Chaos of Ming 1628

The two exchanged a glance and nodded emphatically.

"Ms. Ke left the post station and stayed in the county government. Later, Zhou Ji committed suicide."

"The eunuch faction is never one to suffer in silence. Even Zhou Ji, who was treated like a pig or a dog, was purged. But you, young master, have repeatedly contradicted Madam Ke, making her lose face."

"It seems that Zhou Ji has already revealed the young master's plan to punish the heavens."

Hearing their excited words, Sun Qing laughed instead of being afraid: "Wei Zhongxian isn't stupid. It's not that he couldn't think of it; he didn't need Zhou Ji to tell him."

"You don't need to worry about these things at all. What you need to do now is to rebuild the shoal according to the original plan."

Su hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help but remind him, "Young Master Sun, we are all commoners now. You could still move when you were holding Zhou Ji down. Now that Zhou Ji is dead, what we are doing is against the law."

"Do you trust me?" Ma Yu smiled gently.

The two answered in unison, "May they be struck by lightning if they have any doubts."

"No need," Sun Qing said gently, his tone firm. "Just do as instructed."

"And I should go to the government office."

yamen.

As a seventh-rank official, Zhou Ji was not allowed to use feathered banners. Only the company commander had a plain white silk lantern.

Shrubs were placed in the main hall, and a plain cloth curtain was laid out in the mourning hall, along with his official robes and other items from his time as a seventh-rank official.

A family knelt in the mourning hall, weeping and wailing. Although the man had committed suicide and had committed crimes, he had not been stripped of his official position. It seemed that the eunuch faction had suppressed the matter and had not reported it to the higher authorities. As a result, the mourning hall was still arranged according to the funeral rites for a seventh-rank civil official.

Sun Qing entered, and the emcee shouted, "The family must cry again!"

After performing the proper rites, Sun Qing was led by his servants to a side hall.

There were already quite a few people in the side hall, all of them minor officials and clerks. They all looked solemn, and when they whispered to each other, their brows were furrowed and they were full of worry.

Everyone knew what Zhou Ji had done in Jiahe County, but no one dared to report it, except for Li Weilin, the head of the regiment, who was also there. It was still a case of the higher-ups eating meat and the lower-ups drinking soup; no one dared to claim they were completely clean.

Looking back from the side hall, Madam Ke and the sedan chair bearer, Old Tian, ​​were chatting and laughing. This contrasted sharply with the sorrowful atmosphere here.

Sun Qing lifted his foot and walked towards that direction. At the small door, however, he was stopped by two sedan chair bearers. Their eyes were sharp, and they hissed, "No one is allowed to enter."

The people inside heard the commotion and glanced in this direction.

Upon seeing that it was Sun Qing, Madam Ke's eyes sharpened. She said to the person beside her, "This boy is one of the Emperor's men; he cannot be allowed to live."

"Is Madam's statement true?" Old Tian lowered his voice, glancing at Sun Qing out of the corner of his eye, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

Mr. Ke nodded solemnly.

Old Tian frowned: "I came to Jiahe County and have now found out that both Li Weilin's death and the so-called divine punishment are inextricably linked to this person."

"Madam, at this moment, if we were to say he is one of the Emperor's men?"

Madam Ke's tone was firm: "I've been in the palace for many years, how could I not see it? How much trouble can a mere Sun woman cause?"

"It's one thing to fool those petty officials, but look how arrogant he is in front of me!"

"She even knows everything that happens in the palace." When she mentioned this, fine beads of sweat appeared on Madam Ke's face.

Old Tian pondered for a moment, his fist clenched slightly, and his voice was low and menacing: "It seems that Zhu Youjian is indeed as my godfather said, far from simple."

"Although Sun Chengzong was not a core figure in the Donglin Party, he was still involved. Zhu Youjian reinstated the Donglin Party as soon as he ascended the throne."

Madam Ke snorted: "I knew long ago that Zhu Youjian was no pushover, and neither were you, you're all useless. If we had stopped him from entering the palace back then, none of this would have happened today."

Old Tian didn't dare to say a word.

Madam Ke's anger had not subsided: "Since he came to Jiaohe, everything he has done has been aimed at the Great Wei. I wonder if it was at Zhu Youjian's behest."

"He's been here for a long time; he probably already knows us inside and out." Old Tian didn't dare to say a word.

Outside the flower gate, Sun Qing, though stopped, did not leave and even smiled at them.

