At this point, Ma Mingyuan was no longer hypocritical, stood up, tidied up his clothes, bowed to Zhu Hongsanchang, and said, "Lord, Mingyuan is willing to serve the Lord and serve the dogs and horses." ”

Zhu Hongsan stood up and supported each other, laughed and said, "I have the help of my second brother, it's really like Liu Bei got Zhuge Liang." ”

When the two sat down again, Ma Mingyuan's attitude had changed, and his face was full of respect. said: "Lord, I don't know what plans I have in the future, Mingyuan is not talented, but I can analyze one or two for the lord." ”

(This place is a little student, and I must interject.) Although Xiaosheng is not a good thing, probably only a rogue literati, everyone sees that I also look down on the sour and rotten literati of the Ming Dynasty, but there is one thing that does not admire the ancient Chinese literati. The ancient literati had much more integrity, no matter how much they pretended to be forced in front of you, how much they looked down on you, or how much they wrote books to scold you, but as long as they decided that you were the lord, it was really death.

Not to mention far away, like Zhuge Liang, Wei Zheng, and Lu Xiufu and Wen Tianxiang of the Song Dynasty, they all died generously. Zhuge Liang went out of Qishan six times for Liu Bei's words, and finally died of exhaustion in Wuzhangyuan. Li Shanchang, Liu Ji Xu Da, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, was killed without any complaints.

Probably the only emperor in the Ming Dynasty who was scolded by ministers in the street was Chongzhen. Don't just see the disgusting appearance of the ministers after Li Zicheng occupied BJ, but also see that after the fall of Nanming Hongguang, there were many families of the ministers and literati in the Jiangnan Death Festival, and the whole family died.

You can say that these literati are sour and rotten, and that they are misleading, but don't say that they have no integrity. Although there are some of them like Hong Chengchou, he is not the mainstream of society, as evidenced by Hong Chengchou's miserable old age. It was the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and after the fall of the Manchu Dynasty, there was also a master of Chinese studies, Wang Guowei, who was martyred for the Manchu Dynasty. But the ten-year catastrophe has had too much impact on traditional culture, and as for the current literati, you know. ）

Zhu Hongsan thought for a while and said: "At present, we are still focusing on accumulating strength, if the Central Plains changes, or the peasant army enters Huguang, we can at least protect ourselves, take a step back, and then say, we can also protect our lives, after all, only the power in our own hands is the real protection." ”

Ma Mingyuan nodded and asked, "If it really comes to that point, I don't know where the lord wants to develop?" ”

Zhu Hongsan said: "I haven't considered this yet, I don't know if the second brother has any good suggestions." ”

Ma Mingyuan said eloquently: "On the surface, Huguang is a good place, but Jingzhou is the thoroughfare of nine provinces, and whoever wants to develop will try to develop Jingzhou, which is an example of Liu Biao of the Three Kingdoms." ”

"What about Nan Zhili?" Zhu Hongsan asked.

"Nanzhili is the place where Taizu made his fortune, of course it's good, but don't forget that Nanzhili is the capital now, once the north changes again, the officials of Nanzhili will definitely set up a new monarch, and they have their own system, and it is difficult for outsiders to join in. So it's not a good place either, and Nan Zhili can only be used as a place to seize after being strong.

Sichuan is not good, China since ancient times there is a world before chaos in Shu first chaos, the world has been ruled after Shu said, Sichuan due to inconvenient transportation, it is difficult to have an impact on the Central Plains. By then, the north had already been eroded, and with peasant armies everywhere, it was not a good place. ”

Zhu Hongsan asked, "Then where should I go?" ”

"Guangdong, the north of Guangdong is blocked by lofty mountains and mountains, and the south is the sea, which has the advantage of fish and salt. The lord didn't see what the FJ Zheng family had developed, we could learn from the Zheng family and trade with the Franc machine to make money.

