Chapter 16 2. The Meridian Gate Staff

In opera novels, we often see the story of "beheading at the Meridian Gate".However, in the Forbidden City in Beijing, there is no record of beheading at the Meridian Gate, nor the fact that it was beheaded at the Meridian Gate, but there are records of court officials being "dead with sticks" at the Meridian Gate, that is, they were beaten to death by the court stick. What is a court rod?Ting refers to the imperial court; stick refers to the wooden stick used to beat courtiers; stick death means to beat officials to death with a wooden stick.The location of the court stick is in the east verandah on the east side of the imperial road in front of the Meridian Gate.What about the court rod?During the execution, the rod recipients wore prison uniforms, had both wrists tied, and were led to the rod station outside the Meridian Gate.With an order, the rod-walker wraps the rod-receiver with a sackcloth and binds his feet. The rod-receiver is dragged in all directions, with only his buttocks exposed, his head touching the ground, and his mouth full of dust.The executioner shouted—"Hit!" The cavalry school swung a wooden stick and hit the buttocks of the officer receiving the stick. Every five sticks, one person was changed.The officials who were beaten screamed in pain, their flesh was bruised, their voices were unbearable, and their appearance was unbearable. Some were beaten to death on the spot, some were seriously injured and died after returning home, and some survived.The court rod is a cruel and insulting punishment.

When did China start to have court rods?Someone checked historical materials and said that this move started with Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty's "Palace Tart". "History of Ming Dynasty Criminal Law Records" said: The punishment of court rods began with Taizu.That is to say, there was no court stick in ancient times, and only court sticks have been available since Zhu Yuanzhang.In the Ming Dynasty, was the court rod an isolated phenomenon?no.Some books record: In the Ming Dynasty, there were more than 500 court ministers, and there were many dead.The most serious ones were the Zhengde and Jiajing dynasties.Let me tell you two real stories about the court staff.

The first story happened in the Zhengde Dynasty.The tenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao, became the crown prince at the age of two, inherited the throne at the age of fifteen, reigned for sixteen years, and died at the age of thirty-one.Emperor Zhengde behaved strangely, was very restless, liked hunting, and lived alone in the palace. He could be called a "weird" among emperors.At that time, there was a war in the northwest, and he wanted to conquer in person. The ministers resolutely opposed it in view of the painful lesson of Ming Yingzong's capture in the "civil engineering change".He insisted on going his own way, went out to fight in person, and returned to the court after victory. He issued an imperial edict and named himself "the mighty general".He once went on a tour in a modest suit, and when he arrived at Juyongguan, the officials who guarded the pass "refused to retreat and refused to order", so he returned disappointed.So, he sent his cronies to guard Juyongguan, and then left the customs late at night, and finally succeeded.He went to Datong, Yulin, Suide and other places in the northwest, and went to Nanjing and Zhenjiang in the south of the Yangtze River.The time can range from a few months to as long as a year.There is no emperor in the court, and the emperor's car does not have GPS positioning. Even the cabinet scholars don't know where the emperor is.

Emperor Zhengde's tour and absurdity were remonstrated by officials.When the emperor was angry, he imposed court rods on officials who dissuaded them.In the first month of the second year of Zhengde (1507), twenty-one people including Ai Hong, the official of the imperial staff, came to the palace.In February, Wang Liangchen, the censor of the court, was equal to the Meridian Gate. ("History of Ming Dynasty Wuzong Benji" Volume 16) Nanjing censor Lu Kun, a native of Gui'an (now Huzhou City), Zhejiang Province, Jinshi, led thirteen censors Bo Yanhui, Ge Hao, Gong Anfu, Wang Fan, Shi Liangzuo, Li Xi, Ren Nuo (Na), Yao Xueli, Zhang Mingfeng, Jiang Qin, Cao Min, Huang Zhaodao, Wang Hong, Xiao Qianyuan, etc., criticized Emperor Zhengde for favoring the eunuchs and feasting on daily affairs.蔀 (bu, meaning "shelter") houses are not sheltered from wind and rain; rich clothes and fine food, how do you know that the poor people are unbearable in the cold, heat, rain, freezing and starvation; There is no way." It means: Living in a spacious palace, how can you know the sufferings of the people who are not sheltered from the wind and rain; wearing silk and eating delicious food, how can you know that the people are living in the cold, cold, heat, and hunger; Difficult and miserable with nowhere to complain.Shu Shang, enraged, decreed: "I have been arrested and ordered to prison, each with thirty sticks, and removed from the name." Lu Kun and others were arrested and imprisoned, each with thirty sticks, and removed from office.Among them, Huang Zhaodao, Wang Hong, and Xiao Qianyuan were in Nanjing, and they were ordered to lay down their sticks in Nanjing. ("History of Ming Dynasty Lu Kun Biography" Volume 188)

