Chaos of Ming 1628

However, it was a member of the Sun family, not Sun Chengzong himself, so the matter hadn't escalated to the point of involving Wei Zhongxian.

The eunuch faction was notorious for its rampant activities, and this humiliation could not be tolerated. Rather than waiting for Wei Zhongxian to take action personally, it was better to strike first.

Sun Qing paced slowly, pondered for a moment, then sat down at the table and spoke calmly:

Your subject Zhou Ji, Magistrate of Jiaohe County, Hejian Prefecture, Zhili Province, respectfully reports that unusual omens appeared this autumn, a sign from Heaven to warn you. I humbly submit this report based on the facts, and humbly request Your Majesty to reflect upon your conduct, rectify the corrupt practices, and restore order to the country.

At just the first sentence, Lao Yu paused in his pen-holding gesture, staring intently at Sun Qing.

Sun Qing seemed oblivious and continued speaking.

However, after signing his name, Old Yu's face lost all its smile, and his tone became grave: "Young master, do you know what the consequences of doing this will be?"

How could he not know? It was simply that things had come to this point, and he had no choice but to do it. Seeing Old Yu's tense expression, Sun Qing deliberately feigned it: "Oh? Old Yu, why don't you tell me?"

Old Yu was about to speak when he suddenly noticed the patch on his sleeve. His eyes narrowed, and a sneer appeared on his lips: "To be honest, I don't know the details, but it's definitely not good news. Nothing has happened in Jiahe County, yet they dare to spout nonsense. And they're even impersonating the magistrate to write memorials..."

With a series of clicks of the tongue, Old Yu pressed down on the memorial on the table, reluctant to hand it to Sun Qing.

"There's no need to worry," Sun Qing said, knowing full well what was going on. "This memorial was written by Zhou Ji. What does it have to do with you and me? If it succeeds, it can punish the eunuch faction. Even if it fails, Zhou Ji's lackey will take the blame. It won't harm you or me, nor will it implicate the Sun family."

"But, but..." Old Yu was at a loss for words. There were quite a few people in the capital who could recognize his handwriting, and even the Emperor himself could probably tell at a glance. Who would believe that this matter had nothing to do with the Sun family?

It would be fine to write about Sun Qing, this imposter, but if it were Lao Yu, then the Sun family would truly be dragged down completely.

After struggling for a while, Old Yu dared not reveal his identity and could only feign ignorance: "Young master is truly a genius, this is a wonderful idea!"

"Mr. Meng was once an official in the capital, but after returning, he kept submitting memorials to the Emperor, yet not a single one reached his ears. And Mr. Su, despite his great influence in the provinces, also couldn't get his words to the Emperor's ears."

"If they were to deliver what we wrote, someone would come and take them before they even left Hejian Prefecture."

"But you are very clever, young master. If you ask Zhou Ji to deliver it, that would be extraordinary."

Old Yu deliberately exaggerated the situation, using the opposite of what he meant to discourage Sun Qing: "Think about it, Zhou Ji is also a lackey of the eunuch faction. Sending such a memorial is practically sending the eunuch faction to the guillotine. For someone to be willing to be a dog like that, young master, you are truly a genius!"

This statement is ambiguous, neither praising nor criticizing. If it were someone else, they would know when to back down and would simply let it go.

He turned to Sun Qing, seemingly oblivious to the deeper meaning in her words. Instead, he boasted shamelessly, "Old Yu, what you said is true; this matter really can't be left to me."

"Honestly, your handwriting is simple and unpretentious, and truly excellent."

Sun Qing changed the subject; nobody dislikes being praised. When the topic turned to words, Lao Yu seemed a little dazed and quickly became modest.

Sun Qing picked up the document from the table and nodded as he looked at it through the window: "It has no trace of fawning, but rather a solemn air. Such fine calligraphy is not the work of those hermit scholars."

"Oh dear, a person who has ventured into the martial world must have a different way of writing. How could I dare to compare myself to a Confucian scholar?" Old Yu said hastily, flustered.

"Oh, I see!" Sun Qing replied casually, already tucking the document into his pocket. "Time is of the essence, so don't wait for me for dinner. I'm going to the Su residence."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Qing had already reached the door, his steps quick and hurried. Looking at the empty table, Old Yu slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh no, he really took it?"

"Junru, hurry, hurry up and catch up."

Shen Junru's eyes flashed with disgust: "Sir, he's not really a member of the Sun family, why should we care whether he lives or dies?"

"What nonsense!" Old Yu slapped his thigh in anger and shouted anxiously, "He has to live, otherwise what he did will really be considered as what your grandfather instructed."

