In October of the 12th year of the Tongzhi era in the Qing Dynasty (1873 A.D.), a murder occurred in the town of Yuhang, the seat of Yuhang County, Zhejiang Province, in which Ge Pinlian, a fellow of a tofu store, fell violently ill and died. The county magistrate Liu Xitong suspected that the county graduate Yang Naiwu seduced and raped Ge Pinlian's wife, Bi Xiuqiu, and poisoned Ge Pinlian, and tortured Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiuqiu to force them to confess, and then reported them to the Hangzhou prefectural government office and the Zhejiang Provincial Office for "plotting to take away a woman". Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province also according to the original proposed conclusion, reported to the Ministry of Justice. After Yang Naiwu's sister Yang Shuying second Beijing accusation, alarmed a group of court officials who presided over justice, joint appeal. The court ordered by the Ministry of Justice to open the coffin and examine the body, before the truth is revealed, the case is clear.
Yang Naiwu, Yuhang people, living in Yuhang Town, County Street before the clarification of the alleyway. Qing Tongzhi twelve years in August in the lift, when the age of 33 years old. He was a straight man, good management of injustice for a reason, and Yuhang county magistrate Liu Xitong accumulated deep grudges.
At that time, the town had a beautiful girl named Bi Xiu Gu, often wearing green and white dresses, the neighborhood called her nickname "cabbage". She was 18 years old and Ge Pinlian marriage, rented Yang Naiwu family back room a, the two families get along harmoniously, Bi Xiu Gu often to the Yang family to chat and eat, Yang Naiwu teach Bi Xiu Gu literacy scripture. The rumor in the neighborhood is that "Yang (Yang) eats cabbage". Ge Pinlian was so skeptical that he moved out of Yang's house and moved to Tai Ping Lane.
On the seventh day of October, Ge Pinlian had chills and fever, and his knees were red and swollen. Bi Xiuqiu advised him to rest at home, but Ge Pinlian refused to listen, and went to the tofu store to help. On the morning of the first nine days home, shivering, phlegm in the throat, foaming at the mouth, to the evening of the body dead. To the night of the 10th, the body changed, the mouth and nose with light blood water flow. His mother Feng Xu suspected that he was poisoned. His mother, Ge Yu's, then his son's death is unknown, reported to the county court, pleading for verification.
Liu Xitong, the county magistrate, has a gap with Yang Naiwu, heard the report, suspected that Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiu Gu conspired to poison, personally led the yamen, pallbearers went to the autopsy. At noon, the deceased skin color greenish, belly with floating skin rash blisters. Pallbearer Shen Xiang see the mouth and nose memory blood into the eyes and ears, recognized as "bleeding from the seven orifices", with a silver needle into the throat with a green and black material, that the death of poison. Liu Xitong Bi Xiuqiu brought back to the county department for questioning, confession of ignorance. The next day torture to force confessions, a series of three squeezed (holding fingers of the torture device), Bi Xiugu was tortured, however, falsely claimed that with Yang Naiwu fornication, the fifth day of granting arsenic, murder of their husbands.
Liu Xitong that summoned Yang Naiwu confrontation. Yang Naiwu denied, angrily rebuked the county magistrate false accusations. The first time I saw him, I was so upset that I couldn't get him out of the house. Liu Xitong then applied to his superiors to ask his graduate reprimand leather, and then Yang Naiwu torture, Yang was forced to serve. Liu Xitong that the case has been clear, the results of the autopsy and interrogation reported to the Hangzhou government.
Chen Lu, the governor of Hangzhou, listened to the words of the governor and tortured Yang Naiwu indiscriminately. Yang was forced to mix confessions. Said the third day in the name of poisonous rats, in front of the warehouse Qian Baosheng drugstore to buy red arsenic 40 Wen, to Ge Bi. In order to make up the money Baosheng sell arsenic circumstantial material, Liu Xitong back to Yuhang subpoena money Baosheng verification, money Baosheng confessed that his name is called Qian Tan, did not use the name of money Baosheng, Airen Hall is a small drugstore, did not sell arsenic. The county magistrate Chen Lake to Qian Baosheng threatened to lure, and asked the county magistrate to train the Cangqian Zhang Joon letter to Qian Baosheng, asked him to boldly admit, never dragged, such as not recognized, there are Yang Naiwu confession, to aggravate the crime. Qian Baosheng only perjury, issued a document selling arsenic.
Hangzhou governor Chen Lu see three evidence has been complete, reported to the governor of Zhejiang Yang Changrui. Yang Changrui that the case is true, according to the original proposed "husband and wife" crime break the end, reported to the Ministry of Justice for approval of the implementation.
