Chaos of Ming 1628

As far as ordinary people are concerned, they don't care who the current emperor is.

In contrast, what the common people care about is whether the current emperor will increase taxes or punish corruption and evil.

Wei Zhongxian is the greatest villain in the hearts of the people today.

Although the new emperor prioritized the funeral arrangements for the deceased emperor, the common people flocked out and headed towards the same place.

The postmaster looked embarrassed and whispered a reminder, "Young Master Sun, everyone's going back to Botou Post Station today. Why don't you go and take a look too?"

With the assassination attempt by the Sun family and the machinations of the eunuch faction, Sun Qing's situation was precarious. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have been in the mood for leisurely strolls anymore.

Glancing at Old Yu who was sneering to the side out of the corner of his eye, Sun Qing felt reassured and called out, "Old Yu, let's go take a look too."

Pedestrians gathered from all directions, all moving towards the same spot. Their steps were heavy, their faces somber. It wasn't that Emperor Xizong was deeply loved by the people, but rather the gilded stele praising his virtues before them.

Inside is a statue of Wei Zhongxian, made of the finest sandalwood, dressed in imperial robes, a style of ceremony far superior to that of a prince.

Sun Qing couldn't help but scoff, his disdain evident. In his mind, Wei Zhongxian was not a politician, let alone a thinker or educator. He was simply a complete rogue, and a cunning villain.

They were ruthless and had no moral bottom line. Yet, in the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Emperor Xizong issued an edict to build the first shrine to live on the shore of West Lake, bestowing upon it the imperial plaque "Pu De Shrine".

People all over the world flocked to follow suit, and by the seventh year and the eighth month, there were more than seventy shrines dedicated to Wei Zhongxian.

Sun Qing felt nothing but irony at the scene before him. Even the new emperor had to give way to the treacherous minister whom Emperor Xizong so favored, yet today, his own esteemed ruler was still receiving the kneeling obeisance of the people.

Although there is no dedicated shrine in Jiaohe County, there are small stone tablets at each of the water stations in Botou.

When Sun Qing arrived, County Magistrate Zhou Ji had already performed the five bows and three prostrations. He stood there watching the passersby, and anyone who passed by was required to dismount from their sedan chair and kneel in worship.

"Young master, you've come to the wrong place!" Old Yu shook his head repeatedly. "You'd better leave quickly before the guards see you."

"What if not?"

Old Yu was speechless, his eyes filled with sorrow: "It seems that you, young master, do not know where this place is."

"The Longevity Plaque!" Sun Qing answered in a muffled voice. Noticing Lao Yu's surprised look, he explained in detail: "Not only common people, but even officials coming and going must dismount and bow five times and kowtow three times upon seeing this."

"Moreover, the construction of shrines for living people is a waste of resources and manpower, and a way to exploit the people to provide for their cronies to curry favor and get promoted. Honest officials who are unwilling to flatter them and wish to remain silent are simply delusional; they will surely be arrested and questioned by the officers of the Eastern Depot."

Old Yu's face was grave, his lips trembling, and he slowly said, "Young master, do you still consider yourself a member of the Sun family?"

"Of course!" Sun Qing chuckled lightly, frankly and openly: "I will certainly not disgrace the Sun family name."

"Very well!" Old Yu nodded firmly and smiled magnanimously, "I'll risk my life to wait for you to fulfill your promise, young master."

"Young Master Sun!"

As the two were talking, Zhou Ji raised his voice.

He cupped his hands in greeting and quickly stepped forward.

Last night, Xiangmanlou lost over six hundred taels of silver; it's a bitter pill to swallow. I need to vent this anger.

Zhou Ji bowed obsequiously to the Stele of Moral Virtue, and then had a prayer mat brought to Sun Qing: "The Grand Coordinator is currently retired at home, and it is fortunate that a young master like you, who is sensible enough to come, has come. And today is the day of the Emperor's ascension to the throne, please, young master."

The people of Jiahe County were coerced into coming here, and the merchants and travelers who came and went dared not speak out against their anger.

On the day of his ascension to the throne, even the sons of the Grand Coordinator knelt and worshipped at the shrine dedicated to Wei Zhongxian, and the Ming Dynasty perished.

All eyes turned to Sun Qing with intense gaze.

Sun Qing stood with his hands clasped. As a scion of a prominent family, he was expected to remain composed and dignified in any situation, reflecting the family's refined manners.

Even though his palms were already drenched in cold sweat, Sun Qing still refused to bow his head. Sun Chengzong was the greatest strategist of the late Ming Dynasty, and even Nurhaci and his sons trembled at his name. He was the protector of the capital, the emperor's teacher, and, above all, a loyal patriot.

Countless heroes and great men in the History of Ming Dynasty had to squeeze together with others, but he was different. He and his family used their blood to protect the country.

As a descendant of the unparalleled and unique Sun Chengzong, how could he fear death, and how could he kneel before treacherous officials?

"He doesn't deserve it." Sun Qing snorted, put his hands behind his back, and stood tall: "Only Heaven and Earth, my parents, are worthy of my bow. Wei Zhongxian is not worthy of my kneeling even slightly."

