Deng Haishan, the last executioner of the Qing Dynasty, killed more than 300 heads in his life, but suffered retribution in his later years
On September 28, 1898, the Caishikou Execution Ground near Xuanwumen in Beijing was crowded with people who waited there early to witness the executioners cut off their heads.
This time, it was called by posterity"Six kings in 100 days"Six of them were carried to the gallows, and they were as calm as ever, fearless of death, and were finally beheaded for public display.
It turned out that they had long been ready to wake up this insensitive people with their own blood. **Previously, Tan Sitong had the opportunity to flee abroad many times, but he loudly refused:
The change of law in various countries is from bloodshed to bloodshed, but China has never heard of bloodshed because of the change of law, which is the reason why the country does not develop; If there is such a thing, then let's start with the commonplace.
But the audience's reaction still disappointed Tan, and instead of sadness in their eyes, they lit henna and even threw rotten leaves into it.
At the executioner's insistence, Tan Sitong slowly put his head on the wooden scaffolding, approached the executioner, and did not forget to blow on the scaffolding, this scene has only been seen in movies and television, but it is really impressive.
Tan Si and the others waited on the roof of the wooden shed next to the executioner, the big knife in his hand was particularly dazzling in the sun, and when the auspicious time came, the big knife swung down, and the six human heads must have rolled off, and everyone immediately scattered and fled.
While the executioners were busy cleaning the broadswords, the execution ground soon fell into the silence of the past, the cleaned broadswords were still as bright as new, and the blood of the soldiers did not affect the executioners' mood in the slightest, and then they left quickly, after all, they still had to go to the government to receive their rewards.
Yes, the executioner was an ancient profession because you had to make a living, but now it is long gone, and today's hero is Deng Haishan, the last executioner of the Qing Dynasty.
He cut off more than 300 heads in his lifetime, but unfortunately died in his old age.
Deng Haishan was forced to beg.
In the past, the profession of executioner was not popular, and it was not a profession that everyone was willing or even dared to pursue; After all, the thought of ending a person's life shudder.
The ancients always believed that there would be another world after death, so they always believed that there were ghosts, and when they woke up, their hands were covered with blood, and they slept unsteadily.
However, people are divided into three, six, nine, and so on. When life is carefree, people naturally do not think of being an executioner, but when life is forced, it is better to go to work hard than to starve to death, so some people choose this path.
Deng Haishan is no exception. Growing up in a poor family, he could not afford to eat three meals a day, and his family made a living by farming for the landlords, who often made it impossible for them to cook.
Deng Haishan is a little older, eating is even more problematic, after all, he is a young man, and the amount of food is quite amazing, his parents really can't control the amount of food, so Deng Haishan goes to the street to beg.
The young Deng Haishan had no dignity, and every time he went out on the street, he waged his tail and begged for mercy.
Once, Deng Haishan saw a person eating meat while begging, and a look of jealousy appeared on his face. This person has a pretty good life, his name is Tang Shaoyi, and he is a very famous executioner in Changsha.
Kiulownia has a great reputation because he is very incorruptible and does not cause any pain to the prisoner during the execution, so every time he is executed, the prisoner's family will also send him some items to make the journey of his loved ones easier.
In addition, the executioner himself will also be rewarded, ** will pay two taels of silver per head, so that Tang Shaoyi will not have any burden in his life.
Deng Haishan looked at Tong Shaoji and felt that he could live such a life in the future, so he asked Tong Shaoji to take him in.
Deng Haishan apprenticed.
Tong Shaoji looked at the young man in front of him, his heart was immediately full of pity, he understood the difficulty of surviving in this troubled world, but he couldn't bear to let Deng Haishan engage in the profession of Xingyi Boxing.
But Deng Haishan begged hard, and even said that as long as he could eat enough, he would do whatever he wanted, Tong Shaoji finally couldn't resist Deng Haishan's soft grinding and hard bubbles, and agreed to accept him as an apprentice, but Tong Shaoji didn't expect that his apprentice would become the last executioner of the Qing Dynasty and leave his mark in world history.
Deng Haishan initially thought that the profession of executioner had no technical content, and thought that as long as he was capable, everything would be fine if he got the money, but Tong Shaoji told him that execution was very technical, and brute force alone would not work.
In order to help Deng Haishan improve his knowledge, Tong Shaoji prepared different products for him every day, such as watermelon, pumpkin, winter melon and even firewood.
First of all, Tang Shaoyi drew a line on the item, and then asked Deng Haishan to forcibly cut it if he could divide it along the line, not letting go of an inch.
This is obviously very difficult, because a person with a large knife will lose his center of gravity, and if he uses too much force, he will not be able to stand steadily. "After cutting the watermelon a few times, Deng Haishan no longer dared to despise this profession and began to work hard.
Tong Shaoji began to prepare hard objects and let Deng Haishan show his strength, and in this way, Deng Haishan came to the point of no return.
Every time Tong Shaoji performs, he has to take Deng Haishan to watch together, and in the end, Deng Haishan learned seven or eight skills of Tong Shaoji, and he is waiting to be officially carried forward.
Deng Haishan's tragic old age.
Once, Tong Shaoji was sick and couldn't go to the cemetery for the time being, so Tong Shaoji recommended his own **, and when Tong Shaoji knew that he was going to the cemetery, he was not afraid, and even a little excited.
When he raised the machete and saw the prisoner stretching his neck ready to kill, he did not hesitate to swing the knife and cut it down, Deng Haishan was executed for the first time, and for this he was awarded the first-class merit.
Deng Haishan did not think that the execution was a difficult task, nor did he think that it was wrong to end their lives, he only saw that the silver in their hands would allow him to live a dignified life.
As Tong Shaoji grew old, Deng Haishan began to go to the execution ground frequently. Before dying, Tong Shaoji instructed Deng Haishan to act according to his wishes, and stop after cutting off 99 heads.
Deng Haishan asked why in confusion, and Tong Shaoji replied that he couldn't tell the reason either, only that his teacher told him the same thing.
After Tong Shaoji left, Deng Haishan became a very famous executioner. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Deng Haishan's remuneration for each execution increased from two taels of silver to four silver dollars, which made him have the idea of resigning.
And later, when he cut off 99 heads, he also thought about washing his hands in a golden basin, but when he saw that he was rich, he accepted the 100th order, and since he was not punished in any way, he didn't care. "According to relevant historical records, Deng Haishan received more than 300 execution orders in his lifetime, that is, he cut off more than 300 heads.
* During this period, the conscription was gradually increased, and Deng Haishan still used the money he had saved to live a luxurious life after losing his job, but later he squandered all his savings.
Deng Haishan also wanted to marry a daughter-in-law, but the household registration officer did not dare to hold a wedding for him, and in the end he got nothing.
With no savings and no relatives, Deng Haishan thought about finding a job, but no one dared to hire him, so he had to beg again to make ends meet.
Deng Haishan was convinced that he had paid the price for many times, and he considered becoming a monk, but was rejected by the monastery.
In the end, Deng Haishan begged bitterly, which can only be described as miserable.