In ancient times and in modern times, an indispensable means for government to govern the country was to make laws. Although in ancient times, imperial power was above the law, there were also corresponding punishments for different crimes. Among them, there is a very cruel and bloody punishment, that is, Ling Chi, which is also called "a thousand knives and a thousand knives" by the people.
This punishment of Ling Chi first appeared in the Five Dynasties period, and after a period of development, it was officially added to the statutory punishment in the Liao Dynasty. Since then, whether it is the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty, Ling Chi has been included in the statutory punishment. This punishment is extremely cruel to the punished, so generally only those who have committed the most heinous crimes will be sentenced to death.
During the Ming Dynasty, Ling Chi's development had reached its peak. Liu Jin, a famous eunuch of the Ming Dynasty, was sentenced to 3600 knives, which sounded frightening. However, his method of death was not the most tragic, compared with the last person in history to be delayed, Liu Jin's sin was still a little lighter. So, who is this unlucky egg who has left a name in history?
Many people don't know this person's name, and even most people have never heard of it, because this person's life is very plain, just a jerk, and he has not done anything big. The only achievement worth mentioning in his life was probably to become the last person to be killed alive, and this person was named Kang Xiaoba.
Kang Xiaoba is a native of Tianjin and is nicknamed Wu Bald. He had three donkeys in his family and lived by carrying goods to others. Later, he was employed by a rich man who bought him a gun and a bullet for him to protect himself. However, after Kang Xiaoba got the gun and bullets, he directly killed the rich man. Kang Xiaoba, a man who commits adultery and plunder, does no evil, and does not need a reason to kill people at all, at most he just wants to add some fame to himself.
Kang Xiaoba is not a martial arts master, and his biggest reliance is on a Japanese-made revolver. One day, Kang Xiaoba was getting a haircut in the "shaving shed", and the shaver chatted with an old customer waiting to shave his face. The two scolded Kang Xiaoba for "purifying Hu Lai" and "not dying well in the future." After Kang Xiaoba finished cutting his hair, he asked the two, "Do you two know Kang Xiaoba?" The two replied, Who knows this kind of stuff? ”
Kang Xiaoba smiled and said, "Then, Kang Eight Master told you two to be ghosts." Pulling out his gun and saying that he would kill the two, he said to another customer waiting for a haircut: "Count yourself lucky, when these two bastards scolded Kang Baye, you had a moral mouth, not a mouth." I will keep your mouth and send a letter to people who want to live for a few more days, and less gossip to Kang Baye behind my back. ”
Later, Kang Xiaoba mixed in Beijing and Tianjin, in order to form his own forces, he pulled up a small gang, specializing in the business of extortion and extortion, and for a time the local smoke miasma in Tianjin was black. Moreover, Kang Xiaoba is still a sex ghost, lustful as fate, as long as he sees a woman with a little posture on the road, he will follow him with his own follower, and when he reaches a hidden place, he will directly tie up people.
Kang Xiaoba was bold and had nothing to be afraid of. Robbing merchants was still not exciting enough for him, and the fame he brought was far from meeting his requirements, so he took his gang and directly robbed the Qing government's Caoyin. This can poke the honeycomb. What is Cao Yin? That was the Qing Dynasty government's caoyun tax, daring to grab money from the government, and really did not take the emperor in his eyes.
The official government did not dare to turn a blind eye at this time, and immediately invited Master Shang Yunxiang, who was a famous martial artist at that time. Within a few days, Kang Xiaoba, who was hiding in Tibet, was caught. Somehow, Kang Xiaoba suddenly became famous, and even the name reached the ears of Empress Longyu.
In order to please Longyu, the little eunuch added fuel to the fire and described Kang Xiaoba as a mighty and domineering good man who dared to act boldly. Empress Longyu was indeed very interested in this, and in her heart, she identified Kang Xiaoba as a figure like Qin Shubao. I don't know, since she knew, Empress Longyu was reluctant to let such a hero be killed, so she went to find Empress Dowager Cixi.
Empress Dowager Cixi was in a good mood at that time, and when she heard that Empress Longyu had been praising Kang Xiaoba as a brave and heroic hero, she decided to give her a face and personally interrogate this bold Wu Bald. When Cixi condescended to the imperial court to judge Kang Xiaoba, he found that this person was completely different from what Empress Longyu had said. Empress Longyu's mouth of Kang Xiaoba's head is like Mai Dou, waist is big ten guards, but Kang Xiaoba in front of Empress Dowager Cixi is black and short, not to mention like a hero and a good man, how to look at it is still a bit obscene.
Empress Dowager Cixi had a feeling of being deceived, and her heart immediately added three points of dissatisfaction. Kang Xiaoba was even better, and even gave the empress dowager a blank look, and did not pay attention to the questions of the officials of the Punishment Department, and directly questioned Cixi: "Empress Dowager, don't you want to interrogate me?" Why do you keep watching me not talk? Cixi probably had never seen anyone in her life who dared to be so arrogant in front of her, so she was furious and asked Kang Xiaoba, "You dog-like person, where did you get the courage to rob guan yin?" ”
Kang Xiaoba probably really didn't want to live, and in front of many officials, he looked obscenely at Cixi and the palace maid beside him and said, "A good man like Grandpa of Tianjin Wei, if he wants to rob the official silver, if he wants to rape, he will rape the imperial concubine!" At this moment, Empress Dowager Cixi was so angry that she was going to die, and she directly ordered that Kang Xiaoba's punishment be changed from "beheading and deciding" to "Ling Chi", so that this unruly thing could understand the extreme evil of her own crime. After Kang Xiaoba was dragged to the execution site, Cai Liuye, the first Manchu Qing sword in Guangxu, was responsible for execution.
Ling Chi was not allowed to die before cutting, Cai Liuye was good at craftsmanship, and he cut a total of 3784 knives before and after Kang Xiaoba, and Kang Xiaoba was not dead. During the entire execution process, Kang Xiaoba was really a tough guy. Except for the first few wild laughs, after ling chi didn't say a word the whole time. After Cixi heard about it, she still appreciated his toughness, so she let the executioner pierce his heart with a steel needle and gave Kang Xiaoba a belated pain.
However, in the history of China's legal system, Kang Xiaoba can also be regarded as a conclusion to the execution of Ling Chi.
Resources:
["The Land of Mystery Traces", "The Last Criminal Executed by Ling Chi in the Qing Dynasty"]