Yang Naiwu in prison wrote a complaint, brought out by his sister Yang Shuying, together with his wife, Zhan Cifeng, Beijing to the Metropolitan Police charged, the results were escorted by the Metropolitan Police back to Zhejiang. The first Beijing charges failed, Yang Shuying went to find Yang Naiwu in Hangzhou classmate Wu Yi Tong. At that time, Wu Yitong in Hu Xueyan's home as a teacher, coincidentally, the Ministry of the Army, right minister Xia Tongshan worry about the expiration of the period of return to the capital, passing through Hangzhou, Hu Xueyan for his farewell party. During the meeting, Wu Yitong said and Yang Naiwu injustice, Xia Tongshan promised to return to the Beijing camera speech.
September, Yang Shuying and Zhan Caifeng two on Beijing, Xia Tongshan introduced them throughout the knocking Zhejiang officials in Beijing more than 30 people, and to the Ministry of Justice to deliver the complaint. Xia Tongshan and contact military minister Weng Tongkotewall, the case inside the face of the two Empress Dowager. The Qing court issued an oracle, sent the Ministry of Rites Minister Hu Ruilan (then also served as the Zhejiang school government) as an imperial inspector, in Hangzhou to review the trial. Zhejiang governor Yang Changrui transfer Ningbo governor Bian Baocheng, Jiaxing governor Luo Zisen, alternate governor Gu Deheng, Gong Xintong with the trial. Trial, Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiu Gu retracted the confession, that is, with the torture, Yang Naiwu two legs folded, Bi Xiu Gu ten fingers squeezed off. Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiuqiu retracted their confessions.
October 18, Hu Ruilan will be reported to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice detailed study, found that the plot more than the existence of incompatibility, the court. And Hu Ruilan retrial, Oracle shall not be tortured. Yang Naiwu desperately retracted his confession. Witness Qian Baosheng has died of illness, can not be determined judgments.
December, Zhejiang gentry Wu Yi Tong, Wang Shuping and more than 30 people jointly appealed, requesting that the offenders will be released to the Beijing trial, in order to release the group doubt. Xia Tongshan and other Beijing officials repeatedly in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi for the case. The court issued a decree ordering Yang Changrui will be all the case files, prisoners, witnesses, along with Ge Pinlian coffin escorted to Beijing. Liu Xitong was also relieved of his duties and traveled with him.
Guangxu two years in December, the Ministry of Justice trial, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Da Lisi trial, Yang Naiwu defense of the case, denying that the adultery and poisoning, Bi Xiuqiu mouth called the wrongdoing, the truth. And interrogation of the corpse and witnesses, the arraignment of the door Ding Shen Caiquan, pallbearer Shen Xiang, Airen Hall pharmacy staff, etc., all confessed the truth. Then, open the coffin to examine the corpse, it is indeed death by disease, not poisoning. The case has been wronged for more than three years, and the truth has finally come out.
February 16, the Qing court issued an oracle, the dismissal of Liu Xitong Yuhang County magistrate, from the heavy sent to Heilongjiang atonement. Hangzhou governor Chen Lu, Ningbo governor Bian Baocheng, Jiaxing governor Luo Zisen, alternate governor Gu Deheng, Gong Xintong, Xiguang rashly finalized the case, be dismissed. Squire Hu Ruilan, governor Yang Changrui negligent of human life, also be dismissed. Other personnel also to the proposed crime, pallbearer Shen Xiang eighty canes, two years in prison. Mentor Shen Caiquan canes one hundred, three thousand miles in exile. Zhang Jun was dismissed from his post as a trainer. Ge Pinlian's mother, Shen Yu's 100 strokes, four years in prison. Bi Xiu Gu did not avoid the suspicion, and attracted criticism, the staff of eighty. Yang Naiwu did not comply with the rituals and teachings, dismissed from the graduate school. Chen Lake because of the prison death, Qian Bao sick, exempted from punishment.
Yang Bi injustice case lasted three years and four months, the case twists and turns, sensational. Yang Naiwu released from prison, to raise silkworms planting mulberry for a living, Republic of China in 3 years (1914) suffered from sores and gangrene untreated and died at the age of 74 years old, the tomb in the town of Yuhang, outside the West Gate Anshan Village. Bi Xiugu was released from prison and became a nun in Shimendang Juntian nunnery outside the South Gate, with the legal name of Huiding. Republic of 10 years (1930) passed away at the age of 76.