After the occupation of Guangdong, there is a southern Zhili court in the south to confront the northern regime, we are at ease in the rear development, until the soldiers are well fed, you can go north out of Huguang, occupy Wuchang, down the river and down the south Zhili a battle can be determined, in the order of a general to lead a partial army west out of Guangxi Yungui, occupy Sichuan, so the most poor can also keep half of the south of the Yangtze River. Then sit back and wait for changes in the north, and the Sichuan army will go north out of the Meridian Valley and threaten Guanzhong. The Huguang First Army can go north to HN or enter the pass to attack the Sichuan army in Guanzhong. The Northern Expedition of the First Army of the South Zhili, and the direct capture of the North Zhili in Xuzhou and Shandong, the world can be determined at that time. ”

Unexpectedly, Ma Mingyuan thought the same as himself. Zhu Hongsan thought that in the past, he only wanted to go to Guangdong when he knew the direction of history, because Guangdong was the last to be captured. I didn't expect Ma Mingyuan to say this, and it was really the most suitable GD for him. Zhu Hongsan nodded and said, "Mr. today's words are really comparable to Zhuge Liang's Longzhong, right." ”

The two looked at each other and laughed.

In Zhu Hongsan's house, hearing Ma Mingyuan's general strategic policy, Zhu Hongsan felt that he was no longer the same as before. Now Zhu Hongsan has a deep understanding of the horror of intellectuals. Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong did not succeed in the end because they did not get the support of intellectuals, and shouted along the way, what did King Chuang come and not pay for food, and what did he eat if he didn't pay for food? Of course, the big ones are the intellectuals. It's no wonder that these stinky old nine can help you.

Ma Mingyuan continued: "The general direction has been decided, I don't know what the lord will do next?" Are there any difficulties? ”

Zhu Hongsan heard this and hurriedly said what he had just thought: "Now there is a lack of understanding of literati, and if you want to gain a firm foothold in GD, you must get the help of a large number of literati, and you have to ask Mr. for help in this one." Mr. Duoduo visits the literati and doctors, so that he can communicate more with those literati who are really talented and learned, at least they are familiar with each other, and if they need to speak in the future, right? ”

Ma Mingyuan said: "This can be wrapped in the next body, and I will be in Jiangnan next time in a few days, and I will contact more talented literati." ”

"If you want the kind of person who has real talent and real learning, you don't need to be a fourth son like you said."

Ma Mingyuan smiled secretly: "This guy still holds a grudge, probably Hou Fangyu's incident is still in his heart." ”

Zhu Hongsan continued: "There is another thing, that is, my steel mill consumes too much, and it costs a lot of silver a day, is there anything that Mr. can do?" "Zhu Hongsan means that your Ma family can't just move your mouth, it's time for some blood.

Ma Mingyuan should let him understand what was going on, but he didn't break it, and said: "Lord, I see that the steel you have refined is very perfect, and it can be sold, our Ma family has a caravan to and from the north, and the lord knows that there is a lot of steel sold in the north." ”

Zhu Hongsan listened, yes. How did I forget that. What is the most valuable thing in war, of course, is arms. Their own steel is so good, they can buy it at a high price, and the brains of the mud legs and the Hong Killing talents in the north are going to be beaten into dog brains, and the arms business can be done.

Zhu Hong nodded again and again and said, "The caravan is annoying Mr. Lao." ”

After the business is over, it's time to talk about some unimportant things, and the two of them decided on Ma Xiaofang's matter in less than half a minute. The day after tomorrow, Zhu Hongsan came to the door to propose. Marriage within 10 days at the latest.

After finishing the matter, Zhu Hongsan sent Ma Mingyuan to the door and said, "Father-in-law still needs Mr. to bother." ”

Ma Mingyuan nodded: "Don't worry, my lord, it's on me." After saying that, Gong Gong got into the carriage at the door and went home.

After seeing Ma Mingyuan walking away, Zhu Hongsan looked at the sky, it was almost noon. Mother should wake up, she should go and say goodbye.

