In ancient times, imperial power was supreme and disobedience was not allowed. The emperor would also give meritorious ministers weapons that could "kill traitors", giving them the power to kill first and then report. Among them, there are mainly four major artifacts. In addition to the well-known "Shang Fang Sword", they also include the "King's Whip", the "Kowloon Supervisor Tin Staff", and the "Qingtian San Guillot" that contains Qingtian. As for "beating the king unconscious", it is just a piece of paper and no one dares to actually do it.
Shangfang's sword represents the supreme power granted by the emperor. With it, it can not only defeat the emperor from above, but also kill the traitorous ministers from below. In a hierarchical feudal society, the emperor was the highest ruler and the common people were the lowest rulers. They can only passively accept the oppression and exploitation of them by the rulers, and fairness and justice cannot be demonstrated. If this continues, class conflicts will inevitably intensify.
▲Shang Fang’s sword. (Picture/reprinted from the encyclopedia entry)
In order to suppress the supreme power and endless desires of the ruling class and ensure the continuity of the dynasty, most of the founding kings bestowed Shang Fang Sword on meritorious ministers or outstanding and loyal generals. On the one hand, it can prevent future generations of fatuous emperors from misbehaving, and on the other hand, it can also deter corrupt officials. However, the so-called "defeat the faint king" is just a piece of paper. Even if it is a faint king, no one would dare to commit the crime.
In the history of China, there are four main artifacts used to kill traitorous ministers, namely the "Shangfang Sword", the "King's Whip", the "Kowloon Supervisor Tin Staff" and the "Qingtian Three Guillots".
▲beat the king’s whip. (Picture/reprinted from the encyclopedia entry)
"King's whip" is also called "golden mace", which is a kind of weapon. There are soft and hard ones. Hard whips are mostly made of copper or iron, while soft whips are made of leather or straw. This kind of weapon first came into being and became popular during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The most famous one in history is that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty Li Shimin once gave minister Wei Shigong a whip of the king, Shang Dynasty Wen Zhong was also given a whip of the king by the King of Shang. This is the supreme power and glory given by the ruler.
According to " Shuo Tang Hou Zhuan ", Yu Chigong supported the king's whip, and the whip was engraved with "The Di captives rebelled for no reason and robbed the country's temple. I know that the Duke of Guo is loyal and righteous, and I have called you back to the court three times." . The emperor will be beaten unconscious by the superiors, and the civil and military officials will be punished by the unfaithful. Gods and men must not avoid it, and the great ancestor Shen Yao personally sealed the words "". In the TV series "The Legend of Xue Rengui", there is a scene in which Yu Chigong chases Tang Gaozong Li Zhi with a whip, which shows the power of the whip. Wen Zhong of the Shang Dynasty also used the king's whip to flog the cruel, incompetent and incompetent King Zhou of Shang.
▲Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. (film and television diagram/reproduced from the encyclopedia entry)
The "Kowloon Supervisor Tin Stick" is a special crutch given to Old Taijun by Yang Family General . Taijun She is the wife of Yang Jiye. She is a woman who is not inferior to men. Influenced by her father and brother since she was a child, she takes it as her own responsibility to guard the border against invasion, defend the territory, and drive out the Tartars. When Taijun She was invaded by the Western Xia Dynasty, she wore the seal of command and led the twelve widows of the Yang family to conquer the west, which reflected the patriotic spirit of the Yang family generals. The Yang family was full of heroes, and Taijun She's husband, several sons, and daughters Sister Yang all died fighting for the country. In order to commend his great achievements, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty ordered the imperial workshop to customize the Kowloon Supervisory Tin Staff for Taijun She.
▲She Taijun. (Picture/reprinted from the encyclopedia entry)
In the "Yang Family Genealogy " preserved in the Yangzhongwu Temple in Dai County, Shanxi, a comprehensive evaluation of Taijun She was made, "The center is kind, the assistants are loyal, and he has received the five blessings of turtles and longevity. , invite Xiangfu Liujia's nobles. If you don't want me, you will see the stars and the moon. The heroes of the Han Dynasty are sworn to the mountains and rivers forever; you are as virtuous as Songbo Mijian, the longevity mother of the Marquis of Lu. I have favored you so much that I can give you the title of Mrs. Zheng Guojun Taijun. (Picture/reprinted encyclopedia entry)
" Qingtian Three Guillotines " is owned by Bao Qingtian, Kaifeng Fu Yin Bao Zheng , upright and selfless. Song Renzong liked Bao Zheng very much, and specially gave Qingtian three guillotines to let him act "cheaply".The three guillotines of Qingtian are: " dragon head guillotine ", " tiger head guillotine ", and "dog head guillotine". The dragon-headed guillotine can guillotine the emperor's relatives, phoenixes, and grandsons; the tiger-headed guillotine can guillotine corrupt officials and traitorous officials who are causing harm to the country; the dog-headed guillotine can guillotine local tyrants, evil gentry, and bullies.
The name of the three guillotines has a profound meaning. With the three guillotines of Qingtian, Bao Qingtian has the power to kill first and then report. Whether it is ordinary people, princes, ministers, or even relatives of the emperor, as long as they do illegal things, they will have trouble in front of Bao Zheng. Escape from the service of these three guillotines. In folklore, Chen Shimei abandoned his wife and children for glory and wealth. Although he eventually became the consort of the court, he still could not escape the trial of Bao Zheng Qingtian's three guillotines, and he died in the end!
▲ Bao Longxing Bao Qingtian’s Shangfang sword. (Picture/reprinted from the encyclopedia entry)
"Shang Fang's Sword" was called " Shang Fang's Horse-killing Sword" in the earliest documented records. According to "The Biography of Zhu Yun in the Book of the Former Han Dynasty", Zhu Yun wrote to the emperor and said "I originally gave Shang Fang a horse-killing sword, and I cut off one of the sycophants to kill the others." In the Ming Dynasty, it was called Shangfangjian, which means the sword used by the emperor. Ministers who hold Shangfangjian have the power to represent the imperial power, such as killing first and then reporting.
During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty , Ningxia Aobai rebelled, in order to allow the people in charge below to "act cheaply". Emperor Wanli gave Ye Mengxiong Shang Fang, who led the army to put down the rebellion, a sword to supervise the battle. With the help of Shang Fang's sword, Ye Mengxiong's morale immediately soared. The soldiers marched forward bravely, and in one fell swoop broke through the city where Kuaibai was stubbornly resisting, killing more than 2,000 of his comrades, which greatly boosted the military power of the Ming Dynasty.
Shang Fangjian has a beautiful shape and clear patterns on the blade. One side is engraved with a soaring dragon, the other side is engraved with a phoenix spreading its wings, and the middle is decorated with the Big Dipper to correspond to the symbols of heaven and earth. People can't help but marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient sword making.
Whether it is the Shang Fang Sword, the Three Guillotines of Qingtian, the Tin Stick of Nine Dragons Supervising the Country, or the King's Whip, they all reflect that in the decadent feudal society, the supreme imperial power is inviolable.
Reference: "Draft of Qing History"
