Chaos of Ming 1628

Faced with Zhu Youjian's inquiry, Sun Qing replied neither servilely nor arrogantly: "Your Majesty, I am indeed Sun Qing, the magistrate of Jiahe County."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, his gaze still deep.

He turned to look at Sun Qing, his tone still carrying an undeniable air of authority: "What are your thoughts on the snow in Beizhili this year?"

Sun Qing hadn't expected that Zhu Youjian would ask this question right away. Speaking of which, during the Chongzhen era, the small glaciers continued to cool down, and Beizhili was one of the hardest-hit areas. The snow came early and stopped late, the rivers froze, and even the canal transport was forced to stop.

A heavy snowfall directly disrupted the normal lives of the people, affecting not only Beizhili but almost every other place.

The freezing weather is not the worst part; once spring arrives and the snow melts, it will cause flooding.

This was clearly a natural disaster. Yet, opinions within the court were divided, with some even directly attributing it to a deficiency in the emperor's moral character.

In the end, it's just a matter of being short of money and food; they want to provide disaster relief, but they lack the resources to cover the costs.

With both internal and external threats looming, Zhu Youjian must be feeling extremely anxious right now.

Sun Qing had expected Zhu Youjian to press him about his relationship with Wei Zhongxian, but to his surprise, Zhu Youjian immediately asked about Xue.

"The snow is heavy," Sun Qing said, uttering a pointless remark.

Zhu Youjian's expression tightened instantly, his hands clenched slightly into fists, but he was not yet ready to get angry.

"Winter is here, and snow is just a normal change in weather. It's just that this year's snow is particularly heavy, so it's best to take precautions in advance."

Sun Qing spoke in a relaxed tone, as if he were not facing an emperor, but merely a friend of similar age.

The two men were not very old to begin with. Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian's eyes changed, and he asked calmly, "Nowadays, the ministers in the court are arguing endlessly, saying that I am morally deficient and demanding that I open an altar, issue an edict of self-reproach, and ask Heaven to no longer punish the people."

When these things were mentioned, Zhu Youxiao's tone was calm, but the fingertips of the hand he was holding gradually turned white: "I have been conscientious and diligent, and I do not feel ashamed of my people."

"With the arrival of heavy snow, the people of the capital region are suffering from hunger and cold, the number of refugees is increasing, and unrest is constant. Beizhili is the heartland of the capital region, and the current changes here truly worry me."

Despite being meeting someone for the first time, and Sun Qingshi being such an insignificant seventh-rank official, Chongzhen treated him like a close friend, speaking from the bottom of his heart.

Emperors are ruthless, and Sun Qing wouldn't completely trust Zhu Youjian and lower his guard based on just this one point.

He remained polite and distant, upholding etiquette to the utmost: "Your Majesty is diligent in serving the people and is innocent!"

"Yes!" Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly rose, his voice startling.

He slowly turned his head, staring intently at Sun Qing, his voice low and deep: "I have tolerated Wei Zhongxian's faction, allowing them to act recklessly, bringing disaster to the country and its people, even disrupting the court, daring to plot against the royal family, and even attempting to confuse the royal bloodline!"

After saying that, Zhu Youjian took a few steps forward and walked up to Sun Qing.

He left him kneeling, refusing to rise, and continued with a cold laugh: "Wei Zhongxian's crimes are too numerous to count. The crimes of the eunuch faction are abhorrent to both gods and men!"

"And yet I, the Emperor, tolerate these scourges, allowing them to continue interfering in court affairs!"

After saying this, Zhu Youjian slammed his fist on the table.

With a loud bang, Sun Qing quickly bent down, his forehead touching the ground.

The topic shifted, and Sun Qing could easily understand that this matter was aimed at him.

"Your humble servant is guilty!" Sun Qing took a deep breath, his voice steady.

Zhu Youjian snorted coldly, looking down at the man on the ground: "What crime have you committed?"

"Your Majesty, my fault lies in the fact that my power is limited and my ability to do things is limited. I am unable to share your burdens," Sun Qing replied after careful consideration.

The more a suspicious person flatters and fawns, the more they are suspected. It's better to be honest and reveal one's ambition. After all, what an emperor wants to see is his opponent revealing their weaknesses in front of him.

Those in positions of power are most interested in understanding people's hearts and controlling them.