When I walked to my mother's door, I saw that the door was open, and my mother probably woke up. Zhu Hongsan shouted at the door: "Mother, you are up, the child has come to say goodbye." ”

When he came into the house, he saw that his mother was in good spirits, and Zhu Hongsan was also very happy. I plan to take advantage of my mother's good mood to tell her about Ma Xiaofang. Just about to speak. The mother said first, "Son, are you fifteen years old?" ”

"Yes, Mother."

"I was married to your father at the age of fifteen. Yesterday the Ma girl came. ”

"Yes, Mother. Yesterday she came. Zhu Hongsan said cautiously.

"She's seventeen or eighteen, and she's been suffering for her, waiting for you for so many years. I heard that she made a big trouble with the blind date banquet for the sake of not getting married, right? Zhao Chunhua asked.

Zhu Hongsan thought that the old lady knew it? He replied respectfully, "That's right." ”

"If you like her, go and propose, I'm old, I've figured it out, let the older generation take away the affairs of the older generation. I can't delay you. ”

didn't expect the old lady to open it like this, Zhu Hongsan was still worried about how to tell the old lady.

"Alright, you go and get busy with your business, you don't have to wait here."

Zhu Hongsan came out in a relaxed mood, I have solved it here, I don't know how Ma Mingyuan is doing. Thinking of this, I suddenly thought of the madness with Ma Xiaofang yesterday, thinking of Ma Xiaofang's long legs in my mind, and the little brother couldn't help but have a tendency to look up. But after thinking about it, I just let her mother know last night that she couldn't let her go out today. Just right, take two days off, and go to the farm today.

Zhu Hongsan's side is fine, but the war on the Ma family's side has just begun.

Ma Mingyuan just arrived home, how does he feel different at home? The servants were tiptoeing, at first Ma Mingyuan didn't think about anything else, and went directly to his mother's house, and when he arrived at the door, he saw his wife He Rourou standing at the door and probing her brain.

Ma Mingyuan stepped forward and patted his wife on the shoulder and said, "What are you looking at?" ”

He Rourou looked back and saw that it was her husband, so she hurriedly pulled aside and whispered: "Something big happened, my father-in-law beat my mother-in-law." ”

What the? Ma Mingyuan didn't expect his father to have this temper, he lived for twenty-five years, and that time he didn't scold his father by his mother, scolded him for any insults, what an old bastard, an old shameless old immortal. The first time I heard that my father beat my mother.

He Rourou probably saw her father-in-law have this temper for the first time, and said to her husband: "I used to be scolded by my mother-in-law, but I didn't expect my father-in-law to revive my husband today?" ”

Ma Mingyuan's eyes widened: "Don't chew the elder's tongue after farewell, what's going on?" ”

He Rourou stuck out her tongue and said: "I don't know, I heard a voice in my mother-in-law's house again, I thought something was wrong, I thought about it and came back to see, as soon as I arrived at the door, I saw your sister kneeling on the ground crying, mother-in-law stood on the ground and scolded her father-in-law, saying that you are a wreck and want to push your daughter into the fire pit." My mother-in-law was talking, and my father-in-law probably couldn't bear it anymore and jumped up and gave my mother-in-law a slap, I was stunned, and then you came back, I think it's probably your aunt's business. ”

Ma Mingyuan knew what was going on, probably his mother and father talked about his sister, but his father disagreed, and his mother scolded him, so his father did it.

Ma Mingyuan said to his wife: "Don't look at it, come in with me"

He Rourou said, "I don't dare. ”

Ma Mingyuan's eyes widened and said, "So much nonsense, enter the house." As he spoke, he took his wife's hand and entered the house.

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law come in, Mrs. Ma probably felt embarrassed to sit on the ground, and got up and sat on the chair.

Ma Mingyuan said to his wife: "Rourou, I will sit with my sister and my mother for a while." ”

watched He Rourou help her mother and drag her sister out.

