In the long history of the Qing Dynasty, there is a little-known but outrageous dark chapter, that is, the brutal implementation of the criminal law of "standing cage". This kind of torture is not only chilling, but also a humane trampling, causing great pain and suffering to innocent people.
A terrifying scene
Let's travel back in time to the late Qing Dynasty, on a cold winter day, in a dilapidated inn in Caozhou, twelve men in tattered clothes knelt on the ground, their expressions frightened and their hearts full of despair. In front of them lay twelve black square cages, filled with sharp iron nails, like entrances to hell. This is the "standing cage" torture designed by the newly appointed Caozhou prefect Yuxian.
Under the coercion and temptation of officers and soldiers, the twelve men were forced to squeeze into a small cage. As soon as the cage door closed, their necks were clamped tightly, and their feet barely touched the ground, unable to move in the slightest. The whole person seemed to be imprisoned in a bloody cage.
A few days later, when the cage was opened, ten people had died tragically inside, leaving only two dying men. Their bodies were cut by iron nails, drenched in blood, and their hearts were filled with despair and fear.
The brutality of torture
"Torture is appalling because it is far more brutal than one might think. This kind of criminal law not only allows prisoners to stand in a small space for long periods of time, but also deprives them of the right to rest. The slightest movement will touch the sharp nails, and fatal wounds will follow.
The moment these men were forced into the cages, their hearts were filled with fear and despair. They don't know if they'll make it out alive, and they can't imagine the pain of being trapped in a cage. In this small space, they had to maintain a stiff posture, for fear that the slightest mistake would kill them.
The implementation of "standing cage" torture has made Caozhou a human purgatory. Hundreds of innocent people were "standing alive" in wooden cages, and their bones were gone. Yuxian's brutality has left people huddled in fear and filled with despair for the future.
Reflection and warning
Standing in the long river of history, we can't help but reflect on this painful history. The reason why this kind of torture was prevalent was because of the low level of education in the society at that time, and no one in the rulers could stop it. At that time, people lived in poverty and ignorance, and there was a lack of correct understanding of laws and moral norms, which led to all kinds of injustices and atrocities.
However, history has not left us with its lessons. Today, we live in an era of better education and a sound rule of law, and we have a responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of people and to ensure equality and freedom for everyone.
To do this, we need to fundamentally change the structure of society, raise the level of education, popularize knowledge of the legal system, and establish correct values. Only in this way can we prevent tragedies like "standing cage" torture from happening again, and make our society more harmonious and beautiful.