On January 6, 1874, in the media "Declaration", an eye-catching article was published, with the title "Remembering the Affair of Yu Hang's Life Due to Adultery". I'm afraid that the "Declaration" did not expect that when it published this article, it had already intervened in a major case that shocked Beijing and even the whole country. This is the first report on "Yang Naiwu and the Little Cabbage Case", Yu Hang in the article is Yu Hang, "a certain life" is an allusion to Yang Naiwu, and the "wife who sells pulp" is the wife of the little cabbage Ge Pinlian. Friends who have read history know that the case of Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage lasted three years, went through repeated examinations, and finally the grievances were resolved, and they were also released home. However, do you know what little-known secrets lie behind the success of this unjust case? It's quite complicated to say.
The case occurred in Yu Hang
On the ninth day of October in the twelfth year of Tongzhi (November 14, 1873), Ge Pinlian, a helper in a tofu shop in Yuhang County, Zhejiang Province, died suddenly. His mother found that her son was blue and had light blood flowing from his mouth and nose, and suspected that he had died of poisoning, so she immediately went to the county office to report the case.
After receiving the report, Liu Xitong of Yuhang County immediately took the coroner to Ge's house for inspection. At this time, a guest named Chen Zhushan came to visit, and when he heard that Liu Xitong was going to Ge's house, he talked about the rumor that "sheep eat cabbage". It turned out that Ge Pinlian's wife, Bi Xiugu, known as "Little Cabbage", had a good appearance and fair skin. After she married her husband, she rented a house in the home of Yang Naiwu, a local lifter. Because Ge Pinlian often worked all night in the tofu shop, and the little cabbage was often at home alone, he frequently corresponded with the landlord Yang Naiwu, and even chanted together, which attracted criticism from outsiders.
Liu Xitong's eyes lit up when he heard Yang Naiwu's name. It turned out that he had been reported by Yang Naiwu for corruption, and was dismissed and investigated, and he hated Yang Naiwu to the core. Now the case is related to Yang Naiwu, and he is taking the opportunity to retaliate.
Liu Xitong came to Ge's house, and the coroner examined Ge Pinlian's body, vaguely saying that he might have died of poisoning. Liu Xitong used this as an excuse to force a confession about whether Xiao Cabbage had committed adultery and murder with Yang Naiwu. Xiao Cabbage vigorously denied it, arguing that Yang Naiwu was innocent and that her husband's death had nothing to do with her.
Liu Xitong saw that the soft one was not good, so he came to the hard one. He ordered torture to extract a confession, and Xiao Cabbage was tortured with a stick and a finger on the back, passed out several times, and finally admitted that he had an adulterous affair with Yang Naiwu and conspired to poison her husband.
With a confession, Liu Xitong immediately interrogated Yang Naiwu. When Yang Naiwu learned that he had been framed, he trembled with anger, pointing at Liu Xitong and scolding him for his personal vendetta. However, Liu Xitong was unmoved, and wrote a submission to the Hangzhou government overnight that night, saying that Yang Naiwu was suspected of adultery and murder, and asked for his reputation to be removed. It was quickly approved.
Yang Naiwu was also severely tortured, and finally tortured into a confession. At this point, Liu Xitong believes that the case has been decided, and Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage should be executed. However, according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, the case still had to be tried step by step, through the Hangzhou Prefecture and Zhejiang according to the envoys and governors, until it was finally submitted to the imperial court for approval.
For Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage, it doesn't matter whether they can escape death. They are physically and mentally exhausted, and they just want to end this torture as soon as possible. However, fate made people, and this case became a fuse, causing an uproar in the Qing court, sweeping the government and the opposition, and even alarming the Empress Dowager Cixi. Behind the unjust case, there is a complicated game of interests in all aspects. Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage are just two insignificant chess pieces in this chess game.
