Chaos of Ming 1628

Meng Zhaoxiang and Sun Qing were still drinking.

"Oh dear, tell me, what are we to do from now on!" Su Jiuda said anxiously, "It's one thing for us to die, but what about the people?"

"Little brother," Meng Zhaoxiang patted Su Jiu's shoulder with a mature and steady hand, "Take it easy and drink."

"When disaster strikes, it's hard to swallow." Su looked extremely worried.

Meng Zhaoxiang then said, "As early as yesterday, when you led people to dig the soil upstream, I handed the document to Zhou Ji on behalf of the young master."

"At this moment, they have probably already arrived in the capital."

Su Jiuda was not pleased, and gave a bitter smile: "Mr. Meng, don't you know about this? The Eastern Depot is very powerful. Even if it is presented on a weekday, it may not reach the Emperor."

"If I say I can get there, I definitely can."

Sun Qing spoke, his eyes sharp as an eagle's: "This memorial will surely be presented without any obstacles, and will be on His Majesty's table tonight."

"As for Wei Zhongxian, the problem is he might not know the contents of the document. Once he does, there's no need for us to panic. It's Wei Zhongxian who should be afraid!"

The two men looked at each other in bewilderment, but the young man before them gave them a glimmer of hope, as if what they longed for would come to pass.

Just as he was about to get to the bottom of it, Sun Qing stopped dwelling on the topic.

It was just that everyone was drinking to celebrate their achievements.

Beijing.

The memorial was sent by fast horse to the capital.

In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, all the officials of the Office of Transmission were henchmen of the eunuch faction. The Sun family members and former subordinates of Sun Chengzong did not even have the possibility of being appointed.

However, this memorial bypassed the Ministry of Justice and went directly to the Ministry of War. Normally, local memorials wouldn't go to the Ministry of War, but this one did, and even reached Liu Ce directly.

Sun Qing guessed correctly; as long as the handwriting was Song Xian's, it would always accurately reach the intended destination.

Liu Ce once served as Sun Chengzong's clerk in Liaodong for several years. After Sun Chengzong returned to his hometown, Liu Ce stayed in the capital to work in the Ministry of War, where he is now a Supervising Secretary.

The Six Ministries have the authority to submit memorials directly to the emperor through the Imperial Gate.

Beizhili was originally dominated by eunuchs, and upon seeing the origin of the person from there, Liu Ce initially intended to refuse. However, the handwriting of the person presented sent a shiver down his spine.

He never forgot the kindness and righteousness of his former commander, and even though they were old acquaintances of Guan Ning, he would still try to help them.

Moreover, the contents of this document directly threatened Wei Zhongxian's life. Therefore, if the commander were to return to service, they would surely follow him to the death.

Jiahe County.

The three of them drank heartily, and without the eavesdroppers, they spoke freely.

In particular, when they heard Sun Qing analyze the current situation and look forward to the future, and talk about the past and present, his knowledge was far beyond what the two of them could match.

Contrary to expectations, he was completely awestruck.

"Truly worthy of being a member of the Sun family, his learning, upbringing, and foresight are the best we have ever seen." Meng Zhaoxiang had served as an official in the capital for many years, but after returning to his hometown, he was frustrated and unsuccessful. Although he held no official position, he still possessed a proud spirit.

Today, I am completely impressed by Sun Qing.

However, Sun Qing felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. He had initially used the Sun family name to save his life, but he knew that he would likely be branded with that name for the rest of his life.

Still unwilling to give up, he asked, "Do you two truly respect the name of the Sun family?"

"No!" Meng Zhaoxiang shook his head repeatedly: "Even if he is not from the Sun family, he is still my mentor."

Fueled by alcohol, Meng Zhaoxiang knelt down and bowed, saying, "My esteemed teacher, I deserve your respect."

Su, naturally not daring to lag behind, immediately knelt down and kowtowed, crying out, "My revered teacher!"

The two men were not perfunctory. Sun Qing sobered up considerably after seeing them. You should know that kneeling on both knees, bowing four times, and calling them "respected teacher" is already the most respectful etiquette, equivalent to seeing one's father.

Sun Qing was only sixteen, while the two of them together were nearly a hundred years old. How could this be acceptable?

Sun Qing was terrified and quickly tried to help the two up. However, they didn't budge, crying out, "Master, we will follow you from now on!"

"If we utter even the slightest complaint, may we both fall into the deepest hell."

Wine is a wonderful thing, and during their lively conversation, Sun Qing gained two more students.

