The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

In the courtyard of the Governor-General's Mansion, Emperor Chongzhen walked in front, with Hong Chengchou following closely behind.

At this time, Hong Chengchou was still the Shaanxi Grain Supervisor, a position that was neither too high nor too low. At the meeting at that level, he couldn't get a word in edgewise, but not long ago, he had been appointed by the emperor as an imperial envoy to oversee disaster relief.

Now, the Emperor has summoned him alone.

Hong Chengchou could roughly guess that it was related to the previous disaster relief efforts, and more likely to the mysterious list.

Just then, the emperor in front of him suddenly stopped and turned around to look at him.

Hong Chengchou quickly lowered his head. "The emperor's gaze is not as high as the robe, nor as low as the belt." One should not look down on the emperor. As a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, Hong Chengchou naturally understood this principle.

However, the emperor's next words left Hong Chengchou at a loss for words.

"Raise your head."

Hong Chengchou was taken aback. What did the Emperor mean? He even thought he had misheard the Emperor's words.

"I tell you to raise your head."

Having confirmed the Emperor's words once again, Hong Chengchou was filled with doubt, but he had no choice but to raise his head. Of course, he dared not look directly at Chongzhen, but wisely chose to look at the flowers, plants and trees on the other side.

Hong Chengchou could sense that the emperor was scrutinizing him closely.

This feeling is very uncomfortable. I want to look but I can't. My neck is so stiff that I dare not move an inch. I keep my eyes straight ahead and let the other person look at me.

Why is the emperor staring at his own face?

Hong Chengchou felt uneasy.

Although I am considered a handsome young man in the surrounding area, with a reputation for refinement, surely it doesn't warrant the Emperor staring at me like this? Could it be that the Emperor...?

Impossible, how could that be?

Hong Chengchou couldn't help but let his mind wander.

"So alike! So very alike!"

The words the Emperor uttered after scrutinizing Hong Chengchou for a long time left him completely bewildered.

What does Your Majesty mean by this?

What does it look like?

Or does it resemble someone else?

After being summoned by the Emperor alone, the Emperor's sudden move left the usually shrewd Hong Chengchou completely bewildered.

"Okay, it's alright now."

As he spoke, Chongzhen turned his head back and continued his aimless stroll in the courtyard.

Hong Chengchou, who was following behind, secretly let out a long breath.

Being stared at by the Emperor was even more terrifying than being stared at by hundreds of enemy soldiers on the battlefield.

"You performed very well in this disaster relief effort. I will remember it and reward you when we return."

The Emperor's voice came, and Hong Chengchou lowered his head to listen respectfully.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is Your Majesty's disaster relief strategy that is appropriate. I was merely following it."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and then asked, "How's the search going with the people on that list?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou's expression tightened slightly, and he replied, "Your Majesty, the search for the missing persons has not yet made much progress. Since receiving the imperial decree, I have not dared to relax for a moment. I believe that disaster relief is like putting out a fire; we must first relieve the disaster and then search for the missing persons."

"For some time now, I have been busy with disaster relief, and before the relief work was finished, a mutiny broke out in Guyuan. I also had to help suppress the mutiny. Therefore, I haven't had time to look for people. It just so happened that when I was suppressing the civil uprising in Chengcheng, I found a man named Wang Er from Baishui. Your Majesty's judgment of people is truly accurate. That Wang Er was the leader of the rioters. This scoundrel had his face painted black, broke into Chengcheng, killed the magistrate, and has already been beheaded by me."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the rest of these people will not escape either. If Your Majesty will grant us some more time, I will search high and low and find the people on the list."

Hong Chengchou had anticipated that the emperor would ask about the search for the missing person, so he had prepared his explanation well in advance.

"No need."

Chongzhen's answer stunned Hong Chengchou.

No need? What does that mean?

Is the Emperor dissatisfied with his efficiency?

Hong Chengchou wanted to explain something, but Chongzhen said, "Killing Wang Er is enough. You don't need to look for the rest. Return that list to me. I have other plans for you."

"Yes."

Hong Chengchou was filled with doubt, but he had no choice but to obey. He then took out the list from his pocket and returned it to Chongzhen.

After receiving the list, Chongzhen suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, go and make preparations. You will come with me to Yinchuan tomorrow."

……

Yinchuan Post Station.

The day had barely dawned when the post station was already bustling with activity.

The aroma of buckwheat porridge wafted from the stove. Old Zhao, the stable boy, was limping as he cleaned up horse manure. He had broken his leg last year while delivering the Yulin Military Newspaper and now could only do odd jobs.

A tall, young courier was drawing water from a well. The rope was lowered very deep, and the wooden bucket hit the well wall, making a hollow echo.

He secretly stuffed the last bite of oat cake into his mouth, the rough bran scraping his throat. After drawing water, he washed his face with the ice water in the wooden bucket, and the reflection of a young man in his twenties appeared on the water's surface.

His cheekbones were slightly raised, his eye sockets were deep-set, and there was a scar on his left eyebrow from when he lassoed a horse last year.

His name is Li Zicheng. Like the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he came from a poor family and lost both his parents at a young age. He herded cattle for landlords when he was young, later became a beggar, a monk, and is now working as a courier at the Yinchuan post station.

He has been working here for three years.

"Time for breakfast!"

A shout came from the kitchen, and everyone quickly put down what they were doing. A dozen people rushed into the kitchen to grab bowls and chopsticks.

The same goes for Li Zicheng.

The best thing about this place is that, no matter how fierce the fighting is outside, at least we can still eat here.

At the dinner table, Li Zicheng happened to sit at the same table as the postmaster.

The postmaster is thirty-six years old this year, with elderly parents and young children to support; he's a rough and rugged man.

"Postmaster!" said Mr. Sun, the accountant, while drinking his porridge. "The prefectural government is behind on the payment for this month's provisions again."

Upon hearing this, the postmaster gave a light snort.

"Another overdue payment? They still haven't paid for last month's. Damn it, we've transported so much goods for the prefect, and the county magistrate comes over with his wife every few days. They're practically treating our post station like their own home. Now they're even behind on this meager feed payment. The horses are starving. What's the point of doing anything here?!"

Mr. Sun quickly reminded him, "The postmaster should be careful with his words."

The postmaster then fell silent. In fact, everyone at the post station knew about these things, so it didn't matter whether they said it or not.

Li Zicheng, standing to the side, silently lowered his head and drank the porridge in large gulps.

"Postmaster," Mr. Sun suddenly spoke up, "I heard... the imperial court is going to abolish the post stations."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng paused.

"I heard that it has already begun in Shaanxi." Mr. Sun's voice was very soft, as if afraid of waking something. "After those post station workers and grooms were laid off, they lost their livelihoods. Some joined the bandits, and some... died."

The entire dinner table fell silent.

The postmaster suddenly looked at Li Zicheng, who was drinking porridge beside him, and asked, "Little Li, if you get laid off, where do you plan to go?"

Li Zicheng was stunned for a moment.

I?

Why me?

The postmaster added, "I was saying if. If the post station were really to be abolished, not only you, but I'm afraid I would be laid off too."

Li Zicheng shook his head: "I...I don't know."

He genuinely didn't know where he would go if he were laid off. The world was vast, but it seemed there was nowhere for him to go.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door, followed by a sharp voice.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Upon hearing this sound, everyone at the post station trembled in fright...