Chaos of Ming 1628

The young woman was dressed in a fitted outfit, her long hair tied up high and casually adorned with a hair crown. Though she wore no makeup, her features were exceptionally delicate. She was tall and had a shapely figure.

However, there was a hint of ferocity in his eyes, making people hesitant to approach him.

She stepped forward, clasped her hands in greeting, and said in a clear and loud voice, "I am Shen Junru, and I greet Young Master Sun."

Faced with such a beautiful woman, Sun Qing took a step back and quickly shook his head, saying, "No need to trouble yourself, please go back, young lady."

Would he dare keep this person?

Not long ago, this woman broke into the post station in the middle of the night and almost killed him. Although she wasn't wearing a veil now, a person's eyes can't be changed. These eyes were exactly the same as the woman's eyes from that night.

Meng Zhaoxiang looked puzzled and quickly advised, "Young master, don't underestimate Miss Shen just because she's younger than you; she's quite skilled."

"Moreover, Miss Shen was born and raised on the frontier, and she is hardworking and resilient. She is quite different from ordinary women."

Of course, an ordinary woman wouldn't kill, but she could.

Sun Qing gave an awkward smile and quickly declined, saying, "It's not appropriate for a man like me to keep a young lady by my side."

"I don't like you scholars talking, all that babbling and nonsense." Shen Junru interrupted the two, walked straight in, and sat down on a stool. "Alright, I'll protect you here. You two go about your business."

"If we keep rambling on, Wei Zhongxian will come." Shen Junru put her long sword on the table, picked up the tea, and drank it by herself.

Meng Zhaoxiang was extremely embarrassed. He touched his nose, gave an awkward smile, and said goodbye before leaving.

Only Lao Yu, Shen Junru, and Sun Qing remained in the house.

The room was silent except for the sound of Shen Junru drinking water. Sun Qing glanced at Lao Yu out of the corner of his eye; he was lying comfortably on the floor, snoring softly.

A sigh lingered in the air. Sun Qing, filled with helplessness, walked to the door. The innkeeper was also outside, bowing deeply to Sun Qing: "Would the young master like to go for a walk?"

Sun Qing did not answer and walked ahead on her own.

I used to think that everyone at the post station was on a particular day of the week. But today, the postmaster is busy running around, even standing guard at the entrance to watch out for eunuch spies. It seems he's someone with his own agenda.

In March of the first year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, within a few months, a financial crisis erupted. The first to be cut were the post stations across the country, leaving many post workers unable to earn a living. The number of displaced people increased.

If it weren't for the location, one would suspect that this postmaster might actually be Li Zicheng.

"Young master," the postmaster hurriedly reminded him as he saw Sun Qing heading straight for the county government office, "the storm hasn't died down yet. Going to the county government office now is practically handing yourself over to them."

Sun Qing smiled faintly.

Before Meng Zhaoxiang and Su Jiuda appeared, the postmaster was clearly obedient to Zhou Ji. The sudden change at this moment was ultimately due to those two.

Having been here for ten days, Sun Qing has yet to establish his own power base. His entourage is divided into two factions, both of whom are not to be trifled with.

Looking at the person in front of me, although he is a post station official, he does not have much power. If he is used well, his daily life can be more convenient.

"I cast a divination for myself before leaving home, and it was very auspicious. Today, I will not only be able to enter the county government office, but I will even receive some benefits." Sun Qing smiled slightly.

In the late Ming Dynasty, divination and geomancy were popular among both the government and the public. Wealthy young men used feng shui to pursue official careers and family fortunes, while Confucian scholars valued practical geomancy and rejected false blessings. In this chaotic world, people were filled with fear and anxiety, and beliefs in ghosts and gods became widespread.

Moreover, in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," Zhuge Liang's strategic planning is described as divine, and there are many descriptions of him seeking divine guidance and divination.

It seems that since ancient times, all those born under the Qilin family have possessed some extraordinary ability to foresee the future.

Sun Qing spoke up, and the postmaster Su Ran became excited: "I never expected that you, young master, would have such abilities. I truly admire you."

"Young master, you seem to have foreseen the future; I will follow you at will."

"Hehe." A clear laugh interrupted, and Shen Junru, carrying a long sword, stepped out from behind the stone statue: "Young Master Sun is also from a prestigious family, yet he's just like that charlatan."

"What kind of fortune-telling is this? They just use ghosts and gods to fool people. It's utterly disrespectful."

After saying that, Shen Junru stood next to the postmaster and said disdainfully, "No wonder you can only struggle in the post station. You believe all kinds of nonsense? You have no judgment at all."

When Shen Junru came out, Sun Qing was indeed flustered. It wasn't the embarrassment of being exposed, but the fact that he hadn't noticed someone following him the whole way. If Lao Yu hadn't stepped in, and if this person had really wanted to kill him, how many times would Sun Qing have died?

