Chapter 5 Violence and tendencies

There is a record in "History of the Ming Dynasty": "The king of Yan came to the throne, Tie Xuan was held, and he entered the audience; he stood in the court with his back, and he was unyielding in his words; he cut off his ears and nose, and never looked back. Chengzu was angry, and his flesh was eaten by Hyun's mouth. , Said: "Are you willing?" He sternly said: "The flesh of a loyal minister, why not be unwilling!" He couldn't stop cursing until he died. He ordered a large wok of oil to be thrown into the corpse to cook it, and he was sent to the north and turned outward. He even ordered the servants inside Clamping it with an iron rod to the north, Cheng Zu laughed and said, "You are also facing me now?" Before he finished speaking, the oil boiled, and the hands of the servants inside were rotten, and he discarded the stick and walked away, with the bones still facing outward."

Although the authenticity of this record is still a bit doubtful, because it is not easy to read the events of several centuries ago with a few discounts from the historian's pen; but there are two points that we can use what we have heard and seen As a reference, it is expected that it is true.First, it is the genius of the Chinese who use torture, which can be regarded as the number one in the world.It is England's Henry VIII, who was famous for his tyranny in history, but when it comes to torture, he still can't catch up with the lynching in modern China, no matter where the detective team or the spy room is.The principle of levers, invented by foreigners, is used on machinery, while Chinese people will use it on tiger stools; the invention of electricity, applied by foreigners on daily appliances, saves material and effort and facilitates daily life and treatment. Yes, and the Chinese are uniquely able to use it as an aid to torture.Judging from these places, Chengzu's oil pans, iron rods, "cutting the meat to eat it" and other tricks may not be lies.Second, the foolish idea of ​​wanting to use violence to unify thoughts, or even use despicable means to make ordinary people surrender, is also the old temper of the Chinese who "has been done since ancient times, and is especially fierce today."

However, although lynching is up to you, and violence is up to you, Tie Xuan's bones can't make it face north after all, which is also a welcome tendency of human beings. "Every man can't lose his ambition" is a slogan once put forward in the biography of the Chinese Bible. "Aside from death, there is no other crime, and begging will no longer be poor." These are the strong words of Ah Q used by the people to harden themselves.It's a pity that Chengzu couldn't see this, otherwise the troubles such as oil pans and iron rods could be saved, and the historians of the Ming Dynasty could also omit that record.

Originally published in Literature, Volume 1, Issue 3, September 1, 1933