Retrial of unjust cases
After Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage were beaten into tricks, the case should have been closed. However, the gears of fate turned again, and a man named Wu Yitong found Hu Xueyan, a famous red-capped businessman at the time, hoping that he could help. It turned out that Wu Yitong was a friend of Yang Naiwu in the same year, and he was very shocked when he learned about it, and he was determined to clear his friend's grievances.
Hu Xueyan has always been kind and benevolent, and when he heard about this, he immediately found Xia Tongshan, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, hoping that he could help write to Cixi. Xia Tongshan, as the emperor's teacher, was one of the closest ministers to the emperor. After listening to the case, he also felt that the case was full of doubts, and immediately agreed to help.
With the help of Xia Tongshan, the Yang family's complaint was delivered to Cixi very quickly. Although Cixi is the mother of a country, she does not pay attention to such small cases. She casually instructed Yang Changjun, the governor of Zhejiang, to retry the case, and put the matter behind her.
Yang Changjun was very embarrassed after receiving the order, and he was worried that the retrial would cause dissatisfaction among the local gentry and affect his career. So he chose a few other irrelevant officials to do a perfunctory matter, and after a hasty trial, he shelved the case again.
At this time, Emperor Tongzhi died, Emperor Guangxu ascended the throne, and the whole court was busy changing. The case of Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage was naturally shelved.
Xia Tongshan was very angry when he saw this, he thought that Yang Changjun, as the governor, should handle the case impartially, but he delayed it so much, which was obviously deliberately making things difficult. So he said that he moved a Zhejiang imperial historian to impeach, accusing Yang Changjun of failing to handle the case and intending to deceive the emperor.
In fact, Xia Tongshan's anger has another hidden meaning. He himself is also from Zhejiang, but Yang Changjun is from Hunan. In Xia Tongshan's view, Yang Changjun, as the governor, did not pay attention to this case, and it was the Hunan people who bullied the Zhejiang people. The regional dispute has been going on for a long time.
After the impeachment was submitted, other Zhejiang officials in the DPRK and China also responded one after another, writing letters one after another to denounce Yang Changjun. Only then did Cixi remember the case she had confessed earlier, and seeing that such a public anger was difficult to commit, she had to send Hu Ruilan, the minister of the Imperial Mission, to investigate the case thoroughly.
After Hu Ruilan arrived, Yang Changjun immediately came to visit him. After three rounds of drinking, Yang Changjun got straight to the point: "This case has been tried many times, and if the verdict is easily changed, it may arouse public anger and affect official prestige." I hope you will think twice. The implication is that Hu Ruilan wants to turn a blind eye.
Hu Ruilan understood and handed in the closing report after a hasty review, believing that there was nothing wrong with the original verdict. Who knew that at this time, another imperial historian impeached Hu Ruilan for bending the law for personal gain, and demanded that the case be handed over to the Criminal Department for retrial.
So far, this case has completely gone beyond Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage itself, and has evolved into a game between Zhejiang officials and officials from other provinces. Behind this, in fact, is the wrestling between local forces and central forces.
Xia Tongshan saw the escalation of the situation, and immediately found Weng Tong, the servant of the Criminal Department. Weng Tongyi was a teacher of the Tongzhi and Guangxu dynasties, and was quite prestigious in the court. As soon as he came forward, Cixi had to pay attention.
Cixi examined the case and saw that this was no longer a simple criminal case, but a political game involving local forces. On the one hand, she does not want to offend Zhejiang officials, and on the other hand, she does not want to let local forces grow. After weighing it repeatedly, Cixi decided to use this case to beat the local forces, but not to offend people ruthlessly.
So Cixi issued an order to order the Ministry of Punishment to retry the case and open the coffin for an autopsy to show justice. At the same time, Yang Changjun was secretly summoned and warned him not to resist again.
Under the pressure of Cixi, the Criminal Department did not dare to slack off and immediately began to review. Yang Naiwu, Xiao Cabbage and others were interrogated, and Ge Pinlian's body was ordered to be transported to the capital to open the coffin for examination.
