People are connected in series by like-minded bandits, and they form gangs with each other, showing the trend of "a single spark can start a prairie fire", and bandits are everywhere in the empire. According to Hanshu, there are thousands of large-scale bandit gangs. They attack the city and plunder the land, rob the treasury of money and grain, release death row prisoners, bind and kill county satrap, Taishi and other officials, and even some gangs have become addicted to the emperor, setting their own titles and claiming hegemony. Small-scale bandit gangs have invaded rural villages and robbed the rich and grassroots people, one after another, countless.
Bandit alarms from all over the country are often reported to the Palace Hall. In view of the frequent banditry, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty couldn't sit still any longer, and urgently ordered Zhong Cheng, an imperial consultant (equivalent to the chief procurator of the Supreme Procuratorate) and Chang Shi, the prime minister (the secretary general of the prime minister), to supervise the banditry, which was so powerful that it could not be ignored. However, the effect is not great, and bandits are still unable to be banned, showing a growing trend.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the male master, gave a killer a kiss, gave a tiger symbol and asked for a thief's imperial edict, and called on samurai soldiers to go to all counties to wipe out bandits and thieves. The effect is immediate. Wherever we went, such as the autumn wind sweeping away the leaves, most of the bandit gangs that traveled all over the counties were wiped out, tens of thousands of bandits were beheaded, and the rest of the bandits cried for their mothers and ran away. There are many unfortunate people who were killed by mistake, and there are also many people who were killed by mistake.
At the same time, the crackdown on criminals who provided money and grain, harbored bandits and county gentry was intensified, and nearly 1,000 people were killed. Ultimate revenge's determination, quick action, ruthless means and remarkable results won high praise from imperial subjects. People who eat melons have raised their hands to celebrate. Since then, the world has been peaceful, and it is possible to "put the sword into the warehouse and the horse into the south mountain."
However, as soon as the loyalist troops withdrew, the bandits and bandits scattered around began to gather in the mountains to call friends, which never rains but pours. It can be said that the principle of "guerrilla warfare" can be applied flexibly: the enemy advances and I retreat, the enemy is stationed and disturbed, the enemy is tired and I fight, and the enemy retreats and I chase. In this regard, the court and counties are running around, exhausted and helpless.
In troubled times, heavy codes are still needed. As a result, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promulgated the harsh law "Shen Ming Law" (Shen, there is nothing, and those who dare to hide thieves have no life), stipulating that: bandits rise without being discovered; If it is found that the bandits are not caught, or the number of bandits caught does not meet the prescribed standards, the county magistrate and his officials below will be put to death. (Words: If thieves catch a lot of goods when they don't find them, they will all be put to death if they give them less than 2,000 stones. )
As soon as this law came out, the report of bandits, which was a headache to the empire, disappeared, and everywhere was crowing and dancing, which greatly pleased Emperor Wu. He thinks that the measures are appropriate, the effect is remarkable, and he is quite conceited. But the real reason is that local county officials at all levels have thoroughly understood the essence of Shen Ming's laws, with policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom, and taken corresponding measures to avoid crimes. Since the promulgation of Shen Ming Law, officials at all levels have concealed the rise of bandits in their jurisdictions. They are soberly aware that once they report the bandits, they will be responsible for arresting them; If you can't destroy the bandits as scheduled, you will face the crime of beheading, and the county magistrate will also bear the crime of sitting together. Everyone is selfish. The head of a county, the chief of the county, is impossible and unwilling to bear such an innocent disaster, so he has to try his best to suppress his subordinates and prevent them from reporting bandits and letting them wreak havoc and turn a blind eye. Here, I borrow the famous saying of French emperor Louis XIV, "After me, the flood"!
In the end, the "Shen Mingfa" existed in name only, and bandits were suppressed more and more, which also laid the groundwork for the rise and fall of the Han Empire.