生平

出身

来俊臣生父姓蔡名本，为一赌徒，他有个朋友叫来操，蔡本的妻子长得姿色比较出众，来操便屡屡私下挑逗勾引，来操就和蔡本的妻子勾搭成奸了，蔡本因无法归还赌债，遂将已怀孕的妻子抵押，进了来家门不久，蔡本的妻子就生下一个儿子，就是来俊臣。但父亲是赌徒，母亲很轻佻，来俊臣的家庭教育也就可想而知了，生活在那样的家庭环境，他耳濡目染，都是尔虞我诈，勾心斗角，他自小便是不事生产的游民，为乡邻所厌恶，遂流窜异乡，至和州，因在外偷窃遭逮，当时和州刺史为东平王李续，嫉恶如仇，命人将来俊臣打一百板，投入大牢。来俊臣对李续恨之入骨。不久，武则天陷害李续下狱，来俊臣得知，大喜过望。编织李续「谋反」罪证，武则天因此特别召见他。

步步高升

来俊臣因镇压反对人士有功，先赐官侍御史，加封朝散大夫，再升官为左台御史中丞。执法时手段恶辣，手下豢养几百个小喽罗，专事告密陷害大臣。与当时同为酷吏的周兴、索元礼、侯思止等人争先恐后地铲除异己，无辜者皆可被罗织捏造成谋反罪而至牵连诛九族。一时内外臣民含冤死者众，可谓掌握生杀大权，天下震动。

肆意诬杀

大将军张虔勖遭诬陷下狱，向来俊臣陈说自己以前的功绩，来俊臣竟命武士将其乱刀砍杀。内侍范云仙犯案下狱，诉说自己侍奉唐高宗有功，祈求赦免，来俊臣命人截其舌，范云仙当场横死。博陵公崔玄暐，遭来俊臣派人将「谋反」书信放置于屋顶砖瓦上，崔元暐的仆从及时发现，将书信烧毁，逃过一劫。武则天侄子武承嗣诬告豫王李旦谋反，武则天命来俊臣审问，来俊臣将李旦府内仆从全数逮捕审问，严刑逼供。太常寺乐工安金藏拚死为李旦鸣冤，用利刃刺破自己胸腹，以明心迹。此事让武则天得知后，随即停止审讯，整件事也不了了之。

贪财好色

来俊臣利用自己职权，广收贿赂，公开索要钱财。不顺他意者，必遭牢狱之灾。

有高丽人泉献诚，受武则天赏识，受封右卫大将军兼羽林卫一职。来俊臣向其索贿，泉献诚并未理睬，来俊臣恼羞成怒，罗织罪名，将其投入大牢，绞杀。来俊臣罔视王法，大肆接受商人贿赂，因此获罪，依法应处死，但武则天将其赦免，削职为民。两年后又官复原职，贼性不改，遭贬为同州参军。突厥可汗阿史那斛色罗有一婢女，娇艳动人，来俊臣制造冤案，逮捕酋长，夺其婢女。激起其他外族愤慨，几乎酿成叛变，不得已才将其释放。段简妻王氏，因甚有姿色，遭来俊臣看上，强夺为妻，自杀而亡。段简又有一妾，也生得美貌，来俊臣明索暗示，段简迫于淫威，只得拱手相让。

罗织惹祸

万岁通天元年（696年）迁升洛阳令、司农少卿。二年因罗告太平公主和武氏诸王，欲图一网打尽。太平公主先发制人，以其常「自比石勒，有不轨之心」罪名告发。武则天「下诏弃市」并加醢刑处死。死时长安市井场面轰动。（前相李昭德同日处斩，面有喜色），「国人无少长皆怨之，竟剐其肉，斯须尽矣。又牵马，复践其骨」。武则天知道此事后，大惊，再下令将其全家处死弃市。

