In the sixth year of Ming Qi (1626 AD), Li Shi, the great eunuch of Jiangnan Weaving, impeached Zhou Shunchang, a member of the Ministry of Officials, and Wei Zhongxian directly sent his cavalry to Suzhou to arrest Zhou Shunchang, Zhou Shunchang (1584-1626) was a Jinshi, a native of Suzhou, and a member of the Donglin Party in the 41st year of Wanli (1615 AD) of the Ming Dynasty. Zhou Shunchang was an upright official, and after he returned to his hometown on leave, he opposed the eunuchs' harsh taxes on industrial and commercial households, and was deeply supported by the citizens. When the news of Zhou Shunchang's arrest came, Suzhou looms and merchants asked for Zhou Shunchang's life by boycotting the weaving and the market.
When the edict was read on 15 March, thousands of citizens gathered unexpectedly, and Yan Peiwei, a businessman-turned-businessman, took the lead in suing Zhou Shunchang for being wronged, while Yang Nianru, Ma Jie, Shen Yang, and Zhou Wenyuan, who were present, knelt on the ground. At this time, the people were emotional. At this time, Yan Peiwei, who was in the lead, was willing to take his place, and Ma Jie scolded Wei Zhongxian on the side. Yang Nianru and Shen Yang blocked the cavalry officers and soldiers from coming to arrest Zhou Shunchang, at this time, the cavalry officers were also annoyed and ashamed, drew their swords and hit Shen Yang, and Zhou Wenyuan next to him drew his fist to help, in the competition, Zhou Wenyuan was injured in the head, and the people present were furious after seeing it, so they swarmed and climbed the fence to fight back against the cavalry. As a result, two Ti cavalry were killed on the spot. Wei Zhongxian got the governor Mao Yilu's "Wu Min rebellion" report, immediately sent heavy troops to suppress, in order not to harm the general public, Yan Peiwei, Yang Nianru, Ma Jie, Shen Yang, Zhou Wenyuan five people came forward, and finally were killed, and Zhou Shunchang was later sent to the capital, tortured to death, this is the history of the famous "open reading change" incident.
A year later, in the first year of Ming Chongzhen (1628 AD), after Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, Wei Zhongxian was dismissed from his post and ordered him to guard the tomb of Emperor Tianqi. With the unjust case was edicted, the people of Su Cheng destroyed Wei Zhongxian's "Puhui Sheng Ancestral Hall" on Shantang Street, and buried the bones of five people on the ground of the original ancestral hall, and was later established in Wujiang in the second year of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty (1629) The leader of the "Fushe" Zhang Pu (1602-1641 AD) made the article "Five Tombstones", and then the "Five Tombstones" was compiled into the "Ancient Literature Guanzhi" and was widely circulated, and was also selected into the middle school Chinese textbook. To learn more, please click to follow.