Chaos of Ming 1628

Zhou Ji's forehead broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Madam Ke did not linger; she gave a cold laugh and walked into the post station.

The postmaster glanced back at the county government office, dared not linger, and hurriedly ran inside, following Madam Ke.

When Shen Junru was called upon, she glared at Sun Qing resentfully as she walked up to him.

Sun Qing quickly turned her face away, pretending not to see it.

Zhou Ji straightened up and wiped the sweat from his face. A large group of people were still following behind him. He flicked his sleeves and shouted, "Disperse!"

No one welcomed Mr. Ke, all because they had no choice. When the higher-ups gave the order, the crowd quickly pushed aside, not wanting to waste a moment.

The people of Jiahe County regard the eunuch faction as their enemies. If it weren't for the fact that they still need to ask the imperial court for their salaries, who would be willing to kneel here today, needlessly incurring the hatred of the people?

Zhou Ji walked up to Sun Qing, his face full of fawning smiles: "Young Master Sun is truly amazing. Only you could make Madam Ke suffer a loss in silence on our first meeting."

"However, now we need to check the accounts, that sum of money..."

Zhou Ji happened to stop talking and looked at him meaningfully.

Sun Qing nodded twice, his tone flat and indifferent: "Lord Zhou, it's late, you should rest!"

Having said that, he cupped his hands and walked into the post station.

Zhou Ji stayed at the door, with his advisor standing beside him.

"Why would Lady Fengsheng be staying at the post station? It's so strange. Young Master Sun is also staying here. It feels a bit deliberate." The clerk shook his head, looking completely puzzled.

Although his official position was bought, Zhou Ji had at least been a member of the eunuch faction for many years.

He glared at the advisor and said, "I'm afraid they came here from the very beginning because of the title of 'Chosen One'."

"It's best for us to observe from the sidelines and stay out of the spotlight to avoid getting burned."

With the sound of a horse-drawn carriage, Zhou Ji left.

The post station was brightly lit, and shouts and urging voices could be heard everywhere.

Sun Qing stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, watching Li Qingshan carry firewood back and forth to the back of the post station.

Li Qingshan was a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He easily carried two bundles of firewood, each weighing over a hundred pounds, on a carrying pole.

"What are you doing?" Sun Qing asked.

To be honest, a courier was a lowly servant, without rank or grade, and anyone could trample on him. When someone asked him a question at the post station, the courier didn't dare to look him in the eye.

Li Qingshan lowered his head, forcing a smile onto his honest face: "The distinguished guest who has come today needs to take a bath."

"The people are trapped in ditches and ravines, yet they still seek to bathe in golden basins." Sun Qing blurted out these words in anger, then deliberately added, "Even when they are at their wits' end, they still insist on being particular."

Li Qingshan didn't quite understand, but he knew it must have been an insult.

Among the common people, who didn't harbor resentment towards the eunuch faction and Madam Ke?

Someone dared to speak up and criticize, and I instinctively wanted to agree. Li Qingshan lowered his head, but didn't dare to say a word.

After a long pause, he raised his head and chuckled again, "Young master is too kind. Noble people should naturally be more refined."

Sun Qing's eyes lit up. It was rare to find a mere courier with such self-control and quick reflexes.

Looking at the person in front of her again, Sun Qing felt a hint of admiration. Recalling their first meeting, she asked with genuine concern, "Is your mother feeling any better?"

Li Qingshan was stunned for a moment before daring to look up and examine the person who had asked the question. After carefully seeing the face, he immediately bent his knees and knelt down.

"So it was Young Master Sun who asked the question. I was blind to your true nature."

He looked up, smiling sheepishly, his expression tinged with awkward gratitude: "Young master, please feel free to ask for my instructions."

Recalling Sun Qing's earlier words, which sounded like insults, Li Qingshan gritted his teeth: "Young Master, are you dissatisfied with that noble person inside?!"