However, this scene was particularly jarring to Ke's eyes. He muttered angrily, "It's so annoying to look at, Geng'er. If only he could disappear."

"Didn't you say he was one of the current emperor's men?" Old Tian asked hurriedly.

Mrs. Ke said impatiently, "Is there less of a man for the emperor now? Can't you do anything about it?"

Old Tian stopped speaking, but his eyes grew even more ruthless. Killing was something he was extremely good at.

"Alright, I don't want to see him. You can handle it yourself!" Madam Ke said, turning to leave. Then she suddenly turned back and said, "Tell the Great Wei that no matter how dangerous the capital is, I don't want to stay here and wait to die. Send me back to the capital as soon as possible."

As soon as Madam Ke left, Sun Qing chuckled, straightened his cuffs, and casually remarked, "Go, inform Governor Tian that a commoner requests an audience!"

The two men were extremely shocked, as they were still considered sedan chair carriers at this moment. Being identified so clearly, they dared not delay any longer and hurriedly reported the matter.

It was still in the courtyard, and there was still a table with a pot of tea on it.

The difference is that at this moment, in the county government office, surrounded by guards, the person sitting is Old Tian.

Old Tian was still dressed as a sedan chair carrier, and when the man arrived, he didn't move an inch. He smiled and said, "Young master has arrived."

"Here, have some tea." Old Tian picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea.

Sun Qing did not sit down, but stood to the side with a serious expression: "I am just a commoner. If I could sit on equal footing with Governor Tian..."

"You seem like a completely different person after just one day apart," Old Tian joked. "I'm still Old Tian."

"No," Sun Qing's tone turned serious, his face also showing a grave expression: "Governor Tian, ​​was Zhou Ji's death your doing!"

Tian Ergeng paused in his hand, then burst into laughter. He looked at Sun Qing with sharp eyes: "Everyone says Young Master Sun is intelligent, how could he ask such a foolish question?"

"Could it be that you are questioning me?!" Tian Ergeng suddenly looked up, shedding all pretense. At this moment, there was no trace of peace in him, only ruthlessness.

Especially their expressions, which only showed endless madness and killing intent.

Even if the person before me is a member of the upper class, so what? Tian Ergeng's laughter was like sandpaper being rubbed: "Since you know I am Tian Ergeng, you still dare to act like this?"

Sun Qing remained calm and composed, and smiled faintly: "Although I am just a commoner, I have always been upright and law-abiding, and I have no shame in my conduct."

"I ask myself, is it appropriate for Governor Tian to adopt this attitude at this moment?"

"Fine," Tian Ergeng clapped his hands casually and said sullenly, "I don't care who you are, just stay out of my way."

"If I hadn't come, how could I have saved your life?" Sun Qing wasn't afraid at all, and even smiled.

Tian Ergeng held the teacup, seemingly oblivious to the scalding tea: "What are you trying to say?"

"Do you have three copper coins?" Sun Qing asked.

Tian Ergeng looked displeased, but still took out three copper coins.

Sun Qing took the coins, cast a divination stick, and the coins landed on the table. Sun Qing examined the divination carefully and suddenly looked up: "This divination indicates that the ghost is moving and is near the Kun trigram, which means that a woman is pregnant and disaster is about to occur."

"Playing tricks!" Tian Ergeng's face darkened, and he clenched his fists. "Sun Qing, I'll ask you one last time, what do you want to do?"

"The divination indicates that a pregnant woman is on her way to the capital. And they are the sword hanging over your heads."

"Nonsense!" Tian Ergeng suddenly picked him up, grabbing Sun Qingyi by the collar. "You think just because you're one of the Emperor's men, I can't do anything to you?"

"Who said I'm one of the current emperor's men?" Sun Qing retorted. "I said, my actions are for your benefit."

"Save me?" Tian Ergeng seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, leaning back and forth, increasing the pressure on his hands: "My godfather is at the height of his power, supporting the current emperor on behalf of the late emperor. The current emperor also shows great respect to my godfather, how dare you utter such arrogant words?"

Sun Qing chuckled inwardly. The fact that Madam Ke had been driven out was a warning sign. Wei Zhongxian had tested the waters twice, failing to resign; did he really believe Chongzhen favored him?

It's ridiculous.

The eunuch faction's initial hesitation was gradually dispelled by Chongzhen's deception, and they began to relax.

It must be said that Emperor Chongzhen was cunning, but not shrewd.

Sun Qing casually remarked, "What if His Majesty knew that you sent eight pregnant women to the capital?"