Chaos of Ming 1628

Sun Qing's heart leaped into her throat. She looked up at the person in front of her.

This sight completely overturned the stereotypical image of eunuchs. Wei Zhongxian was tall and robust, with a fair complexion and no beard. His eyebrows and eyes appeared kind, but his gaze was sinister.

He wasn't the effeminate, frail type; instead, he possessed the strength of a robust, middle-aged warrior. He exuded the imposing aura of someone who had long held power, which was probably why Madam Ke had chosen him based on his appearance and physique.

Wei Zhongxian was indeed just a eunuch, but when Sun Qing saw him, he felt a sense of fear. It wasn't like facing a eunuch, but more like talking to a high-ranking person who had long held a high position.

Sun Qing glanced at Wei Zhongxian for a moment, and then he walked to the head of the table.

Seated firmly in the main seat, back straight, dressed in a purple satin robe with a dignified and composed air, he said: "Among the Sun family's descendants, there is no one like you."

Wei Zhongxian wore a gentle, warm smile, his brows relaxed, and his expression kind and approachable: "Let's talk about your background!"

"I am from the Sun family of Gaoyang. What is there to say?" Sun Qing tried to remain calm, not daring to show off his knowledge in front of him.

He knew about the affairs of the Sun family of Gaoyang, so how could Wei Zhongxian not know?

The most powerful intelligence network in the Ming Dynasty was the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which Zhu Yuanzhang trained to control the officials. Their abilities were so great that they could even know the color of the undergarments worn by the wives and concubines of officials that night.

He could find out how many descendants Sun Chengzong had, and what their names were, if he wanted to know.

"If you have any doubts about my identity, you can ask Gao Yuan and Sun Quan." Sun Qing said confidently, deliberately adding a hint of anger to his tone.

In short, the literary gathering had already set a trap for Sun Quan. Whether or not they misunderstood that they were the emperor's men, at least they had a way out.

"Young Master Sun." A soft laugh rang out, and the figure that had been hidden in the dark room stepped out: "We meet again."

This person was no longer dressed in elaborate brocade robes, but simply in black, which enveloped their slender and upright figure. Their long hair stood up, and their eyes revealed a shrewdness.

Yang Qingqing!

Sun Qing suddenly opened her eyes, and at that moment, she was truly a sight to behold. She was completely different from the Qingqing she remembered.

Her clean and crisp appearance not only perfectly complemented her stunning figure but also exuded a commanding aura, making her presence no less imposing than that of a man.

Even though Choi Seong-soo was equally beautiful in front of her, she was still on par with him.

"Miss Yang?" Sun Qing was slightly surprised, but quickly calmed down: "Since you are here, you can confirm my identity."

"You were there the whole time at that literary gathering."

Sun Qing paused, not holding out much hope. Although Yang Qingqing was there, that day, she was the one digging her own grave the whole time.

As expected, Yang Qingqing, having shed her glamorous attire, even changed her tone of voice considerably. Her face was devoid of gentleness, but also devoid of any mockery.

A pair of cold, sharp eyes were fixed on Sun Qing, as if trying to dissect him layer by layer: "I must say, young master is truly remarkable. Logically speaking, the Sun family's spirit is the most difficult to imitate. Yet, even your posture and demeanor are so in line with the manners of a disciple of the Gaoyang Sun family."

"Miss Yang's words are utterly unreasonable. How can you slander me with me so baseless accusations?" Sun Qing's tone was calm and unhurried.

Yang Qingqing quietly examined the list, then took out a document: "The names of all the members of the Sun family are here. May I ask, young master, which one of you changed your name?"

Sun Qing did not argue.

For the people of the Eastern Depot, investigating any document was a piece of cake. Their list was absolutely accurate.

Before Sun Qing could mention Sun Quan, Yang Qingqing produced another file: "All of Sun Quan's whereabouts since he went to Gaoyuan are contained in this file."

"Young Master Sun, could it be that you are his illegitimate son?"

Yang Qingqing spoke with a constant smile, yet it sent a chill down one's spine: "No matter what, every identity should have some form of documentation. Shouldn't it?"

Sun Qing's heart sank completely.

Zhu Youjian personally approved Sun Qing's appointment as a formal county magistrate. Entering officialdom required a travel permit, something they knew and understood was perfectly reasonable.

Yang Qingqing's few words of conversation had already made Sun Qing break out in a cold sweat.

Wei Zhongxian sat at the head of the table, quietly watching this scene.

Choi Seong-soo's eyes were mocking, but he remained silent.

"Hahaha," Sun Qing suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes clear, and said in a cold voice, "Very good, you are all right."

Sun Qing remained calm, as if he had anticipated this scene. After a moment of silence, his voice was low and steady: "Now that you've ascertained their identities, let's get straight to the point!"

"Just tell me straight, what exactly do you want me to do?" Sun Qing's gaze was frank and open, his words clear and unambiguous.

He calmly retorted, "You might as well just say it."

Sun Qing remained remarkably calm, showing no sign of panic despite Yang Qingqing's presence.

This surprised Yang Qingqing and the other two slightly.

Yang Qingqing was momentarily dazed and was about to speak when Wei Zhongxian slightly raised his hand. Seeing this, Yang Qingqing stopped talking and quietly stepped aside.

Wei Zhongxian slowly withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, his tone now more serious: "Others who reach this level would likely have lost their composure long ago. I never expected you to remain so calm from beginning to end; truly admirable!"

At this moment, Sun Qing had already quietly wiped the sweat from his palms and smiled nonchalantly.

"You did very well." Wei Zhongxian praised without reservation. "I have seen countless people, and those who can remain so calm even when forced into this situation can be counted on one hand."

"It seems that your confidence in disguising your identity has never come from anyone else, but from your own mindset and perspective."

Cui Chengxiu's eyes turned cold, and Yang Qingqing also frowned slightly.

Before he could feel any joy, Sun Qing noticed the gazes of the two men, and his heart sank. Logically speaking, having already taken Cui Chengxiu's seat and with this mysterious Yang Qingqing present, the two men shouldn't have felt any sense of crisis in the face of Wei Zhongxian's admiration.

Such an expression can only mean one thing: this might be another test.

Sun Qing gave a bitter smile and slowly said, "Does it matter who's behind me? What matters is that I have what I want."

"Oh?" Wei Zhongxian raised his voice. "What do you want?"

"I'm alive for now," Sun Qing said calmly. "After that, it'll depend on what the eunuch wants to give me."

"You scoundrel!" Cui Chengxiu's voice suddenly rose. "Who gave you permission to speak like that in front of the Grand Eunuch?!"

Wei Zhongxian glanced at Cui Chengxiu, who immediately shut his mouth.

"Well said." Wei Zhongxian stopped probing and a hint of trust appeared in his eyes: "Actually, I had already heard about this from Qingqing before."

Everyone says our family deserves to die, but you alone say our family deserves to live.

When Wei Zhongxian said this, his eyes visibly trembled for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure: "Who doesn't like to live? Whether you can really predict the future or not is something I, like your status, don't want to investigate."

"Right now, we only have one question for you."

At this point, Wei Zhongxian's expression instantly turned serious: "Do you have a way to ensure our family's survival?"