A classical scene of Ancient China court spanking

There was a famous legal case commonly referred to as "Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai," a notorious case of injustice in the Qing dynasty in Chinese history.  It is listed by Chinese historians as one of the four great criminal cases of the last imperial dynasty, and regarded as symbol of the corruption that contributed greatly to the once-powerful dynasty's eventual fall.  The case has been dramatized in several other forms, particularly operatic productions but also in several Hong Kong and Singapore film versions.  In addition to "Yang Naiwu," these subsequent versions used the English titles "The Adulteress," "Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage" and "The Scholar and the Serving Maid."

 

Our story began when Xiao Baicai was taken to the court to be interrogated if she murdered her husband. She kneeled down on the floor, bowing to a man who was in charge of the case. The man’s name is Liu Xitong and he was the magistrate in a Qing dynasty officer uniform.  There were four guards (Chai Ren) lining up on each side of the court. Xiao Baicai was accused of having sex affairs with another young man named "Yang Nai Wu" and they plotted the death of xiao BaiCai's husband by envenoming him.

 

The magistrate (Liu Xi Tong) interrogated, “Xiao Baicai, tell me how did you have sex affairs with Yang NaiWu and plot the death of your husband?"

 

Xiao Baicai denied, "No, Sire, I am innocent, I did not have affairs with YangNai Wu and I did not poison my husband!"

 

Actually the magistrate only wanted the testimony that Xiao Baicai andYang Nai Wu were the murderers because he had feud with Yang Naiwu. So he made a firm determination that he must make Xiao Baicai confess by whatever means! He roared, "It looks you must be punished before you can confess your crimes!" He then ordered his subordinates (Chai Ren) to give Xiao Baicai 40 strokes on the bare bottom with rods.

 

In ancient Chinese court, if a woman is accused of having sex relationships with a non-husband, or she is a whore, the punishment will be on bare bottom. This is an extreme humiliation for their non-chastity and infidelity. Otherwise, she can have her trousers on.

 

Two Chai Ren held her waist with rods; four men gripped her wrists and ankles. One man came over and stripped her skirt as well as underwear, a round creamy white bottom exposed in the public. This was why many people liked to watch what's happening in court in ancient China especially a woman prisoner was expected to be spanked, which would be a great visual feast. Xiao Baicai felt so shocked and embarrassed that she tried to escape, but she was firmly gripped that she could only wriggle her body which exhilarated witnesses even more.

 

She didn't know what would happen to her since she had no experience of being spanked by government Chai Ren and she had no knowledge how hard it would be. Being freaked out and still holding a line of hope for Liu's mercy, she yelped,

 

"My magistrate, I am innocent!!”

 

However, the rod still beat on her right cheek ruthlessly and left a pink mark on her white creamy behind. She jerked and squirmed, yelping "ouch", pleading for mercy "I am innocent!" 

 

Another stroke landed on her left cheek and she gasped and felt like being scotched by a line of fire from backside. She wriggled even more, expecting to sway off some pains.  Perceiving that she was unlikely to be exempted from the torture; she clenched her fists and tensed her buttocks, receiving each swat of the continuous spanking. The Chai Rens were trying to make her confess, so they tried their best effort with each smack. Xiao Baicai suffered a lot and she could hardly take a breath in the interval of two smacks, her round bottom was swollen with rippled bruises and she fainted several times during the torture. The court became silent enough to hear the resonant spanking of rods on the bottom. Every witness was staring at this magnificent view and kindled. Eventually it was over and Xiao Baicai's face was stained with tears, a Chai Ren pulled her pants back to the place.

 

In reality, she would probably suffer more tortures until she confessed the crime which was imposed.

 

Yang and Bi were still convicted with murder with falsified testimonies and evidence. Both were sentenced to death by beheading.  But as usual, the case was sent to a high level of government - the prefecture - and then to the provincial governor. However, both could not find anything wrong with the case. In the meanwhile, Yang's wife Yang Mei appealed on the imperial super court and accused having confessed under torture. 

 

At last, the Empress Dowager Ci Xi personally intervened and ordered two officials in the Ministry of Justice in the imperial capital to assume charge of the case. These men ordered that the two accused and the evidence against them be brought to the capital for a new trial to be held jointly by the Ministry and two other judicial bodies. 

 

Subsequent investigation of everyone involved (more than 300 officials at various levels of government) resulted in dismissal or banishment of those officials. Thus Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai were both released.