唐玄宗开元年间，下诏来俊臣的后代子孙不得仕宦，以示惩戒。

酷刑简介

来俊臣和党羽朱南山、万国俊等撰《罗织经》，专教人罗织罪名。且发明了不少枷，由最重至最轻都各有名号，包括：「求破家」、「求即死」、「死猪愁」、「反是实」、「实同反」、「失魂胆」、「著即承」、「突地吼」、「喘不来」、「定百脉」合共十个，从名字来看，它们都会令受刑者极为痛苦，而来俊臣就是经常以枷来对付政敌、反对他的朝臣和得到「证供」。另外尚有数十「刑」和「罚」，如：「凤凰晒翅」、「驴狗发蹶」、「仙人献果」、「玉女登梯」等，其「刑」惨绝人寰。其罚有竹签钉指、热醋灌鼻、铁圈梏头等，手段之酷烈，前所未有。

相关成语

请君入瓮

周兴残害无辜被举发，武则天命来俊臣审理，来俊臣于是请周兴吃饭，来俊臣问：「囚犯如果硬是不认罪，该怎么办才好？」周兴大笑说：「这太容易了，把犯人放到瓮里，四周燃起炭火。」来俊臣派人找来一口大瓮，按照他出的主意用火围著烤，然后站起来说：「来某奉太后懿旨来审查你，请君入瓮吧！」周兴见大事不妙，磕头求饶，表示愿意招认。这是「请君入瓮」的典故。

注释

参考书目

• 《旧唐书·酷吏传》

Background

It is not known when Lai Junchen was born, but it is known that he was from Wannian County (万年), one of the two counties making up the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. His father was one Lai Cao (来操) -- who was said to have won Lai Junchen's mother, then the wife of his friend Cai Ben (蔡本), after winning in gambling with Cai. Lai Junchen was said to be a thug who did not work, who was investigated for thievery while he was at He Prefecture (和州, roughly modern Chaohu, Anhui) and who then made false accusations against others to the prefect, Li Xu (李续) the Prince of Dongping, a cousin of then-reigning Emperor Ruizong. Li Xu had him caned 100 times and thrown out.

In 689, in the aftermath of rebellions against Emperor Ruizong's mother and regent Empress Dowager Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) by Emperor Ruizong's uncle Li Zhen the Prince of Yue and Li Chong the Prince of Langye, Li Xu, along with many other imperial Li clan members, was executed by Empress Dowager Wu. Lai again made a secret report, this time directly to Empress Dowager Wu, who encouraged such reports from anyone. When she met with him, he claimed that what he was reporting earlier dealt with Li Zhen's and Li Chong's rebellions, and that Li Xu had improperly suppressed them. Empress Dowager Wu believed him and thought he was faithful to her, and therefore made him a secret police official, rising to the rank of deputy imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng).

First stint as secret police official

It was said that Lai Junchen personally retained a staff of several hundred men who were previously thugs, with the intent to have them make reports. If he decided to falsely implicate someone in a crime, then he had the men submit false reports that corroborate each other. Lai and his assistant Wan Guojun even authored a text known as the Classic of Accusation, teaching their subordinates how to accuse people of crimes and how to create details that make the alleged plot appear logical and likely. Lai and the other secret police officials were also said to have created a number of torture methods and equipments to get the accused to confess, and further, each time he knew that a general pardon was set to be issued, he had the jailers kill important prisoners first before the general pardon would be declared. Lai's authorities continued to grow, particularly after Empress Dowager Wu herself took the throne in 690 as "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang and reducing Emperor Ruizong to the rank of crown prince.

In 691, the official Liu Xinggan was accused of treason. Wu Zetian had the chancellor Shi Wuzi investigate along with Lai. After Liu Xinggan and his brothers were executed for treason, Lai further reported to Wu Zetian that Shi had good relations with Liu Xinggan and had tried to hide evidence of Liu Xinggan's guilt. Wu Zetian had Lai investigate Shi as well and Shi, in fear, committed suicide.

