Playing the pipa "originated in the Ming Dynasty. Because Zhu Yuanzhang was born as a poor child, he deeply resented corrupt officials and corrupt officials. In order to strengthen the centralization of power and rectify the imperial court, he designed various kinds of torture.
He also cultivated the royal family's exclusive police system, the Jinyi Guards, and secretly eliminated high-ranking officials and ministers who threatened the imperial power. The prison is where the guards manage and review prisoners.
Originally known as the Yiluan Division, it was its duty to help the monarch manage the honor guard. In 1382, the Ming government abolished the pro-military du lieutenant mansion and the Yiluan Division, and set up the "Jinyi Wei Pro-Army Command envoy division", and the Jinyi Wei system was officially formed.
Regarding its setting, it was recorded in the Ming Shilu: "In April of the fifteenth year of Hongwu, he changed the yiluan division to Jinyi Wei and the rank was from Sanpin." In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented the system of guard houses, "from the capital to the county, all the guards were established", and "those who are in one county set up a guard, and those who are even counties set up guards". The outside is under the jurisdiction of the capital division, and the inside is managed by the governor's office of the five armies.
In addition, he also set up the "Shang Twelve Guards", which were the private army of the monarch, whose duty was to ensure the personal safety of the monarch and directly obey the emperor, and the Jinyi Wei was one of them.
At the time, Zhu Yuanzhang gave them the right to arrest anyone and conduct a closed interrogation. Therefore, in the hearts of Ming Dynasty officials, it is an absolutely terrifying existence, Jinyiwei invented a lot of torture in its establishment, and it is well known as "tiger stool", "sitting on ice", "filling lead" and so on.
01. Criminal Law: Red embroidered shoes
Its principle is the same as the cannon burning punishment invented by the King of Shang Dynasty, which is to put iron on the fire and bake it hot, and then press it on the person's body. However, the punishment of cannon burning is burned on the trunk of the body, while the red embroidered shoes are made into a pair of iron shoes and worn on the feet of the torturer.
Whoever has been punished by red embroidered shoes will have his feet scorched and fleshy, and his bones will be visible deeply, and he will not be able to see the original appearance of his feet. Even the whole foot will be roasted into charcoal, shattered when touched, which shows how cruel it is.
Anyone who has been punished in this way will generally live worse than die, and then watch his wounds deteriorate and die. When the family went to the prison to collect the body, when they saw the situation at that time, they all turned pale, even if outsiders saw it, they could not eat for several days.
02. Brush up
That is, the prisoner was stripped naked, and several people pressed him to the iron bed. Then, the boiling hot water was poured on the prisoner, and while the heat was still there, the servant used a brush covered with iron nails to brush the prisoner desperately until the skin was broken, revealing the bones inside. After that, the prisoner died in pain.
03. Play the lute
When the pipa punishment is carried out, the prisoner's shirt is first removed. Then tie their hands and feet. The key is to expose the collarbone. The material is simple and straightforward, with just one blade. Finally use this sharp tool to flick back and forth in the ribs below the collarbone.
That's like the musicians play the lute today. The executioner is skilled in knife skills, and the sound that pops up is more than tearing the heart and lungs. The purpose of this slow torture is to make the offender's life worse than death, and finally admit the crime. During the execution, the flesh slowly opens until the flesh and blood are blurred.