During the Tang Dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian, to suppress her opponents, employed a group of cruel officials. Among them, two were particularly ruthless: Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen. They used false accusations, denunciations, and inhumane tortures to kill many upright civil and military officials, as well as common people.

One time, a secret letter was sent to Wu Zetian, accusing Zhou Xing of conspiring to rebel. