Chaos of Ming 1628

A moment later, the courier brought the fine clothes and respectfully presented them to Sun Qing.

Sun Qing opened it; the satin was as smooth as water, and the fur was as black as ink—truly a top-quality satin mink cloak.

What a generous gesture! With the autumn winds blowing and the chill in the air growing stronger, this clothing is truly timely.

Old Yu sat down on the spot, legs crossed, his eyes constantly fixed on Sun Qing, his gaze filled with worry. Knowing full well that the national mourning period was not yet over, how could he dare?

Li Weilin stood there, his eyes slanted upwards, looking like he was watching a show.

The Imperial Guard remained expressionless, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Sun Qing looked around, a bitter feeling rising in his heart. The Imperial Guards hadn't seen the person they were after all this time, and now they stood as still as a mountain, showing no sign of leaving. It was obvious they were there to arrest Sun Qing.

What should I take?

It's all because they're taking advantage of Sun Chengzong's sons and brothers.

Only now, delving into history, do we realize how truly arrogant and despicable the eunuch faction was. They were determined to completely sever the roots of the Donglin Party.

"Young Master Sun, speaking of which, this outfit suits you quite well. If you weren't wearing red and green, just a cloak would be fine too," Li Weilin suddenly said.

Sun Qing narrowed his eyes, displeased. This was nothing more than a eunuch faction's guise; once they put on the mask, it meant they were tacitly acknowledging the relationship between the two sides.

Staring at the person in front of him, Sun Qing snorted lightly, his smile not reaching his eyes. Now he didn't question his identity, he just wanted to drag him down with him.

"In that case, I shall respectfully comply." Sun Qing cupped his hands in a smile and picked up the fine robe.

Old Yu suddenly sat up, his expression solemn. He cried out "Ya ya ya" a few times, gestured with his hands, took a few steps, and shouted, "Never Don't forget your ancestors, and continue to cultivate their virtues..."

He raised his voice and sang two lines. Then he slapped his forehead, looked down, and chuckled foolishly, "What did I say after that?"

"Oh dear, I forgot again."

A bystander glanced at him, turned around and muttered, "Crazy old man," before moving on.

Sun Qing felt a chill run down his spine. This line comes from the Book of Songs, advising people to remember the teachings of their ancestors and not to bring shame to their family.

The Sun family has been known for its integrity for generations, and they would rather die than associate with the eunuch faction. Now, Sun Qing is a well-known member of the Sun family in Jiahe County, and his words and actions always represent the Sun family.

Unless someone steps forward and exposes his identity before Sun Qing ruins the Sun family's reputation.

Sun Qing seemed not to hear, picked up the fine clothes, and turned to walk towards the door.

Li Weilin's expression changed, and he moved his toes toward Sun Qing, silently placing his hand on the hilt of his knife.

The next moment, if anyone dared to stand up and question Sun Qing's identity, he would kill them with a single stroke. Even if Sun Qing dared to be disrespectful again, he had plenty of ways to make this member of the Gaoyang Sun clan suffer a fate worse than death without a single external injury.

Sun Qing moved with lightning speed and arrived at the entrance of the post station. He ordered someone to set up an IKEA store and hung his clothes on it. Sunlight streamed in, creating a dazzling and beautiful scene.

Passersby stopped and looked towards the entrance of the post station upon seeing this.

Sun Qing stood to the side, hands behind his back.

Seeing that there were already three layers of people, he bowed respectfully and said in a clear voice, "Lord Zhou's generous gift is truly appreciated. The Sun family of Gaoyang is deeply grateful for your kindness."

With just a few words, Li Weilin had everything he wanted.

This statement indicates that it was not just Sun Qing who received the ceremony, but the entire Sun clan of Gaoyang.

Most of the passersby were ordinary people, and upon hearing this, they all looked at each other in bewilderment and couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"I am Sun Qing, a member of the Sun family of Gaoyang." Sun Qing bowed again, using the Sun family name without changing his expression.

"What?!" Li's voice suddenly rose: "The Grand Coordinator's Guild has such a disciple?"

"That Magistrate Zhou seized my fertile land, humiliated my wife and daughters, and forced me to become homeless. How can I possibly coexist with the Sun family?"

"Heaven is blind! Has even the Grand Marshal stopped caring about us common people?"

"Is there any way to survive in this world?"

Sun Qing endured countless murderous gazes, but no amount of abuse could change his mind.

Amidst the wailing crowd, quite a few people dressed as servants quietly departed.

The post stations in the Ming Dynasty were not just places to rest; they served as hubs for military and political transportation, integrating functions such as transmitting military intelligence and official documents, receiving government officials, providing food and lodging for carriages and horses, and transporting official goods and funds.

Such places naturally attract the attention of wealthy local families.

Sun Qing knew all too well that the fastest thing in the world wasn't the wind, but news. Within half a day, all the wealthy households in Jiahe County would know that the Sun family had produced a sycophant who was staying at the post station.

In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Emperor Xizong died, and Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, succeeded him. The court and the people were in a state of flux, and it was best to observe and wait.