After repeated trials, the Criminal Department finally found out that Ge Pinlian did die of illness and not homicide. Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage's confessions were tortured into tricks, which is really an unjust case.
After three years, seven trials, and five reversals of the verdict, the truth of this strange case that caused a sensation in the government and the opposition was finally revealed. Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage finally cleared their grievances and were saved from capital crimes. However, their fate is still in the hands of the power game.
Imperial Court Hiroya
The case of Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage should have been concluded after the retrial of the Criminal Department. However, things are not so simple, and this case has become a pawn in the wrestling between the DPRK and China, involving intricate entanglements of interests.
When the Criminal Department determined that Ge Pinlian died of illness and that Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage were unjust, the Chaoyi faction led by Weng Tongyi and Xia Tongshan believed that local officials in Zhejiang must be severely punished. They regard themselves as civil servants and admonishers, and insist on impartially enforcing the law and restoring the truth.
On the other hand, the powerful faction, which is dominated by officials from Hunan and Hubei, holds the opposite view. Most of them were born in the Hunan army and had a huge influence in the DPRK. The powerful faction believes that Ge Pinlian has been buried for many years, the body is decomposed, and the results of the autopsy are not credible, and the original verdict should be upheld.
The two sides insisted on their own words and fought each other-for-tat. As the empress dowager, Cixi did not want to get involved. However, this case is no longer a simple criminal case, but has evolved into a wrestling between local forces and central forces. If Cixi stayed out of the matter, she might lose her authority.
Cixi weighed left and right, and decided to use this case to beat local forces, especially the Hunan army, which was in great trouble. Yang Changjun, the governor of Zhejiang, was the representative of the Hunan army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Cixi intended to use the case to weaken his power.
However, the situation was turbulent, the court was worried about internal and external troubles, and Cixi still needed to rely on the Hunan army to quell the rebellion. If the case is overturned rashly, it is tantamount to turning the other cheek with the Hunan army, and the consequences are unimaginable. Cixi had to stand still for the time being and wait and see what happened.
Seeing this, the Chaoyi faction will never give up. Xia Tongshan gathered eight Zhejiang officials to submit a letter, demanding a thorough investigation of the case in order to show justice. They claimed that if the unjust case is not rehabilitated, it will be tantamount to Hunan bullying Zhejiang and damaging morale.
Seeing the tough attitude of the Zhejiang officials, Cixi finally made up her mind to use the case to beat the Hunan army. She ordered a retrial and ordered the coffin to be opened for an autopsy to show justice. At the same time, Yang Changjun was secretly summoned and warned him not to resist.
The Criminal Department was ordered to review the trial, arraigned Yang Naiwu, Xiao Cabbage and others, and transported Ge Pinlian's body to the capital for examination. After repeated trials, it was finally found out that Ge Pin died of illness, and Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage were unjust.
However, the case is rehabilitated, not over. The two factions of the DPRK and China have quarreled again over the issue of punishing officials in Zhejiang.
The Chaoyi faction advocated severe punishment to set an example. The powerful faction advocates leniency to reassure the people. The two sides did not give in to each other and quarreled.
Cixi was in a dilemma. Favoring one side offends the other. She wanted to calm things down, but it backfired and intensified the conflict.
At this time, Wang Xin, the imperial historian of the Imperial Procuratorate, played the impeachment of Hu Ruilan and other court officials, calling them "bold and reckless and deceitful of the palace". This sentence struck Cixi's sore spot, and she was furious and ordered the Zhejiang officials to be severely punished.
Eventually, almost all the officials in Zhejiang who handled the case were punished. Governor Yang Changjun and Xuezheng Hu Ruilan were dismissed. Liu Xitong of Yuhangzhi County was assigned to fill the army. Cixi took advantage of this to knock the local forces and dampen the spirit of the Hunan army.
However, the fate of Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage is still undecided. Although he cleared his grievances and saved his life, he was sentenced to cane punishment for "eating and chanting sutras". It was not until February of the third year of Guangxu that the two were finally released.
