Heavy rule was the most important strategy after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty by Ming Taizu, and the history of Chinese law ushered in a major change in the Ming Dynasty. From the pre-Qin to the Tang and Song dynasties, China gradually formed the legislative and judicial principle of "virtue and the main punishment", just as the so-called "punishment can not be a sergeant, the courtesy is not enough" Officials and aristocrats will usually reduce or exempt punishment according to preferential policies such as "official dang" and "eight discussions".
The destruction of China by the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty was unprecedented, the confluence of the landlord class and the Mongol nobility continued to deepen the oppression of the people, and the whole society was in a turbulent situation.
After the founding of the ming dynasty, Ming Taizu abolished the special preferential treatment for officials and scholars in the judiciary, and advocated the "Ming Punishment Bow Sect", which comes from the "Shang Shu Dayu Mo": "Ming is in the five punishments, with the five religions, and the period is expected to be ruled." That is, Zhang Ming's punishment, supplemented by etiquette. All the emperors of the empire, from the prince Zaifu down to the county, ordered the small officials to strike hard, and even aggravated the treatment, without mercy.
Mongol Emperor
In order to rectify the rule of officials and prevent officials from breaking the law and committing crimes, Zhu Yuanzhang strengthened governance from many aspects: he promulgated documents to exhort officials to be honest and honest in performing official duties, such as the Records of ancestral training and the Records of the Precepts of Subjects.
He personally formulated legal codes, such as the "Great Ming Law," the "First Compilation of the Great Commandment," and the "Great Commandment of The Martial Servants," and so on, and through compiling typical cases, used various jurisprudence to deter corruption and warn them to clean themselves up.
In addition to these, Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that it was far from possible to rely solely on the strength of individuals to make enemies of the entire scholar-doctor class, and he began to mobilize the people to report the illegal behavior of officials, encourage and reward the people to supervise and report officials.
Tomorrow Morning Political System
The emperor spared no effort to encourage the people to take action
On June 27, 1818, Zhu Yuanzhang promulgated the "Edict on Prohibiting Bribery from All Divisions" to self-examine the major corruption issues involved in Guo Huan's case and showed his determination to eliminate the country.
In June of the nineteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang promulgated the "Edict of Preferential Compassion for High Age and Poor People", which clearly supported the people in capturing and bringing into Beijing officials who did not practice benevolent government and disturbed the people and harmed the people.
"The affairs of the people in charge of the department are often not benevolent, and they are not engaged in benevolent government, and they are sent to all kinds of lawsuits, selling the rich and the poor, and the criminal name is justified and unreasonable." When the edict arrives, in the future, some officials and officials dare to do so, and Xu Min will go to Beijing. ”
Formal legislation in the household department of the Great Ming Law promulgated by Hongwu in the twentieth year:
"Where there is a division to levy grain, and miscellaneous miscellaneous servants, each household registration within the household registration, field grain, and the establishment of the first section difference." If the cheater is removed, the poor person who is allowed to be killed will be detained by the superior and confessed from the bottom up. ”
Zhu Yuanzhang
Safeguard measures to ensure that the people capture the officials who harm the people
In order to fully carry out the will and smoothly escort the offending officials to Beijing, Zhu Yuanzhang gave special care to the civilians entering Beijing.
"Whoever goes to Beijing to perform affairs in the face of the elderly people of the prefectures and counties of the Prefecture and prefecture, although there is no citation in the text, accompanies many people, or thirty or fifty people, or one hundred and ten people, where they are located in Guanjin, ask for the place where they go to know the face, and immediately release them, and there is no obstacle; if they are invited to intercept the law, their official chiefs and all others, etc., dare to obstruct, their families will condemn them."
In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang also carried out heavy rewards for the people who actively responded to the call, and Chen Shouliu, a farmer in Changshu County, and three other people tied up Gu Ying, an official who harmed the people in the county, and entered Beijing with a large curse in his hand.
Civil and military attaché
The purpose of promoting the system of officials who harm the people
First of all, it has achieved the effect of severely punishing corrupt local officials. Judging from the cases of the people who harmed the people's officials recorded in the "Great Commandments", the officials who were tied up by the people and sent to Beijing were basically prefectural and county magistrates, and they dealt directly with the people.
The officials who were bound were basically sentenced to capital punishment, some of whom were ordered and beheaded, and some of whom were condemned by the clan. It greatly shocked the traditional style of local officials and officials who were rampant and domineering, and for a time social rule was greatly ruled.
Second, Zhu Yuanzhang was born in a humble background and could best understand the suffering of the people, and this system embodied the unprecedented idea of loving the people, and every case was related to the vital interests of the common people.
The punishment for these corrupt officials is the protection of the common people, and the purpose of allowing the people to live and work in peace and contentment is achieved by cracking down on the officials who harm the people.
Emperor Gong costume
Third, the goal of killing people with a knife was achieved, Zhu Yuanzhang was almost obsessed with power, and in order to strengthen the imperial power and revitalize the prison, he successively engaged in major political cases, and Hu Weiyong, Lan Yu and other founding fathers were killed as many as possible.
Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely suspicious, and he did not dare to delegate power to the ministers, so mobilizing the people to arrest officials became an important means for him to consolidate his power. This series of practices increased the emperor's power unprecedentedly, and the people were still grateful to him, so why not kill two birds with one stone?
Meida military officer image
Fourth, the hierarchical privileges of ancient feudal society were broken. Since ancient times, "the punishment can not be a doctor, the courtesy can not be inferior", "the husband and the wife do not obey the prison seat", feudal society implemented a strict hierarchical system, officials enjoyed various judicial privileges, and in the trial and punishment of crimes, there will be different degrees of care or reduction.
Generally speaking, in terms of procedure, subordinates are not allowed to try their superiors without authorization, and they can sit in prison without bowing to the trial. When these officials were tied up in Beijing by dozens or hundreds of people, one can imagine the great power and widespread influence. From the spirit to the flesh and even the life, the scholars were insulted and punished before in ancient times.
Song Lian
Of course, this system of encouraging the capture of officials can only be regarded as an extraordinary law, which violates the normal supervision and litigation system. Its practice is inseparable from the social background of social turmoil and corruption of officials in the last years of the Yuan Dynasty, and the subjective will of Zhu Yuanzhang to strengthen imperial power from a humble background, but in the end it can only be a flash in the pan.
After Ming Taizu's death, this system that caused social changes, made officials panic, and violated the basic principles of feudal society was soon abolished.