Scars are soldiers’ medals.
The court of the Ministry of Justice seemed to have become a show for Zhao Daying. Zhao Daying, with his bare chest, displayed the scars on his back to everyone in various poses and postures, like a victorious general returning to the court, full of energy and high-spiritedness.
Zhao Daying took in the shocked looks on everyone's faces and raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction, already confident of victory.
My scars are my medals.
My scar will also become evidence for you, Zhu Ping'an, to frame loyal generals.
Zhao Daying glanced at Zhu Ping'an with the eyes of a victor, as if he had already seen Zhu Ping'an being thrown into jail for false accusations.
"Sir Zhao, why do you have so many scars on your body again?" A military officer who had drunk with Zhao Daying yesterday stood up from the audience and asked with pretended curiosity, which touched Zhao Daying's heart.
All the officials looked over curiously, and for a moment Zhao Daying became the center of the entire court, attracting everyone's attention.
"This knife wound is seven inches and three centimeters long, and one inch deep into the shoulder blade. It was left when I, Zhao, went out to fight against the Tatars in Xuanfu in the 23rd year of Jiajing. At that time, the wind and sand were everywhere, covering the sky and the sun. I fought against two Tatar centurions alone, killed one and let the other run away, leaving this scar that goes deep into the shoulder blade..."
"This gunshot wound is larger than a two-cent copper coin. It was left when I, Zhao, fought against the Haixi Jurchens in Jizhou in the 27th year of Jiajing. I was so excited about killing the enemy that I accidentally went deep into the enemy camp and was besieged by a team of elite Jurchen cavalry. I was exhausted and couldn't dodge and was stabbed. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be carried back by the warhorse..."
"This knife wound is six inches and six tenths of an inch long, more than three tenths of an inch wide, and more than five tenths of an inch deep. It was left here in the 29th year of Jiajing when I, Zhao, followed the general out of the border in Rendatong. The Tatars were cunning, and their light cavalry broke up our army. We fought on our own from the time the sun rose until it set before we finally repelled the Tatars. I was slashed by a knife when I was chasing a Tatar centurion, and this knife almost took my life. Fortunately, with the protection of God, I lay in bed for seven days and seven nights before waking up."
"This is also a knife wound, two inches smaller than the previous one. It was also left in the 27th year of Jiajing. The Tatars entered Datong to hunt for pastures. I had just recovered from a serious illness and went into battle. My hands were not used to it, and I only killed a Tatar wolf cub when I got injured again."
"This arrow wound was caused by a Tatar dog when I was ordered to lead my troops to pursue the Tatar army during the Gengxu Rebellion last year. But they didn't get away with it, as I led my troops to kill them, beheading 59 of them..."
Zhao Daying, with his bare arms, pointed at the scars with his hand and explained in detail their length and size, the years when they were injured. He told everyone the origins of the scars one by one, as if they were his own treasures, with great enthusiasm and spit flying everywhere.
Zhao Daying had a thrilling story for each scar. The officials felt their blood boiling as if they had been on the battlefield themselves, or as if they had seen with their own eyes a fierce general wearing red armor charging back and forth among the enemy troops.
"good!"
"color!"
"What a great general!"
"Such a fierce general, he is truly the Zhao Zilong of the time!"
"With a brave general like General Zhao, we will not have to worry about the destruction of the Tatars or the elimination of the Japanese pirates!"
"General Zhao is so brave that he can defeat ten thousand enemies. It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty to have General Zhao. If everyone is like General Zhao, then the Ming Dynasty will surely be able to conquer the Wolf's Lair again."
Every time Zhao Daying introduced a scar, there would be cheers from both inside and outside the hall, especially from the military officers in the gallery. All the officials in and outside the hall were shocked by Zhao Daying's scars.
Not only the Yan Party, but also the Li Party and the neutral parties, all officials have praised it unanimously!
There is no need to talk about the Yan Party. Even if Zhao Daying had no scars, even if Zhao Daying was a good-for-nothing, they would still stand on Zhao Daying's side. This is their position.
At the beginning, officials of the Li Party and the neutral party were somewhat prejudiced against Zhao Daying. Zhu Ping'an's memorial impeaching Zhao Daying for killing innocent people and taking credit for his crimes was well written, shocking, bloody, and thought-provoking. When they first learned the contents of the memorial, they were shocked and angry. There were such unscrupulous people in the world... ...
But now
After seeing the criss-crossing, centipede-like wounds on Zhao Daying's back, they said they had a new respect for him.
What you hear is not as good as what you see.
Although Zhu Ping'an's memorial was well written, it was just words on paper, and they did not see it with their own eyes. But now they were shocked to see with their own eyes the machete, sword and arrow wounds on Zhao Daying's back.
In their minds, they could not help but recall the wise words left by our ancestors: What you hear is not as good as what you see. From this incident, they once again grasped this saying.
Even though their positions were different, even though Zhao Daying was a member of the Yan Party, it was impossible to erase the fact that Zhao Daying was a strong and brave general.
With so many scars crisscrossing his body, who dares to say that Zhao Daying is not a brave and courageous general? !
Would such a brave general lack military achievements? Would such a brave general who fought for his country and his people for years turn his butcher knife against the people
There is absolutely no need for that. If he doesn't have military merit, he can just charge into the battlefield and fight for a while. Why should he risk the world's condemnation and "borrow" the heads of ordinary people? What's more, it is a great shame for the tiger generals to wield the butcher knife against innocent civilians. They disdain to do so.
Zhu Ping'an, what do you have to fight me? !
Listening to the thunderous applause and looking at the officials in and out of the hall who were shocked by him, Zhao Daying couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips.
Strike while the iron is hot.
After Zhao Daying explained his scar, he immediately knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with angry tears. He clasped his fists and asked the judges in the court to make the decision for him. His words were full of indignation and sadness: "I, Zhao Daying, went to the battlefield before I was even married. I fought for the Ming Dynasty for more than ten years. No matter whether it was the Tatars or the Jurchens, no matter how cruel the enemy was, I, Zhao Daying, never frowned or took a step back! But in the end, I was accused of killing innocent people and taking credit for something. I refuse to accept this!"
"I don't seek promotion or wealth, I just ask you to uphold justice and clear my name!"
"It is clear, it is clear. I have fought for more than ten years, but I was accused of such a crime. I am ashamed to face my ancestors. It is better for me to kill myself to prove my innocence. Then I can face my ancestors in the underworld with a clear conscience."
Zhao Daying's voice became louder and louder as he spoke angrily, and in the end it sounded like a roar. His face turned red as if he was furious, and the veins on his neck were exposed. In excitement, he clenched his fists and pounded his chest hard, making a "bang bang bang" sound.
Finally, he grabbed the sword on the ground and was about to cut his neck.
If the Jinyiwei next to him had not acted quickly and stopped Zhao Daying, Zhao Daying would have committed suicide.
This scene makes anyone sad.
Anyone who sees this will feel sorry for it, as if they are seeing Yue Pengju die unjustly in Fengbo Pavilion.
"Snap"
The gavel in the courtroom sounded like thunder, and Wang Xueyi, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, shouted sternly to the audience:
"Zhu Ping'an, do you admit your guilt?"