As human beings, we often wonder: What is the most frightening thing? There is a voice that has been fresh for a long time, it says, "In life, only death should make people feel afraid." However, does this really hold water? In the long river of history, there is such a group of people who regard death as their home, and only pursue the cause that they think is right and righteous in their hearts. Wen Tianxiang, the loyal martyr of the Southern Song Dynasty, was fearless in the face of death, and he heroically chanted: "Who has not died in life since ancient times? Keep Dan in mind! Even though the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty took his life, his spirit still shines on generations to come.
However, we have to think, can people really be completely free from fear of life and death? Is there any punishment other than life and death that is even more cruel than death itself? Today, let's take a deep and old topic: those punishments that transcend life and death - the distribution frontier.
In the eyes of modern people, the distribution frontier may be only a punishment second only to the death penalty, similar to the current reprieve. However, in the minds of the ancients, this kind of punishment was far more terrible than the death penalty. Historically, since the Qin and Han dynasties, rulers have used this kind of punishment. In that era when the emperor system was highly centralized, in order to deprive the aristocratic forces of power, the distribution of frontiers became a sharp weapon in the hands of emperors.
For those nobles who dare to rebel, it is easy to solve, and a knife can be used to prevent future troubles. However, it is the powerful and intelligent aristocrats who really give the rulers a headache. They couldn't find a reason to kill them, but they couldn't let them go. Therefore, it can only start with small sins, although the sin is not death, but it is enough to distribute the frontier and keep them away from the center of power. In this way, the emperors can rest easy.
But what exactly does it mean to be a frontier? Many people may think that at least one life can be saved! Maybe you can meet the amnesty world and return to your hometown? But is that really the case?
First of all, we need to understand that the distribution of frontiers is not a simple matter of living in a different place. Under the backward transportation conditions of ancient times, the assigned people could only trek through the mountains and rivers and through the wilderness on their own legs. The places of exile are nothing more than the northeast, southwest, northwest, and southeast, which are out of reach for ordinary people. The hardships and hardships are unimaginable to us modern people.
Second, even if you get lucky enough to make it to the penal colony, don't expect to live in peace. In those wilderness places, there is nothing, everything has to be built by yourself. Build the Great Wall, open canals, reclaim wasteland, grow grain ......These strenuous labor are enough to exhaust a person. In many cases, the person who is assigned can only get true peace after he dies of exhaustion.
As for the amnesty that everyone is looking forward to? That's right, the emperors of all dynasties did like to come to such a show when there was a happy event. But don't forget, the amnesty does not include prisoners on the frontier. Don't be fooled by the plot of the TV series! Emperors are not so kind-hearted, and they prefer to torture those they hate to death. The distribution of the frontier is such a means that can not only preserve the reputation of the emperor, but also put people to death.
So you see, the terrible thing about the punishment of the frontier is not only that it deprives people of their freedom and dignity, but also that they make people die slowly in endless torment. This method of death is undoubtedly much more brutal than cutting off the head with a single knife. Therefore, we can say that in the minds of ancient people, the phrase "life in the world is only the frontier should make people feel afraid" may be more reasonable.
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