There is also a censor named Jiang Qin, a native of Changshu, Jiangsu, a Jinshi, and also a Nanjing censor. He was sentenced to three times in a row: the first time was "arrested into prison, and the court rod is for the people" together with Lu Kun and others.The second time was three days later, when he went to the school alone and denounced the treacherous ministers.Sparse in, the result is another thirty rods, and sent to prison.The third time was another three days later, he went to the eunuch again, and reprimanded the treacherous minister—"The minister received the stick again yesterday, dripping with blood and flesh, and fell on his pillow in the prison", he looked at Emperor Zhengde, and cut off the head of the eunuch Liu Jin, Hanging at the Meridian Gate!He also said: If I am killed, let me play underground with Long Pang (pang) and Bigan, the ancient loyal and sages!According to historical records: when Jiang Qin was drafting the third memorial at night, he heard the sound of ghosts under the lamp.Jiang Qin said: After I read the memorial, I will suffer a great disaster. Is it because the ancestors showed me that they asked me not to write this memorial!So, I tidied up my clothes, stood up and said: If it is my ancestor, tell me loudly!As soon as he finished speaking, the voice came from the wall, making it even more miserable.Jiang Qin sighed: "Since I have been a censor, I have gained righteousness and forgotten my self. If I keep silent and fail the country, I will be ashamed for my ancestors!"So he wrote vigorously, saying: "Death is death, this manuscript cannot be changed!" The ghost voice stopped.At dawn, Shujin, another thirty sticks.Three days after the stick, he died in prison at the age of forty-nine. ("History of Ming Dynasty Jiang Qin Biography" Volume 188)

In March of the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519), Emperor Zhengde was going on a tour again, and the ministers collectively resisted admonishment, which led to a fierce conflict between the monarch and his ministers.In order to dissuade the emperor from making a southern tour, Shu Fen and others advised against him, but were punished by the imperial staff. Shu Fen, a native of Jinxian (now Nanchang City) in Jiangxi Province, "History of the Ming Dynasty" records: Shu Fen was a child prodigy when he presented "Fu on Taming Wild Goose" in the twelfth year of Shu Fen's year; in the twelfth year of Zhengde (1517), he won the first prize in the examination and became the Imperial Academy compose.He has a backbone and dares to speak, "the spirit stands tall, the spirit is stern, and he lives in front of him without tiredness."Shu Fen and other 107 people went to Shangshu to admonish Emperor Zhengde to go out for a tour.Emperor Zhengde was furious, and ordered Shu Fen and others to "kneel down for five days and restore the stick thirty times after the expiration of the period." ("History of Ming Shu Fen Biography" Volume 179) Shu Fen and others lined up and knelt outside the Meridian Gate, one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, five consecutive days in front of the Meridian Gate.The majestic No. 1 scholar of the Ming Dynasty was fined to kneel in front of the Meridian Gate for five consecutive days, how decent!The emperor ignored the advice of the ministers.An official named Zhang Ying saw that the emperor ignored him, so he "remonstrated himself", that is, committed suicide to make the emperor accept the suggestions of the ministers.Fortunately, the guards present had sharp eyesight and quick hands, stepped forward and snatched the knife from his hand, so Zhang Ying survived.Emperor Zhengde still went his own way, turning a blind eye to the remonstrance of the ministers and turning a deaf ear to it.So the cabinet scholars resigned collectively.Emperor Zhengde restrained and endured them, and "warmly comforted them"; they also gave the emperor a face and reluctantly agreed to stay in office.Later, when the incident became serious, Emperor Zhengde showed his coercive power. He ordered that 107 officials including Shu Fen who knelt down should be punished, and the imperial staff should be imposed in front of the Meridian Gate.Later, 39 people including Huang Gong from Jinyiwei Prison were added, so that a total of 146 people received the imperial cane, and 11 people died under the cane.Although that Zhang Ying attempted suicide, he was finally "killed" by Emperor Zhengde.After receiving the cane, Shu Fen was seriously injured and was carried to the courtyard of the Hanlin Academy.The academician (top leader) of the Hanlin Academy was afraid of offending his superiors, so he "ordered him to come out", that is, to get him out!Shu Fen said: "If I am an official, I will die!" After that, he was demoted to Fujian, wrapped up in wounds, and left Beijing to go on the road.

