China's anti-corruption history: The earliest crime of accepting gifts originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The crime of accepting gifts, that is, the crime of accepting gifts, is likely to become a new crime clause in the criminal law amendment. Accepting gifts by officials is actually taking bribes in another direction. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, China officialdom banned officials from accepting gifts; During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the earliest crime of accepting gifts appeared in the history of China. ...

In the Jin Dynasty, it was "legal" to accept gifts from subordinates. An official named Wang Shu received as many as 1300 gifts. Wang Dao, a veteran of North Korea, sent someone to persuade him to stop. Wang Shu said, "That's enough".

The Han dynasty prohibited officials from accepting gifts from subordinates when they were transferred. In the year of Liu Qi's accession to the throne (BC 156), a number of official bans were promulgated, including that when an official was transferred, if he accepted a gift from his subordinates, he would be dismissed and fined two Jin.

However, in the Jin Dynasty, it was not illegal for officials to accept gifts from subordinates and jurisdictions, but it was "legal", which ran counter to the practice of "forbidding rituals" in most dynasties. There was even a popular "farewell system" in the officialdom of the Jin Dynasty, that is, the "farewell and welcome system". In today's words, it is to bid farewell to the old leaders and welcome the new ones.

"Farewell to the dead" was originally a kind of etiquette. Some "students" and "deceased officials" showed loyalty and filial piety and presented gifts to leaders who recommended themselves as officials. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Mi, a pupil, sent ten catties of gold to his teacher at night, which triggered the story of "Yang Zhen became gold".

As early as the Western Jin Dynasty, the wind of sending the old and welcoming the new began to prevail, "sending the old and welcoming the new, facing the road". In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in addition to sending chariots and horses to meet them, we had to build official residences for new officials and even equip ourselves with materials. After the transfer, there are a lot of gifts, and the number is amazing, often millions. Some officials are poor, but they can get the opportunity to accept gifts as local officials first. This is the so-called "poverty relief law".

In the ninth year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 334), an official named Wang Shu, whose family was poor, applied to work in Wanling (now Xuancheng, Anhui). Wang Dao, an old minister of the DPRK, sent someone to persuade him to stop because he received gifts frequently, as many as 1300 times, but Wang Shu said "enough is enough" (when enough is enough, he will naturally stop).

What is even more ridiculous is that when Liu Jun (Emperor Xiaowu) became emperor, he asked the secretariat to give him a gift when he returned to the county. This is called "offering money".

The "official property declaration and registration system" originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the court sent central inspectors to inspect the personal property of administrative officials. As long as the source is unclear and it is not brought from home, it will be regarded as stolen goods and all will be registered.

In the Southern Dynasties, although the "farewell system" still existed, there were relatively strict restrictions. Don't accept what you shouldn't, or you will be punished. Liu Songshi, a former satrap, was removed from his official position because he asked for leave from the county magistrate.

Compared with the "gift money corruption" in the Southern Dynasties, the Northern Dynasties, which was mainly controlled by the northern minorities, strictly "banned gifts". In the early days of the People's Republic of China, the Northern Wei Dynasty said no to official corruption and formed an effective anti-bribery system. The real crime of accepting gifts in the history of China appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The current "official property declaration and registration system" may have originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the winter and November of the first year of Ming Di Shenrui (AD 4 14), the court sent "messengers" (central inspectors) to inspect the personal property of local officials in various states. As long as the source is unclear, it is regarded as stolen goods and all of them are registered. This is the so-called "if you don't have it for your family, your books will be stolen". During the Northern Wei Dynasty, people who received huge gifts could be sentenced to death for accepting gifts. According to the Criminal Law of Shu Wei, in the fifth year of Taihe (AD 48 1 year), the old law stipulated: "It is a great breakthrough to commit adultery with 10 horses and steal 200 horses."

What do you mean by "stolen goods" Hu Sansheng, a scholar at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, pointed out: "Righteousness and spoils refer to the mutual inheritance of private affairs between people. Although it is not taken, it is also considered a shackle. " "Legitimate booty" corresponds to "positive booty" obtained from direct corruption and bribery.

Justin, Emperor Xiaowen, who vigorously promoted the country's political reform, officially promulgated and implemented the official "salary system" (salary system) in the eighth year of Taitai (AD 484). Emperor Xiaowen "defines stealing horses, and those who break the law die." The crime of accepting gifts in the Northern Wei Dynasty is not only the earliest clear crime of accepting gifts in ancient Chinese codes, but also the most severe crime of accepting gifts. In order to implement this system, after the imperial edict was promulgated, Emperor Xiaowen followed the practice of Ming Di Shenrui in the first year, saying, "Make people patrol the world and correct the illegality of slaughter. There are more than forty people sitting on the ground. "

The implementation of the crime of accepting gifts has achieved remarkable anti-corruption effect. The Criminal Law of Shu Wei concludes: "Those who eat wealth have no choice but to stumble." This means that officials stop one by one, and the road to accepting bribes and giving gifts is almost cut off.

The Tang dynasty had a complete anti-corruption system, and was not locked in a "cage" because of power, and the phenomenon of accepting gifts and accepting bribes in officialdom was not eliminated; Yang Jiazhong has a collection of 30 million fine silks.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the judicial provisions on anti-corruption in China officialdom were more standardized. The Tang Dynasty inherited the tradition that Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty strictly ruled officials, and made a detailed judicial explanation on the crime of officials accepting gifts.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, it is the same for public officials to take advantage of going out on business to accept local gifts (things) as to accept bribes from prison officials. If you receive a gift from a local official, the crime will be reduced by one degree. If you take the initiative to ask for a gift, you commit the crime of accepting bribes together with the prison officer. The so-called probation officer is the competent official who has the responsibility of supervising probation. Generally speaking, there is a direct superior leader who is closely related to his work. Such a leader was convicted of accepting bribes on the charge of "probation". The crime of imprisonment is one of the "six crimes of stolen goods", and the sentence is relatively heavy.

However, although there was a complete and strict anti-corruption system in the Tang Dynasty, the phenomenon of accepting gifts and accepting bribes in officialdom was not eliminated because power was not locked in a cage. For example, Tang Xuanzong, who was very active in official management, had many corrupt officials during his tenure. A distant relative, Yang became prime minister and gave generous gifts. The family has accumulated 30 million pieces of exquisite silk.

In the Song Dynasty, the punishment for accepting gifts from local officials followed the law of the Tang Dynasty, but "birthday programs" and other "birthday gifts" did not seem to be prohibited, let alone incriminated. The Yuan Dynasty was more severe, and it was also a crime to accept gifts on birthdays and festivals that were most easily regarded as "human nature". However, in the middle and late Yuan Dynasty, the phenomenon of officialdom accepting gifts was still rampant.

It can be explained that the opposition to official corruption in Qing dynasty was more severe than that in previous dynasties. However, the fact is embarrassing, and the names of gifts in Ming and Qing dynasties have not decreased. On the contrary, the "art" of giving and receiving gifts has reached perfection. The so-called "elegant bribe" with paintings, antiques and rare treasures as gifts was the most popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.