Shen Junru's face turned deathly pale, and she growled, "It would be quicker to just end him with a single blow."

That being said, they truly dared not. Old Yu was traveling outside, and his death served as Sun Chengzong's substitute. Since he wouldn't allow the dead to die, the Sun family members had no choice but to obey.

Street vendors hawked their wares, and pedestrians hurried along, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Many businesses closed early, and households kept their doors and windows tightly shut to avoid strangers.

As Sun Qing walked among them, he saw the lifelike figure and held it tightly in his hand, delighted with it.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Su residence, the gate was tightly shut, and no one answered despite repeated knocking. Just as Shen Junru was about to angrily force her way in, a head peeked out from a side gate, and then a person quickly ran out, grabbing Sun Qing and pulling her inside.

He muttered to himself, "Oh dear young master Sun, you still dare to wander the streets at a time like this? Aren't you going to leave?"

Shen Junru frowned, looked around the courtyard, and said with displeasure, "How rude of you! He came specifically to find you, but he came in through the side gate."

"Young Master, Miss Shen, this is truly not the time to worry about this." Meng Zhaoxiang also emerged from the inner hall, his eyes bruised, indicating he hadn't slept all night. "Just now, Xiao Su and I raised some money and sent someone to the post station to fetch you, Young Master, but we missed it?"

"What should we do? We can't wait any longer. Young Master, we'll return to Gaoyang immediately." Su Jiu said, preparing to leave.

"Why are you leaving?" Sun Qing asked calmly and clearly.

The two men then stopped what they were doing, their expressions showing a stark contrast: "Young master, you don't know?"

Sun Qing shook his head.

"Oh dear, young master, just half an hour ago, the spies arrived from Hejian Prefecture, heading menacingly towards the county government office."

"The number of people was large, no less than a hundred. They marched through the streets in a very domineering manner, and the passersby suffered quite a bit. With such a display of force, it was clear that they had come to settle scores for what happened yesterday."

Hating the eunuch faction is one thing, but to fight against them is undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock. The two of them were not afraid of death, but only that Sun Qing's arrest would implicate the Sun family.

"Oh," who would have thought that was Sun Qing's only reaction.

The two exchanged a glance, puzzled but quickly reassured themselves: "At least the young master has left the post station, so he won't be captured."

"If I leave, what will happen to you and the people?" Sun Qing suddenly asked.

The two men were taken aback for a moment, then smiled knowingly: "Loyal ministers and valiant generals protect our land, and we also wish to do our part, however small."

Seeing this, Sun Qing smiled elegantly, his brows revealing arrogance: "The fate of the nation and its people are more important than my own life. From the moment I started raising the funds, I never considered backing down."

He spoke so naturally, as if this was his lifelong wish, a tradition ingrained in his bones from childhood.

Little did he know, Sun Qing felt utterly helpless. He'd been on this pirate ship from the start, and now there was no turning back.

Shen Junru, who was leaning against a pillar with her sword in her arms, raised her eyes upon hearing this and stared intently at Sun Qing. After a closer look, she smiled self-deprecatingly: How come I didn't notice before that this kid is quite handsome?

Meng Zhaoxiang and Su Jiuda were filled with awe and admiration: "Heroes have always emerged from among the young; we are ashamed of ourselves."

"If you, sir, are willing to die so bravely, we will not live on in disgrace. If anything happens to you, sir, we will follow you in death."

Sun Qing felt bitter. He had only said something nice. How could it have made the two of them think of death?

Unable to express his true thoughts, he could only resort to that flowery, literary style: "The eunuch faction's days are numbered; we may not be in any danger."

"No," Meng Zhaoxiang interrupted first, saying with a sigh, "I have served as an official in the capital for many years and know very well that the eunuch faction is deeply entrenched and has long controlled the court."

"Even if the current emperor has the same intention, he will probably have to proceed step by step. By the time that day comes, Wei Zhongxian will probably be a hundred years old."

At this point, everyone was heartbroken and filled with emotion: "I'm afraid that means we're already just bones in a mass grave."

They are principled and unwilling to compromise their principles, but they are equally destined for ruin once a conflict breaks out.

To be honest, if Sun Qing hadn't been so familiar with history, he would never have dared to imagine such a situation: that Emperor Chongzhen would be so insane as to force Wei Zhongxian to his death and recklessly annihilate the eunuch faction.

"Sigh!" Sun Qing sighed deeply, walked to the wooden table to the side, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up a pen to write on the paper.

Then, he handed the documents in his bosom to the two men, saying solemnly, "Mr. Meng, Mr. Su, my life depends entirely on you two."

After saying that, Sun Qing turned around and left silently through the side gate.