A Study On The Local Judicial Practice In Ming Dynasty

"Jin Ping Mei" is a realistic novel talking about Ming Dynasty in the name of Song Dynasty. Mr. Zhupo Zhang of Qing Dynasty thought highly of this novel, and named it as a history of Ming Dynasty. "Jin Ping Mei" contains abundant legal cases.It offers rich materials to understand the traditional legal culture of China.Researching laws through novels can broaden our sight and help us to know the real situation of local law in practice.The author has chosen " Jin Ping Mei " as the main sample of the research mainly because it has a significant impact on Chinese culture and society profoundly.The study focuses on the Chinese traditional literature, the author has demonstrated a good understanding of the regional legal system in Ming Dynasty by interpreting the value of this novel literally and logically. Based on combing the main legal cases in "Jin Ping Mei", the thesis combines statues and regulations of Ming Dynasty and other legal stories to compare the similarities and differences between literature and law and the differences between the expression and practice of law, from prosecution, acceptances, arresting, inspection, trial, judgment and execution procedure. We can find that the adjudication of legal cases in the novel is not completely in accordance with the law at that time. What’s worse, justice officials almost take bribes and misuse the law. At last, based on the interpretation of legal cases in "Jin Ping Mei",the author sums up the characteristics of Ming dynasty’s judicial phenomenon which are embodied by these legal cases, especially the unique characteristic of intervention in judicial by eunuchs.