(Clearwisdom.net) Established during the time of Five Dynasties (907-960) in Shu (Earlier Shu, 907-925), the "Group to Discover" was responsible for patrolling the armed forces. Directed by Junior Yuanshi (a government position name) Xiao Huaiwu, the "Group to Discover" carried weapons and patrolled all over the country arresting people who were deemed "unprincipled persons." It was similar to the operations of the Chinese Communist Party's police.
For a long time Xiao Huaiwu used the "Group to Discover" to arrest many people. His influence became more and more powerful and he received large sums of money. His luxurious private residence was inferior only to the monarchs. Regarded at the time by government officials as being highly ranked, the Xiao Huaiwu residence was said to have one of the largest number of staff entertainers. There were more than 100 members in the "Group to Discover." Each member hired another dozen or so people. These members would first gather together and then disperse among society. Their clothing and appearance were the same as average persons. Naturally, the common people could not distinguish clearly who actually belonged to the "Group to Discover," and so they called them all "dogs."
Because these "dogs" mixed with the populace, Xiao Huaiwu and his gang knew what the common people were talking about when they gathered together. Therefore, the people felt threatened and anxious.
Many "dogs" were placed among the subordinate officers, grooms, chefs, hirelings and dancers in the families of officials. Therefore, officials at every level also felt they were in danger.
In this way, Xiao Huaiwu killed scores of people. When the Earlier Shu was newly established, anyone who was not in harmony with Xiao Huaiwu or had lots of money would be Xiao Huaiwu's target. Xiao would frame the victim, and then dispatch a member of the "Group to Discover" to arrest and charge them. They were then sentenced to death. The frequent sounds of protest were said to be alarming.
The saying "The heavens have keen eyes; an evil person will not die a natural death" is true. During Earlier Shu, Guo Chongtao captured Xiao Huaiwu and the people accused Xiao of scheming to have a rebellion. At this time, the more than one hundred members of Xiao Huaiwu's entire family, regardless of their ages, were decapitated at the market. The common people all clapped and cheered. [According to Taiping Guangji, (1)]
The establishment of the "Group to Discover" was to create unlawfulness where there was not in order to remove the dissidents and suppress the masses for the implementation of a dictatorship and despotism. During this time period the term "special agent" was not used, the common people called them "dogs." The behaviors of Zeng Qinghong and Luo Gan of the Chinese Communist Party are very similar to that of Xiao Huaiwu. The common people today also call them "dogs."
Whether it is Xiao Huaiwu in ancient times or Zeng Qinghong and Luo Gan in modern times, their fates are sure to be unfavorable. Having the occupation of a "dog" or "special agent" is very bad and sure to bring one an unfortunate future.
(1) Taipingguangji, the Extensive Records of the Taiping Era are a collection of stories compiled under the editorship of Li Fang. They were first published in 978. The book is divided into five hundred volumes and consists of about three million words. The collection has around seven thousand stories that were selected from over three hundred books and novels dating from the Han Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, many of which have since long been lost. Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, each is replete with historical elements and qualify as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Daoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities. They include a number of Tang stories that are famous works of literature in their own right, and they have also inspired later works.