Chaos of Ming 1628

"You...you...you..."

The father-in-law was trembling with anger, but he was powerless to do anything in front of everyone.

Sun Qing stood there, his expression calm.

"Sun Qing, do you know that this will enrage His Majesty? You have utterly failed His Majesty's expectations of you... You have done this..."

"Enough!" Sun Qing interrupted her father-in-law.

He looked at his father-in-law, or perhaps through his father-in-law he was looking at the people behind him.

His voice was heavy: "I know perfectly well what His Majesty expects of me, so there's no need for you to repeat it to me, Father-in-law."

"As for what I am doing right now, I am well aware of it. There is no need for you, father-in-law, to instruct me."

After saying that, Sun Qing didn't look at the person in front of him again and stood there indifferently.

The father-in-law was completely dumbfounded.

To everyone's surprise, Sun Qing would do such a thing.

Sun Qing's attitude remained unchanged, and his eyes were exceptionally firm. From beginning to end, he knew very well what everyone's fate would be, and what everyone wanted.

Emperor Chongzhen never truly trusted anyone. His attitude towards them was simply that he needed someone to step forward and calm the unrest of the displaced people. What he wanted was peace and tranquility.

Did Wei Zhongxian truly consider him family?

He just wanted to have another way out, but he didn't expect Sun Qing to be so thorough and effective, leaving him no loopholes.

The carriage was blocked by the people and could neither move forward nor backward.

The eunuch carrying the imperial decree lifted the curtain and glanced at the sea of ​​heads outside. Looking at Sun Qing's resolute attitude, he knew that there was no way to stay today.

His voice was full of anger: "Hurry up and let me through! If you all block me, how am I supposed to return to the capital to report?"

But the crowd remained completely still.

Sun Qing stood there, looking down at the eunuch, and softly said, "See the eunuch out of the city!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd behind him immediately moved aside.

A narrow passage was left in the middle, just wide enough for a carriage to pass through, and it led only to the city gate.

The eunuch peered through the curtain for a long time, his face grim. He lowered the curtain, and a muffled voice came from inside the carriage: "Sun Qing, I'll remember you."

"You'd better pray that His Majesty will trust you as before."

"Respectfully seeing off Father-in-law," Sun Qing called out from the roadside.

The carriage started moving, rumbling over the bluestone slabs, and drove towards the city gate along the path cleared by the people.

The city gate slowly closed behind them, the iron bolts fell with a muffled "clang".

Sun Qing remained calm and said to the people, "Thank you all for today."

"Lord Sun!"

The people shouted in unison.

Zhang Hu and Zhao Long immediately knelt on the ground and shouted from the bottom of their hearts, "Our lives were given to us by Lord Sun, and we will only listen to Lord Sun."

"My life belongs to Lord Sun."

With the two men taking the lead, everyone knelt down, their attitude far more devout than when kneeling before the emperor: "Our lives were given to us by Lord Sun."

"We will do whatever Lord Sun tells us to do."

This attitude was practically a euphemism for shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Sun Qing was not surprised.

He gave them a new life, food to eat, jobs, and homes. He practically gave them a knife.

So, besides Sun Qing, who else could give them these things?

Wei Zhongxian stood there, looking at everything before him, as if all his strength had been drained away.

The people have been calmed down.

For those standing there, a single jade thumb ring is not enough.

Wei Zhongxian had clearly noticed Sun Qing's gaze, and when he saw his eyes fall on those people, he understood a great deal.

He immediately let out a cold laugh: "Those of us from the Eastern Depot who followed us here are all utterly loyal."

"No matter how loyal they are, they cannot disobey the emperor's orders. After today, they will probably have to go back to report."

What Wei Zhongxian said was true.

Historically, as soon as Wei Zhongxian fell from power, Emperor Chongzhen immediately began to place his own people in his place and quickly took control of the Eastern Depot.

Everyone knows that the secret agents of the Eastern Depot are not easy to train. They are not the masterminds, nor do they kill indiscriminately.

The people of Hejian Prefecture now enjoy popular support, but who can guarantee that the officials under their command are not self-serving? For the past period, the prefecture has relied entirely on a few thousand elite guards to maintain order. Without them, Hejian Prefecture would surely descend into chaos.

Sun Qing stood outside the government office gate, looking at the imperial guards under the eaves.

With his crimes cleared, Wei Zhongxian was no longer the powerful figure he once was.

Even if he stayed in Hejian Prefecture, he would still be branded as a traitor and rebel.

Now, they stood against the wall, still in their armor, but their former imposing presence was gone.

Sun Qing walked up to them, stopped, and scanned them.

"Team Leader Zhao," Sun Qing said.

Team Leader Zhao stood up straight: "Lord Sun."

"Now that my ancestor has been stripped of his official post and has no hope of returning to the capital, what do you plan to do?" Sun Qing asked.

Team Leader Zhao paused for a moment, then looked back at his brothers.

No one spoke, but everyone knew what awaited them upon returning to the capital.

They were people at Wei Zhongxian's heart, and had always followed him. Zhao, looking at Wei Zhongxian, asked in a rough voice, "What else can we do? Where is the eunuch? Where are we?"

That statement was somewhat against my conscience.

"If the factory owner doesn't want us, then we'll have no choice but to go back to our hometown and farm!"

This statement is largely a helpless remark, but it is also the best way out they can have at the moment.

"Go back to your hometown?" Sun Qing's voice carried a hint of amusement. "You all know how much you've done for Wei Zhongxian. Do you think you can just leave and get rid of this skin you're wearing?"

"Won't the imperial court investigate your past actions?"

Everyone's expression changed.

Sun Qing pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Emperor Chongzhen can bring Wei Zhongxian to the capital today, and he can bring up old grievances tomorrow. You've followed Wei Zhongxian for over ten years; what dirty work haven't you done?"

"When the three judicial departments open the files and list the names, none of you will escape. It's a matter of beheading."

Zhao's throat bobbed as he gripped the empty scabbard, his knuckles turning white.

"Sir... what do you suggest we do?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.

Without hesitation, Sun Qing got straight to the point: "Hejian Prefecture is short of manpower. You will stay here, and from today onwards, change out of your imperial guard uniforms. You will receive the rations and pay of Hejian Prefecture and protect the people of Hejian Prefecture."

"In the past, you served Wei Zhongxian when you were doing his bidding and had no choice but to do so; from now on, you will serve this city and risk your lives."

He turned around, his gaze shifting from Captain Zhao to the faces of each of the imperial guards behind him: "Following Wei Zhongxian, you'll only face death. But if you stay and follow me, Sun Qing, the imperial court's sword won't fall on your heads."

"If you protect this city today, it will be your shield in the future. I will only say this once."

The silence was deafening.

No one would have believed Sun Qing if he had said anything yesterday.

But just now, they witnessed it. Sun Qing is no ordinary person; he commands nearly 100,000 people.

Even if it wasn't a total mobilization of soldiers, it was still a massive group. A group that no one but the emperor could possess.

To put it bluntly, Sun Qing has enough men to start a rebellion.

Team Leader Zhao turned back, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ma Yu, and knelt down on one knee.

The people behind him knelt down.

"Lord Sun," Captain Zhao said, bowing his head, "from this day forward, the Hejian Prefecture Guard will be at your command."

Those behind him shouted in unison, "We await Lord Sun's orders!"

Sun Qing finally smiled, overpowering all the noise: "Tomorrow at dawn, at the drill ground in the west of the city, to receive the new armor."

"From now on, there are no more imperial guards in Hejian Prefecture who bully others with their power; only the regular guards remain!"