There were many types of punishment in ancient China, among which Ling Chi was considered the most appalling form of torture. This punishment originated during the Five Dynasties, when prisoners had to endure more than 3,300 knives before they died, and the number of knives per was strictly regulated. However, the torture of the national hero Yue Fei in the Fengbo Pavilion was even more shocking than the pain caused by Ling Chi. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, although the entire Great Song Dynasty presented a prosperous scene, the developed commodity economy and the 70% victory rate of the Northern Song army exceeded that of the Tang Dynasty.
However, the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty began with the "Chenqiao Mutiny" of Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, and the instability of his own identity made him suspicious of his subordinate generals. Therefore, the Northern Song Dynasty opened a precedent for China to emphasize literature over military force. The Han nation, which originally advocated the spirit of martial arts, gradually declined, especially under the influence of the hedonistic and comfortable Great Song Dynasty, the combat effectiveness and fighting spirit of the entire nation gradually weakened. This led to the fact that the official family of the Great Song Dynasty always chose to use money to solve problems in the face of war, and they were spineless. Repeatedly submitted to the outside world, so that the Northern Song Dynasty experienced the shame of Jingkang, and the two emperors Huizong of Song and Song Qinzong were all exiled to the north, which was an unprecedented shame.
The Zhao and Song royal families were destroyed overnight, but fortunately, there was a continuation of Zhao Gou, which laid the foundation for the rise of the Southern Song Dynasty. However, the Jin people did not intend to let go of the opportunity to destroy the Song Dynasty, and Jin Wushu led the Jin State Iron Cavalry to search everywhere, hunt down Song Gaozong Zhao Gou, and force him to the sea. At this time, the soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty had almost lost their combat effectiveness, and if it were not for the appearance of four generals, including Zhang Jun, Han Shizhong, Liu Guangshi and Yue Fei, the Southern Song Dynasty might have perished. With the efforts of these four generals, the Great Song Army, which still had the will to fight, joined together and constantly blocked the Jin Wushu army from penetrating into the hinterland of the Great Song Dynasty.
The Jin Iron Cavalry has always been known for its quick victories, but due to the long battle line, the lack of reinforcements and sufficient food and grass, it had to retreat temporarily. At that time, the old capital of Kaifeng could not be recovered, and Yue Fei and others could only eliminate the Jin people's influence south of the Yangtze River. In 1130 AD, Yue Fei intercepted Jin Wushu in Changzhou, won four battles and four victories, captured more than ten people of Jin State, and continued to pursue to Zhenjiang Mansion. Han Shizhong and Yue Fei fought together, and in the forty-day water battle, they bought Yue Fei plenty of time. Yue Fei led the brave soldiers and defeated the Jin army, leaving their corpses piled up for fifteen miles.
He marched bravely from Niutou Mountain in the south to Xincheng in the southwest, and the Jin army was defeated all the way until nearly half of the soldiers died in the Yangtze River. In the battle of Jiankang, which lasted for half a month, Yue Fei recaptured Jiankang with only more than 1,000 troops, and re-established the defense line in the south of the Yangtze River, consolidating the rule of the Southern Song Dynasty. When the situation was promising, the heroes of the green forest and the common people went to support, the Song people were united, and the Jin people could no longer advance south. However, just when Yue Fei captured Zhuxian Town and was not far from Feng, the imperial court suddenly issued twelve gold medals and urgently summoned Yue Fei back to the capital. What's going on here?The loyal ministers are cornered.
At that time, when Zhao Gou of Song Gaozong was still King Kang, he went to the Jin people as a proton in response to the order of Song Qinzong. Later, in the process of the Jin army's continuous pursuit and killing, Zhao Gou became accustomed to evading the war. Despite this, he still harbored a desire for revenge in his heart, hoping to wash away Xue Jingkang's shame. Therefore, at the beginning, Zhao Gou had high hopes for those who supported the main battle, and the four generals also emerged. Especially after Yue Fei's troops gradually grew, the Jin people could no longer make a difference. Seeing that not only the Southern Song Dynasty could not be attacked, but even the Central Plains in the hands of the Yue family army would be recaptured. Jin Wushu was very anxious, so he thought of the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty who was willing to become a slave of the Jin people-Qin Hui.
After the secret correspondence between the two sides, a hint of cunning flashed in Qin Hui's eyes, and he asked Song Gaozong two questions. One is "If Yue Fei recovers the Central Plains, how will His Majesty treat him?".How will the people of the world think of him?The other is, "If Yue Fei welcomes back the Second Emperor, how should His Majesty deal with it?"”。These two questions are simply sinister, the first question highlights that once Yue Fei recovers the Central Plains, he will be highly meritorious, and the people will definitely think that Yue Fei has the greatest merit, and what status can Song Gaozong have?This undoubtedly posed a threat to Song Gaozong's rule.
As for the second question, it is more profound, the two emperors are in the north, even if it is not said that Yue Fei successfully rescued them, just the Jin people are afraid of returning the second emperor, so when Song Huizong and Song Qinzong return to the Southern Song Dynasty, there will be three more emperors in the entire Southern Song Dynasty, who should listen to their orders?Therefore, when Qin Hui later framed Yue Fei, Song Gaozong Zhao Gou's attitude of staying out of the matter was enough to prove that Zhao Gou was the real behind-the-scenes. Yue Fei has great influence both in the army and among ordinary people. If you want to eradicate Yue Fei, you must make up the corresponding charges. However, after Yue Fei was imprisoned in Dali Temple, Qin Hui and others used various tortures to force his confession.
In ancient times, there was a form of torture known as "scarf", which was not included in the formal penal code because of its cruelty. The executor would beat the prisoner until he was injured, and then wrap the wound with strips of cloth. When the strip of cloth penetrates the blood and tissue fluid, the wound is re-exposed to the air when it is removed, and may even cause the strip to be torn off along with the flesh, causing the prisoner to suffer from pain. Another type of torture is called "rib pulling" and is carried out in two different ways. One is in which two torturers pull the prisoner's arms outward with a rope, and then a third person hits the ribs with a blunt object, causing the shoulder blades to be pulled apart and the ribs to break inward until the internal organs are punctured.
The other is more brutal, in which the torturer wraps iron chains or ropes around the ribs of the chest, and then pulls them at the same time until the chains become tighter and tighter, and the prisoner's ribs are too unbearable to bear and break inward. In contrast to the rapid and lethal punishment of Ling Chi, the "torture" and the "torture of pulling ribs" are designed to physically and psychologically torture the prisoner at the same time until the purpose of interrogation is achieved, but not to death. To sum up, the kind of torture that Yue Fei experienced in the Fengbo Pavilion was far more cruel than Ling Chi. This kind of torture not only caused destruction to the body, but also brought great damage to Yue Fei's mind. A hero who is loyal to the monarch and serves the country and fights on the battlefield for life, at this moment, how great his disappointment in the court is.