In ancient times, why did criminals have to be beheaded after autumn? Why not kill them at once?

In ancient times, many people who broke the law were put into prison to prepare for execution, and these death row prisoners were usually beheaded by beheading officials, who were responsible for beheading them within a specified time and date. However, there are two requirements for this specified time. One is that the date of beheading is after the fall of a year, which is what everyone has heard, and the other is that the time is set at three o'clock at noon. If the prisoner was sentenced to death as early as the beginning of the year, wouldn't it take another six months to execute it, but in fact, behind the fall is a university question.

Old historical photos

Besides, beheading at three noon. In ancient times, people didn't have clocks. A day is divided into 12 hours, and one hour is two hours. So, at 3 noon, it is noon 12. At noon 12, it is also the strongest time of the day. The ancients believed that beheading prisoners at three o'clock in the afternoon could get enough sunshine and yang to avoid resentment after death. Moreover, in order to avoid this resentment, before the execution, I have made full preparations. I will prepare meat for the condemned prisoners and let them eat and drink before going on the road.

Screenshot of film and television

Then after the fall, he was questioned and beheaded. This statement originated from the Western Han Dynasty, when the Qin Dynasty respected Legalism and ruled the country by law. However, the Western Han Dynasty began to respect Confucianism, and the rule of asking questions after autumn also appeared after the Han Dynasty. Before that, people actually didn't have this rule. After the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu put forward a view that killing people in autumn and winter would not violate justice, so slowly in the Eastern Han Dynasty, people set this time of not violating justice between November and December, which officially confirmed the date of asking for punishment after autumn.

Old historical photos

Slowly, this thought influenced later generations, and all generations began to follow the habit of asking questions after autumn. Therefore, in the Tang and Song Dynasties, except for those who were extremely vicious and guilty and should have been beheaded long ago, they did not start to ask questions until after autumn. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, even if it was a heinous crime, no matter what crime was committed, the death penalty would not be executed until after autumn. Every time there is a beheading in the market, many people go to see it, especially some corrupt officials are invited to behead it, which is even more gratifying and solves the great hatred of the people.

When reading classical novels or costume dramas, when it comes to cases, judicial officials often say two words: "execution after autumn" and "execution at noon".

In ancient China, the timing of executing prisoners was really particular.

A scene in the ancient costume love drama "Love History of Datang".

As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was a record of "rewarding in spring and summer and punishing in autumn and winter". In the Han dynasty, the selective execution of death penalty formed a strict system, which also became the tradition of successive dynasties.

"The Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records: "The old story of the Han Dynasty was reported to be heavy, and it often lasted for three winter months." Specifically, the time of centralized execution in Han Dynasty was after beginning of autumn and before beginning of spring. If you choose a season, you should also choose a "good day", that is, "harmonious breeding."

In the troubled times of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, countries also followed this routine. For example, in 560, the Southern Chen Dynasty wrote that "those who have made great efforts for it should stop" and demanded that the death penalty should not be executed before the beginning of summer.

In the Tang Dynasty, the regulations were further refined. "On the Law of the Tang Dynasty" wrote: The season when the death penalty can be executed is after the autumnal equinox every year and before beginning of spring; Every year, the first month, May and September are "killing the moon", and no matter how big the crime is, it cannot be executed in these months. If it violates Article 60.

In addition to "killing the moon", there was another "not killing the sun" in the Tang Dynasty. The first, eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth and thirtieth days of each month are called "ten straight days", and the death penalty shall not be executed. In addition, the death penalty cannot be executed on the dates of big sacrifice, fasting, new moon, first quarter moon, second quarter moon, 24 solar terms, holidays and so on.

A scene in the TV series The Secret History of Princess Taiping.

Since then, the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties have clear legal provisions on when to prohibit killing, but the specific time is slightly different. Take the recent Qing Dynasty as an example. The implementation time is from autumn to winter solstice every year. It also clearly lists a number of "don't kill birthdays", such as "seven days on New Year's Day, three days on Shangyuan Festival, one day on Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival, and seven days on longevity" and so on.

One more thing, since there is a system of punishment and killing in autumn and winter, why is it listed as "no killing day" all year round?

This is for prisoners who never wait for time. Rebellion, handmaiden killing master, wife killing husband, children killing parents, etc. It is a heinous crime that cannot be delayed, and it can be executed without waiting until autumn; If there is a no-killing day, wait for the time being.

What should I do if I encounter a no-killing day during the autumn execution period? That can only be done after today.

No matter what the difference is, the main line of "autumn and winter are criminal killings" has not changed.

Why do you choose autumn and winter as the main season for executing the death penalty?

The ancients paid special attention to the interaction between man and nature, especially after the Han Dynasty's exclusive respect for Confucianism, and paid more attention to "the interaction between man and nature" and "harmony with nature". When it comes to punishment, execution must correspond to the season. "Those who punish evil with virtue are also in harmony with the four seasons. When punishment and morality are combined, it will lead to happiness, and then it will lead to disaster. "

The cold wind blows in autumn and winter, and everything withers. This kind of atmosphere coincides with the landing of the human head, so the ancients said: "first frost, the reason why Heaven killed; The penalty, the reason for your penalty. "

However, after beginning of spring, the sun rose, everything developed and the world was full of vitality. "Spring is natural" and "Summer is eternal". If the prisoner is executed at this time, it will violate the "providence" and may be retaliated by disaster. Spring and summer is a good opportunity for the monarch of a country to practice "benevolence" and "virtue"

The execution scene of the death penalty in the late Qing Dynasty.

As for the execution time, most dynasties did not have very clear requirements. Generally speaking, it is not allowed to be carried out before the rain, the night and the sun have set.

There is a rule in the Tang Dynasty: "When a prisoner is sentenced, let him give orders. If it is not the latter, he cannot apply. " That is, 1 prisoners executed between 5 pm.

The Ming dynasty initially inherited the provisions of the Tang dynasty, and later completed it one hour ahead of schedule and before 3 pm; In the seventh year of Jiajing, the execution time was advanced to noon (morning 1 1 to afternoon 1). At present, the statement of "execution at three o'clock at noon" in film and television dramas is generally consistent with the actual situation in Ming Dynasty.

Someone on the Internet explained that the ancients chose "execution at three noon" because noon was the most sunny time of the day, so ghosts dared not appear. In fact, most dynasties in the history of China did not have the general rule of "execution at noon".

There are two reasons why the Ming dynasty chose to execute at noon: first, in the procedure, in case of an accident (such as shouting grievances) before execution, time can be set aside on the same day; Second, it is too early or too late to play the role of "punishing people in the city and abandoning people."

In the tradition of "autumn and winter punishment", there is one dynasty exception, that is, the Qin dynasty, when executing the death penalty, it can be executed regardless of spring and summer. This has also become one of the reasons why later scholars criticized it: "Qin and Wei abused politics and were executed at four o'clock."