The Case of Yang Naiwu and the Little Cabbage

This film (drama)Also known as小白菜奇案，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2012Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating8.0(For reference only)。

Case Overview 　　The case of Yang Naiwu and the Little Cabbage In October of the twelfth year of the Tongzhi era (1873), a murder occurred in Yuhang Town, Yuhang County, Zhejiang Province, where tofu shop worker Ge Pinlian suddenly fell ill and died. County magistrate Liu Xitong suspected that the county's jinshi (a degree holder) Yang Naiwu had seduced Ge Pinlian's wife, Bi Xiugu, and poisoned Ge Pinlian. Under severe torture, Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiugu were convicted of the crime of "killing a husband to take a wife," and the case was reported to the Hangzhou government and Zhejiang provincial office. The Hangzhou government and Zhejiang province confirmed the original verdict and reported it to the Ministry of Justice. Later, through two petitions to the capital by Yang Naiwu's sister, Yang Shuying, a group of just officials in the court was stirred, leading to a joint appeal. The court ordered an exhumation to verify the body, which ultimately revealed the truth and cleared the wrongful conviction. 　　Background of the Wrongful Conviction 　　Yang Naiwu was a native of Yuhang, living at the entrance of Chengqing Lane in front of the county in Yuhang Town. He became a jinshi in August of the twelfth year of the Tongzhi era at the age of 33. He was known for his integrity and was often involved in matters of injustice, having a deep grudge against the county magistrate Liu Xitong. At that time, there was a beautiful girl named Bi Xiugu in town, who often wore green clothes and a white skirt, earning herself the nickname "Little Cabbage." When she turned 18, she married Ge Pinlian and rented a back room in Yang Naiwu's house, where the two families got along harmoniously. Bi Xiugu often visited the Yang family to chat and eat, and Yang Naiwu taught her to read. Gossip spread through the neighborhood, suggesting that "Yang was eating the Little Cabbage." Ge Pinlian, feeling suspicious, subsequently moved out of Yang's house to another vicinity. 　　The Start of the Wrongful Conviction 　　On the seventh of October, Ge Pinlian developed chills and fever, with swelling on his knees. Bi Xiugu advised him to rest at home, but he insisted on going to help at the tofu shop. On the morning of the ninth, he returned home shivering, with a rattling sound in his throat and white foam at the mouth, and died by nightfall. By the night of the tenth, his body showed changes, with light blood flowing from his mouth and nose. His stepmother, Feng Xu, suspected poisoning. His mother, Ge Yushi, reported her son's unclear cause of death to the county office and requested an examination. County magistrate Liu Xitong, who had a grudge against Yang Naiwu, suspected that he conspired with Bi Xiugu to poison Ge Pinlian and personally led the officials, along with a coroner, to examine the body. At noon, the deceased showed a pale blue complexion with vesicular rashes on his abdomen. Coroner Shen Xiang found blood in the mouth and nose and believed it to be "blood from the seven orifices." When probing the throat with a silver needle, he noted dark blue material, concluding that it was a poisoning case. Liu Xitong took Bi Xiugu back to the county office for questioning, but she claimed ignorance. The next day, torture was applied, using a device that crushed her fingers. Unable to withstand the torture, Bi Xiugu falsely claimed she had an affair with Yang Naiwu and that he had poisoned her husband with arsenic on the fifth day of the month. Liu Xitong then summoned Yang Naiwu for cross-examination. Yang Naiwu denied the accusations, angrily rebuking the magistrate for slander. Being a newly appointed jinshi, he could not be tortured directly. Liu Xitong thus requested approval from his superiors to dismiss Yang's jinshi status and proceeded to torture him, forcing a false confession. Believing the case to be clear, Liu Xitong reported the results of the examination and interrogation in detail to the Hangzhou government. 　　Arbitrary Judgments 　　Hangzhou governor Chen Lu, believing the magistrate's words, subjected Yang Naiwu to severe torture, leading to a coerced confession. He claimed that on the third day of the month, he bought forty wen of red arsenic at the Qian Baosheng pharmacy, falsely identifying himself as "Qian Tan," and gave it to Bi's family. To substantiate the claim of arsenic being sold, Liu Xitong sent for Qian Baosheng from Yuhang for verification. Qian Baosheng testified that he had never used the name Qian Baosheng, and the Airen Tang was a small pharmacy that had never sold arsenic. County secretary Chen Hu threatened and enticed Qian Baosheng and also sought help from Zhang Jun, who was in charge of training at the county office, to write to Qian Baosheng, urging him to admit boldly to prevent entanglement. He warned that if he did not admit, Yang Naiwu's testimony would be used as evidence, resulting in harsher punishment. Qian Baosheng eventually gave false testimony, producing documents of selling arsenic. Seeing that three pieces of evidence were in order, Hangzhou governor Chen Lu reported it to Zhejiang governor Yang Changrui. Yang Changrui believed the case to be true and originally concluded it as "killing a husband to take a wife," which was submitted for approval to the Ministry of Justice. 　　