"Heh," Chongzhen indeed let out a cold snort, his tone no longer as murderous as before: "Why are you blaming me for giving you such a low-ranking official position?"

Sun Qing was silent for a moment, then slowly replied, "Yes!"

"My actions and thoughts are all for the well-being of the people. Even a lowly imperial guard can ride roughshod over a seventh-rank county magistrate." Although Sun Qing dared not raise his head, there was no trace of panic on his face as he calmly replied, "Therefore, I have no choice but to follow their path, to go against the tide, and to commit treason."

"I am not afraid of being despised by the world, but I fear that behind the rich and powerful lies the stench of wine and meat, while on the streets lie the frozen corpses of the poor!"

Sun Qing's words struck at Zhu Youjian's weak points; every sentence was a death sentence. But since ascending the throne, Chongzhen had heard far too much flattery, and he was utterly disgusted by the constant shifting of blame.

These words were unpleasant to hear, but they were words that Emperor Chongzhen had never heard before.

"Outrageous!" Zhu Youjian's anger surged: "You have no other choice but to put me on the hot seat?"

"Your humble servant dares not!" Sun Qing said loudly, but there was not a trace of humility or fear in his voice.

"What a fool you are!" Chongzhen sneered again.

His voice was full of sarcasm: "I have heard that you are in cahoots with Wei Zhongxian. In the matter of Jiaohe County, it was Wei Zhongxian who protected you."

"I have also heard that you are a member of the Sun family of Gaoyang. The Sun family is full of loyal and righteous men. Don't you feel ashamed to associate with the eunuch faction?"

"You have no official rank or title; it was I who made an exception and appointed you as the magistrate of Jiaohe County. Instead of repaying this favor, you've aligned yourself with the eunuch faction. I'd like to ask Sun Chengzong how he raised his son!"

Having said this, Zhu Youjian could no longer remain calm.

Sun Qing lay prostrate on the ground, letting Chongzhen scold him without uttering a word.

Now it is the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Youjian is the supreme ruler of the Ming Dynasty. In any conflict, Sun Qing will definitely be the one who suffers.

"I have a question for you!" No matter what Zhu Youjian said, Sun Qing did not respond at all.

Enraged, Zhu Youjian stood before him and snapped, "Raise your head and answer!"

Sun Qing looked up and met Zhu Youjian's bloodshot eyes.

He gave a wry smile: "Your Majesty, I believe there is no need for you to be so agitated."

"Since you appointed me as this seventh-rank county magistrate, I must repay you. Therefore, after Your Majesty issued the decree, I acted in accordance with Your Majesty's wishes!"

"Did I let you associate with the eunuch faction?" Zhu Youjian's eyes narrowed, his murderous intent surging.

Sun Qing smiled faintly and remained silent.

From the time he started formulating the "iron rice bowl" plan to its implementation, a month and a half had passed. He absolutely did not believe that Zhu Youxiao would not have heard a word about it.

Historically speaking, once Cui Chengxiu died, the eunuch faction began a rapid purge.

But now it is November, and Wei Zhongxian is still alive and well, even walking around in the court.

"Your Majesty!" Sun Qing said with a helpless sigh, "I know that as long as Wei Zhongxian is involved, he will be charged with treason."

"Who would have thought that when the snow disaster struck, people everywhere were suffering and displaced people were in turmoil. Only Jiahe County became a warm sun in the cold winter. Only the people of Jiahe County were able to have enough to eat and wear, and so far, there has only been one case of someone freezing to death."

"The eunuch faction once came forward themselves and admitted that the 'iron rice bowl' plan was orchestrated by Wei Zhongxian. Therefore, Wei Zhongxian was not only innocent, but even meritorious."

"Your Majesty, then you can't kill those who have rendered meritorious service!"

Sun Qing finished speaking in one breath.

Zhu Youjian's eyes were already bloodshot.

His voice was even deeper and more terrifying, icy cold: "You, Sun Qing."

"If you were unaware and it was merely an unintentional act, that would be one thing. But you can speak of it so eloquently, it seems you considered the consequences from the beginning, and even dared to involve the eunuch faction!"

"Sun Qing, how dare you!"

Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly rose, and he angrily said, "If I don't cut off your head today, it would be because I'm an incompetent emperor!"