In the long history of ancient feudal society, emperors did not hesitate to invent and use all kinds of harsh punishments in order to consolidate their rule. These penalties are designed to restrain people's behavior by increasing the severity of punishment in order to reduce the crime rate. However, among the many ancient punishments, there was one punishment that was cruel enough to make anyone look uncomfortable, and it lasted for 2 years, starting with a comfortable start and ending with a painful experience.
This punishment is the "punishment of drops." Originating in the Shang Dynasty and invented by the Shang Emperor, the "Punishment of Water Drops" was designed in a clever and cruel manner, and it is said that the Emperor had accidentally witnessed water droplets falling on the stones, eventually causing the hard stones to drip out of a hole. This phenomenon inspired him, and thus gave birth to this punishment, which was intended to be both mentally and physically tormenting.
The execution of the water drop punishment first requires the victim to be immobilized to a special device that is half-lying and half-sitting, with his head fixed and unable to move in any way. The executor then places a container on top of the victim's head, and the water in the container falls on the victim's forehead at a constant rate through a tiny hole. Initially, this seemingly simple droplet may feel a strange sense of comfort, and may even have a brief cooling sensation due to the cold sensation of the droplet.
Over time, however, this initial feeling of comfort gradually turned into painful ordeal. Water droplets keep falling on the same spot, and this monotonous and repetitive physical stimulation begins to trigger redness and pain in the skin, which can eventually lead to skin breakdowns and even more serious injuries. As time goes on, this pain will gradually intensify and become more and more unbearable.
The psychological impact of the droplet punishment on the victim is even more profound and brutal. The cruelty of this punishment lies not only in the physical suffering, but also in the long-term psychological destruction of the victims. The beginning of the punishment may be accompanied by an unreal sense of hope – the victim may wish that he or she would be able to endure the punishment or even find a way to escape the pain.
But over time, the constant droplets of water will fade this sense of hope and replace it with despair and fear. The victim is forced to face constant pain and endless loneliness, and this psychological stress gradually accumulates, eventually leading to an extreme psychological breakdown. In the process, the victim undergoes a psychological transition from hope to despair, which in itself is an extreme psychological torture.
The cruelty of the punishment of water drops lies not only in the fact that it perpetuates and amplifies physical pain, but also in the fact that through the passage of time, the victim goes through a psychological process from initial discomfort to despair and psychological collapse in the later stage. This combination of psychological torture and physical pain made it one of the most brutal punishments in ancient times.