The prison officer sat beside him. When he gave the order at 3 noon, the prisoner fell to the ground head first.
The food market outside Xuanwu Gate in Beijing is very famous, because it is the place where prisoners are beheaded.
Did you find that most prisoners said when they were sentenced to beheading: Except beheading immediately? Ask after autumn? .
Have you ever wondered why you have to wait until after the fall to execute? There are two reasons. On the one hand, agriculture is the mainstay, and the busy farming after autumn is already very busy. Even if many witnesses are needed at the trial, they can be present at any time and will not delay the busy farmers.
On the other hand, after autumn, plants and trees are dead, so people feel that they must conform to the laws of nature.
On the day of execution, prisoners without identity were driven into the execution ground, and those with identity entered the execution ground in the execution vehicle. When they arrive at the execution ground, they will not be executed immediately. The prisoner is asked to kneel beside the executioner, and then the beheading officer will arrive before 3 noon. At 3 noon, the beheading officer gave an order and the prisoner fell to the ground instantly.
Why wait until 3: 00 noon 15? The ancients thought that the sun hung in the highest position in the sky at this time, which was the most vigorous time of the day, and used the sun to suppress the yin of the dead. So the execution is fixed at 3 noon, when the sun is at its peak.
After the criminal's head falls to the ground, the cut head will be hung on a stake to warn the public.
During the Qing Dynasty, many people were beheaded at Caishikou, including some celebrities: Su Shun (Minister Gu Ming) in the last years of Xianfeng, and the Six Gentlemen of the Reform Movement of 1898. What is the reason for choosing to execute criminals at Caishikou?
The answer is of course to warn people! The habit of joining in the fun has existed since ancient times, so once a criminal is interrogated, there will be many onlookers, far more than those seen in film and television dramas, and some people will go to the scene to watch.
For the people's ordinary life as always, they are idle in autumn, and they are going to cut prisoners at the entrance of the food market. Coupled with curiosity, they naturally went to see it. For the rulers, it is important for so many people to watch, so as to achieve the purpose of beheading in the food market and educate the people.