Zhu Yuanzhang constantly warned law enforcement officials: law enforcement is like shooting a big crane, you must master the bow and arrow to be able to shoot. Only by maintaining social order and maintaining good rule can we win the hearts and minds of the people.
This requires the discipline of the program and the degree of clarity
。 Zhu Yuanzhang believed that with the law, it is necessary to safeguard the dignity and prestige of the law.
Strict law
Before Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne, he ordered a ban on alcohol when he captured Jinhua, Zhejiang. However, in many places, it has not been seriously implemented, especially some officials regard it as a child's play. At this time, it was Zhu Yuanzhang's son, Hu Dahai, the first general beside Zhu Yuanzhang, who took the lead in violating the offense.
When Zhu Yuanzhang learned that Hu Dahai's son had taken the lead in violating the order, he ordered his arrest and military law. At that time, Hu Dahai was leading the army to conscript, and in order not to alarm Hu Dahai, some people asked him not to kill his son. However, Zhu Yuanzhang resolutely refused to agree, saying: "It is better to make the sea rebel against me than to make my law impossible." "So he personally killed Hu Dahai's son."
After this news came out, the whole territory was shocked. from now on
All the decrees promulgated by Zhu Yuanzhang no longer dare to be taken lightly
。 After several months of rectification and construction, Jinhua was gradually managed in a more organized manner, and the prestige and influence of Zhu Yuanzhang and his army in western Zhejiang also increased.
Zhu Yuanzhang stressed
The interrogation was fair and peaceful
。 Conviction cannot be made unless there is great rebellion, and the people are not allowed to sit together when they sin. At the same time, the principles of forgiveness, family affection and humanity should be reflected in the common people.
In the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang toured the north, while Liu Ji and Li Shanchang stayed in the Capital Division. Liu Ji's duty was to supervise the treachery in order to purge the capital. At this time, Li Bin, the governor of Zhongshu Province, broke the law, and Liu Ji immediately arrested him and punished him. Li Bin begged Li Shanchang to intercede for him in order to avoid his punishment, but Liu Ji did not agree, but instead killed Li Bin on the grounds that it would not rain in the drought, and if Li Bin was killed, heavy rain would fall.
After Zhu Yuanzhang returned to the capital, he found that more and more people resented Liu Ji, so he found an excuse and sent Liu Ji back to his hometown. This incident can also reflect that Zhu Yuanzhang did not fully approve of Liu Ji's strict law enforcement, and he repeatedly stressed that law enforcers should uphold justice, but it is necessary to achieve a combination of leniency and severity.
Liu ji
Four measures demonstrate legal fairness
In order to enable law enforcement to be "forgiven" and to show the fairness of the law, Zhu Yuanzhang issued the following four measures:
First, in order to make the people feel wronged, a "Dengwen Drum" was set up outside the noon gate of the imperial palace. Stipulation: Any person who cannot be arraigned for civil litigation, or who has been wronged and cannot come, is allowed to beat the drum, and the inspector of the imperial history must immediately report it, and those who dare to stop it are capitalized. Once there were prisoners who were not allowed to file grievances or make any suggestions, there were special circumstances, Zhu Yuanzhang still accommodated them.
Second, warn people to avoid breaking the law. Zhu Yuanzhang ordered that a declaration pavilion should be set up in Fuzhou County and its townships, and the crimes and names of local people who had seriously violated the criminal law would be published, so that people would have some warnings and "open up the road to self-renewal of the good people."
Third, Zhu Yuanzhang personally tried the case and gave him a leniency. In the second year of Hongwu's reign, inspector Yushi Xieshu inspected Songjiang and arrested more than 190 people to the Capital Division on the charge of "cheating on official rents", most of whom shouted that they had been wronged. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered several people to be personally interrogated and learned the truth, which turned out to be a purely unjust case.
Fourth, advocate "clear punishment and prudent punishment." Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax the execution without principle, but sought the appropriate severity of the punishment, emphasizing "clear punishment and prudent punishment", that is, to clarify the facts of the crime and be cautious when punishing.
Zhu Yuanzhang
Act conscientiously in accordance with the law
Although some criminals have been granted clemency, there are still many people who have been convicted in the end. As the ruler of a dynasty, in order to maintain the authoritarian rule of the Ming Dynasty, it was extremely cruel on the whole.
In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang also adopted the measures of re-education through labor prisoners, that is, not to imprison prisoners in prison, but to punish crimes and teach through labor. Among the prisoners who were re-educated through labor were ordinary merchants who were spared death, officials who were convicted of crimes, and so on. For example, a criminal who was planted in Linhaotun was originally on the border of Liangguangshu; some continued to undergo re-education through labor in addition to being tortured; some went to beijing to build a city, and those who performed well in re-education through labor could be used again. In the seventh year of Hongwu, a group of officials in Fengyang's labor camp "have gone through hardships and will certainly be able to change."
Later, one hundred and forty-nine people were selected to the Beijing Division for "different positions".