arrogance and impetuosity."

Sun An hurriedly reminded him, "The capital is not like the Central Plains. There are the Huaixi faction and the Zhejiang faction there, which have now become the two major forces in the court."

Furthermore, with the recent investiture ceremony just concluded, the capital is currently rife with strict rules and an imposing atmosphere.

"Especially for a talented person like Brother Wenxiang, if one is not extremely careful, it is very easy to offend many powerful figures in the court."

Hearing Sun An's words of advice, Ma Wenxiang felt a warmth in his heart. He then looked at Sun An and an idea came to him. He smiled and said, "Why don't you come with me to the capital, Brother Sun?"

"How about we study at the Imperial Academy in the capital when the imperial examinations are held in the future?"

Sun An had treated him well, so Ma Wenxiang naturally wanted to give him a life of wealth and honor.

"Is this feasible?"

Sun An raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Ma Wenxiang smiled slightly: "Brother Sun, your mansion is luxurious, and your father is the Grand Commander of Beiping. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to secure a minor spot as a tribute student at the Imperial Academy?"

Ma Wenxiang deliberately asked the question.

The so-called quota for tribute students refers to the additional examination held by each prefecture after the candidates have passed the provincial examination in Daming Prefecture and obtained the title of Xiucai. Those who rank high in the examination are called tribute students.

Only then did they qualify to study at the Imperial College.

The Imperial Academy was undoubtedly the top institution of learning during the third year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty.

"It's not impossible, but I need to discuss it with my father first."

Sun An hesitated before nodding.

Ma Wenxiang waved his hand: "Go quickly, go quickly."

"We are brothers, and we should work together wholeheartedly. It would be a great pity if either of us were missing."

Sun An straightened his gaze, gave a slight smile, and felt a warm feeling in his heart as well.

Immediately afterwards, he became even more determined about this trip to the Imperial College.

"I never imagined that Brother Wenxiang would be such a loyal and righteous person. Now that the Sun family has joined forces with Brother Wenxiang, we must not give up easily."

Sun An secretly thought to himself that he had made his own arrangements.

Two more days passed.

Sun An has already decided to go to the Imperial Academy, where he will travel to the capital with Ma Wenxiang.

With a peer by his side, Ma Wenxiang naturally felt more at ease.

Before they knew it, it seemed that the day for changing bodies was approaching again, and they would have to return to the Kunning Palace once more.

Ma Wenxiang couldn't help but feel a little more uneasy.

At this moment, Ma Wenxiang dared not even think about the food and extravagant lifestyle in the imperial palace.

He felt incredibly lucky to be able to save his own life, or at least to avoid seeing the Hongwu Emperor one last time.

On the last day of this body-changing event, Sun An suddenly brought a beautiful young woman with him.

The young woman looked like she was waiting to be married, shyly blossoming, and was exactly the same age as Ma Wenxiang.

"This is my younger sister, Brother Wenxiang."

Sun An scratched his head, his tone somewhat strange as he spoke, "Now that you're aiming for fame and officialdom, it's time to consider this important matter of your life and fortune."

"I just asked the old man and the elders in the family, and they all said very strangely that they would leave it to you, Brother Wenxiang, to make the decision."

"I can only say that Brother Wenxiang, your family has an open-minded approach."

Ma Wenxiang could only give an awkward smile in response.

His marriage was actually arranged long ago, and he had no say in it, nor did his family have any say in it.

It had already been arranged by the Empress in the palace.

The current Empress is the mother of the nation. For the Ma family to be able to form a marriage alliance is already a great honor. How could they dare to be picky?

Naturally, whatever the Empress said went, and the entire Ma family valued this highly and had no complaints whatsoever.

"Brother Sun An, my marriage has actually been arranged long ago."

Ma Wenxiang said in a serious tone that he wanted Sun An and the entire Sun family to temporarily give up this idea.

He had no choice but to reveal some of the truth: "There is an elder in my family, and I must obey his wishes regarding my marriage. Currently, I have already arranged for two wives, one older and one younger."

It's impossible for the prestigious Sun family to allow their eldest daughter to become someone else's concubine.

The Sun family is different from Su Qing'er and Sun Miaoran in the palace.

Although the two women held high positions in the palace and were close to Empress Ma, they were ultimately just palace maids, vastly different from the officials in front of them.

This is why Su Qing'er and Sun Miaoran did not resist so much when they learned that they would have to share a husband, one wife and one concubine.

After all, this was already an excellent marriage for a woman in the palace; how could she dare to ask for more?

It should be noted that most palace maids, except those who had been favored by the emperor and given birth to a son, could only leave the palace when they were nearly thirty years old.

In the Hongwu era, a woman in her twenties was considered "old," and by the time she reached thirty, she was already a veritable "old woman" in the common folk.

If she manages to save up some money, she might be able to find a decent family; but if she's left with only a life of hardship, she'll probably only be able to marry an ordinary peddler.

For palace maids who had been to the palace and seen the world, this was undoubtedly a torment, much like the plight of women from big cities who returned to small towns in later generations.

"so……"

Sun An was stunned for a moment, not expecting Ma Wenxiang's marriage to be arranged so quickly, which greatly surprised him.

Then a look of realization dawned on his face, and he muttered to himself, "That makes sense now. No wonder Brother Wenxiang didn't go to those brothels before; it turns out he already has someone he loves and is engaged to."

"It should have been this way, it should have been this way."

Despite saying that, there was a hint of regret in his tone.

Originally, they had hoped that the Sun family and the Ma family could form a marriage alliance, further strengthening the brotherhood between him and Wenxiang, but now it seems unlikely that this will happen.

You have to be the "first bite" of everything to taste the best.

Ma Wenxiang is already engaged, with both his wife and concubine already arranged, so the Sun family naturally won't take any further steps.

Even if they are on good terms, there should be a proper limit for a family like theirs.

……

Meanwhile, at Kunning Palace...