Fortunately, both men were humble and polite, came from wealthy families, had extensive charitable connections, and were highly learned. Most importantly, they enjoyed extremely high prestige in Jiahe County, and their travels among the common people were far more convenient than those of government officials.

At that moment, however, came the increasingly loud pleas from outside.

"Who is crying and begging?" Su frowned, his voice full of drunkenness.

Sun Qing also blushed, though she was slightly better off than the other two. At least she wasn't staggering and her mind was still clear.

Pushing open the door, I saw a courier kneeling on the ground in the courtyard, pleading with the postmaster.

The postmaster looked distressed and helpless in the face of his plea. He shook his head repeatedly, each word uttered with difficulty: "Alas, I am also powerless to help you."

"Who told us we were destined to be poor and miserable? This is our lowly fate, so we must accept it!"

Sun Qing was startled when he saw this man. This courier had high cheekbones, a deep-set jaw, hawk-like eyes, a snout, a voice like a jackal, and broad shoulders and a sturdy build. He was truly unforgettable.

Such a majestic person should be practicing martial arts and galloping across the battlefield, but now he is kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and begging repeatedly.

Sun Qing didn't believe in love at first sight, but the phrase "feeling like old friends at first sight" was perfectly exemplified at this moment.

Sun Qing stepped forward and asked, "What is it?"

The postmaster looked at him with sympathy: "Alas, his name is Li Qingshan, and he's a cook. Now that Botou has been flooded, his seriously ill mother has been submerged and is now on the verge of death."

"Is he trying to borrow money to save his life?"

It wasn't that the postmaster was heartless, but rather that he was powerless to help: "Young master, this man's mother is bedridden, and he is already heavily in debt. Even ten years' worth of silver wouldn't be enough to save him now."

"We are only paid a few cents a day, and there is really nothing I can do to help you."

Li Qingshan knelt on the ground, his shoulders trembling. The once burly man was now only able to plead helplessly: "My mother can't wait any longer. She only asks for a few ounces to prolong her life. Even if it means taking my life, I will give it to her."

Botou is flooded...

Sun Qing's throat went dry. How could he ignore the fact that the low-lying houses on the shallow beach of Botou were inhabited by the poorest of the poor? Even if everyone came out to watch the excitement, there were still some who couldn't support themselves and couldn't escape.

Although the water level wasn't high enough to be fatal, it was still inevitable to get soaked and swallow some murky water.

"Three taels?" Sun Qing murmured, his only possession a jade pendant, which he had saved as travel expenses for his escape to the ends of the earth.

At that moment, Sun Qing put his hands in his pockets, and just as his hands touched the jade pendant, Su Jiuda reached out his hand first.

He handed three taels of silver to Li Qingshan, speaking gently: "Hurry up and thank Young Master Sun."

Li Qingshan instinctively took the silver, then pinched himself in disbelief. His eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly bowed his head, banging his head on the ground three times before turning and running away.

"That brat, he's such a quiet rascal, he can't even utter a single word," the postmaster cursed.

After finishing his tirade, he bowed to Sun Qing and thanked him, saying, "Young Master Sun, I thank you on his behalf."

"No need!"

Sun Qing spoke coldly as he bid farewell to Meng Zhaoxiang and Su Jiuda.

into the night.

Su Qin stood in the courtyard, gazing at the twinkling stars in the sky, lost in thought.

Old Yu squatted on a stool, shelling peanuts and drinking wine.

"Old Yu," Sun Qing finally spoke after a long silence, his voice hoarse, "Do you think Li Qingshan's mother will recover?"

"It's hard to say," Old Yu replied casually. "These days, countless people die every day, let alone those who are already sick."

"If I hadn't flooded Botou, she wouldn't be in this situation." Sun Qing's feelings were complicated. "Now that Li Qingshan has appeared, who knows if there are more Wang Mazis and Zhang Mangzis?"

Old Yu paused in his peanut-peeling motion and slowly looked up.

He then gave a bitter laugh: "One person's success is built on the bones of countless others. Young master, is it that you can't bear to do that?"

He understands the principles. However, as a modern person, he cannot regard appointments as worthless.

After a moment of silence, Sun Qing spoke: "Others may do this, but I am unwilling to. I will do my best to ensure everything is done within my power."

"What can you do about it?" Old Yu chuckled.

Sun Qing glanced at the high-hanging stars and moon, and slowly said, "Go to sleep."

"After you wake up, head to the county office. It's time to go see our Lord Zhou."