Chaos of Ming 1628

The executioner was so badly beaten that he saw stars, but the words he heard were like thunderclaps, causing him to stagger backward.

He paused briefly, then looked up at the other person, his eyes filled with fear and terror. He hurriedly waved his hands and whispered, "Quick, stop!"

The surname Sun in Gaoyang is Sun Chengzong, and he is also a governor. Who else could it be but Sun Chengzong?

A veteran of four dynasties, Sun Chengzong was a household name, not only among officials but also among ordinary people.

This man was so powerful that even Wei Zhongxian trembled at the mere mention of his name.

The Imperial Guards nearby were on high alert. One of them stepped forward and whispered in the other's ear, "Sir, I heard that the Grand Eunuch tried to win him over, but was rejected."

"Yes, he said, 'I, Sun Chengzong, will not associate with eunuchs for the sake of the country,'" another person chimed in, his voice growing softer.

"How could I not know?" The executioner lowered his voice again and again: "When the eunuch framed the Donglin Party and suppressed them the most, Sun Chengzong once led troops to purge the emperor's inner circle. The eunuch was so frightened that he ran to the late emperor overnight and cried all night, pleading repeatedly, fearing that he would really come."

"Even though the Grand Eunuch has dismissed him from his post and sent him back to Gaoyang, he only dares to dismiss him, not kill him. After Sun Chengzong returned to Gaoyang, the Grand Eunuch still sent people to keep an eye on him, but he still dared not touch a hair on his head. He even instructed the Sun clan not to provoke him."

The executioner lowered his hand from his face and took a step back. It wasn't because the slap hadn't hurt; it was because that surname was too heavy.

If the people before me are truly from the Sun family of Gaoyang, is this a blessing or a curse?

Li Qing's ears twitched. The other person's voice was faint and barely audible, yet he keenly caught the words "Eunuch." Such respect for Wei Zhongxian meant that even if the person wasn't one of Wei Zhongxian's henchmen, they couldn't escape their connection.

Naturally, more countermeasures emerged.

The executioner's face was ashen, and his tone was harsh: "Since you are from the Sun family of Gaoyang, why don't you produce your official documents?"

A written citation is like an ID card, specifying one's place of origin, name, age, height, appearance, destination, reason for travel, and bearing an official seal. Without such proof, one will be arrested.

However, Li Qing transmigrated here without any of the original owner's memories, so where would he get these things?

Faced with this question, he scoffed to hide his inner panic, his face full of disdain: "Fool!"

"Since the Commander-in-Chief secretly sent me to investigate his movements, which is already an act of secrecy, how could I possibly apply for a public travel permit? If I were to travel with official documents, my whereabouts would be exposed long ago, and how could anything proceed smoothly? If you thought about it even a little, you should understand that the Commander-in-Chief's plans would never leave any written evidence."

The executioner shook his head repeatedly, utterly ridiculous: "He has already resigned and returned to his hometown, yet you dare to deceive me! Your intentions are despicable!"

Li Qing raised his hand, grabbed the executioner's collar, and pulled him close.

Listen carefully.

"The late emperor has just passed away, and a new emperor has ascended the throne. The political situation is still unstable. Our ancestor once guarded Liaodong, and even the powerful ministers in the court had to be wary of him."

"Although the Commander-in-Chief has resigned and is living at home, he is respected by all the soldiers of Guan Ning and scholars throughout the land. I am but a junior who has been ordered to carry out this mission, and you are attacking me without any regard for right or wrong. Do you intend to make an enemy of the entire Sun family of Gaoyang?"

The executioner's face turned deathly pale as he swallowed hard.

The powerful eunuch held immense influence, but his foundation was already weak. He occupied the central government, but a new emperor was by his side. He seemed to have overwhelming power, but in reality, he was sitting on a pile of firewood.

These lackeys are nothing but outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and are on the verge of collapse.

If this person is indeed a spy sent out by Sun Chengzong, then even though he is retired at home, he is a pillar of stability for the court and the people, and will surely regain command of the army sooner or later.

Given the current situation, who can predict the future?

The executioner's expression was uncertain.

Li Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his voice sharp and stern. But no one noticed that his fingertips were cold and trembling slightly.

To lie convincingly, besides conveying the right emotions, attention to detail is crucial. Only by making the other party hesitant to take the risk can the impersonation succeed.