Thousands of people knelt before him, and Sun Qing's voice boomed like a bell, powerful and resonant. The people below clenched their fists tightly, their eyes reddening. A young boy tried to stand, but was held down by his elders. Everyone deeply agreed, but fearing the eyes and ears of the imperial guards, no one dared to respond.

Only the fervor in his eyes revealed his inner thoughts. Looking at the young man before him, one felt a deep sense of respect; he was truly a young hero.

"How dare you!" Zhou Ji roared angrily, feeling a surge of satisfaction at finally being able to vent his anger: "Sun Qing, how dare you disrespect the Grand Eunuch, relying on the Sun family's backing!"

Sun Qing laughed loudly, "He doesn't deserve it!"

"You've gone too far! We've been feeding and treating you well, and we never expected you to have such a rebellious streak." Zhou Ji said, and then tried to arrest the person.

Sun Qing scoffed, "Zhou Ji, you can't even protect yourself, yet you dare to take me on? The fault isn't mine, it's yours!"

"If you arrest me for this, aren't you afraid of offending the new emperor!"

Zhou Ji snorted coldly. He had been intimidated by Sun Qing's words before, but after observing him repeatedly over the past few days, he realized that the other party was nothing special. He had been staying at the inn for so long, and no relatives or friends of the Sun family had come to visit him. Even if his identity was real, he was probably just an unknown person.

New and old grudges surged into his heart, and Zhou Ji spat out, "Enough nonsense. Whoever dares to disrespect the Ninth Prince, you'll be served a beating."

The common people all looked worried, and the hot-blooded young men were also eager to do something.

Old Yu frowned, holding a gourd of wine, but did not drink it.

Sun Qing laughed loudly, looking down on the other man with disdain: "Zhou Ji, you only know about the Ninth Prince, but do you even know that this Ming Dynasty belongs to the Zhu family!"

"Emperor Hongwu established the rites and laws, stipulating that the five bows and three kowtows were reserved only for Heaven, Earth, ancestral temples, and the emperor. Yet a mere eunuch has forced the people to kneel and worship, thus violating the established rites and laws. I am a man of principle, and I have acted in accordance with the rites; what crime have I committed?"

"You..." Zhou Ji's mind was a complete mess again. "Stop talking nonsense. No one has ever offended the Ninth Prince without being taken down."

"What day of the week? You're the one who should be taken down!" Sun Qing roared. "Today, the new emperor ascends the throne, and you dare to show such disrespect to his sovereign? Are you dissatisfied with the new emperor?"

"Nonsense!" Zhou Ji panicked, his tongue stammering, "Who, who said that?"

The ascension of the new emperor had already terrified the eunuch faction. How could such words be allowed into the palace?

Fearing that he would actually be implicated by this tongue, Zhou Ji waved his hand repeatedly: "You good-for-nothing, hurry up and take down this audacious member of the Sun family."

"You dare?" Sun Qing stood tall. "I am innocent. How dare you arrest me? Do you really think the Sun family has no one to rely on?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the kneeling people below were already filled with fervor, and the young and strong men rose up and walked behind Sun Qing.

Although no one spoke, their imposing presence forced the yamen runners to retreat.

"You unruly people, how could you... how could you..." Zhou Ji couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. He only had a few people under his command, and if a real conflict broke out, he would be no match for them.

Just then, a neighing sound and the sound of horses' hooves came from the direction of the group. A group of more than twenty people, led by Li Weilin, the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, were heading towards the area.

Armored and armed, they marched in perfect unison.

The people all backed down, daring not to speak out against their anger.

Li Weilin glanced at Zhou Ji disdainfully, disregarding his dignity, and cursed, "Useless thing."

He then burst into laughter at the crowd, saying sarcastically, "You're all protecting this member of the Sun family. But do you know what this man, using the Grand Coordinator's name, has been doing?"

The people were stunned, their expressions turning awkward.

"The man who spent a day and night in Xiangmanyuan revelry, entertaining wealthy and powerful families, was none other than Sun Qing, a member of the Sun family!"

Surprise was evident on everyone's face. Such a upright and honorable man was actually the black sheep that everyone had been scorning these past few days.

How could this be?

Disappointment, pain, and anger intertwined; the people who had been defending Sun Qing just moments before now wished they could skin him alive.

Li Weilin nodded in satisfaction; this was the effect he wanted.

He strode straight toward Sun Qing: "Sun Qing, I'm here to arrest you. No matter how eloquent you are, you'll have no choice but to come with me!"

"Sun Qing, as a son of Sun Chengzong, you have used the name of the Grand Coordinator to amass wealth and oppress the local people. What crime is this? You are very good at talking, so tell me."

Sun Qing smiled bitterly. Given the special circumstances of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the imperial court strictly controlled relatives of governors and viceroys who caused trouble outside the capital. In addition, the Wei faction could also suppress the scions of powerful families who were soliciting bribes outside the capital, and they would definitely be severely punished.

He said slowly, "We will investigate to the end, confiscate the filth, and exile the perpetrators to the army."