That year, a famous incident involving Lai and fellow secret police official Zhou Xing occurred. Earlier that year, the general Qiu Shenji (丘神绩) had been accused of crime and executed, and subsequently, there were secret reports that Zhou was involved with Qiu's crimes. Wu Zetian had Lai investigate, without Zhou's knowledge. One day, Lai and Zhou sat down to lunch, and Lai asked Zhou the question of, "Many of the accused are not willing to confess. Do you have an idea on how to get them to confess?" Zhou responded, "That is easy. Take a big urn and set a fire under it. Put the accused in it, and surely he will confess everything." Lai had a big urn brought and a fire set underneath, in accordance with Zhou's instructions, and then rose and stated to Zhou, "I had received secret instructions from Her Imperial Majesty with regard to you, my brother. Please enter the urn." Zhou, in fear, knelt and confessed. Wu Zetian did not execute Zhou but exiled him, and on the way to his place of exile, Zhou was killed by his enemies. (This incident inspired the Chinese proverb "invite the gentleman into the urn" (请君入瓮, qing jun ru weng), now used for the concept of putting a person into a trap that he himself or she herself had set.)

Later that year, when investigating the general Zhang Qianxu, Lai interrogated Zhang and tortured him severely. Zhang, unable to stand the torture, yelled out to another official in charge of investigations, Xu Yougong (徐有功), who was known for being merciful. Angry that Zhang was yelling out to Xu, Lai had his guards slash Zhang to death with their swords and then beheaded him. When he subsequently investigated the prefect Yun Hongsi (云弘嗣), he did not bother interrogating Yun—he just beheaded Yun and then forged a confession from Yun.

Yet later that year, the chancellors Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan offended Wu Zetian by strenuously opposing the proposal to elevate her powerful nephew Wu Chengsi to be crown prince, and she had them arrested. Lai coerced Cen's son the county magistrate of Lingyuan into implicating another chancellor, Ouyang Tong, whom Lai subsequently arrested and tortured. However, he was unable to get Ouyang to admit to treason, and so he forged a confession from Ouyang. Cen, Ge, and Ouyang were all executed. Lai also killed the general Li Anjing (李安静).

In 692, Lai falsely accused the chancellors Ren Zhigu, Di Renjie, and Pei Xingben, along with other officials Cui Xuanli (崔宣礼), Lu Xian (卢献), Wei Yuanzhong, and Li Sizhen (李嗣真) of treason. Lai tried to induce them to confess by citing an imperial edict that stated that those who confessed would be spared their lives, and Di confessed and was not tortured. He then wrote a petition on his blanket and hid it inside cotton clothes, and then had his family members take the clothes home to be changed into summer clothes. Wu Zetian thereafter became suspicious and inquired with Lai, who responded by forging, in the names of Di and the other officials, submissions thanking Wu Zetian for preparing to execute them. However, the young son of another chancellor who had been executed, Le Sihui, who was seized to be a servant at the ministry of agriculture, made a petition to Wu Zetian and told her that Lai was so skillful at manufacturing charges that even the most honest and faithful individuals would be forced into confessions by Lai. Wu Zetian thereafter summoned the seven accused officials and personally interrogated them, and after they disavowed the forged confessions, released but exiled them. Later that year, Lai demanded a bribe from the general Quan Xiancheng (泉献诚), the grandson of the former Goguryeo regent Yeon Gaesomun and, when Quan refused, falsely accused Quan of treason and had him strangled.

In 693, the officials Pei Feigong (裴匪躬) and Fan Yunxian (范云仙) were accused of secretly meeting with the crown prince Li Dan (the former emperor), and when Fan tried to speak on his own behalf, Lai had his tongue cut off, and then had Pei and Fan both executed by being cut in half at the waist. Wu Zetian decreed that officials would not be allowed to meet with Li Dan. When, subsequently, there were secret accusations that Li Dan was plotting to overthrow her, she had Lai investigate Li Dan's associates, whom Lai arrested and tortured. One of them, An Jinzang, proclaimed Li Dan's innocence and cut his own abdomen, causing the organs to fall out. When Wu Zetian heard this, she was touched, and she had the imperial physicians treat An, barely saving his life, and on account of An's assurance that Li Dan was not plotting against her, ordered Lai to end his investigations against Li Dan. Meanwhile, Lai falsely accused the minister of public works, Su Gan (苏干), of having been a co-conspirator of Li Chong's, and had him executed.

