Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 32 Zhu Yuanzhang: Sister, it's been so long since we shared a room!

"At that time, we can only wait and see how His Majesty acts decisively."

Ma Wenxiang lowered his head and spoke softly, his tone neither distant nor intimate.

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled when he saw it.

What's wrong with the girl?

Why don't they even call him "Zhongba" anymore, which they usually say so easily?

Recalling the previous investiture ceremony and the conferment of the title of Duke, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized what was going on.

His younger sister had contributed a great deal to this investiture, but the name of the duke announced in the Fengtian Hall was still in accordance with his own wishes.

The girl didn't say anything to my face, out of consideration for my dignity, but it's normal that she harbored some resentment towards me behind my back.

But Zhu Yuanzhang had his own solution.

He chuckled and strode over to Ma Wenxiang.

Ma Wenxiang held his breath, his face as calm as a rock, but inside he was panicking. His heart was pounding, and he racked his brains to find an excuse to slip away.

But then, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly grabbed her soft hand, his tone gentler than ever before, and said in a deep voice, "Sister, we've been so busy with government affairs these days that we've neglected you a bit."

"otherwise……"

He carefully chose his words, cautiously probing as he spoke, while simultaneously stroking Ma Wenxiang's palm.

Ma Wenxiang's heart was pounding in his throat.

He glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang out of the corner of his eye.

Contrary to later legends of a long, narrow face, he had a full forehead, a square jaw, and well-proportioned features.

Even if he were among a group of beggars, he would still be a handsome man who could catch the eye of a noble lady at first glance.

That makes sense.

If the mighty Hongwu Emperor were truly an ugly person, how could he possess such great personal charisma?

First, there's Li Shanchang, then Liu Bowen, and even his childhood friends Xu Da and Tang He, whom he hadn't seen for many days, all willingly acknowledged him as their childhood elder brother.

There must be something special about them.

"He's quite handsome."

A thought suddenly occurred to Ma Wenxiang, but his hands moved quickly. He hurriedly withdrew his hand slightly from Zhu Yuanzhang's calloused palm and said with a forced posture, "Zhongba, I haven't been feeling well lately. Perhaps my previous illness hasn't fully healed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's fleeting romantic thoughts vanished instantly.

He was older than Empress Ma, and his energy was entirely due to his exceptional talent and strong physique. If it were an ordinary person, such diligence would probably have led to a serious illness and death long ago.

Diligence in governance is something that not every emperor throughout history has been able to accomplish.

To be honest, Empress Ma is now over forty years old.

According to historical records, she did not have any more children with Zhu Yuanzhang after that.

Therefore, at their age, the two have hardly ever shared a room, and their love has long since transformed into a deep and affectionate bond.

From this perspective, it is a great thing for Ma Wenxiang.

If he had switched bodies a few years earlier, he probably wouldn't have been able to avoid this gender-related hurdle, and in the long run, he would have inevitably ended up with psychological distortion and schizophrenia.

He really was just a child.

While declining, Ma Wenxiang led Zhu Yuanzhang back to Kunning Palace.

He lay down on the phoenix bed and went to sleep.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched over Ma Wenxiang with a worried expression for a long time before leaving the inner hall after Ma Wenxiang had fallen into a deep sleep.

Two female officials saw him off. Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at them and asked, "Was my sister seriously ill? Didn't the imperial physicians say she was already better?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Miaoran remained relatively calm, while Su Qing'er quickly stepped forward to explain, "Your Majesty, Her Highness has been feeling unwell occasionally, but compared to before, she is much better."

"However, the previous acute illness was only temporarily suppressed, treating the symptoms but not the root cause. Therefore, in recent days, Your Majesty has adopted a health-preserving approach, focusing on diet to strengthen your body and bones; otherwise, I fear a great calamity may befall you."

"Even so, recovery from illness is slow and gradual; continued care and rest are necessary. You must not overexert yourself again. Otherwise, given Your Highness's previously frugal nature, how could you suddenly become as extravagant as the rumors circulating in the palace suggest?"

"Your Majesty wishes to stay with His Majesty and all the princes."

Su Qing'er poured out her heartfelt words.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze shifted slightly, and his eyes even welled up with tears. He felt even more guilty at that moment.

Think back carefully.

Since the beginning of the third year of the Hongwu reign, his focus has been on state affairs.

His sister had given birth to so many children for him. People used to say that childbirth was a life-threatening ordeal for women, but his sister had passed through the ordeal time and time again. He used to think it was just a normal occurrence.

But now it seems that the vitality lost in youth will gradually come back to haunt us as we get older.

The girl's body is probably as riddled with holes as those old brothers who once led troops on the battlefield, and can no longer be as healthy as before.

"It's my fault for letting the girl down."

In front of the two female officials, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly, his tone full of regret, "I'll be leaving now. You two take good care of my sister. If she wants anything to eat or anything she wants..."

"Just go and do it!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gave another instruction, and Sun Miaoran and Su Qing'er immediately nodded in agreement.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's figure disappeared into the distance, Sun Miaoran scolded him with a stern face: "Qing'er, how dare you! You even dared to reprimand His Majesty in the name of the Empress?"

"It's not as serious as my sister makes it out to be!"

Su Qing'er pouted her pink lips, looking aggrieved. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she shrank her neck to pretend to be pitiful. Her acting skills were superb.

When Sun Miaoran saw this, her heart softened a little.

She knew that Su Qing'er was doing this for the Empress's own good, so she only gave her a few verbal instructions and then stopped pursuing the matter.

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the imperial physicians trembled with fear.

Zhu Biao, who had rushed over from the Wuying Hall, also looked puzzled. He tentatively looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked, "Father, what is this...?"

"You should ask them."

Zhu Yuanzhang coldly rebuked her, then asked in a deep voice, "The Empress's health is severely compromised. Why wasn't this reported before? Does the Imperial Medical Academy disregard us?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed with intense anger, especially when he thought about his previous thoughts about sleeping together. His nameless rage reignited, and he wished he could tear the imperial physician in front of him to pieces.

The girl is already in this state.

He only thinks of himself, which is really too selfish.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"

The head imperial physician quickly kowtowed, and being quick-witted, did not try to exonerate himself, but explained, "It was all at Her Majesty's behest. Her Majesty did not want His Majesty to be burdened with his affairs of state. Since Her Majesty fainted recently, she has been diligently recuperating in the palace, and her health has greatly improved."

"In addition, the health preservation method that Her Majesty obtained from some ancient book has been studied by the staff of the Imperial Medical Academy and it is indeed effective in restoring vitality."

"Although the process is slow, it is steady and reliable, and will not cause any further harm to the body. Therefore, the Empress's health is improving day by day. Although she may not live to be a hundred years old, she will certainly have her lifespan extended."

"Your Majesty, please consider this carefully!"