Chaos of Ming 1628

Sun Qing straightened his sleeves slightly, revealing patches that couldn't be hidden, suggesting that the original owner of the body was probably a poor person.

But he couldn't show weakness, so he immediately clasped his hands together and slowly pushed them down from his forehead to his chest. He placed his left hand on top of his right, palm to back, his movements unhurried and composed.

This etiquette, called Suyi, originated in the pre-Qin period and has been used by later generations.

The Ming Dynasty placed great emphasis on etiquette, and aristocratic and scholarly families invariably taught their children to bow respectfully. Ordinary people, however, lacked systematic training and at most would simply bow or make a fist salute, their movements careless and casual.

The demeanor of a scion of a prominent family is not revealed in their clothes, but in their every move.

A single bow was enough to throw Zhou Ji into disarray. He was merely a henchman of Wei Zhongxian, abusing his power and influence through the Wei faction. Such refined manners, instilled from a young age, were something he might not be able to replicate so perfectly, even if he were to try.

Sun Qing looked up and stared directly at the table.

"Emperor Taizu lived a secluded life at home, supporting himself through farming and reading." Sun Qing's voice was not loud, but it was heavy: "He was poor, but it was none of the business of outsiders."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, and even his gaze towards the other party was calm and composed, even carrying a hint of contempt and sarcasm.

Zhou Ji's smile remained unchanged, but a sense of apprehension crept in. Even in their fallen state, the oppressive aura emanating from a powerful family was far beyond what he could easily handle. He slowly nodded, the scrutiny in his eyes lessening slightly.

He cupped his hands in apology, his voice lowering, "Please forgive me, young master, I misspoke."

Staying any longer might cause trouble. Sun Qing stopped looking at him and turned to leave.

Zhou Ji was unwilling to let them go so easily. Since they were spies from the Sun family of Gaoyang, he had his own plans.

"Young master, please wait," Zhou Ji's voice came from behind. "It's getting late. If you don't mind, please stay at my residence for a few days. You can also get some new clothes and rest."

Although their words were meant to persuade him to stay, their demeanor was one of superiority. Zhou Ji hadn't moved an inch, but two Imperial Guards had already silently blocked his path.

It seems we absolutely have to go to this post station.

Sun Qing did not put up a futile resistance and allowed the other party to take her to the post station.

Post station.

I waited at the door on a certain day of the week.

The footsteps approached from afar. The newcomer was dressed in dark blue and black, with an embroidered spring knife hanging at his waist, and his steps were steady.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ji immediately stepped forward, beaming and bowing respectfully: "Commander-in-Chief."

The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a seventh-rank official. The rank of Zhou Ji was also seventh-rank, determined solely by the imperial court. The county magistrate was half a rank higher. The county magistrate was the local official in charge of civil affairs, taxation, criminal justice, and public security. Nominally, he governed everyone within his jurisdiction, and the Commander had to show the respect due to a subordinate official when meeting the county magistrate.

While it was generally accepted that civil officials respected military officials in the Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) was directly under the emperor, and the secret police and imperial guards were exceptions, so local officials often dared not offend them. Moreover, Wei Zhongxian still held power at this time, and the situation was completely reversed.

The commander-in-chief held the power of arrest, secret reporting, and execution supervision, and could fabricate charges to impeach local officials at any time. Although the county magistrate had a higher rank, he feared the secret police like a tiger and could only back down and cooperate when things went wrong.

It was just a small county government office, yet it not only had Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) but also a Jinyiwei commander, meaning that there were at least fifty Jinyiwei in Jiaohe County.

Judging from this, this place has probably long since fallen into Wei Zhongxian's territory.

The descendants of the Sun family in Gaoyang, if they are not killed, their lives will probably not be easy.

Sun Qing seemed not to notice, and continued to stride forward into the post station.

After everyone left, Zhou Ji quickly stepped forward and approached the captain. Lowering his voice, his eyes gleamed with smugness, he said, "Captain, you've come at the perfect time."

"I never expected that I would mistakenly arrest a member of the Sun family from Gaoyang. He tried to leave, but I detained him."

The flag bearer raised an eyebrow.

Zhou Ji then recounted the events from beginning to end, and by the end, he could hardly contain his smile. What an exquisite game of chess!