Either in 693 or 694, Lai was accused by the imperial censor JI Lüzhong (纪履忠) of five crimes, including corruption, and initially, Lai was sentenced to death, but Wu Zetian, believing him to have accomplished much for her, spared his life and reduced him to commoner rank—and soon thereafter reinstated him as secretary general of palace affairs (殿中丞, Dianzhong Cheng). Lai was, however, thereafter again accused of corruption, and he was demoted to be a military officer at Tong Prefecture (同州, roughly modern Weinan, Shaanxi), interrupting his career as a secret police official.

Second stint as secret police official

In 696, Lai Junchen was recalled to then-capital Luoyang to serve as the sheriff of Hegong County, one of the two counties making up Luoyang. In late 696, the sheriff of Mingtang County (明堂, one of the counties making up Chang'an), Ji Xu, heard about a treasonous plot by the officials Liu Sili, Qilian Yao (綦连耀), and Wang Ju (王勮) -- as the conspirators believed that Qilian was fated to be emperor one day. Ji relayed the plot to Lai, and had Lai submit a secret report of it. Wu Zetian had Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan, the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸), investigate. Liu implicated some 36 officials into the plot, and they and their families were executed. Lai, wanting to monopolize the rewards for reporting this plot, was prepared to falsely accuse Ji of crimes as well, but Ji found this out and submitted a secret petition; he was able to meet Wu Zetian, who promoted him, while Lai was further restored to good graces in Wu Zetian's eyes and was promoted to be the deputy minister of husbandry (司仆少卿, Sipu Shaoqing).

It was said that, particularly after this restoration to power, Lai did what he could to seize beautiful women for his gratification, finding ways to implicate and execute their husbands and then seize them. (He had been planning to seize a beautiful servant girl of Western Tujue's Jiezhongshizhu Khan Ashina Huseluo, then at Luoyang, and he therefore accused Ashina Huseluo of treason, but Ashina Huseluo escaped death when the chiefs of his subordinate tribes pleaded in front of the palace and cut their own faces to vouch for Ashina Huseluo.) It was further said that he created a book of the officials' names and then randomly chose whom to accuse by drawing lots, and that he compared himself to Shi Le, the founder of Later Zhao. As he had an inimical relationship with the censor Li Zhaode, he and another enemy of Li Zhaode's, Huangfu Wenbei (皇甫文备), falsely accused Li Zhaode of treason, and Li Zhaode was arrested later in 697.

Meanwhile, Lai was said to be ready for something much more major—falsely accusing Li Dan, his older brother Li Zhe the Prince of Luling (also a former emperor), the Wu clan imperial princes, and Wu Zetian's powerful daughter Princess Taiping, of treason as well, to wipe them out gradually to give himself a chance to start a coup to seize the throne himself. His friend Wei Suizhong (卫遂忠), publicly reported the plot, and the Wu clan princes and Princess Taiping responded by submitting accusations against Lai. Wu Zetian arrested Lai, and Lai was sentenced to death—but Wu Zetian, still believing that he was faithful to her, did not approve the execution order for three days. Only at Ji's urging did she approve the execution, and Lai and Li Zhaode were executed on the same day. It was said that the people mourned Li Zhaode while celebrating Lai's death—with his enemies cutting out his flesh and organs, consuming much of it in anger.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 186, part 1.https://web.archive.org/web/20080209005818/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan20.htm

• New Book of Tang, vol. 209.https://web.archive.org/web/20080209133431/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan22.htm

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 203, 204, 205, 206.