Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times at his thatched cottage before he was able to meet him; Guan Yu passed through five gates and killed six generals before he was able to meet the emperor's uncle; Zhu Ping'an also went through the process of training an eagle and killing a chicken to scare the monkey before he was able to meet the Minister of Justice He Ao.
It’s just a pity for County Magistrate Qu, he was beaten half to death.
Of course, even without Zhu Ping'an, County Magistrate Qu would not have escaped the pain of being caned today. There is no way, this is life. If you don't have strong strength, you will only be pressed on the chopping board.
After Zhu Ping'an watched the bailiffs carry the bloody County Magistrate Qu away, he saw the Minister of Justice He Ao coming with several officials.
The Minister of Justice was an old man over fifty years old, with white hair, but he had a bit of the demeanor of Lian Po, who was old but still able to eat. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, and had a very strong figure, at least half a head taller than himself. His skin color was not like that of a scholar, but more like that of a warrior, with a bronze skin like his father's. He was so strong and powerful, no wonder he could withstand the caning of two emperors. His body looked resistant to beatings. If it were other weak officials, they would be lucky to survive a caning. After two canings, eight out of ten officials would die. Especially the caning during the Jiajing Great Etiquette Dispute was a real one. Sixteen of the 124 officials were beaten to death on the spot, twenty-seven were dying, and seven or eight did not survive for a few days after returning.
Shangshu He walked in front with a figure eight step, followed closely by two officials and several clerks. Shangshu He's steps were not fast, but very imposing. It was obvious that he had been in a high position for a long time and had the demeanor of a leader.
Minister He only glanced at Zhu Ping'an, but just this one glance made people feel very pressured. Zhu Ping'an felt as if he was being stared at by a tiger in the mountains. Fortunately, the tiger was taking a nap, perhaps because it was full, or perhaps because it was picky about food, and did not pay too much attention to him. It just glanced at him.
However, what can a ferocious tiger do? Many tigers have become cushions on people's chairs, and even their tiger penises have been soaked in wine and drunk.
What's more, this fierce tiger has become a dog under Yan Song. It's a pity that he survived the beatings of two generations of emperors, but he knelt before Yan Song, and his integrity was ruined.
"Your humble servant Zhu Ping'an greets Lord He and all the lords."
Zhu Ping'an raised his head and looked at the Minister of Justice and his entourage who were getting closer and closer. He stood firmly, put a respectful look on his face, and bowed from a distance in a profound salute. He stretched both arms forward, with his right hand slightly bent inward and his left hand placed on top of it. He moved both hands from forehead height to chest height, and at the same time bent at 45 degrees in a profound salute.
Do this bow twice.
Afterwards, Zhu Ping'an remained bent over and motionless.
"Not bending for a few pieces of silver" means having integrity and not fawning on the powerful. In ancient times, it was normal to bow to a high-ranking official. Even Hai Rui, the "Pen Holder Mountain", had to bow to his superior, but the officials around him knelt down to highlight that he was standing.
Of course, Hai Rui definitely didn't bend as much as he did, and it was the standard two times. Haha, if Hai Rui saw this scene here, he would definitely laugh at him... Zhu Ping'an bent over and curled the corners of his lips.
One second
Two seconds
Zhu Ping'an bent over and counted silently. Two seconds had passed since he bowed and greeted, but he still hadn't heard any response from the Minister of Justice He Ao.
At the third second, Zhu Ping'an heard a faint "hmm" sound. There was no extra sound, and the sound trajectory had no ups and downs. It seemed that Minister He did not even nod his head.
For such a strong man to speak so softly... ... You are constipated.
Zhu Ping'an bent over and pulled the corner of his mouth imperceptibly, then replied loudly "Thank you, sir", then stood up, with a look of extreme respect on his face, more respectful than that of the doctor Zhai Juntao standing next to him.
When Ming officials met, if they were of the same rank, they would just bow or fold their hands twice; if one of them was of a lower rank, they would move to the right and bow twice, and the higher-ranking official would nod in response. There was also an unwritten rule that when the lower-ranking official bowed, he had to perform a big gesture, like Zhu Ping'an.
As for the Minister of Justice He Ao, he holds a high position, so he can reciprocate the gift however he wants.
"Please take a seat, sir." Zhai Juntao, a doctor of the Ministry of Personnel, smiled and welcomed the Minister of Justice He Ao to the seat in the center of the room.
"Lord Wang, Lord Liu, please come in." Doctor Zhai Juntao bowed and greeted the other two colleagues with a smile.
"Thank you, Lord Zhai. Please come in." Lord Wang and Lord Liu bowed in return and sat down politely.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, everyone greeted each other and sat down. Zhu Pingan was the only one left in the room. No one cared about him. He stood there, being watched like a monkey in a zoo.
"Hey, Ping An, why are you still standing? Sit down."
After standing for several seconds, Zhai Juntao seemed to have just realized that Zhu Ping'an was still standing. He said "hmm" and asked Zhu Ping'an to sit down.
"Thank you, sir." Zhu Ping'an did not refuse. After bowing and thanking him, he sat down at the lowest seat.
"Are you Zhu Ping'an?" Lord Wang, who was sitting below Minister He, shifted his gaze to Zhu Ping'an, raised his chin and asked in a formal manner.
Nonsense, when I gave up my seat just now, Doctor Zhai called me Ping An, who else am I if not Zhu Ping An? Of course, Zhu Ping An would not say that.
"Yes, your humble servant Zhu Ping'an greets you all."
Zhu Ping'an stood up and bowed again, then glanced at the officials at the top. In addition to Lord Wang, there was another Lord Liu who came with the Minister of Justice He Ao. As for the other clerks, they could be ignored.
Aren't there Jinyiwei who just tried the case of County Magistrate Qu? Why didn't I see them? This 40-year-old Lord Wang is definitely not a Jinyiwei. The official uniform he wears is not a Jinyiwei uniform. The official uniform worn by Lord Liu is not a Jinyiwei uniform either. Maybe the Jinyiwei who tried the case together had other tasks and didn't come.
"Yes." The Lord Wang who was asking the question nodded, then he looked at He Ao, the Minister of Justice, and asked Zhu Ping'an, "You don't have to be nervous. This time we are just understanding the situation. After we confirm the date with the Censorate and the Factory Guards, we will notify you and Captain Zhao to come and make the petition."
hehe
Well, after repeatedly urging them to do so, they are no longer in a hurry. This shows the position of the Ministry of Justice.
It seems that this petition will be full of trouble.
Zhu Ping'an was not surprised by this. He had already prepared himself mentally before coming here. Now it was just his guess coming true.