"Jinyi guards handle the case, and the idle people leave as soon as possible!"
In many film and television dramas set in the Ming Dynasty, this is a well-known line.
After saying this line, I saw two teams of strong and strong secret agents entering. Subsequently, with the domineering background music, the Jinyiwei conductor made this pace appear in the eyes of everyone.
In most people's minds, the Jinyi Guards were a very mysterious and powerful organization—wearing phoenix-winged helmets, flying fish suits, and embroidered spring knives around their waists, the officials of the imperial court were intimidated, and the thieves of the rivers and lakes had to retreat when they saw them.
Whether from the perspective of "equipment" or strength, the degree of pulling wind of the Jinyi guards is several grades higher than that of other ancient government agencies.
So the question is, is the real Jinyi guard really so strong in history? Why did you have the East Factory and the West Factory later?
First, how did the Jinyi Guard come about?
As we all know, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang was a "grassroots emperor". In a few decades, it will be possible to sit on the emperor's throne from a commoner, and there are only a few people in the entire history of China.
It is conceivable that after Zhu Yuanzhang ascended to the throne, he naturally could not help but worry about others coveting his throne.
Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang did not know where the inspiration came from, so he reorganized his honor guard into a secret service agency, which was responsible for activities such as investigation, arrest, interrogation and so on —which is why the eyeliner of this institution was all over the country.
The reason why this institution is called "Jinyiwei" is actually visible from this name.
The so-called jinyi is gorgeously dressed and well-equipped, which is because the jinyi guard itself has the function of an honor guard - the emperor travels, always pay attention to the "row of noodles"; followed by the "guard", which is naturally the meaning of the guard and the guard.
Taken together, this institution has become a "jinyi guard".
Second, how strong is the Jinyi guard
The "Jinyi Wei" was established by the emperor alone, and naturally only obeyed the emperor's orders, and was not under the jurisdiction of any department of the ancient central administrative organs such as the bureaucracy, the household department, the ceremonial department, the military department, the punishment department, and the ministry of works.
What is even more frightening is that Jinyiwei is also in charge of the prison, not only has its own prison, but also carries out inspection, surveillance, torture and other activities. Even the relatives of the emperor and the state were within the power and jurisdiction of Jinyiwei.
After all, Zhu Yuanzhang's purpose in setting up the JinyiWei was to strengthen centralized rule and put all the power in the world in the hands of the "Zhu family".
Therefore, in film and television dramas, when the officials of the imperial court and the great thieves of the jianghu see Jinyiwei, they will be afraid and fidgety.
Third, the east factory and the west factory
In the movie "Dragon Gate Flying Armor", Yu Huatian, played by Chen Kun, faces the East Factory and has such a line:
What is the West Factory, you ask? Now I will tell you that the case that cannot be solved by the East Factory will be solved by my West Factory. Also, you listen well, I will manage the things that the East Factory does not dare to manage. In a word, I want to manage what the East Factory can manage, and I have to manage what the East Factory can't manage. Cut first and play later, imperial power concession. This is the West Factory.
The meaning of this line is actually not that the screenwriter made it up, but that it does show the power of the West Factory and even the entire Jinyi guard.
The full name of the East Factory was "Dong Ji Shi Factory", which was established in 1420 AD by Ming Chengzu Zhu Di; the full name of the West Factory was "Xi Ji Shi Factory", which was established in 1477 by Ming Xianzong Zhu Jianshen. Since then, Jinyiwei, East Factory and West Factory have been collectively known as "Factory Guards". From the perspective of the timeline, the East Factory and the West Factory can be said to be the "descendants" of Jinyiwei.
As mentioned earlier, the Jinyi guards were only responsible to the emperor, and the handling of cases could be handled without the approval of the ancient judicial organs. The same is true of the East and West Factories – they can supervise and inspect officials and their people at will. In the later period, the power of the West Factory even exceeded that of the East Factory, and it had the functions of supervising both the East Factory and the Jinyi Guard.
Under the corrosion of great power, these institutions naturally go to decay.
Commanders often do not hesitate to create trouble and exclude dissidents in order to consolidate their power. From the relatives of the emperor and the state to the people of Li, those who have a rebellious heart against themselves are imprisoned or their families destroyed - the monopoly of eunuchs during the Ming Dynasty, as well as many unjust, false and wrong cases, are inseparable from these institutions.
Zhu Yuanzhang's original intention in establishing the JinyiWei was to strengthen power and consolidate his rule.
Unexpectedly, from the JinyiWei to the East Factory, and then to the Later West Factory, the relationship between the emperor, the ministers, the army, and the people was greatly damaged, which deeply affected the history of the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years.
Therefore, some people say that the Ming Dynasty did not die in exile, but in the factory guards - if Zhu Yuanzhang could predict such consequences in advance, the Ming Dynasty would probably be another direction.