The legal judgement in the Spring and Autumn Annals and revenge on traitors:a Confucian debate triggered by the "Red Pill Case" during the late Ming Dynasty
Emperor Guangzong in the late Ming Dynasty promisingly showed reformist intentions in the deteriorating political situation after he ascended the throne,but he suddenly died after taking the"red pill."This incident greatly stimulated the literati class.Officials and ministers called for a thorough investigation into the matter.The sitting Grand Secretary,Fang Congzhe,was implicated as the mastermind behind the administration of the medicine.Notably,scholar-officials such as Sun Shenxing and Wei Dazhong cited principles from the Spring and Autumn Annals to accuse Fang Congzhe of regicide.In contrast,opponents argued that Guangzong died naturally and was not poisoned by the medicine given by court eunuchs Cui and Li.These opponents also drew on this Confucian classic to support their claims.The controversy over the"Red Pill Case"became deeply entangled in factional struggles,particularly the ongoing battle between the Donglin faction and the eunuch faction.The debate about the proper interpretation of Confucian principles,as well as the use of the Spring and Autumn Annals to justify either side,played a critical role in shaping the discourse surrounding the case.These Confucian disputes were not only central to the legal and moral arguments related to the emperor's death but also contributed to the larger intellectual discussions of the time.
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