Chaos of Ming 1628

For a commoner without official rank or title, becoming an official is simply a pipe dream.

But there was one person who would disregard all necessary factors to make you an official: Wei Zhongxian.

In the mid-to-late Tianqi period, Wei Zhongxian controlled the government, and officials of all ranks had a clear price to pay; to be promoted or to keep their positions, they had to bribe Wei's faction.

The person in front of him was his eldest son, Tian Ergeng. He nodded; becoming a seventh-rank county magistrate was not difficult.

With Zhou Ji's death, the position of magistrate of Jiaohe County became vacant. The eunuch faction would send someone over sooner or later, so rather than clashing with someone they didn't know, it was better to take the position themselves.

In chaotic times, only those who hold power have the right to survive.

Sun Qing wanted to be an official and to have a piece of land of his own. He was neither a member of the eunuch faction, nor the Donglin Party, nor Sun Chengzong.

He is himself, and he wants to be the local tyrant of Jiahe County.

backyard.

Several handsome young men surrounded Madam Ke, feeding her wine and food, laughing and making merry.

The door opened, and Tian Ergeng stood in the doorway, his burly figure blocking the light from entering, darkening the room.

The young men hurriedly stood up. Madam Ke, displeased, hooked her finger around one of the men's belts and chuckled, "So it's Young Master Sun."

"continue."

As dusk fell and the room grew dim, Madam Ke felt the man's fingers were soft and had felt comfortable as he had massaged her. With a wave of his hand, he casually gifted her a jade pendant worth several dozen taels of silver.

Upon seeing this, Tian Ergeng's eyelids twitched again. He gritted his teeth: "It's getting dark, light the lamps!"

The candlelight flickered, and the room was filled with food and wine. The dishes on the table were mostly eaten, and a man in the corner had his shirt half-open.

"Madam!" Tian Ergeng's voice suddenly rose, and he led Sun Qing into the house: "Don't forget, you're here to invite Young Master Sun for a drink."

Madam Ke sneered, her fingers slowly tracing across a man's face: "Wait for me in the room. If you're truly capable, I'll take you back to the capital tomorrow."

The young men then emerged from the house in twos and threes.

The servants lowered their heads and quickly tidied up the mess in the room, rearranging the food and drinks.

Ms. Ke straightened her clothes and sat down again. Although she wasn't particularly elegant, she still looked down at people with a superior air.

She raised her hand slightly, a smile on her face: "Young Master Sun, there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding between us. The court is currently in dire need of capable people, and I actually admire you very much."

"I won't beat around the bush, I'll just ask you one question: are you willing to work for us? If you nod, I guarantee you'll be promoted and make a fortune."

Sun Qing is an annoying person, but also a talented one. If he can't be used by me, then I'll make sure he can't be used by others either.

Madam Ke was someone who valued talent, as was Wei Zhongxian. It was precisely because of Wei Zhongxian's "value for talent" that he achieved his current status as a member of the eunuch faction.

He didn't care about the other person's background; as long as they were on his side, he would give them important positions.

"Hahaha," Sun Qing said as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, "Madam, there has never been any misunderstanding between us."

"Just as you suspected, my actions towards you are deliberately targeted!"

Sun Qing's last words were extremely weighty.

Mrs. Ke's face paled, and she slammed her hand on the table with a loud thud: "I don't care who you are, do you even know who I am?"

"A stray dog!" Sun Qing found it amusing.

Madam Ke abruptly stood up, her hands gripping the table: "Sun Qing, you really don't know what's good for you. At first, you tried to intimidate me by using the Emperor as leverage, but didn't you already know who's by your side?"

"Your good eldest son," Sun Qing replied, enunciating each word clearly.

Madam Ke's chest heaved violently, her face chillingly cold: "Fine, very well. Sun Qing, here's the deal. You can have the money if you like. As for the matter of Jiaohe, I just hope you'll keep your mouth shut!"

"If you agree, then we shall share this cup of wine, and that will be our agreement." Madam Ke's tone softened. "In the future, we shall keep to ourselves."

Tian Ergeng chimed in, "Yes!"

"I specially invited you here today, so you'd better drink this wine!"

As soon as Tian Ergeng raised his hand, four Imperial Guards immediately stepped out and blocked the doorway.

