As a dynasty that started as a peasant, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, although from a humble background, attached great importance to the rule and consolidation of imperial power. To this end, he set up the Jinyiwei spy agency in the early years of the Ming Dynasty. As a royal pro-army, the Jinyi Guard is not only responsible for the emperor's honor guard and guards, but also endowed with a powerful one"Arrest patrols"Authority.
Beizhen Fusi is the institution in charge of criminal cases in Jinyiwei, and its status is equivalent to that of today's procuratorate, with independent prison and trial powers. With this unrestrained force, Jin Yiwei often acted recklessly, arresting, tortured, and even executing many loyal people. For a while, the court and the opposition were afraid of Jinyiwei inside and outside, and they smelled'Jin Yiwei'The three words are like facing the enemy.
Later, in order to stabilize the throne he had robbed, Zhu Di, the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, created Dongchang, a full-time eunuch detective agency. The main function of the East Factory is to investigate crimes such as rebellion and rebellion, and its power is equal to that of Jinyiwei. Unlike Jinyiwei, Dongchang is directly under the king, and can bypass the imperial court and report directly to the emperor, and the personnel are also controlled by eunuchs.
If there is any wind and grass in the government and the opposition, the East Factory will secretly intervene and closely monitor every move of the government. Dongchang vigorously expanded its power, and by the middle of the Ming Dynasty, even a remote corner was stationed from time to time, dictating the lives of ordinary people. Once anyone is arrested by Dongchang, he will be severely tortured, and the implication will be widespread.
During the period of Ming Xianzong, the East Factory seemed to be difficult to meet the needs of the rule, so the West Factory was set up. Unlike the East Factory, the West Factory was controlled by the eunuch Wang Zhi, and its commander was much more ruthless than the chief official of the East Factory. In just a few months, Xichang has set up a nationwide detective network, indiscriminately arresting and torturing the government and savages.
At that time, regardless of the subjects and officials, as long as the Xichang personnel had the slightest suspicion, they could be arrested at will, and even interrogation did not need to be approved by the imperial court. The whole country was disturbed by the West Factory, and even forced the minister to write a letter for a time. The government and the opposition were in an uproar, and the West Factory was actually above the court, and its domineering behavior was shocking.
Later, during the period of Ming Wuzong, the great eunuch Liu Jin secretly established an insider factory in order to firmly control the government. This agency not only monitored ordinary subjects, but also supervised the East and West Factories and Jinyi Guard. For a time, the Ming Dynasty had a situation in which the four major spies of the East and West Factory, Jinyiwei, and Nei Xing Factory coexisted, supervising and restraining each other, and fiercely competing for power and profit.
Terrible abuses of power followed. As long as any minister offends someone on the other side, he will be framed and falsely accused, and eventually the family will be ruined. Even ordinary people cannot escape the fate of being implicated. Before the Ming Dynasty, the civil and military ** and ordinary people all lived in the shadow of the secret service, always on guard, and everyone was in danger.
Although the Ming Dynasty's East and West Factory and Jinyiwei were directly controlled by the emperor, they were controlled by eunuchs, and the two sides were intrigued and infighting. However, from the perspective of surveillance and real power, the East Factory is still the number one. Dongchang was not only directly subordinate to the emperor, but its chief officials were mostly eunuchs close to the emperor, and sometimes even above the Jinyi guard.
Although Jinyiwei was backed by force, it was a legitimate military institution of the Ming Dynasty after all. And Dongchang acted secretly on his own, and even pointed fingers at Jinyiwei. The head of the East Factory repeatedly took advantage of his privileges to severely suppress dissenting voices, and his decision to kill was fearful.
However, in terms of force, Jinyiwei is far stronger than Dongchang. The soldiers of the brocade guards are all elite guards who have practiced martial arts, and the commanders are even more experienced generals. Once Dongchang wants to torture the prisoner to extract a confession, it still needs to rely on Jinyiwei to take action, which undoubtedly shows Jinyiwei's superiority in force.
Although the power of the West Factory and the Insider Factory also rose for a time, their existence time was limited, and they were gradually replaced by the two protagonists of the East Factory and Jinyiwei. of the Ming Dynasty"Three factories and one bathroom"The strength is uneven, it should be said that Dongchang is the most unruly one, and Jinyiwei is the strongest one. But in the final analysis, both were private guards set up by the Ming Dynasty to maintain royal power.
During the centuries-long reign of the Ming Dynasty, this"Three factories and one bathroom"Repeatedly committing evil and cruel siblings, not only wantonly killed a large number of loyal people, but also caused panic and clouds in the whole country. The fall of the Ming Dynasty was also the bane planted by these private horses, which pushed the country into the abyss. The lessons of history are painful, and the theory that has been passed down for centuries has finally become an empty word.
So-called"Three factories and one bathroom", the east factory is favored, the brocade clothes are covered behind, and the west factory and the insider factory are unlucky. However, no matter which secret service they are, they are sometimes arrogant and arrogant, sometimes grovelling to maintain the rule of the Ming Dynasty, and anyone with a discerning eye can see it clearly. The Ming Dynasty was in a high position, but it was not self-respecting, and it was wishful thinking to allow such spies to run rampant and hurt the people.