Li Shimin was released from prison and returned home, but no one escaped. After the autumn, I will ask and behead, and I will be safe and sound
A prisoner sentenced to death walks towards the beheading table, but before he can be beheaded by the Autumn Queen, the Emperor suddenly lets him go home and tells him that the Autumn Queen will come back and behead him. Will this prisoner really come back and wait for decapitation?
Maybe it's just our luck. For a man who should have been waiting to die, suddenly being given a few months of freedom is the best gift God has given him. If a person sentenced to death had received such a favor, he would have flown away long ago, and how could he be so stupid as to come back and die?
But in the Tang Dynasty in 630 AD, the unthinkable happened. All 390 death row inmates returned to the Department on a designated date after the fall to await beheading. None of them escaped, and they all respectfully waited for death to come. We thought it was incredible.
Is Li Shimin too powerful, or is the condemned prisoner grateful to Li Shimin? Why don't they choose to live, but to go back and die? The reasons for this are worth reflecting on.
An unexpected opportunity to go home.
In 630, Li Shimin was in the prime of life, and he sat on the dragon chair for four years.
During his reign, Li Shimin was very cautious about death penalty cases. A small number of prisoners are sentenced to death every year, but only 29 prisoners were sentenced to death this year. Li Shimin personally examined it to ensure that the verdict was fair and that good people were not unjustly killed.
Two years later, at the end of 632, the number of death row prisoners rose slightly, to 390. That's still a small number for a growing empire. The prisoners were to be executed in the fall of the following year.
In addition to checking the list of prisoners sentenced to death, Li Shimin also visited the prison. He saw the desperation in the eyes of these people, who were in a very miserable situation compared to those outside.
Li Shimin relented for a moment and decided to give the 390 people a chance to go home and reunite with their families before beheading. But they must return home in time and voluntarily to die before being decapitated.
This sudden decision shocked and angered the ministers of the imperial court. They believe that this is tantamount to letting the tiger go back to the mountain, and if these death row prisoners are allowed to escape, it will be difficult to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the common people. They successively demanded that Li Shimin take back his fate.
But Li Shimin didn't think so, and as soon as Chrysostom opened, it was difficult to take it back. As a result, 390 death row inmates were registered and handed over to their families.
Death row inmates return home to be reunited with their families.
Among the 390 death row inmates from all over Datang, there are notorious criminals, civilians who are confused for a while, and good people who have been wronged. However, they were all sentenced to death for one reason or another, awaiting beheading at the end of the year.
All these death row inmates were overjoyed to learn that they could go home temporarily. Some knelt down to thank them, some were speechless with emotion, and some wept bitterly. They knew that this might be the last time they would see their families in their lives.
This is why the Ministry of Justice has agreed to send death row inmates home one by one. Some of them returned home after a month's journey, while others returned in three to five days. The villagers were especially surprised when the death row inmates suddenly returned like ghosts that had escaped death.
In recent years, the family has struggled. The main breadwinner of the family was sentenced to death, and they lost their lives all at once**. Some families are torn apart, while others are disgraced. Now that the loved ones have suddenly returned, the whole family is ecstatic.
Prisoners sentenced to death live a simple life with their families. This may be the last days of their lives, and while they are struggling to get by, they don't expect much. Their greatest satisfaction comes from eating their wife's home-cooked meals and playing with their children.
During the day, death row inmates worked in the fields or rested in the shacks outside their houses. In the evenings, they sit with their families and talk and reminisce about the past. Every moment counts because they know that time is short.
Such a simple life is their greatest wish now. For them, the best gift is to be able to spend some time with their families while they are still alive.
All those sentenced to death returned in time to die.
The winter of 632 has passed, and the spring of 633 has arrived.
The deadline for sentenced prisoners was fast approaching. Everyone in the court is waiting to see what happens, and everyone thinks that Li Shimin will definitely make a fool of himself this time. If one or two death row inmates can't come back, that's still reasonable, but if they all run away, Li Shimin's Glorious Emperor mask will be broken.
To everyone's horror, all the condemned prisoners turned themselves in on time and none of them escaped!
This group of death row prisoners came from all directions, some over the mountains and mountains, and some ran from all directions, arriving in Chang'an from all directions on the appointed date. They reported to the relevant authorities as a sign of their return.
Prison guards repeatedly checked and confirmed that all 390 people were in prison, and the rumors were debunked, and the death row inmates returned.
The prisoners took them into custody and reported them to Li Shimin. Li Shimin was also taken aback, he thought that it would be difficult for one or two people to escape, but he didn't expect that all of them were there, and he was impressed by the reliability of the death row inmates.