Sun Qing suddenly realized: "Alright, alright, it seems I can't leave today if I don't drink this glass of wine?"

There were only two cold laughs.

With the wine glasses in hand, I shared one with Mr. Ke.

The two men had different expressions. Madam Ke drank it all in one gulp and turned the cup upside down.

Sun Qing held the wine in his glass, hesitant and unwilling to drink it.

"Drink it now!" Tian Ergeng shouted angrily from the side.

Sun Qing stared at Madam Ke, slowly raised the wine cup in his hand, and suddenly shouted: "The ups and downs of life are beyond our control; in the end, it is fate that plays tricks on us."

After saying this, he raised his cup and drank it all.

He flipped the wine glass in his hand and then placed it on the table.

"Hahaha." Madam Ke suddenly burst into laughter.

His expression gradually turned ferocious, his eyes filled with resentment, and he pointed at Sun Qing's nose: "You bastard, I've put up with you for too long."

"When I was in Xianfu Palace, everyone from the Emperor to the Empress treated me with utmost respect. All the civil and military officials in the court would kneel and bow to me."

"It's only been a few days since the emperor changed, and you, a mere youth and commoner, dare to humiliate me like this?!"

Mentioning this matter, Madam Ke's expression twisted, and she laughed in extreme anger: "Hahaha."

"But now it's all good, you eyesore can finally get rid of you."

"Boy, in your next life, if you see someone from the Ke family, you'd better take a detour."

Madam Ke felt relieved. She had been suppressed by Sun Qing time and time again, and although she was clearly angry, she was stunned by what he said.

When have I ever suffered such humiliation? At this moment, things are finally back on track.

"What are you talking about?" Sun Qing asked, looking puzzled. "Are you pretending to be drunk?"

"Not with you." He raised an eyebrow and smiled politely. "He's just a dying man; I can speak the truth perfectly well!"

"You mean me?" Sun Qing asked curiously, pointing to herself.

"Ridiculous!" Madam Ke's voice suddenly rose, accompanied by a series of cold laughs: "Sun Qing, I forgot to tell you. You're really an eyesore, and your appearance has made me feel threatened for the first time."

"But now it's all good, there's no more of you annoying person in the world."

Mrs. Ke puffed out her chest, her face full of smugness: "Just now, the wine you drank was poisoned."

"Oh?" Sun Qing looked puzzled and smiled at her, asking, "But why don't I feel anything? Could it be that the wine in your hand is poisoned?"

"Pah!" Madam Ke spat. "What do you think Geng'er came here for? He's here to take your life!"

"Geng'er," Madam Ke said, head held high and chest puffed out, brimming with confidence, "tell him what kind of wine he's drinking."

Tian Ergeng stood there, his face expressionless: "Naturally, it's the best Xinghua Village."

"What?" Mrs. Ke said unhappily, "Didn't we agree to take his life?"

Sun Qing smiled and asked in return, "Governor Tian, ​​please tell me, what kind of wine is in your wife's cup?"

Madam Ke's smile vanished, replaced by a cloud of suspicion as she stared at Tian Ergeng with apprehension.

Tian Ergeng's eyes were filled with murderous intent, his expression remaining completely unreadable: "Of course, it's poison."

"You!" Mr. Ke roared, "What are you saying?"

Tian Ergeng smiled faintly and said slowly, "Godmother, you've given this wine to countless people, but you haven't even tasted it yourself yet?"

"You bastard!" Mrs. Ke raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "I'm your godmother?!"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be where you are today!"

She wanted to get angry, but the angrier she got, the faster the poison took effect. Her lips gradually turned blue, and Madam Ke raised her hand and pressed it hard against her chest.

His face contorted in pain, his voice trembling: "You...you ungrateful wretch..."

Tian Ergeng immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to the ground, shouting, "I will repay my godmother's kindness in the next life."

"But now, you indulge in extravagance and pleasure. You never respect your godfather. You just left the capital and began to party with Xiao Jun every night. And now, you're like this again."

"We've devoted ourselves to you, risking our lives for you. But in your heart, am I still just a dog?"

Black blood gushed from Mr. Ke's mouth, and finally his body swayed and he collapsed to the ground.

Tian Ergeng's face was filled with sorrow: "It is your unfilial son's fault, but if we always obey you, how can we live?"