Chapter 17 3. Prisoners at the Meridian Gate

The etiquette of presenting captives existed in ancient times.The victor holds a ceremony, kills the captives, sacrifices to gods and ancestors, sings and dances, and celebrates.Later, through evolution, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, after the victory of a large-scale war, a prisoner offering ceremony was held at the Meridian Gate.The emperor personally guarded the Meridian Gate Tower, held a grand ceremony, and accepted the offering of prisoners.The Qing Dynasty's "Guochao Palace History" records: "The country has conquered, and the captives are presented in triumph, and the emperor receives the ceremony of presenting prisoners at the Meridian Gate." The ceremony of presenting prisoners at the Meridian Gate is a grand national ceremony.

In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor personally participated in the ceremony of presenting captives at the Meridian Gate. "History of the Ming Dynasty" recorded 4 times, all during the Wanli period.Among them, Zhu Guozhen, who was captured by the Japanese in the twenty-seventh year of Wanli (1599), recorded it in "Yongzhuang Essays: Presenting Prisoners". "Japanese prisoners" are Japanese prisoners in the war of "resisting Japanese and aiding Korea".The whole story is as follows: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kanbakuro (head of Japan), conspired to occupy Korea, intending to invade China, and first launched a war of aggression against Korea.In the 20th year of Wanli (1592), the Ming Dynasty sent troops to North Korea for help.In the second year, the Korean and Ming armies recovered Pyongyang and approached Seoul (now Seoul).The Japanese army withdrew from southern Korea, pretending to negotiate peace. In 1597, Japan gathered heavy troops again and invaded North Korea by water and land.The next year, the North Korean and Ming armies counterattacked and won consecutive victories.After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died, the Japanese army was forced to withdraw from North Korea.The Ming army captured the Japanese soldiers and offered them up in front of the Meridian Gate.On April 24th in the twenty-seventh year of Wanli (1599), the Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty held a prisoner offering ceremony at the Yuwumen Tower.The minister of the Ministry of punishment finished his work, and finally said: "Let's go to the city to execute the sentence, please order." The emperor personally said: "Take it!" what to do?There is a very interesting and effective method, that is, the two ministers on the left and right of the emperor shouted repeatedly: "Take it!" Then the four people on the left and right shouted: "Take it!" In this way, one becomes two, and two becomes four. , Four increased to eight, and eight increased to sixteen. Finally, three hundred and sixty people including the general Han shouted in unison: "Take it!" The voice was as loud as thunder. (See Zhu Guozhen's "Yongzhu Essay·Offering Prisoners")

In the Qing Dynasty, troops were frequently used in the northwest and southwest. During the Kang, Yong, and Qian dynasties and even the Daoguang period, prisoner offering ceremonies were held at the Meridian Gate many times.The day before the Meridian Gate sacrifice ceremony, the captives tied a white rope around their necks and sacrificed to temples and shrines first, that is, offering sacrifices to Taimiao and Sheji.At the prisoner offering ceremony, a royal seat was set in the middle of the main building of the Meridian Gate, with a yellow cover under the eaves, and halogen books were placed under the tower of the Meridian Gate, arranged on both sides until the Duanmen.Other guards of honor are lined up at Tiananmen Square.In front of the Meridian Gate, princes and ministers, civil and military officials, stood solemnly and divided into shifts.The emperor wore dragon robes and gowns, and went out of the inner palace by public transport.When starting to drive, the bell will ring at the Meridian Gate; when you arrive at the Taihe Gate, the golden drum will be played and the cymbals will be played.When the emperor arrived at the Meridian Gate, he walked along the horse path and rose to his seat in the imperial tower.Downstairs at the Meridian Gate, officials of the Ministry of War led the generals and schools, leading the prisoners of war to kneel down.Ministry of War Shangshu report: offer prisoners!Drums are played, salutes are roaring.All the officials stood up and celebrated the victory.The official ceremony said: salute!So he brought the captive over and made him kneel on the ground.The officials of the Ministry of War said: "According to the decree to pacify a certain place, I would like to present the captured prisoners, please order." At this time, the emperor issued a decree, either handing over the prisoners of war to the Ministry of Punishment, or releasing the prisoners of war with grace.Prisoners are not all killed.For example, Dawaqi, the leader of Junggar in Xinjiang, rebelled. In the 20th year of Qianlong (1755), the Qing government sent troops to conquer and captured Dawaqi.On October 18 of the same year, Emperor Qianlong was captured at the Yuwu Gate Tower.Emperor Qianlong ordered Dawaqi to be handed over to the Lifan Court, but not to the Ministry of Punishment. The officials of the Lifan Court kowtowed and received the decree. They did not kill Dawaqi, but pardoned him.Dawaqi went out from the right door of Chang'an. (Volume 499 of "Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty") After the ceremony of presenting the captives, the emperor returned to the palace by car.Emperor Qianlong carved a stone in Guozijian to commemorate the victory of Pingzhun.Later, Dawaqi was granted the title of prince, bestowed on Xisibaochansi Street, and the granddaughter of the county king was chosen as his wife.Dawaqi's body is extremely fat, his face is as big as a plate, and his waist and abdomen are around ten. He was appointed as the imperial guard.Emperor Qianlong pardoned Dawaqi in order to win support and disintegrate the separatist forces.He adopted the policy of conquest and use, successively determined Junggar and southern Xinjiang, and a general situation of unifying Xinjiang emerged.

The Meridian Gate is a witness of history: the great and unified Chinese nation will neither be conquered nor divided—the Chinese nation will be more unified, stronger, more prosperous, and more prosperous.