Chaos of Ming 1628

After turning fifty, Sun Qing learned how to love someone and how to balance family life, but he lost Qingqing.

He admitted that he had ultimately let this relationship down.

He had regretted it, and when he saw Yang Qingqing, he mistakenly thought that God had given him a chance to start over.

At that moment, Sun Qing had only one thought: she must be his nemesis, coming for revenge.

Song Xian hesitated, wanting to speak several times, but ultimately held back. His brows furrowed, and he stepped aside.

Sun Qing was already standing in front of Sun Quan. Their eyes met, and Sun Qing knew it was a forced situation.

"You?" Sun Quan hesitated, then a surge of anger rose in his eyes: "You bastard!"

His angry shout startled everyone present, and they all turned to look in his direction.

How could anyone not recognize the Sun family members, given their total number? But the young man before them was a complete stranger; they had never seen him before.

Yang Qingqing, standing to the side, saw his anger and quickly stepped forward to persuade him, "Why is Lord Sun angry? Could it be because of what Young Master Sun did in Jiahe County?"

"In a way, it was a good start for the Sun family of Gaoyang to become the acting magistrate of Jiaohe County."

Already simmering with anger, Yang Qingqing's words were like pouring hot oil on a fire, instantly igniting it.

Sun Qing's heart was pounding, but she had to force herself to remain calm.

With the current state of communication, unless there is a deliberate investigation, almost no news from Jiahe County reaches Sun Quan's ears.

Even for major events, it's unknown how many days it will take to arrive. Moreover, regarding the major events in Jiaohe County, it was only said to be divine punishment, and Sun Qing's name was never mentioned. No one in the court knew of Sun Qing.

Presumably, the eunuch faction will only learn of Sun Qing's name after Tian Ergeng returns.

Yang Qingqing's few words couldn't help but make many assumptions. How could the eldest son tolerate an unknown member of the Sun family doing things under the Sun family name?

Sun Qing couldn't help but panic. Now that his identity had been exposed, how could the people still trust him? And how could the Sun family let him go?

Looking at Song Xian, Shen Junru was originally someone Song Xian brought with him. If that's the case, then he should know about Madam Ke's matter.

"What happened?"

"Why is Lord Sun reacting this way?"

"Why do members of the same clan not treat each other with courtesy when they meet?"

Amidst the surrounding whispers, Sun Qing needed to strike first.

Before Sun Quan could speak, Sun Qinghun stepped forward, standing a few steps away from Sun Quan, clasping his hands in front of his abdomen, and bowing deeply.

With a gentle smile on his face, he immediately greeted, "Father, are you well?"

Song Xiangang picked up a cup of hot tea, and just as his lips touched the cup, upon hearing this, his hand trembled, and he spilled tea all over himself.

"You...you..." Sun Quan trembled with anger, his finger shaking as he pointed at Sun Qing, his vision blurring.

Yang Qingqing took a step forward, then quickly stopped and let out a barely audible laugh.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Sun Qingquan maintained a faint smile and said, "Father, is your headache acting up again?"

"It seems so," Song Xian stepped forward.

He walked up to Sun Quan and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Ci Gong, go and rest first. I know he's not very promising, but he needs to see the world so he can improve."

Sun Quan stood there, speechless, the words reaching his throat several times, but he swallowed them back down.

Looking at Sun Qing again, he was trembling with anger, and he spat out each word through gritted teeth: "Fine!"

"I'm waiting for you!"

This isn't waiting for someone, it's a warning: if you can't give me a reasonable reason, I'll take your life!

He was a scion of a prominent family, and his reputation was of paramount importance. He was already married with two sons, Sun Zhifang and Sun Zhizao, both of whom lived in the Gaoyuan Mansion.

How could Sun Quan explain to his family and to all the scholars in the world that he had suddenly gained a son? Wouldn't this ruin his reputation?

The fact that they were able to leave out of respect for Song Xian at least shows that they've gotten through this hurdle.

The atmosphere at the literary gathering was somewhat subtle.

