At four quarters after noon, approximately 2:00 p.m. in modern times, the officer who was ordered to go to the Ministry of War to fetch the head finally returned.
Nearly two hours had passed since they set out.
The head was kept in two black lacquer boxes, about two meters long and half a meter wide. The black lacquer boxes seemed very heavy, and the four officers had a hard time carrying them. They carried them to the court with heavy steps. The outside of the black lacquer boxes was sealed with the seal of the Ministry of War.
When the black lacquered box was carried in, Liu Mu, Liu Dadao and others' eyes turned red, tears welled up in their eye sockets, they clenched their fists, and the veins on their necks were exposed. If Zhu Ping'an had not comforted them in time, they would have lost control in the next second.
"Mother of the child... Little dog... Don't worry, I will be able to take you back to our home soon." Liu Dadao muttered in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the black lacquered box. Thinking of his murdered wife and children, his eyes were already wet.
Liu Mu and the others also stared at the black lacquered box closely. When they thought of their parents, families, and fellow villagers, they couldn't help but feel moved and tears welled up in their eyes.
Zhu Ping'an could understand Liu Mu and the others' feelings. Humans are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless, especially those who are loved and cared for.
The heavy black lacquered boxes were placed side by side in the courtroom. The boxes were so heavy that the ground shook when they were put down.
"Why is it so heavy?"
"Is this the Tatar head that Lord Zhao captured?"
There was a burst of groans in the court. Some were curious, while others were reluctant to see the head. The officials had all kinds of expressions.
"In today's case, the inspection of the head is a necessary step. It may cause discomfort to you, but as the saying goes, a coffin brings promotion and wealth. My lords, please bear with me. Come, open the seal and open the museum."
The presiding judge in the court stood up and bowed to the officials in the court, then ordered someone to remove the seal and open the black lacquered wooden box.
"Yes, sir."
Following the order, two officials from the Ministry of Justice came to the black lacquered wooden box and removed the seal.
Zhu Ping'an followed the two officials' movements, watching them remove the seals without blinking. After they removed the seals, Zhu Ping'an could not help but shook his head and sighed.
This seal is wrong!
Judging from the way they peeled off the seal, it seemed that it was not pasted on several months ago, but just a few hours ago. The seal was peeled off completely, the glue was not completely dry, and there were still faint traces of moisture on the box.
"Reporting to you, sir, the seal has been checked and is correct. It was sealed by the Ministry of War in September of the Gengxu year, and it is noted that Captain Zhao Daying presented fifty-nine heads." After the official from the Ministry of Justice removed the seal, he checked the information on it and reported to the court.
"Circulate it to all the gentlemen for verification." After the chief judge verified it one by one, he asked someone to pass the seal to everyone for verification.
"Yes, that's right."
"Yes, it is the head that Captain Zhao presented that year. The time, date and the seal of the Ministry of War confirm it correctly."
After reviewing the seal, the officials nodded.
"I have one question that I don't understand."
When the seal was passed to Zhu Ping'an, Zhu Ping'an touched the seal with his hand, looked at the paste behind the seal, then stepped forward and held up the seal.
"Hmm?" Wang Xueyi, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, looked at Zhu Ping'an.
"The seal is dated September of the Gengxu year. Why hasn't the glue on the seal dried up after several months?" Zhu Ping'an took the seal in his hand, raised it high and shook it, looking at the presiding judge and asked loudly.
Hey, the paste really hasn’t dried yet
At Zhu Ping'an's reminder, the officials in the audience also noticed this, twisted the seal with their hands, and rubbed a piece of soft paste off their fingers.
For a time
People in the audience began to discuss.
The glue on the seal has not yet dried, which means that the seal was just put on. If the seal was just put on, then there is no guarantee that the heads in the wooden box are the same batch of heads that Zhao Daying presented last year.
It is entirely possible that someone might tamper with it...
Seeing the signs of doubt in the court, Zhao Qiu, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, stood up and explained to everyone: "Let me explain this question. My Lords, the black lacquered wooden box contains the heads of the Tatars. As everyone knows, these heads will rot if left for a few days. In order to preserve the heads, my craftsmen from the Ministry of War filled the wooden box with stone powder. This specification of wooden box can hold 30 heads. In order to preserve the heads, the stone powder must be replaced regularly to prevent it from getting damp. According to the regulations, every time the stone powder is replaced, there must be more than three heads of the Ministry of War present, and the clerks will record the replacement on the spot. After the heads confirm that it is correct, they will sign and seal it to ensure the consistency of the heads."
After Zhao Qiu finished speaking, Captain Zhang in the hall promptly took out a booklet from his pocket and handed it to the clerk to present it in the court.
"Reporting to the Lord, if it wasn't for Lord Zhao's reminder, I would have almost forgotten about this. This book is a record of the replacement of stone powder in the Ministry of War in the past six months. I was ordered to go to the Ministry of War to inspect the heads. Lord Wang, the head of the treasury department of the Ministry of War, was worried that the weather was hot today, which would be unfavorable for the storage of the heads. In order to ensure a smooth inspection today, Lord Wang had the stone powder replaced temporarily. In addition to me and others present, Lord Wang, Lord Liu, and Lord Zhao, the heads of the Ministry of War, were also present. After the stone powder was replaced, the three gentlemen signed and used their seals in turn."
After Captain Zhang presented the booklet to the court, he first shouted "crime", then half-knelt on the ground and reported loudly.
"I wonder if Lord Zhu has any other questions. I will help him to answer them." Zhao Qiu glanced at Zhu Ping'an and sneered, which seemed enthusiastic but was actually sarcastic.
Singing the same tune
Feel confident
The reasons were sufficient and the evidence was in place. The voices of doubt that had just been heard in the courtroom had now disappeared.
It seems that Zhao Qiu had already thought of this and was prepared to deal with it. Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an sighed slightly in his heart.
Yes, Zhao Qiu did a good job of preparation and his explanation was very convincing. In order to preserve the head, the stone powder must be replaced regularly; according to regulations, at least three persons in charge must be present when the stone powder is replaced, and the record must be kept in a book and signed and sealed.
I just looked at the replacement record myself. It is a detailed record, and at the end it is signed and sealed by the three persons in charge. From a formal point of view, there is absolutely no flaw at all.
What I fear most is people acting like hooligans under the guise of the system.
There is no solution! There is no way to deal with him!
"Thank you, sir. I have no other questions." Zhu Ping'an looked at Zhao Qiu, bowed and said lightly.
At this time, Zhao Daying had completely put his mind at ease. He looked at Zhu Ping'an leisurely and curled his lips in disdain.
Zhu Ping'an, you want heads, right? I'll give them to you. The Ministry of War has plenty of them. Not to mention fifty-nine, we can even give you a hundred more. Haha, Zhu Ping'an, I wonder what else you can use to fight me. Impeach me? Haha, I'll make sure you pay the price!