Appeal to the Capital 　　Yang Naiwu wrote a petition while in prison, which was smuggled out by his sister, Yang Shuying, along with his wife, Zhan Caifeng, to petition the Censorate in the capital, but they were sent back to Zhejiang. The first appeal to the capital failed, prompting Yang Shuying to seek out Yang Naiwu's classmate in Hangzhou, Wu Yitong. At that time, Wu Yitong was a teacher at Hu Xueyan's home. Coincidentally, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Xia Tongshan, was ending his mourning period and returning to the capital, passing through Hangzhou where Hu Xueyan was holding a farewell banquet for him. During the banquet, Wu Yitong mentioned Yang Naiwu's wrongful conviction, and Xia Tongshan agreed to make a suggestion upon returning to Beijing. 　　The Second Appeal to the Capital 　　In September, Yang Shuying and Zhan Caifeng made a second trip to Beijing, where Xia Tongshan introduced them to over 30 official contacts from Zhejiang who were in the capital, and they submitted their petition to the Ministry of Justice. Xia Tongshan also connected with the military minister, Weng Tonghe, to present the case to the two empress dowagers. The Qing court issued an edict, dispatching Deputy Minister of Rites Hu Ruilan (who also served as the educational commissioner of Zhejiang) as a special envoy to review the case in Hangzhou. Zhejiang governor Yang Changrui appointed Ningbo governor Bian Baocheng, Jiaxing county magistrate Luo Zisen, substitute county magistrate Gu Deheng, and Gong Xintong to accompany the investigation. During the interrogation, Yang Naiwu and Bi Xiugu retracted their statements, facing severe punishments where Yang Naiwu had both his legs crushed and Bi Xiugu had her ten fingers crushed. Under such torture, they again provided false confessions. 　　Reexamination 　　On the eighteenth of October, Hu Ruilan reported the case to the Ministry of Justice, which carefully studied it, finding many inconsistencies, and requested a report to the court. They ordered Hu Ruilan to conduct a review, stating that no torture was to be used. Yang Naiwu fought for his innocence. By December, over 30 gentry from Zhejiang, including Wu Yitong and Wang Shuping, collectively petitioned to have the prisoners transferred to the capital for interrogation to clarify doubts. Xia Tongshan and other officials repeatedly spoke on behalf of this case in front of Empress Dowager Cixi. The court ordered Yang Changrui to transport all case files, prisoners, witnesses, and Ge Pinlian's coffin to the capital, with Liu Xitong being removed from the case. 　　The Truth Revealed 　　In December of the second year of Guangxu, a grand trial was held by the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Supreme Court, where Yang Naiwu explained the course of events, denying any adulterous or poisoning intents. Bi Xiugu cried out in injustice and spoke truthfully. Witnesses and relatives were interrogated, including the door attendant Shen Caiquan, coroner Shen Xiang, and the pharmacy worker, who all revealed the truth. Subsequently, the coffin was opened for a body examination, confirming that the cause of death was illness and not poisoning. After more than three years of wrongful conviction, the truth was finally unveiled. 　　Dramatic Conclusion 　　On the sixteenth of February, the Qing court issued an edict removing Liu Xitong from the position of county magistrate in Yuhang and sending him to Heilongjiang as punishment. Hangzhou governor Chen Lu, Ningbo governor Bian Baocheng, Jiaxing county magistrate Luo Zisen, substitute county magistrate Gu Deheng, Gong Xintong, and Xu Guang were all dismissed from their positions for hastily concluding the case. Deputy Minister Hu Ruilan and governor Yang Changrui, who were negligent in their duties, were also dismissed. Other officials faced penalties as well, with coroner Shen Xiang receiving eighty strokes and a two-year sentence, door attendant Shen Caiquan receiving one hundred strokes and an exile of three thousand li, and Zhang Jun dismissed from his position as a trainer. Ge Pinlian's mother, Shen Yushi, received one hundred strokes and a four-year sentence. Bi Xiugu was punished for not avoiding suspicion, receiving eighty strokes. Yang Naiwu was removed from the jinshi rank for failing to adhere to moral teachings. Chen Hu was excused from punishment due to monitoring the death and Qian Baosheng’s passing. The Yang-Bi wrongful conviction case took three years and four months to unfold, with a complex narrative that shocked both the ruling and common classes. After his release, Yang Naiwu made a living by raising silkworms and planting mulberry trees. He died at the age of 74 in the third year of the Republic of China (1914) due to untreated sores and boils, with his grave located in Anshan Village outside the West Gate of Yuhang Town. After being released from prison, Bi Xiugu became a nun at the Zhun Ti Temple in Shimen Pond outside the South Gate, adopting the dharma name Huiding. She passed away in the tenth year of the Republic of China (1920) at the age of 76.