Episode 26
In July of the 40th year of Jiajing's reign in the Ming Dynasty, when reinforcements had not arrived and military supplies were in a difficult situation, Hu Zongxian used his firm determination to personally supervise the Qi family's army and launched the Eighth Taizhou Anti-Japanese War.He was exposed to artillery fire, intending to die for his country and gain a reputation of loyalty.Although he failed to die for his country as he wished, his bravery and determination inspired the entire army, contributed to the great victory in Taizhou, and laid the foundation for victory in the final battle with the Japanese pirates who had been troubled for ten years.
Behind the victory lies a power struggle and complex political relationships.Hu Zongxian's firm stance and decisive actions, without listening to the Yan family's private opinions, enabled him to achieve a major victory in the Anti-Japanese War, but also attracted criticism from the cabinet and the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Although Zhao Zhenji played an important role in the war as a support officer, he received an urgent letter from the cabinet and the Supervisor of Ceremonies, asking him to reexamine the confession of Hai Rui and sign the original confession before reporting it.This obvious power struggle and complicated political relationships made Zhao Zhenji feel a little uneasy amidst the joy of victory.
As the presiding judge, Zhao Zhenji received such a court letter and read it out openly without consulting the jurors, causing the two criminals to retract their confessions in court.This move undoubtedly intensified the power struggle and complicated political relations.Zhao Zhenji's approach was seen as a means to induce the second criminal to retract his confession, but the sudden appearance of Hai Rui and the irrefutable evidence made Zhao Zhenji's plan fail.Hai Rui arrested the lackeys of Zheng MiChang and He Maocai, and revealed the fact that He Maocai ordered them to destroy embankments and flood fields and release the Japanese pirate Inoue Shiichiro privately to trap the people.
