Ming Dynasty: Empress Ma and I swapped clothes!

Chapter 14 The Day of the Northern Expedition! Corruption in the Garrison

In matters of politics, Ma Xiuying's painstaking efforts ultimately came to naught.

Looking at the several charters hanging in the inner hall of Kunning Palace.

She sighed softly.

As for Ma Wenxiang's matter, we can only put it aside for now.

How can the mother of a nation be easily replaced?

If this matter were to be revealed, given Chongba's temperament, he would likely incite another massacre.

Ma Xiuying, who now has some affection for the Ma family, does not want to see this happen.

After much deliberation, with the plan already settled, Ma Xiuying continued reading, "Chongba, regarding the affairs of the court, when will the date for the Northern Expedition be set? Has a plan been drawn up yet?"

This concerns matters of great importance to the nation and the military.

If it were anyone else, Zhu Yuanzhang would not have readily told them, and might even have suspected them of having ulterior motives.

The date of the Northern Expedition is of paramount importance. Such a secret, if leaked to the front lines by foreign enemies, would inevitably result in heavy losses and casualties.

But when it came to his own sister, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't hesitate. After a quick thought, he said directly, "Let's set the date for another Northern Expedition at the beginning of next year, the fourth year of Hongwu. The commander-in-chief of the three armies has already been chosen, and it will be our old in-law, the future Duke of Wei, Xu Da."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the name of the head of the six dukes in the regulations on the wall and laughed heartily, thus finalizing the matter.

"Next year..."

Ma Xiuying memorized the date and pondered it softly.

According to the date set by the imperial court, the first imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty will be held next year.

Even the only imperial examination in the next few years should come to an end.

As for the Ma family, they didn't need to wait until next year, or even until August or September of the third year of the Hongwu reign, for the provincial examination to select candidates for the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) would have already come to an end.

Perhaps it will still be in time, just in time for Grandpa Ma to be transferred to the Northern Expedition battlefield.

With a preliminary solution in place, Ma Xiuying gently patted her chest, feeling somewhat relieved.

And that provincial examination.

Ma Xiuying was confident that with what he had learned over the years, he would pass the test in one go.

"Why did you suddenly ask about these things just now? Have you thought of some brilliant idea again?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes brightened slightly as he looked on expectantly.

Whenever his sister offers insightful advice or good suggestions, it always brings him a big surprise.

This was true before the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and it was true after its founding; it is likely that it will be true today as well.

"Zhongba really thinks too highly of me."

Ma Xiuying smiled.

"That's right. Our sister is extraordinary; she's far superior to ordinary people."

Zhu Yuanzhang praised her without reservation.

Ma Xiuying raised the corners of her mouth, pondered for a moment, and then spoke of some problems she had discovered in Majia Village: "Now the garrison system has spread throughout the territory of our Great Ming. The garrison system can be used for military farming, so that the military can support the people, which can greatly reduce the financial pressure on the national treasury."

"But Chongba, have you ever thought about this? Corruption is ultimately impossible to prevent. Leaving aside places far away, even in the capital's Imperial Guards, Rear Guards, and other garrisons, corruption has probably already occurred. In garrisons far away, it is probably even more serious."

Zhu Yuanzhang had been a peasant, and he had a deep memory of the corrupt practices at the grassroots level.

In the past, I was simply too busy with court affairs, all of which were major matters concerning the national system, so I didn't think of them for a while. With such important matters at hand, I should prioritize the overall situation.

But now, after Ma Xiuying brought it up, Zhu Yuanzhang recalled the humiliations of the past, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his face still held a murderous aura.

"Girl, you're really something. We'd completely forgotten about that."

Zhu Yuanzhang clenched his fists, paced back and forth, and said hesitantly, "But the Northern Expedition is about to begin. Even if there is corruption in these garrisons, we absolutely cannot act rashly, otherwise it will have far-reaching consequences. Corruption in the garrisons is despicable, but how can it compare to the importance of the Northern Expedition?"

"Sister, I'm afraid this matter can't be addressed for the time being."

Ma Xiuying was aware of these principles.

When she mentions this now, she has naturally come up with an effective way to alleviate the situation: "Major issues cannot be changed, but minor issues can be changed."

"The corruption in the garrison is only just beginning to emerge. If we take drastic measures, it will be too much of a waste of money, manpower, and resources, which would be inappropriate."

"So, what does the girl mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered the question while pressing for answers.

"The south goes without saying, but now we must pay attention to the north and the Central Plains. The north has suffered much war and is in ruins; the south is prosperous and has escaped several disasters."

"If we are to implement these measures now, we must first conduct pilot programs in the Central Plains. If they prove effective, they can make the North more prosperous, and from then on, we can achieve a balance between the North and the South."

"Brilliant! Girl, how come we didn't think of that?"

"This mere matter of corruption in the garrison has somehow been linked to the important issue of maintaining balance between the North and the South."

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more he felt that his sister's words made sense. He then looked at her expectantly, even scratching his head and cheeks, being excessively impatient.

"Girl, stop keeping us in suspense, we're so anxious we're practically jumping off the wall."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuying rolled her eyes at Zhu Chongba before revealing the strategy she had painstakingly devised over the past few days: "The Central Plains and Hebei, and all the garrisons under the jurisdiction of Daming Prefecture, can take this as a model."

"If any military household has a member who dies in battle, the local government or county office will provide preferential treatment in the imperial examinations, in addition to the regular compensation. Especially now that the imperial examinations are in full swing, this is of great significance to them, and it will be even more effective in winning over the hearts of scholars in the north."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes shone even brighter as he listened.

Ma Xiuying's intentions were only just beginning to unfold, like a scroll painting gradually being revealed, the more one reads, the more one can appreciate its lingering charm and brilliance.

"In the present era of the imperial examinations, the books of scholars in the north are incomplete. Although there are some scholars and candidates from the previous dynasty, their numbers are extremely small, and the lineage of powerful families has long been broken. In the south, however, many classics have been preserved, and there are many powerful families. The sons of these families support each other and discuss scholarship together."

"In time, when the imperial examinations come around next year, will all those admitted to our Great Ming be scholars from the south? Does our Great Ming only have this half of the country?"

Ma Xiuying had not thought deeply about these matters before. It was only after listening to the scholar Wang Yangsheng complain for a long time in the private school that she gradually came to understand the bigger picture from the small details and made connections to this important matter concerning the national system.

Living in the palace for so long, no matter how much she cared about the people's plight, she was easily blinded by a single leaf and made generalizations. Not only could she not hear everything, but she could only see half of the situation.

"And if this measure could be implemented through an imperial edict..."

"In this way, the people from all over the country who have been recruited by the local government offices, county government offices, and even the centurions, garrison garrisons, and garrisons will be more devoted to our Great Ming and to you, Chongba."

"This will give us a better chance of winning the Northern Expedition next year."