Chaos of Ming 1628

Fragrance fills the building.

Located on the main street of Jiahe County, it has three-story eaves and a vermilion main gate, making it the only one of its kind.

During their three days at Sunqing Post Station, the postmen talked most about this shop, describing it as luxurious, extravagant, and wasteful.

Naturally, the restaurant's behind-the-scenes owner was none other than Zhou Ji, the powerful magistrate of Jiahe County.

Young Master Sun was hosting a banquet for the local gentry, and all who came were guests. Originally, only the third floor had been reserved, but now the place was bustling with activity, and the people coming and going were all prominent figures in Jiahe County. The restaurant owner hurriedly hung up a sign: "Clear the area in front; unauthorized personnel not allowed."

The sounds of music and revelry filled the air, and the aroma of wine permeated the entire street. Seven or eight servants stood guard at the entrance, turning away any suspicious individuals.

Those who wish to see Young Master Sun must possess a formal invitation. However, Sun Qing casually mentioned that he had never been so prepared before, and it was no longer important who wrote the invitation.

Inside the building, people who would normally have to carefully consider each other's worth when they met were now gathered together, each sitting upright with a knowing smile on their face.

The Sun family of Gaoyang, descendants of the imperial tutor, may be living in retirement in their hometown now, but who knows when they might rise again? Spending a little money to build a good relationship could be a very profitable deal if it proves useful in the future.

Normally, it wasn't that they were dense-headed, but rather that the Sun family had very strict upbringing. Forget about currying favor or offering treasures; even just getting a few glimpses of them would result in being turned down.

Sun Qing sat in the main seat, still dressed in his linen clothes. The courier was skilled; there were no holes, and the patches showed considerable effort, making the clothes clean and tidy. Fortunately, his features were handsome and his bearing imposing, making him stand out from the crowd and overwhelm everyone with his presence.

People come and go, and he greets them with a smile, raising his glass. Though he doesn't say much, every word is just right, making it hard to tell whether someone is close or distant, as long as they don't feel neglected.

Just as I was getting into the swing of things, a commotion arose at the door.

"Get out of here, you old beggar! Don't you even know where you are? How dare you waltz in here?" The waiter's voice suddenly rose in anger.

A beggar stood at the door, reeking of alcohol, and hoarsely shouted, "Hehe, I'm a friend of the young master. I had a few drinks and was a couple of steps behind..."

Just as the waiter was about to shoo him away, Sun Qing looked up and called out, "Old Yu, come in."

The room fell silent; the local gentry exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions complex.

Old Yu came up, disheveled and carrying a wine gourd, swaying as he walked. Looking at the three-story banquet, each table was laden with fish and meat, an extravagant display of wealth.

His eyes turned bloodshot, and his teeth clenched so tightly they rattled. He rushed over, lunged at a table, and flipped it over.

Dishes and plates clattered to the ground, and meat and wine rolled everywhere.

"Get that crazy old man out of here! Don't spoil the young master's fun!" the shopkeeper roared.

The local gentry, seemingly unconcerned, glanced cautiously at Sun Qing out of the corner of their eyes.

Sun Qing glanced at them and smiled faintly: "Don't panic, everyone. Old Yu is a storyteller. Only by standing on the table can he tell his story to his heart's content."

Old Yu laughed loudly, his cloudy eyes turning even more bloodshot, as he spat out each word through his teeth: "Good, today I, the old man, will tell you gentlemen something to be happy about."

He shook the wine jug in his hand and took a big gulp: "Today, I, an old man, will tell you gentlemen what our great-grandfather, the Emperor Gaozu..."

Who cares what he says?

All eyes were on Sun Qing, who continued talking to the person next to him. The person cooperated perfectly, smiling broadly, and took out a brocade box from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands: "Young master, this is a small token of my appreciation as you arrive in our humble abode."

Everyone knows that the Sun family is full of upright and honest people. This man was dressed simply, and it was only because the county magistrate repeatedly vouched for him that people dared to believe him.

Even seeing this extravagant scene, no one dared to act rashly. Now that someone had taken the lead, everyone was watching intently, eager to see how Sun Qing would react.

Sun Qing took it, opened it, and saw a pair of mutton-fat white jade pieces, exquisitely carved. He smiled slightly and nodded.

Everyone immediately caught the signal and breathed a sigh of relief.

The gentlemen upstairs and downstairs all stood up, took out their belongings, and lined up voluntarily to show their faces to Sun Qing.

Old Yu stood on the table, squinting at the scene, shaking the gourd in his hand and splashing wine on his face.

He suddenly spoke, his hoarse voice surprisingly strong, as if he had been holding his breath for a long time: "It is said that Emperor Hongwu, one day, was traveling incognito when he saw gifts piled up at the prefect's gate... Emperor Hongwu was furious: 'From the beginning of my reign, I established the rule that officials must not accept gifts. How dare you, a prefect, do this!' He immediately stripped the prefect of his official hat, threw him into prison, confiscated his property, and exiled him to the army..."

Bribery is offered on one side, while corruption is punished on the other.

Someone got angry and picked up a stick to hit him.

Old Yu closed his eyes, straightened his back, and stubbornly continued speaking.

Seeing the stick approaching, Sun Qing calmly raised his wine cup and said, "Old Yu is just a storyteller, a chatterbox, so don't take it to heart."

Seeing that the sticks were put away, he turned his gaze to the gifts in everyone's hands: "I really like your gifts."

With those words, everyone present became even more enthusiastic, and no one cared what an old madman was saying. They immediately picked up what they were holding, wishing they could give it all to Sun Qing.

Sun Qing accepted all comers without hesitation, taking in everyone who came his way.

The clever shopkeeper, seeing this, immediately brought paper and pen and waited in front of Sun Qing to count and record everything for him.

"What are you doing?" Sun Qing asked.

The shopkeeper's hand trembled slightly, and he quickly smiled ingratiatingly, "This humble one just wanted to show off in front of you, young master, and help you with your accounts?"

"Oh?" Sun Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Very good."

He ignored the shopkeeper and looked at the crowd. He was clearly a person of extraordinary talent, yet he was mixed in with the rabble.

"These gold and silver items," Sun Qing put the gold ingots back into the box, his gaze sweeping over the pile of gifts, "the more the better."

The audience was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Young master is so generous!"

"Young master is a man of true character."

"Young master, my name is Mancang, and I am..."

The atmosphere instantly relaxed, and the man who had been putting on an act just moments before now called over his female companion and placed his hand on her slender waist.

The backyard of Xiangmanlou.

Zhou Ji sat in the armchair.

The shopkeeper hurried over, carrying the account books.

"How is it?" Zhou Ji asked.

The shopkeeper, his face full of flattery, said, "To your surprise, sir, he not only accepted everything but was also very generous."

"Not only was the food and drink the best, but they even took girls for these grandfathers to play with."

"Oh?" Zhou Ji suddenly frowned, his tone filled with worry: "Can you make a list of what he received?"

The shopkeeper nodded hurriedly and handed over a list: "I wrote two copies, but Young Master Sun doesn't know about them."

When Zhou Ji saw it, he burst into laughter: "Good, good, good!"

"With this, the matter concerning the Banner Commander will be settled. This is enough to give the Sun family a hard time. Corruption, bribery, and oppression of the local people—even if Sun Chengzong were dead, let alone alive, he would probably be dug up and beheaded by the Emperor."

The shopkeeper dared not interrupt such a conversation.

Zhou Ji looked at the list with a greedy expression, then pondered for a moment: "Serve Young Master Sun well."

"Estimate the value of today's gifts, and make sure Young Master Sun is well-fed and clothed. Just follow the gift list."