This woman treats him so poorly; if he doesn't submit to her, he'll likely have a hard time. Furthermore, she harbors murderous intent towards him; if he can't change her mind, he might not survive the day he leaves.

Sun Qing cleared his throat, a gentle smile on his face, and said calmly, "I don't agree with Miss Shen's statement."

"The young lady dismisses all divination as superstition and nonsense, confusing the essential with the trivial. But such teachings come from the Book of Changes, where sages used Yin and Yang and the Five Elements to deduce the heavens, earth, mountains, rivers, and the rise and fall of the world. It is a study of observing things and understanding etiquette."

"I'm skilled with swords and spears, I don't care about your academic background." Shen Junru was both unreasonable and reasonable: "I only know about the strange and supernatural powers of charlatans, how many people have they harmed?"

"You just spout nonsense, what kind of fortune teller are you pretending to be? You've completely disgraced the Sun family. Is this the only thing you can do that makes them lose face?"

The postmaster listened from the side, quickly lowering his head, not daring to participate.

Sun Qing gave a cold laugh, his hands clasped behind his back: "Miss Shen, the Way of Change originates from the natural world, and is inherently about using Yin and Yang to balance progress and retreat. Furthermore, astrology and geomancy can assist the court in enforcing laws and regulations, and in water management; it is a practical discipline, how can it be generalized?"

Looking at Shen Junru again, Sun Qing smiled helplessly: "It is indeed you, young lady, who can guard a place by wielding swords and knives."

As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Junru's prominent chest and remarked sincerely, "She clearly possesses an air of elegance, yet she can't hold even a drop of ink?"

"What did you say?" Shen Junru frowned. Although she didn't understand those literary words, she roughly knew what he was trying to confirm.

But why did those last words leave people confused?

The postmaster beside him, however, suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief, then his face broke into agreement. But the sword was too sharp for him to utter a word; he held back his laughter, his face turning red.

Although Shen Junru sensed something was amiss, she couldn't get any answers from him. She could only follow behind dejectedly.

Sun Qing walked directly toward the yamen runners.

The bodies of the yamen runners and imperial guards who were beaten to death in the chaos lay in the courtyard. The atmosphere inside the yamen was chaotic and somber.

Seeing that Sun Qing still dared to come here, no one was angry at all; instead, they were terrified and looked outside, afraid that the troublemakers would cause trouble again.

"Sun Qing dares to come again?" Zhou Ji roared from inside the room, "Get him out of here!"

"Lord Zhou," Sun Qing ignored everyone else and walked straight into the inner room, where he saw Zhou Ji sitting on the bed, wrapped in a quilt.

The filth of the latrine had permeated him, giving the room a strange stench. He was filled with dread: "Sun Qing, how dare you! You killed an official of the imperial court, and you still dare to come back?"

"I'm innocent!" Sun Qing hurriedly shook his head. "I stood still the whole time. It was the captain who ordered me to be arrested or killed. What did I do?"

Zhou Ji was speechless.

Sun Qing was arrested without offering any resistance. Yet, no law explicitly stated that he was guilty. The only recourse was to arrest the ringleader of the mob.

But who is the ringleader? Who else is involved? With so many people involved, it's really hard to trace.

However, these words did not frighten Zhou Ji: "You're good at talking, but the eunuch won't listen to you."

"People from the capital will surely come and capture you."

"You still dare to swagger in front of me now? Wait until we get to the Northern Prison, then let's see if you're still laughing!"

Sun Qing was not annoyed. He gestured for the postmaster and Shen Junru to wait outside, and went inside to talk: "Lord Zhou, you have been so generous to me, how could I possibly come to laugh at you?"

"I came here solely to save you."

"Me?" Zhou Ji spat. "You think you'd be that kind?"

"Why don't you dismiss everyone else and let me have a word with you?" Sun Qing's tone was sincere, full of gratitude: "Lord Zhou has been kind to me. If it weren't for you paying for those six hundred taels of wine out of your own pocket, how could the reputation of the Sun family be preserved?"

"This time, it's to repay a debt of gratitude."

Zhou Ji's expression softened, and after glancing left and right, he peeked out from under the covers: "If you dare to fool me, you'll regret it."

"Lord Zhou is about to die, yet he's still so stubborn?" Sun Qing asked gravely.

Zhou Ji's eyes widened suddenly: "The Sun family wants to kill me?!"

Sun Qing was both amused and exasperated: "The Sun family are law-abiding citizens, only hoping to be recalled by the Emperor to continue serving the Ming Dynasty. How could they possibly slaughter court officials?"

"So you want to kill me?" Zhou Ji asked warily.

Sun Qing said helplessly, "Lord Zhou, with Li Weilin's death, the Grand Eunuch is furious. Is there any way to downplay this and let it go?"

"impossible."

"That's it then. Since it's impossible, if the Eastern Depot's men strike, who do you think will die?"

Zhou Ji looked at Sun Qing as if he were an idiot: "You."

"No," Sun Qing retorted, "it's you!"