Li Shimin was very moved and announced that they would be pardoned for their capital crimes and let them reintegrate into society. People can't help but ask, what is the story behind these death row inmates who resolutely returned to die when they had the opportunity to escape?
We have nowhere to go but to retreat.
When we ask those who were sentenced to death why they came back, we ignore the fact that in the social conditions of the time, they had nowhere to run.
First of all, the household registration system of the Tang Dynasty was already quite extensive. The family records of these death row inmates are local, and when they escape, their family members can be quickly found by checking the household registration records.
Second, the entire Tang Dynasty had a vast postal system that could quickly relay news of death row prisoners to local authorities. Wherever they flee to**, local authorities will track them down.
Thirdly, even if I am hiding in the mountains, people have to eat. The whole family had to rely on him to feed the children, which was impossible at the time.
It can be said that the condemned prisoner is destined to escape, and once he escapes, he is destined to be recaptured. For them, re-trial is the only way out.
Before returning home, the first thing a group of condemned prisoners considered was the possibility of escape. After much thought, they realized that this was not possible in the real world. If they are brought back, they and their families will only suffer.
In addition, they do not want to be on the run for a long time. Their temporary reunion with their families is God's greatest gift. They want nothing more than to go back in peace, die in peace, and end their last lives.
Li Shimin's intellectual games, political performances.
It could also be a political show between Li Shimin and death row inmates.
Li Shimin, who had just become emperor, urgently needed to gain more trust from the people in order to secure his power. Ostensibly out of benevolence, but in fact to win the hearts and minds of the people and improve his image, he sent home prisoners sentenced to death.
It could be a deal between him and the death row inmate: if you come back, I'll commute your death sentence; If you don't come back, your whole family will be sentenced to death.
For a person sentenced to death, what is the difference between returning to death row and breaking up a family? Of course, I chose to submit to the Holy One.
This is a political move. Prisoners sentenced to death knowingly went back to wait for death, ostensibly to obey the imperial power, but in fact to make a mutually beneficial deal with the emperor. The emperor was supported by his subjects, and the prisoners got the best of both worlds.
Of course, today it is difficult to prove whether Lee threatened to kill criminals in this way. But the possibility exists. After all, for the emperor in the early days of the founding of the state, stabilizing the regime was far more realistic and important than benevolent government.
Li Shimin's benevolent government is well-deserved.
No matter how pure Li Shimin's original intentions were, this homecoming turned into a wonderful story. It shows Li Shimin's benevolence, even to prisoners sentenced to death. This left a deep impression on the people and strengthened the image of Li Shimin in the minds of the people.
When Li Shimin killed his brother and usurped the throne and ascended the throne by force, there was a great controversy. The large-scale release of the positive energy generated by the death row inmates is an excellent opportunity for Li Shimin to restore his image.
People talked a lot, and many people were impressed by Li Shimin. In their minds, Li Shimin has become one of the Ming Jun. This is exactly what Li Shimin wants to achieve.
Of course, Li Shimin also faced distrust from the people at the beginning of his administration. By freeing prisoners on death row, Li Shimin stabilized the regime and won the hearts and minds of the people. It can be said that he finally achieved his goal.
It is understandable that the first generation of rulers played with political tricks. Moreover, during Li Shimin's reign, Zhenguan's rule was peaceful and prosperous, which benefited the people more than the mistakes he made when he was in power.
In short, Li Shimin did more good things than bad things, and it was very important for the people at that time to live a good life. It is precisely because Li Shimin brought a peaceful and prosperous era that the political spectacle of death row prisoners returning home has become a beautiful talk in people's hearts.
Will a prisoner sentenced to death come back and wait to be beheaded? Li Shimin gave an affirmative answer to this seemingly ridiculous question.
The story of 390 death row inmates returning home reflects the rigidity of the political system at the time, and also shows Li Shimin's high prestige. It became one of the most wonderful stories of the Tang Dynasty and has been passed down for hundreds of years.
But more importantly, we need to recognize that life is precious to everyone. We should not decide the rest of a person's life just because he has sinned. Giving life a second chance is the compassion and tolerance that a civilized society should have.
Forgiveness and compassion are equally important to us today. We should learn from Li Shimin and forgive not only death row inmates, but also everyone. Because life is equal and precious. Experiencing darkness does not mean that we should lose hope.
We hope that our society will give a second chance to more and more people who have lost their way. We should not only give them tolerance in marriage, but also help them in life, so that they can reintegrate into society and find the meaning of life again.
History is a mirror, and today, more than 1,300 years later, the story of the 390 death row prisoners in the Tang Dynasty is still worth reflecting on. I also hope that this story will inspire the current generation, teach us to be tolerant and forgiving, and enable us to understand and tolerate everyone in our lives.