Ordinary wealthy households and gentry kept a low profile, observing the situation and closely monitoring the court's movements in order to preserve their property.

Sun Chengzong was originally a member of the Donglin faction, a key figure in the political arena, and he also held real military power. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, there is a great chance that he will be put to good use.

As of now, Wei Zhongxian still wields immense power in the court. No one can predict the future, so neither side dares to offend or provoke him.

But at this moment, the appearance of Sun family members who were close to the eunuch faction brought a sigh of relief to many people.

The best way to quickly befriend all the wealthy people is to let everyone in Jiahe County know that there is a rebellious son of the Sun family here.

Having achieved his goal, Sun Qing flicked his long sleeves, stood with his hands behind his back, and turned to walk towards the post station.

Li Weilin's lips curled up, his eyes revealing an undisguised smile. He handed the Embroidered Spring Blade to the Imperial Guard behind him and walked towards Sun Qing.

He leaned close to Sun Qing's ear, lowered his voice, and said with smugness, "The Sun family has finally found someone sensible."

"Ms. Sun, you know when to advance and retreat, are loyal to the country, and have always been sensible." Sun Qingyi's clothes fluttered, and her smile was appropriate: "There's no need for the Commander to remind you."

After saying this, he walked towards the postmaster and said, "Please, if anyone requests an audience, please answer them for me."

"Please also tell the messengers that I am very busy and will not be able to meet with them individually. If any are interested, please attend the banquet at Xiangmanlou Restaurant in the city tomorrow evening."

Having said that, he turned and walked back to the room where he had originally stayed, without looking at the others.

The postmaster's eyes widened, and he tugged hard at his ears.

How could the descendants of the Sun family be like this?!

Those who still fawn over the people at this moment are all acquainted with the eunuch faction and are scourges who prey on the people!

Li Weilin's laughter echoed through the post station. He sheathed his sword and left. Though he appeared menacing, he didn't capture a single person.

"Pah!" Old Yu spat, refusing to take another step across the threshold. He lay down on the ground in the corridor, chewing on the jerky in his arms.

He kept chanting: "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the road, the frozen dead lie..."

yamen.

Zhou was drenched in sweat, pacing back and forth, constantly rubbing his hands.

A report came from the post station that Sun Qing had apparently escaped and was nowhere to be found. The captain personally searched for him, determined to use this man to wipe out the entire Sun family.

He ruined the important affairs of the commander-in-chief simply because his own people failed to supervise him properly. How could he possibly survive?

Just then, footsteps sounded again outside the door, and the flag bearer hurriedly returned.

Seeing Zhou Ji's pathetic appearance, he curled his lip and sneered, "Useless good-for-nothing. Are you civil officials truly incompetent? You can't even handle such a small matter and you're already scared like this?"

Zhou Ji dared not utter a sound, nodding and smiling obsequiously, looking utterly miserable: "Commander, you may not know, but Sun Qing is so eloquent that I simply cannot argue with him."

"If it really is an imposter, that's fine too. At least it won't anger Madam Sun and make her take my head."

"I'm afraid he really is a member of the Sun family, and something bad might happen to him after he's been through my hands..."

The rest is simply unspeakable.

Although Zhou Ji sided with the eunuch faction, he was ultimately not a true member. Li Weilin was the real one, but he was arrogant and might kill someone if he couldn't win an argument.

Thinking of this, he burst into tears: "The Sun family is truly formidable. In the court, there are Pang Shanji, Ma Shilong, Liu Ce, and others. On the border, there are Zu Dashou, Wu Xiang, Man Gui, and others. The Sun family is already a top-tier prominent family in Gaoyang, with relatives, students, and family friends all over the prefectures and counties of Beizhili..."

Zhou Ji gasped, his legs trembling: "These people are all paragons of loyalty and virtue, supported by the court and the people. Even if I were to take my life, I'm afraid it wouldn't cause the slightest ripple."

Li Weilin was annoyed by what he saw. If Zhou Ji weren't such an obedient dog, he would have loved to cut out his tongue.

"Useless piece of trash," Li Weilin cursed, "He's back, and he accepted the gifts you gave him, posting a notice of gratitude at the post station gate."

Zhou Ji was momentarily stunned, then stood there dumbfounded for a moment before finally coming to her senses: "Huh?"

"It's true." The Imperial Guard beside him recounted everything he had seen and heard that day.

"He...he's really a member of the Sun family?" Zhou Ji was stunned. "How could this be?"

"Why bother with all that!" Li Weilin said impatiently. "Isn't that kid trying to befriend the local gentry and make some money?"

"He's going to receive guests at Xiangmanlou, that's good."

Li Weilin narrowed his eyes, harboring a bellyful of wicked intentions: "Lord Zhou, why don't you do me a favor?"

"We should hurry and spread the word that this is a golden opportunity to curry favor with the Sun family. Let them bring their silver and treasures with them."

"When guests come from afar, the people of Jiahe County must be ready to help them whenever they need it."

"Only in this way can we live up to the great reputation of the Grand Coordinator."