Posthumous lingchi of eunuch Wei Zhongxian

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Notice

Title: Posthumous lingchi of eunuch Wei Zhongxian (ID: 193)

Extrait de:
  1:Name: Chang'an daoren 长安道人 Jingshi yinyang meng 警世阴阳梦
   Note(s): pp.153-154

Internal_Type: OCR
Textual_Type: Fiction
Publication_Type: Printed
Genre: Novel
Event_Alluded: Fall of Wei Zhongxian 魏忠贤.
Date_of_event: 1627-1628 (fictional rendition of an historical event).
Original_Text_Language: Chinese

Text_Interest: Detailed description of a lingchi performed on a dead man; note that lingchi is deemed here to be a proper punishment even though the culprit is already dead, as his corpse is thus “not allowed to remain complete” (bu rong ta quan shi 不容他全尸).

Comment: Wei Zhongxian 魏忠贤(1568?-1627), a powerful eunuch-minister who dominated Chinese politics at the beginning of the 17th Century, counts, with Song Minister Qin Hui, among the most hated men in Chinese history. His 1628 posthumous lingchi is an historical fact. This novel, published the year following his death, expresses an extreme hatred of Wei, adding a touch of supernatural to its depiction of the event in order to perfect the condemnation of the evil eunuch. This episode is followed by a journey to hell narrative showing the punishment of Wei in the netherworld.

Geolocation

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Derniére modification le : 2005-11-15