According to the timeline, when Zhu Ping'an was trying the case of the secret meeting between monks and nuns in the county government, Eunuch Qian had just whipped Liu Jie, the new military clerk of Jingnan, in the post house. He was very proud of himself and boasted that he was the uncle Liu who whipped the Inspector General.
Zhu Ping'an had just finished trying the monk and nun's case when someone else came to the county government office to appeal for injustice.
At this time, Eunuch Qian was instigated by Yao Zhubu, and he gritted his teeth and ordered the young eunuch Xiao Congzi to go to the county government to inform Zhu Ping'an, and ordered Zhu Ping'an to bring the Jingnan County Chronicles to the post station to meet Eunuch Qian.
The onlookers outside the court saw someone coming to appeal for justice before they even walked out of the county government office. They couldn't help but stop, turn around and walk back, occupying a good spot outside the court, waiting to watch the show.
"My Lord, I have been wronged. Please help me..."
The person arrived before, but the voice of an old woman with a crying tone came from outside into the county government office.
Then, an old woman with a sad face walked into the court from outside. As soon as she entered the court, she knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, "Wuwuwu... Magistrate, I have been wronged..."
Seeing the old woman with a miserable face and crying out of breath, Zhu Pingan was really pitiful, so he quickly said, "Auntie, please don't be sad. If you have any grievances, please tell me and I will take care of it for you."
"Wow, my Lord Magistrate... My life is so miserable, so miserable. I'm afraid there won't be another person as pitiful as me in Jingnan, wow..."
The old woman's face looked even more miserable. She knelt on the ground and kept slapping the ground with her hands to express her emotions.
"This old lady must have suffered so much injustice that she looks so sad."
"Oh, how pitiful! She is so old, and yet she cries like this. It really makes me sad."
"This reminds me of my mom."
"Did the house get robbed? Or was a family member murdered? Why is the old man so aggrieved? What happened?"
The onlookers outside the court couldn't help but start a discussion when they saw the old woman looking so sad.
"Don't be sad, old man. If you have any grievances, please tell me and I will make the decision for you."
Seeing that the old woman kept crying and saying that she had a miserable life and refused to speak out about her grievances, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but repeat it again to remind the old woman.
"Wow, wow, wow... My Lord Magistrate, are you right? I have a miserable life. I got married when I was young, but after only two years of good times, my husband got seriously ill and passed away, leaving us an orphan and a widow. I raised my son with all my heart, and I have endured countless hardships in the process..."
The old woman knelt on the ground, crying with tears and snot. Several women outside the court also started crying as they listened to her.
Hearing the old woman say this, many people outside the court speculated that it was probably the old woman's son who was unfilial. Alas, this old woman was really miserable. She lost her husband at a young age and raised her eldest son with great difficulty, but ended up meeting an unfilial son. It was really miserable. No wonder the old woman cried so pitifully.
Zhu Ping'an listened to the old woman's complaints very patiently in the court, and observed her carefully while listening.
"However, no matter how much hardship or fatigue I have to endure, I am willing to do it as long as my son grows up safely. Finally, my son has grown up, and I have used all my savings to find a wife for him..."
The old woman continued to cry in the court.
Did the son forget his mother after marrying a wife?! Alas, this unfilial son is really sorry for his mother.
The people watching outside the court thought so, and felt that this was a typical case of a man forgetting his mother after marrying a wife.
However, everyone later discovered that they were wrong.
"My son has been obedient and hardworking since he was young. He learned the craft of carpentry and became even more hardworking after getting married. In order to support the family, my son often goes out to do carpentry work. But, alas, I regret it. How could I be so blind to find such a wife for my son? She is lazy, disobedient, and never serves me well on weekdays. Especially when my son goes out to do carpentry work, my wife becomes even worse..."
When the old lady mentioned her daughter-in-law, she couldn't help crying and kept slapping the ground with her hands.
"So you're here to sue your daughter-in-law."
"It turns out that it's not the son who is unfilial, but the daughter-in-law who is disobedient and unfilial. Alas, you should marry a virtuous wife. If you marry a lazy, disobedient and unfilial woman, then you are really unlucky. Let me tell you, Aunt Liu next door has a daughter-in-law who is not easy to deal with. I have seen Aunt Liu cry several times because of being scolded by her daughter-in-law."
The onlookers suddenly realized what was going on. It turned out that the old woman came to the court to sue her daughter-in-law for being disobedient and unfilial.
"My dear magistrate, my son went out to do carpentry work two days ago and has not returned yet. Today is my 60th birthday, and my daughter-in-law, she, she... She only gave me a bowl of stewed rotten vegetable leaves and rotten radish soup, while she was eating sumptuous fish and meat in the room. My life is so miserable, I really can't bear it anymore, I beg the magistrate to make the decision for me, order my son to divorce my daughter-in-law, and bring peace to my family... Woo woo woo..."
When the old woman talked about her sad moments, she collapsed to the ground, clapping her hands on the ground and choking with sobs.
Alas, how pitiful it is to have such a wicked daughter-in-law. On the old man’s birthday, he was only given rotten vegetable leaves and radish stew, but she herself was fed with fish and meat. Seeing the old woman’s appearance, everyone couldn’t help but sympathize with her.
"Old lady, what is your name? Where do you live? Who is your son? Who is your daughter-in-law? I want to ask someone to summon your daughter-in-law to the court for interrogation." Zhu Ping'an said to the old woman.
"My name is He Li, and I live near Donglifang in the county town. My son's name is He Dabao, and my daughter-in-law is He Wang." The old woman replied.
"Come here, call He Wangshi to the hall." Zhu Pingan ordered.
The old woman lived in Donglifang, which was not far from the county government office, only a few hundred meters away. Soon the old woman's daughter-in-law, He Wang, was brought from Donglifang to the county government office by two yamen runners.
"Mother, why did you leave in the middle of your meal? I couldn't find you no matter how hard I tried. How did you end up in court?"
He Wangshi was brought to the court in a panic. When she saw the old woman, she asked in surprise.
"Oh, you are so shameless! How come you went out in the middle of your meal? Who can drink soup made of rotten vegetable leaves and rotten carrots? How come you came to the court? You are here to sue your evil daughter-in-law..."
The onlookers outside the courtroom were whispering sarcasm.
"Ms. He Wang, your mother-in-law accused you of being disobedient and unfilial, and disrespectful to your elders. She said it was her birthday today, but you only gave her a bowl of stewed rotten vegetable leaves and radish soup, while you were eating sumptuous fish and meat in your room alone. Is that true or not? Tell me the truth quickly." Zhu Ping'an slammed the gavel in the hall and asked.
"Ah? Mother-in-law, are you accusing me of being disobedient and unfilial?"
He Wang was struck by lightning when she heard this. She looked at her mother-in-law in disbelief and tears instantly flowed like a river bursting its dam.