Yang Qingqing's gaze swept over Sun Qing and Song Xian: "Why...why do father and son look at each other with such hostility?! As if they were sworn enemies!"

"Miss Yang's words are a bit arbitrary," Song Xian continued, "Perhaps you're just disappointed in him! It's the father's fault if the son isn't taught properly. Young Master Sun has long broken with convention in his actions, just like his poems."

When poetry was mentioned, all the scholars immediately understood.

That's it!

The Sun family was a renowned and powerful family, skilled in both literature and military affairs. Sun Qing was a man of excellent character, but his poetry was, unfortunately, quite indescribable.

The scholars from the literary society exchanged smiles, understanding the situation perfectly.

Let alone Sun Quan, if it were their son, they would probably be so angry that they would lock him up at home to study hard, so as not to embarrass him in public.

Some older people approached Sun Qing and earnestly advised him: "It's good that you're being unconventional, young master, but don't be too simplistic."

Even Song Xian couldn't help but sigh, "We have inherited the literary tradition and are thriving because of it. The key is to continue its foundation and preserve its essence. We must not abandon the roots and pursue the superficial, making some shallow and frivolous remarks."

Their conversation was so intense that anyone else would have been too ashamed to lift their head. But Sun Qing remained calm and composed, genuinely listening attentively.

He was already an expert in classical literature, and now he can directly converse with the ancients and know their thoughts and ideas. Who else has this opportunity?

Besides, this is simply a clash between old and new cultures, and he didn't write it, so why bother?

"Young Master Sun's character is truly remarkable. I never expected that he would be so humble and receptive to our criticisms." Someone remarked with admiration.

Sun Qing nodded hurriedly and cupped his hands in greeting: "Of course."

Yang Qingqing's gaze was deep, and she didn't even realize how long she had been staring at him.

Then he smiled at Song Xian and said, "Nowadays, poetry, lyrics, and songs are all about past works. Why don't we talk about contemporary literature?"

This sparked everyone's interest again.

"Very well," Song Xian nodded in agreement, "With the imperial examinations approaching, it would be good to discuss this."

Everyone agreed and waited quietly for Song Xian to pose the question.

At this moment, no one cared about Sun Qing anymore. After all, with poetry written like this, what did he know about contemporary literature?

Ironically, Sun Qing was quite knowledgeable about this.

The essay, also known as the essay of the imperial examination, the essay of the four books, or the essay of the eight-legged essay, was a required essay in the imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty.

All the scholars from humble backgrounds who travel day and night to attend this literary gathering must be here for this reason. They regard writing contemporary essays as the only way to enter officialdom, and they study them day and night, copying anthologies of contemporary essays by famous writers.

When Sun Qing was studying, no one could discuss it with him in the style of contemporary literature. Today, this wish can finally be fulfilled.

Sun Qing hurriedly stepped forward, his face full of anticipation, wanting to discuss the matter with the scholars.

"Young Master Sun," Fan Wen said coldly, stepping forward to slightly block his path, "Everyone has come from afar, and time is precious. Why don't you rest for a moment, it's convenient for both of you."

"Can't I participate?" Sun Qing sneered.

Fan Wen raised his chin slightly, not even looking directly at Sun Qing: "Young master should know his place, why make things difficult for me?"

Sun Qing sized up the other person's attire, which included two flowing scarves, indicating that their scientific expedition had made progress.

He chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it, I have my own plan."

Fan Wen said meaningfully, "Now I understand why Lord Sun acted this way!"

"Young Master Sun and Young Master Fan are both scholars, and they are also among the most likely to pass the imperial examination this year," someone commented from the side.

Sun Qing chuckled, "So, he's just a scholar who only passed the county-level imperial examination?"

"Young Master Sun, what do you mean by that?" Fan Wen asked, his face full of dissatisfaction.

Song Xian raised his hand to stop the murmurs in the room, took a scroll of the Four Books and placed it on the table, saying slowly, "Why bother with this? Let's hear the topic."

"Today, we are writing an essay together, and the title is taken from the Doctrine of the Mean: Sincerity is the way of Heaven."