The case of Yang Naiwu and the little cabbage lasted three years, seven up and seven down, and it was reversed several times. On the surface, it is a bizarre murder case, but in fact it is an intricate political game. Local forces and central forces, the righteous faction and the powerful faction, engaged in fierce wrestling around the case.
Cixi used the case to suppress dissent and consolidate her authority. However, in this game, truth and justice have repeatedly fallen victims. Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage are just insignificant chess pieces, and their unjust case is rehabilitated, but it is just a by-the-go result.
This case reflects the corruption and darkness of the late Qing officialdom and foreshadows the decline of a dynasty. Although Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage finally cleared their grievances, the suffering they suffered became the epitome of countless tragedies of that era.
The case is closed
After three years, seven up and seven down, after several reversals, the case of Yang Naiwu and the little cabbage was finally settled. However, the outcome of this officialdom game is a mixture of joy and sorrow for the parties.
After the review of the Criminal Department, it was determined that Ge Pinlian died of illness, and Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage were unjust cases. It stands to reason that they should be acquitted and reinstated. However, it's not that simple.
Cixi used this case to crack down on local forces, and her determination to punish Zhejiang officials was decided. Governor Yang Changjun was dismissed from his post and investigated, and Hu Ruilan, a scholar and politician, was reduced to the people. And Liu Xitong of Yuhang Zhi County, who initially presided over the case and was beaten into a trick, was even sent to the army, and his reputation has been ruined since then.
Zhejiang's officialdom was hit hard by this, and the DPRK and China were shaken. For a while, Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage were no one to care. It was not until February of the third year of Guangxu that the two were finally released. However, release does not mean rehabilitation.
The Criminal Department believes that although Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage are not murders, they are suspected of "eating and chanting scriptures" and are immoral. Therefore he was punished with forty rods and three years. For Yang Naiwu, who has lost his fame, it is tantamount to adding insult to injury.
On the day of his release, Yang Naiwu was in rags, the little cabbage was unkempt, and the two looked at each other speechlessly, looking gloomy. Once upon a time, the high-spirited man and the beautiful woman were reduced to this.
Back in his hometown, Yang Naiwu had no relatives and his home was ruined. He used to be a high school man with unlimited scenery, but now he is poor and sick, and he dies in poverty. Although the little cabbage saved his life, he was infamy, shameless, depressed, and old for the rest of his life.
The tragedy of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage became the epitome of that era. Under the shadow of feudal autocracy and corrupt officialdom, the fate of the common people of Li was like a mustard, and they were slaughtered by others.
Although the case is over, the aftermath is still unsettled. For a time, the story of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage was widely circulated among the people and became a topic of discussion on the streets. Literati and writers wrote poems and lyrics for it, wrote this unjust case into the script, and put it on the stage.
In the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, Wu Zhaoren, a native of Changzhou County, created the legendary "Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage", and adapted this story into a drama and put it on the stage. Since then, the story of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage has been repeatedly replayed and widely circulated among the people.
To this day, people still talk about this story. It reveals the corruption and darkness of the officialdom of the late Qing Dynasty, indicts the evils of the feudal system, and also praises the indomitable love of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage.
However, for Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage themselves, the trauma caused by this turmoil is indelible for a lifetime. Their lives were forever ruined in this officialdom game.
end
The Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage case lasted for three years, involving more than 100 officials, shaking the government and the opposition and having a far-reaching impact. It is not only an unjust case, but also a tragedy of the times. Through this case, we see the decline of the late Qing Dynasty, the decay of officialdom, and the evil of the system.
Yang Naiwu and Xiao Cabbage are just two insignificant people in the crowd, but their misfortunes have become the epitome of countless tragedies in that era. In the long river of history, they are just a small wave, fleeting, but thought-provoking.
Although this case is over, the reflection it brings us is never-ending. It is the bounden duty of our generation to remember history, learn lessons, continuously improve the rule of law, and build a fair and just society.