Song Ci (1186-1249), whose courtesy name is Huifu, Han nationality , is from Jianyang (now Nanping, Fujian). He is the same hometown as Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi . His ancestral home is Nanhe County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province. He is a descendant of the Tang prime minister Song Jing . He was born in Southern Song thirteenth year of Xiaozong Chunxi (1186), a famous forensic scientist in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is generally believed that Song Ci initiated "forensic identification" in 1235 AD. Therefore, Song Ci is respected as the founder of the world forensic .
In the chaotic times of the Southern Song Dynasty, where mountains and rivers were broken and windy, Song Ci, with his extraordinary ability to test and his belief in valuing prisons and his belief in respecting people's lives, uncovered the secrets behind the unjust cases in the world. " Xiwen Lu " was Song Ci's lifelong efforts, but this book is far from enough to summarize his life. Song Ci, an old man who has experienced thousands of sails, has personally solved one strange and unjust case after another under the faint candlelight, and the pioneered "forensic identification" has opened a new door to the unfamiliar field of forensic examination in the world.
Song Ci could not stop the fierce Mongolian cavalry, nor was he able to change the dark political situation. The changes in the times have drowned out his glory. He could only abide by his original heart, use his all to defend the people and protect the justice in his heart.
Song Ci inherited the Neo-Confucian thoughts of Zhu Xi, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi and . Neo-Confucian thoughts benefited him a lot. Mr. Xishan Zhendexiu is the descendant of Zhu Xi and Song Ci's third teacher. It is precisely because of Zhendexiu's continuous efforts that Neo-Confucianism has become the mainstream thoughts of the Southern Song Dynasty. Song Ci followed Mr. Xishan to study and received the most orthodox Neo-Confucian education, and his thoughts gradually matured. Song Ci once said, "Prisons are the most important destiny for the people. If you are not punished, you should not accept the matter. Those who are magistrates must always take care of them to avoid being in vain." At that time, he had already valued the people's destiny as his goal. Since then, whether it was to quell the chaos and help the people when he first entered the temple, or the "Jiangsu Law" implemented when he became the magistrate of Changting , it was a manifestation of his love for the people. Song Ci is one of the many people in the turbulent situation. He is unable to resist the turbulence of the situation, but he does his best to protect the people.
1240, Song Ci was 54 years old at this time. He was nearly 60 years old but he ushered in the most important turning point in his life. He was ordered to issue a Guangdong criminal prison and served as the criminal prosecutor . Because there were external troubles in society at that time, most local officials were on duty but failed to perform their duties. There were hundreds of cases in the backlog, and some prisoners were imprisoned for many years without being judged and convicted. Song Ci's father had been engaged in judicial work, and his style of fair law enforcement had a huge impact on Song Ci. At the same time, Mr. Xishan's teachings to him were always lingering in his ears. Song Ci firmly believed that "in prison cases, they are tried again and again, and they dare not be arrogant and easy-going." As a prison officer, he must enforce the law fairly, bring the criminals to justice, and make the deceased feel guilty.
At the same time, Song Ci also realized that in order to achieve fairness and justice, it is far from enough to be spiritual. He must also improve his forensic testing level. In the social atmosphere at that time, most literati believed that " gentlemen are not good at " and would not abandon the saint's words to pursue techniques such as investigating things and seeking knowledge. However, Song Ci had lofty ideas in his mind. In order to improve his judicial level, he actively learned professional knowledge such as pharmacology, anatomy, and worked hard to become a qualified coroner, so that he could effectively judge cases. Song Ci inherited the spirit of integrity advocated by Confucian , attached importance to the importance of technology, and advocated seeking truth in practice. In a sense, this practice is a historical progress.
1 From 240 to 1247, Song Ci served as four criminal officials in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hunan and other places. Historical records say that "there are no wronged prisoners and no refugees in the wild" to praise Song Ci's achievements; Song Ci's friend Liu Kezhuang also praised him, "I listened to lawsuits and decided on Congo, and I was very kind and graceful, and I was very cunning in the face of the rich and powerful. The officials of the subordinates, as well as the people in Yanwei Lane and deep mountains and valleys, all of them were as if Song Tui was about to come before him."
1245, Song Ci was summoned to serve as the magistrate of Changzhou . Years of work as a prison officer gave him a deeper understanding of forensic testing technology. He began to compile a professional forensic classics, and in 1247, he finally completed the " Huanwen Collection Record ". "Xiwen Jilu" brings together the success of forensic science in all dynasties, including " Suspicion Collection " from the Five Dynasties, "Tangyin Bishi" and "Nian Shulu" from the Qingyuan period; not only that, Song Ci integrated his rich practical experience over the years into the book and completed this forensic work that opened up a new world. In the book, Song Ci emphasized the importance of forensic technology. He believed that "every mistake in the prison sentence often arises from the beginning, and the errors in the determination are all based on the shallowness of the test." Justice is not just a spiritual pursuit for him, but also a practical experience that can be achieved through forensic technology.
Song Ci has very few records in history, and only a few words summarize his life dedicated to justice. There are no relevant records of Song Ci in " Song History ", and there are only six words in " Siku Quanshu " "Song Ci is not detailed in the beginning and end". Zhuge Liang said, "Governing the world with great virtues, not small favors" is Song Ci's standard of behavior for his whole life. In traditional culture, great virtue is to cultivate oneself, govern the country and pacify the world. Song Ci, who was swept by the torrent of the times, cannot control his family, country and the world. The only thing he can do is to do his best to maintain stability in one area and protect the justice in his heart.
