Why do criminals who were sentenced to beheading in ancient times often ask for beheading after autumn?

Questioning after autumn first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period, and Zuo Zhuan contained "spring and summer rewards, autumn and winter punishments"; "The Book of Rites" also records that "the mid-spring moon, no looting, stop the prison lawsuit". By the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had widely collected strategies for governing the country. Of course, after autumn, not all death row inmates will be asked this question. In ancient times, there was also a kind of death penalty, which was beheading. Prisoners who are usually guilty of rebellion will be beheaded. In addition, the general prisoners on death row are required to be beheaded after the autumn.

The real application of the method of asking questions after autumn began in the Western Han Dynasty. Dong Zhongshu believes that celebration, reward, punishment and punishment are the four ruling behaviors of emperors, which should adapt to the changes of the four seasons. Reward in spring and summer, execution in autumn and winter, and later people call it "asking after autumn"

In that ancient era, due to the backwardness of science and culture, people could not correctly explain some phenomena in nature and human society, and thought that there was a creator who could dominate everything except human beings and everything in nature. Influenced by the theories of disaster, plague, good omen and simple Confucian philosophy, it has been thought that killing people should choose a good day since the Zhou Dynasty. Dong Zhongshu's perception of heaven and man in Han Dynasty combines various seasons and five elements, and autumn belongs to gold, which kills people, so it is most suitable for killing people in autumn. Spring and summer are the seasons when everything grows, and it is always appropriate to kill people in autumn and winter when everything recovers. Therefore, in ancient times, executions were mostly in autumn, and there was a saying that "people ask questions after autumn".

Jin Mu is fire, water and land, and a golden god. To the west of the four elephants is a white tiger. The two are integrated. According to legend, Shao Luo had a son named Gai, that is, Ru Shou, which means killing people in autumn, and everything comes together. In ancient times, the atmosphere of asking questions and chilling after autumn was particularly suitable. Officials who hate killing innocent people and claim to be descendants of Confucius have to be cautious when dealing with death row, but also to avoid unjust, false and wrong cases. Therefore, prisoners sentenced to death usually wait until the autumn is crisp. Since there was no village netcom project in ancient times, we still have to go to the city to play. The emperor thought, well, at this time, beheading will not interfere with farm work, and many people will see it.