Chapter 677

She couldn't help but say, "I have continued the policies of Taizu; those who corrupt over one hundred guan are sentenced to strangulation, and for the severe cases, I even have them castrated, waist-chopped, slow-sliced, and skinned."

"Is this not ruthless enough?"

Wu Zhao looked at Gao Yang, her voice suddenly rising, somewhat incredulous.

Ever since the punishment of skinning was born, countless officials had called it too ruthless.

But this skinning punishment only targeted corrupt officials, which was why there was less resistance. It was like a group of pigs in a pigsty; if you throw a stone in, the one who squeals the loudest is often the one who was hit.

The same logic applied here: the more someone opposed it, the more suspicious they were of corruption!

Therefore, although the controversy was great, no one dared to strongly oppose it.

But in private, who wouldn't say it was too ruthless?

Gao Yang shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, this is not ruthless enough!"

Shangguan Wan'er: "..."

Wu Zhao: "..."

"People have a sense of luck, so whether it is a capital crime or skinning, as long as it doesn't fall specifically on their own heads, they don't know the severity."

"Furthermore, once an official corrupts, they embark on a path of no return. As for the so-called punishments, it is death anyway. Skinning and beheading are just different ways of dying; the former only makes one die more painfully, but what is the use of the regret before death?"

"Therefore, the punishment of skinning cannot curb the trend of corruption at all!"

"During Taizu's reign, he killed tens of thousands of corrupt officials. By the end, the operation of Da Qian became a problem, and he even created the 'death penalty while serving'."

"There were not enough officials, so these corrupt officials had to handle criminals before being executed. They handled cases while carrying their own death sentences. They even sentenced criminals to death, and after a while, when it came time for autumn executions, both sides met at the execution ground and went down together."

"This is completely useless!"

"The method to curb corrupt officials, by blindly targeting the corrupt officials themselves, even if they are slow-sliced, has little effect. Those who are truly corrupt either have a sense of luck or do not fear death!"

Wu Zhao fell into thought.

Gao Yang was right; corruption in every dynasty of Da Qian had always been punished extremely severely.

But looking at the results, it had no great effect.

Those who should corrupt continued to corrupt, and those who should be skinned continued to be skinned.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be so worried.

"Gao Yang, then what do you say we should do?"

Wu Zhao asked.

Gao Yang's eyes flickered, and then he said, "Your Majesty, this subject has always felt that the most powerful weapon in the world is not a steel blade, nor is it gunpowder!"

"The most powerful weapon..." Gao Yang paused, then continued, "is family affection!"