"After careful consideration, this plan is excellent," Zhou Ji said in a low voice, beaming with pride. "Sun Chengzong's spies sent beyond the Great Wall have fallen into our hands. Even if we can't kill them, it won't be difficult to extract military intelligence from them."

"The Emperor's attitude is unclear. If we can produce intelligence from beyond the Great Wall, it will be a great achievement. It will surely make the Emperor think more highly of the Eunuch."

"If the eunuch knew about this, he would surely praise us."

The smile was still in his eyes when the flag bearer's hand was already on his face.

A crisp slap rang out, and Zhou Ji felt a metallic taste in his mouth, about to cry out in pain. Then everything went black again as he received another solid slap on the other side of his face.

The pain intensified, and he saw a series of palm strikes before his eyes. By the time he came to his senses, he had lost count of how many blows he had received. He felt dizzy, his ears were ringing, and his face was swollen.

The captain's voice boomed like thunder: "Idiot!"

"You know perfectly well what kind of situation Sun Chengzong is in."

"For two whole years, he remained secluded at home, never even setting foot in the county town. The eunuch was watching his every move, and if the Sun family dared to extend their reach to the imperial court, the eunuch could find a charge to execute their entire family. Is Sun Chengzong truly tired of living?"

Zhou Ji finally came to his senses, and large beads of sweat rolled down his face, stinging it.

The captain shook his head and sighed, "That person dared to announce his name in public and even dared to swagger around the post station? Could he be a member of the Sun family of Gaoyang?"

"If that were true, someone would rather die than reveal a single word. This person, on the other hand, seems eager for others to know. Do you think that makes sense?"

Zhou Ji's eyes darted around in panic. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, this peasant dares to play tricks on me. I might as well grant his wish and send him straight to the eunuch."

"Her crime was established, and the eunuch was ordered to kill that old man Sun."

General Yang was about to strike again, but Zhou Ji, already frightened by the blows, quickly dodged.

It wasn't that he dodged in time, but rather that the flag bearer, still suspended in mid-air, growled with exasperation, "Do you think you put Sun Chengzong's head on there?"

"The current emperor is not like the late emperor; he handles everything personally. If he is indeed a member of the Sun family, then this is a great achievement. If not…"

The captain did not say what followed.

Zhou Ji was trembling like a leaf, stammering: "If that person is indeed from the Sun family, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty: Sun Chengzong, a dismissed minister, interfered in the affairs of the court, secretly sent spies to gather military intelligence, and communicated with border generals to disrupt the order of the court. He is guilty of three crimes and should be beheaded, his family property confiscated, and his family members enslaved."

"But what if it isn't..."

His voice grew softer and softer, trembling uncontrollably: "According to the 'False Accusation' section of the Great Ming Code: If a person makes a false accusation and the death penalty has not yet been decided, he shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane, exiled for three thousand li, and sentenced to three years of forced labor; he shall also be ordered to pay for the travel expenses and redeem his land and house. Since the circumstances are despicable, he shall also be put in cangue for three months as a warning to those who falsely accuse high-ranking officials."

But these are not the key points.

He was merely a local county magistrate, even if he was a captain in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, yet he dared to fabricate charges against Sun Chengzong in his own territory. Wasn't this enraging the scholars, officials, and soldiers outside the Great Wall?

This truly gave the new emperor the perfect reason to eliminate the eunuch faction, completely exposing the flaws of the Eastern Depot's arrogance and the loss of control over its cronies.

By doing this, wasn't he essentially sending the eunuch to his execution?

He pretended to be deaf and dumb, letting Sun Qing do as he pleased. If it were truly a false accusation, Zhou Ji would find it hard to swallow this insult and would likely become a laughingstock.

He swayed, then collapsed to the ground in anger, bursting into tears.

Annoyed by his nagging, the squad leader waved his hand impatiently and added, "Alright, isn't it easy to tell the truth from falsehood?"

"Sun Chengzong's eldest son, Sun Quan, was appointed magistrate of Gaoyuan County, Shandong. He said he had important matters to discuss and asked Sun Chengzong to come over."

"The eldest son of the Sun family will be able to distinguish the truth from the falsehood once he meets him."