Li Qing was well-versed in the history of the Ming Dynasty. The eunuch faction was now in dire straits, and Wei Zhongxian dared not touch the Sun family of Gaoyang in the slightest. After all, he knew better than anyone else: if he touched Sun Chengzong, the Liaodong defense line would collapse, the Ming Dynasty would be in immediate danger, and without the Ming Dynasty, there would naturally be no Wei Zhongxian.

Therefore, Wei Zhongxian could only keep his distance from Lady Sun of Gaoyang.

The executioner stepped back, straightened his askew hat, and ordered his attendants, "Make way."

The Imperial Guard was stunned for a moment, then withdrew his blade, stepped aside, and lowered his head, not daring to look at Li Qing again.

Li Qing felt reassured, knowing that his identity was now settled.

"Young Master Sun," the executioner changed his tone, "I apologize for my earlier offense."

Seeing the executioner's disheveled appearance, Li Qing knew that he had made the right choice.

Sun Chengzong was a veteran of four reigns, serving as an imperial tutor and holding both military and civil positions. In his life, he truly embodied the ability to govern the country with both literary and military prowess. He could clearly see the perilous situation on the border and distinguish between the treacherous and the loyal, but unfortunately, he encountered a suspicious emperor and a chaotic court.

They had the will to mend the heavens, but lacked the power to turn the tide.

When the city fell and he died for his principles, he upheld the integrity of a scholar and ended his tragic life. Li Qing felt a deep sense of loss when he thought of this man; a virtuous minister had ultimately become a tragic figure in a chaotic world.

Now that his descendants have taken over, they only wish not to disgrace the Sun family name.

From then on, Li Qing disappeared, and only Sun Qing, a member of the Sun clan of Gaoyang in the Ming Dynasty, was added.

The executioner raised his hand and nodded slightly.

Two Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward and untied the ropes binding Sun Qing.

The executioner stood before him, straightened his clothes, and bowed again, saying, "I am Zhou Ji, the magistrate of Jiaohe County, Hejian Prefecture, and concurrently in charge of criminal cases in this county."

Sun Qing remained calm and collected, secretly making plans in his mind.

The magistrate of Jiaohe County was a seventh-rank official, slightly higher than a captain in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. However, this rank was utterly insignificant within the power structure of the secret police and imperial guards.

However, Jiaohe is located on the southern edge of the capital region, a vital point on the Grand Canal, and has always been a major thoroughfare for north-south travel. Hejian Prefecture is a large county, located along the Grand Canal, with many merchants and abundant taxes, making the position of county magistrate a very lucrative one.

The two Imperial Guards carrying embroidered spring knives accompanying him were Wei Zhongxian's eyes and ears in the provinces. The fact that Zhou Ji had these two men by his side showed that he held a place within Wei's faction.

Although Wei Zhongxian feared Sun Chengzong, he also harbored suspicion and hatred towards him. If he could find a suitable reason, killing a few of his sons would still be easy.

Today, Sun Qing is impersonating a member of the Sun family of Gaoyang, which will likely cause him considerable trouble. Not only will the local Sun family recognize him, but the eunuch faction will also be able to harm him.

At the same moment, Zhou Ji's gaze was also sizing up Sun Qing. Wei Zhongxian's henchmen were not easily fooled, so naturally, his identity was questioned repeatedly.

Seeing his tattered clothes, Zhou Ji stroked his beard and said with a half-smile, "Young Master Sun's clothes are indeed rather shabby."

"When did the Sun family of Gaoyang become so impoverished?"

That's a tricky question.

In the fifth year of the Tianqi reign (1625), Sun Chengzong was dismissed from his official post and returned to his hometown. He has been living in seclusion in Gaoyang for over two years. He is known for his integrity and never took a single penny when he was the military governor of Liaodong. After returning home, his family owns only a few old houses and a few acres of meager land.

Although Wei Zhongxian dared not take his life, he cut off all his sources of income. No one in the court dared to help him, and local officials hindered him at every turn.

The Sun family's financial difficulties were no secret, let alone Zhou Ji, who was a member of Wei's faction. This question, seemingly out of concern, was actually a test.

It seems he still couldn't truly believe him.

The Sun family of Gaoyang, a prominent and prestigious clan, considered themselves to be of high status and lived a life of luxury.

If he answers incorrectly, he will still lose his head.