Chaos of Ming 1628

The crowd was extremely quiet.

Even though they had just experienced a small-scale flood, no one ran away; instead, they all focused their attention on the river.

Three anomalies occurred in the connection in one day, which was unprecedented.

Everyone remained silent, their expressions varied. Only fear and unease could be found on anyone's face.

"Look, those birds don't seem to be flying around randomly at all; they look like words."

"Yes, I noticed that too."

Old Yu climbed straight up the tree, stood on it, put his hand to his eyebrow, and shouted, "It's a character!"

"This means that without eliminating the eunuch faction, the Ming Dynasty will remain ignorant!"

The birds lingered, and perhaps the writing wasn't very clear. But someone could read it and instinctively make connections to those words.

If it's not expressing this meaning, then what is it?

Everyone was shouting, "Without eliminating the eunuch faction, the Ming Dynasty will remain ignorant!"

The Imperial Guard officer was dead, and his body had been washed away and its whereabouts were unknown. The remaining Imperial Guards were both shocked and furious, but the floodwaters prevented them from killing Sun Qing.

At that moment, a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky, awe-inspiring everyone. The people knelt down and kowtowed, their cries echoing through the air.

Sun Qing, rescued by the fish, rowed the raft to shore himself.

After this incident, in Jiahe County, Sun Qing was no longer just a member of the Gaoyang Sun clan.

He was a divine messenger sent by the Heavenly Emperor and with the Dragon King's approval to save the people of Jiaohe County from fire and water.

Before the raft even reached the shore, the people waded forward and crowded around to help Sun Qing to higher ground.

Looking down from his vantage point, Sun Qing saw the river overflowing the dock, though the boats were undamaged. Half of the low-lying houses along the bank were submerged.

As for the death of the Imperial Guard officer, it was also an accident. Fortunately, the Longevity Stele collapsed, and everything was settled.

As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone held their breath, waiting for Sun Qing to give his instructions.

Sun Qing stood tall, looking down at the people of Jiahe County, and shouted loudly: "Evil spirits obscure the sun, the clear sky overflows; Heaven and Earth cherish loyalty, fish rafts save people; Heaven warns, flocks of birds form characters."

"The way of Heaven cannot be defied!"

With each angry roar, the Imperial Guards were completely panicked.

Just as they were about to find Zhou Ji to arrest him, they discovered that Zhou Ji had vanished without a trace since the floodwaters reached Botou.

"What are you all standing there for? Who cares about the Sun family? If we don't kill this man soon, we're all going to die!"

The Imperial Guards swarmed in, determined to take Sun Qing's life.

When all was lost, Sun Qing dared to confront Zhou Ji. Now that the people support him, why is he running away?

Old Yu shouted, "Except for the eunuch faction!"

This time, the momentum was even stronger than the last. In the seven or eight days since the imperial guards arrived, every household had been ransacked by the eunuch faction. Moreover, this was Heaven's will to do it.

In an instant, the crowd was filled with righteous indignation. They grabbed whatever was at hand and charged fearlessly toward the eunuch faction.

The scene was extremely chaotic; as soon as someone fell, someone else immediately stood up.

Moreover, the civilians at the forefront were truly exceptionally skilled, fierce, and brave. Those fearsome Imperial Guards were like chicks in their presence.

They were repeatedly defeated and forced to retreat, completely unable to put up a fight.

Sun Qing's smile faded slightly when he saw this scene. He turned around, glanced at the crazy old man who had climbed to the treetop, hugged the trunk, and kept cheering, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ordinary imperial guards dispatched to other regions are nothing more than dogs kept by the capital; they may have a great reputation, but their actual combat capabilities are greatly diminished. They are utterly helpless in the face of large-scale popular uprisings.

At this moment, the person at the front of the crowd was incredibly brave and fearsome. In the standoff, he couldn't even kill the person charging in front.

Sun Qing smiled enigmatically. The crowd of people were muscular and determined. This scene resembled the Imperial Guards facing off against the border troops.

Those border troops who had fought against the Eight Banners for many years and had been through countless battles on the frontier were no match for these imperial guards and local militia.

Looking at Old Elm again, seeing the overwhelming trend below, he cheered even more, clapping his hands vigorously while his legs gripped the tree trunk.

When the chaos subsided, there were no more barbarians in Jiahe County.