A fierce look flickered in Li Qingshan's eyes.

"An old woman wouldn't get emotional," Sun Qing said gently as he helped Li Qingshan to his feet. "She just saw you and asked casually."

Li Qingshan's expression clearly showed disbelief; the person who came was no ordinary old woman.

"The people in the capital will be decided by His Majesty. We insignificant people are fortunate enough to be able to manage our own affairs," Sun Qing said with a smile.

Li Qingshan was quick-witted. His eyes darted around, and he straightened up: "Young master, are you worried about the people of Botou who have suffered from the disaster?"

Sun Qing nodded and handed the silver that Madam Ke had just given him to Li Qingshan: "I'm afraid I'll have to take up some of your time. It's not much, so please take care of the person who needs help the most first."

"Once Madam Ke arrives, I'm afraid I'll be overwhelmed with other matters. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you with such an important task as saving lives."

Li Qingshan was completely dumbfounded.

He looked down at the fifty taels of silver, then looked up at Sun Qing.

"Young master," his voice was lower than before, but more steady, "you've only met me twice, do you trust me?"

"A person who can crawl in the mud for so long without collapsing is someone you can entrust with your life to," Sun Qing said casually.

That's too conventional a statement; we've only met a few times, so there's not much we can judge. It's not that Sun Qing absolutely needs him, but rather that she currently has no other options.

At least from what I can tell, this person is shrewd despite his rough exterior, kind and filial, and should be someone I can entrust with important tasks.

Li Qingshan was struck dumb, his eyes welled up with tears, and he solemnly accepted the silver.

"Young master," he said, his voice no longer as honest as before, but more profound, "you can rest assured that every penny of this silver will be used for those who need it most."

Sun Qing nodded and smiled: "Go ahead! Someone else will do the work of moving firewood."

Li Qingshan didn't say much, didn't pat his chest, didn't make any vows; he simply turned around and walked towards the door.

The highest-class room.

Madam Ke lay reclining on the couch, one hand supporting her chin, her gaze slowly surveying the boy.

Shen Junru's hair was neatly tied up, and she wore no makeup, yet she possessed a clean and efficient air about her. The more Madam Ke looked at her, the more she liked her, her face crinkling with smiles.

"You," she raised her finger and beckoned, her voice laced with a lazy interest, "come here."

Shen Junru felt a tingling sensation on her back and didn't move at all.

The eunuch snorted in dissatisfaction, "Boy, it's your good fortune that our lady has taken a liking to you. Don't push your luck."

"Don't forget, it was you who took the initiative to approach Madam. Not even your brother is qualified to serve Madam, let alone you."

Mentioning this, the eunuch seemed to rediscover his former glory, raising his chin: "You want to avenge your brother? We're here. Now, it's time for you to show your worth."

Shen Junru's face turned pale, but remembering Li Qing's repeated instructions, she forced herself to suppress the churning in her stomach.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute, lowered his voice, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Yes, my brother only came to capture Sun Qing, but he was beaten to death by them. Please, Madam, do justice."

Mr. Ke nodded.

The eunuch smiled meaningfully, left the room, and locked the door from the outside.

"Still shy?" She propped herself up on the edge of the couch, slowly sat up, and stretched out a hand towards Shen Junru's cheek. "What are you afraid of? I'm too busy taking care of you."

"To be honest, I really like you. Even though I'm out of the palace, I can finally taste the flavor of a real man."

That hand was about to touch Shen Junru's chin.

Shen Junru wanted to be patient, but there were some things she simply couldn't tolerate.

The moment he touched it, his body moved almost instinctively, and he swung the crutch out.

A muffled thud.

The smile on Madam Ke's face was still there, her fingertips were still in mid-air, but her eyes had already rolled back, and she leaned back and softly fell onto the couch, motionless.

"Huh?" Shen Junru was speechless. She nudged the old woman with her toe, then shook her arm, looking like she was about to cry: "She fainted already?"