Shu Fen saved his life in the imperial staff and survived until Emperor Jiajing ascended the throne. "Emperor Shizong ascended the throne and called back the old officials." Shu Fen, who returned to Beijing, did not change the integrity of his ministers. Together with Yang Shen and others, he knelt down at Zuo Shun's gate and cried for admonitions for the "Da Li Yi". Tingzhang was also fined for three months.Soon after his mother's death, he returned home and died of illness at the age of forty-four. The second story happened in the Jiajing Dynasty.In the third year of Jiajing (1524), the group of ministers fought for the "Great Ritual Discussion", and the tragedy of the Great Court Staff in front of the Meridian Gate occurred again. What happened to the "big ceremony"?After the death of Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, he had no sons, "brothers end up with younger brothers", and his cousin Zhu Houcong (cong) succeeded the throne from the vassal palace.Zhu Houcong's family is in Anlu (now Zhongxiang), Hubei, and his father is Xingxian King Zhu Youzhu (deceased).He traveled all the way to Beijing to succeed him. He was 15 years old when he ascended the throne, and his reign name was Jiajing.

As soon as Emperor Jiajing came to the throne, there was a dispute over the title of the new emperor's biological father, which was called the "Dali Discussion" dispute in history books.The focus of the controversy is: Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youtang is Houcong's adoptive father, and Zhu Youtang is his biological father. How can he be honored?The ministers Zhang Cong and others catered to the emperor's wishes and suggested that Zun Youzhu be the emperor's examination, and Xiaozong (the father of Emperor Zhengde) be the emperor's uncle.Yang Tinghe and others believed that it was not in accordance with the etiquette and law, and advocated calling Xiaozong the emperor Kao and Xingxian king the emperor's uncle.This controversy lasted for three years.In the third year of Jiajing (1524), Emperor Jiajing honored King Xingxian as Emperor Kaogong Muxian.More than 200 ministers who opposed Fengxi and others knelt and shouted outside Zuoshun gate.The emperor sent the eunuch to announce his retreat, and he insisted on not retreating from morning to noon.The emperor ordered the arrest of 8 people to deter them.The other ministers, instead of retreating, cried loudly, shaking the court.Emperor Jiajing was furious and ordered 134 officials below the fifth rank, including Fengxi, the imperial staff, and 17 of them died.Those who received the stick were wrapped in sores and sucked blood, screaming in pain, filling the prison, and suffering a lot.The number of people who died in Jiajing's "Da Li Yi" court stick was recorded in "Ming History Criminal Law Records" as 16 people, and "Ming Shizong Veritable Records", "Ming History Wang Si Chuan", "Ming History Guo Nan Biography", "Ming History Chronicles: The End of Ming History Da Li Yi" are all recorded There were 17 people, and "Ming History Biography of He Mengchun" recorded 18 people.This article takes 17 people to say.

Officials of the imperial court were punished with court rods for remonstrance. "History of the Ming Dynasty Criminal Law Records" said: "The humiliation of a public official has never happened before." Later in the Qing Dynasty, the court rods for ministers were abolished. In this section, the stories of the two imperial staffs of the Zhengde Dynasty and the Jiajing Dynasty, on the surface, the direct victors are Emperor Zhengde and Emperor Jiajing, but the final losers are also Emperor Zhengde and Emperor Jiajing——Emperor Zhengde refused to be advised to go on a parade and traveled in a lucky boat Overturned and fell into the water; Emperor Jiajing was proud of his victory, prayed for longevity, and ended in tragedy.Therefore, the final victor is not a faint king or licentiousness, but history and justice.

The Meridian Gate is a witness of history: China's upright scholar-bureaucrats have a noble spirit, which is righteousness, which is what Mencius called "awe-inspiring spirit"!This kind of awe-inspiring righteousness means to uphold righteousness, dare to speak out, and not be afraid of court staff; to uphold righteousness, dare to speak the truth, not to be afraid of humiliation; to uphold justice, dare to do practical things, not to be afraid of evil; ——Strength of character, boldness, three memorials, three court sticks, although people die, righteousness will last forever, just as Wen Tianxiang said: "No one in life has died since ancient times, and keep the loyalty to reflect the history!"

Let's talk about "Presenting Prisoners at the Meridian Gate".