The highest judiciary of the Criminal Department, why was it criticized for having no yamen

Mondo History Updated on 2024-02-06

**Ten Thousand Fans Incentive Plan In the late Qing Dynasty, there was a widely circulated proverb that told about the plight of the criminal department, that is, "the door has no plaque, the hall has no decoration, ** no fame and fortune, and the scribe has no face".

This proverb clearly reveals the embarrassing situation of the Criminal Department, whether it is an incumbent ** or a scribe, they are facing the dilemma of fame and fortune, and the Criminal Department has therefore become a yamen that people avoid.

The Criminal Department: The Pressures and Challenges Behind Judicial Fairness The Criminal Department is the country's judicial administrative body, but why is it so low in the eyes of officialdom? From the perspective of the imperial history, there are several main reasons.

First of all, the work of the Criminal Department is to deal with judicial cases, including death penalty cases, which is regarded in Confucian culture as a symbol of "prudent killing" and is contrary to the benevolent government advocated by scholars.

Secondly, the Criminal Department needs to personally execute the condemned prisoners, and this bloody scene makes the doctors feel uncomfortable. Finally, the Criminal Department** deals with all kinds of criminals, which is inconsistent with the origin and identity of the scholars, who consider it to be a degrading to their identity.

Therefore, the low status of the Criminal Department in the eyes of scholars also reflects the pressure and challenges behind judicial fairness.

The ancient people were superstitious and thought that excessive punishment would harm themselves and their family's blessings, and the criminal department also had a low status and was unwilling to take office. In addition, the criminal department has fewer opportunities to make money, and it is difficult for them to obtain gray income compared to the household department in charge of money and grain.

These factors have made the Penal Department a less popular department.

1.The Ministry of Officials controls the assessment and promotion of civil officials, and has the right to appoint and dismiss personnel, so they enjoy a high income in the first place, especially in the year of Beijing Cha and the Great Plan, they have been filial to the Ministry of Officials.

2.The power of the military department of the Ming Dynasty was limited during the Qing Dynasty, but this did not affect the economic income of the military department. When there is war in the country, the ** of the military department can rely on the requisition of ordnance and chariots and horses to obtain rich kickbacks.

3.Although the Ministry of Rites is considered to be the Qingshui Yamen, when the country holds important celebrations, such as the birthday of the emperor and empress, the canonization of princes and princesses, etc., the Ministry of Rites** can get a considerable income.

4.The Ministry of Rites' biggest income** is the Township Examination and the General Examination held every three years, and they do not need to risk cheating or being asked to do so, as long as they can get a considerable income from the financial allocation.

Although the Ministry of Industry is inferior, it actually has a lot of financial resources, as long as it involves royal projects or national key projects, the Ministry of Industry can make a big profit. These projects often have huge investments, often millions of taels, and the accounts are chaotic, and it is difficult to verify information such as masonry, wood, and craftsmen's wages.

In contrast, the Criminal Department lacks the opportunity to accumulate additional wealth, and unless it receives special care from the governors of various provinces, it is difficult to guarantee their daily living expenses. This is mainly because the judicial department is highly concerned by the emperor and the general public, once there is an unjust, false and wrongful case, the pressure is huge, and the criminal department can only act in accordance with the law, and no one dares to easily touch the interests involved in the case.

Among the six departments, the promotion of the criminal department ** is particularly difficult. Compared with the other five ministries, the transfer of Shangshu and Shilang of the Criminal Department is not frequent, and it usually takes at least two or three years to adjust.

The emergence of this phenomenon is mainly because the emperor hopes that the reign of the criminal department can be appropriately extended, so as to better control the affairs of the ministry. In addition, many of the Langzhong and Yuanwai Langzhong of the Five Divisions were selected by the Hanlin Academy and the Zhan Shifu.

The emperor hoped that they could learn and practice in various ministries, and when the opportunity was right, these people would have a good career prospect. In addition, some of the officials were candidates for the Taoist and prefect trained by the imperial court, and after working in various ministries for a period of time, they would be sent to other provinces to serve as the provincial governor.

In the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty, the personnel changes of the Criminal Department were the most stable, because the Criminal Department was a highly professional department, and they had an in-depth understanding of the "Great Qing Statutes" through years of practice and accumulation.

Since the late Kangxi period, there have been few personnel changes in the Criminal Department, and promotions have also been carried out within the department. Surprisingly, the more professional the **, the more difficult it is to change.

Once they leave, the normal functioning of the penal department will be affected. According to relevant documents, the average length of service of the Shangshu of the Criminal Department during the Qing Dynasty was much longer than that of other departments, and some Shangshu even worked in the Criminal Department for more than ten or twenty years, which is difficult to see in other yamen.

About the description of the criminal department circulating in officialdom"There is no plaque in the door, no point in the hall, no money for the official, and no face for the official"The Imperial Historian consulted a large number of sources, but was never able to find a reasonable explanation.

It is relatively easy to understand that officials have no money and officials have no face, but there are still doubts about the lack of plaques and points in the door, and I hope that readers who know the relevant knowledge can give advice.

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