Zhuge Liang Punishes Corruption (2 Volumes)

Author: Yang Malin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-07-01
Features: In the third month of the 18th year of the Hongwu era (1385 AD), the grand corruption case of Guo Huan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, came to light, shocking the nation. Guo Huan colluded with officials from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, Ministry of Works, and other six ministries, as well as local officials and landlords across provinces, embezzling tax grain and salt, totaling over 24 million shi of rice. This amount nearly matched the total autumn grain tax collected nationwide! In addition, he plundered vast amounts of treasure paper and gold. Upon learning of this case, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, flew into a rage and ordered the execution of 12 high-ranking officials from the six ministries, including Guo Huan and his subordinates, along with tens of thousands of co-conspirators. Many were imprisoned, exiled to the frontier, or sentenced to various penalties. To combat corruption and promote integrity, Zhu Yuanzhang also enacted strict laws to punish economic crimes and implemented technical safeguards in financial management, introducing several effective measures. One significant step was changing the numerals used to record grain and money from the regular Chinese characters "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand" to their uppercase forms: "Yi, Er, San, Si, Wu, Liu, Qi, Ba, Jiu, Shi, Bai, Qian." Zhu Yuanzhang was an orphan born into a tenant farmer family. He had begged for food, served as a monk, and worked as a laborer, deeply understanding the hardships of the common people. He harbored intense hatred for corrupt officials who exploited the people's wealth. As a result, he devised brutal measures—such as "skinning and stuffing with grass"—to suppress these vermin. For example, he decreed that prefects and county magistrates (including officials of the same rank in the court) who embezzled 60 taels of silver or more would be executed by decapitation, torture to death, or even the extermination of their entire clans. Subsequently, their skins would be stuffed with grass to create pouches, displayed prominently beside the court, as a warning: "To deter others, one must punish the guilty severely." Zhu Yuanzhang's actions were nothing short of a "policy of iron and blood," shocking to the core. From a modern perspective, it seems utterly barbaric and cruel, but it reflects his bitter hatred and uncompromising stance toward corrupt officials. The common people were delighted by his measures. This novel features a thrilling and suspenseful story with dramatic twists and turns, vivid character portrayals, and deep exploration of different characters' thoughts, as well as reflections on the lessons and experiences of the anti-corruption struggle during that era. This unique wave in the history of China is worth pondering by later generations; this profound struggle can serve as a mirror for future anti-corruption efforts. Based on respect for historical facts, this book provides literary embellishments on the important figures and major events of the anti-corruption struggle in the early Ming Dynasty.