Ma Mingyuan stepped forward to change a new cup of tea for his father, and then set aside. Ma Guoxiang looked at his most outstanding son and said, "Do you know about your sister?" ”

Ma Mingyuan nodded: "I know, my mother told me last night." ”

Ma Guoxiang said angrily: "The dare lovers know it, but they are hiding it from me, do you know that my father is here?" ”

Ma Mingyuan did not answer his father's question, but asked rhetorically: "Father, do you really feel sorry for your daughter?" ”

Ma Guoxiang heard his son say this, sighed and said: "That there is a father who doesn't love his children, you are also a father now, don't you love your daughter?" Ma Guoxiang's words are true, the three boys of the second generation of the Ma family, just a woman like Ma Xiaofang, or Ma Guoxiang is an old woman at the age of forty, so she is naturally like an eyeball.

This is precisely how Ma Xiaofang's pampered personality has been cultivated, and she even agreed to her not to bind her feet in order to feel sorry for her daughter, if Ma Guoxiang knew that the consequences of today would be to kill her, she would have to bind her feet.

Ma Mingyuan said: "Of course I believe that my father feels sorry for my sister. But father, you didn't expect that your sister was already eighteen, did you really let her marry far away to HN as a house-filler? I heard that HN is full of hungry people, except for a few large cities guarded by officers and soldiers, and generally small county towns say that they are lost. And the eldest brother is only a county order in the same year, father, are you willing to give your sister her life? ”

Ma Guoxiang stood up and said, "Then what do you say?" That's better than marrying that rascal, their whole family is a hooligan ruffian. ”

Ma Mingyuan said: "Father, now my sister is no longer a virgin, even if she marries that county order, isn't it still our family that will be embarrassed in the end?" It's better to marry Zhu Hongsande, at least close to home, if my father and mother miss my sister, they can see it that day. ”

Ma Guoxiang actually felt that there was only one way for a long time, he said that he wanted to kill Ma Xiaofang, but could he really kill him? Ma Guoxiang thought for a while and said, "Did you go to see Zhu Hongsan today?" What he said. ”

Ma Mingyuan said: "I went to see him, Zhu Hongsan said that he would be responsible to the end, and promised to only love his sister in the future, and he would never marry other women in the future." ”

Ma Guoxiang snorted: "He still wants to marry a little wife, and it is a dream to have me alive for a day." ”

Ma Mingyuan continued: "There is one more thing I want to talk to my father. My father knew that I had been studying abroad for the past two years, and I saw that the north was basically erosive. When I came back, I heard that the bandits had gone out of Tongguan from SX to HN Chen Qiyu, the governor of the five provinces, had been questioned by the emperor, and now the governor of the five provinces is Hong Chengchou. ”

Hearing his son talk about state affairs, Ma Guoxiang sighed, "Isn't it really good to be in the north?" ”

Ma Mingyuan said: "According to my son, it is basically the same as the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. ”

Ma Guoxiang said: "What do you think of Mingyuan? ”

Ma Mingyuan thought for a while and said: "Now that you look at it like this, the Ming Dynasty is basically running out of oil and the lamp is dry. Our family should prepare early. When I went to find Zhu Hongsan today, I thought, if I lose his deer, can I chase him together? If we support a descendant of Taizu, can we do what Cao Cao did? ”

Ma Mingyuan's words wanted to hook Ma Guoxiang's careful liver like a small hand, yes, Huguang is still peaceful now, and now he is accumulating strength, and if the world is competing in a few years, the Ma family will not have no chance at all. After all, there are still very few big families like themselves in Huguang. The more Ma Guoxiang thought about it, the more he felt that this thing was feasible. asked: "Is Zhu Hongsan's bloodline farther away?" ”

Ma Mingyuan said: "We can't control the city of Wuchang Mansion, and the only one we can control is Zhu Hongsan." ”

Ma Guoxiang thought about it, yes. When the time comes, his daughter marries him, and then settles the world, and then gives it to himself in Zen. It seems that this is what Emperor Wen of Sui did. Who can say that Emperor Wen of Sui is not a Ming monarch. Thinking of this, Ma Guoxiang seemed to see himself becoming the Ninety-Five Supreme, sitting on the Jinluan Hall to accept the worship of the ministers.