The people of Jiahe County's elimination of the eunuch faction was Heaven's will. Not to mention the Imperial Guards who paraded through the streets, even the spies who usually lurked in the walls to eavesdrop would be severely beaten once they were caught.

Yesterday, the people of Jiahe County were terrified of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; today, they are all ravenous at the mere mention of eunuchs. On the other hand, Wei Zhongxian's lackeys have to keep their tails between their legs when they come to Jiahe County.

Post station.

Sun Qing returned to this place once again.

The people at the post station were already waiting there. When they saw Sun Qing return, they hurriedly bowed and led him in. Hot water and tea had already been prepared.

Soaking in a tub of hot water, Sun Qing sighed with emotion. In movies and TV dramas, scenes of people taking baths are often depicted, but they are mostly romanticized.

In reality, ordinary people in ancient times cherished firewood immensely, and they would only use cold water to wipe themselves down throughout the year. Bathing in wooden tubs, as depicted in movies and TV dramas, was an unattainable luxury.

Only officials and wealthy households had heated pavilions where they could bathe in fragrant hot springs. The firewood consumed in just one bath was equivalent to several days' livelihood for a commoner. The act of bathing was a way to distinguish between the rich and the poor, and between the noble and the lowly.

The "Shuyuan Zaji" further records: Northerners do not like to bathe, not only because they are stingy with water, but also because firewood and rattan are expensive. A pot of boiling water is equivalent to several days' worth of cooking expenses.

The book "Wuzazu" also records that: gentry families often set up special bathhouses and tubs, burning sandalwood and agarwood in the hot water. The amount of firewood and incense used for one bath was enough to satisfy the needs of a poor family for ten days. Ordinary people could only take a bath in the river in the summer months, and dared not even look at the boiling water in the winter.

Sun Qing enjoyed the treatment of a high-ranking official and a wealthy person.

Flower petals floated in the water, and the rising steam dispelled the chill from the body. After bathing and drinking a bowl of ginger soup, one felt much better.

As he got up to get dressed, he turned around and saw Shen Junru standing at the door.

"What are you doing?" Sun Qing hurriedly covered himself with a towel, never daring to imagine that in conservative ancient times, a woman would enter a man's bathing room.

Shen Junru glanced at him indifferently, her brows furrowing as she asked, puzzled, "Strange, you look like a bookworm, yet you've hidden such a weapon here?"

Having lived two lives, Sun Qing blushed deeply at the girl's seemingly heartless words.

"Turn your back right now," Sun Qing said, his tone becoming more forceful.

Shen Junru, unusually, did not object and turned around as instructed. Only after Sun Qing had quickly dressed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Full of helplessness: "Is there something you need?"

Shen Junru turned around, her eyes clear and calm, her face fair with a rosy glow, and her ears a natural color. She showed no embarrassment or shyness in what she had just said, suggesting that this woman had a very limited understanding of men and women.

Could it be that she wasn't raised in the Gaoyang Sun family?

In ancient times, young ladies valued their reputation above all else, rarely venturing beyond their homes. Shen Junru showed great respect for Madam Sun, yet she was not Madam Sun, nor was she raised in the household, and she even possessed martial arts skills. Who was she?

After searching his mind, Sun Qing still couldn't recall any relevant individuals. He gave up.

Shen Junru bowed deeply and said in a loud voice, "I misunderstood you when I scolded you before."

"I came here specifically to apologize to you, please forgive me."

Sun Qing was taken aback.

Shen Junru is simple and straightforward, and to prevent others from noticing anything unusual about her expression, he deliberately kept it a secret from her alone.

At this moment, she stepped forward to admit her mistake, showing her open and honest nature. This action made Sun Qing feel slightly embarrassed and guilty.

"Miss Shen, there's no need for this," Sun Qingxu said, offering a helping hand. "You are also a loyal and patriotic person. You were just acting rashly. How can I blame you?"

"Oh dear, you've said too much." Shen Junru waved her hand, her eyes exceptionally firm, but her tone nonchalant: "I'm not as noble as you make me out to be. I don't want to serve my country with utmost loyalty; I only want to protect Grandpa. Anyone who tries to harm Grandpa is my enemy."

"Grandpa?" Sun Qing asked, seizing the opportunity.

Shen Junru glanced at him: "What? You don't even recognize your great-grandfather? Brother, I'm your sister!"

What?

Sun Qing's face turned pale instantly.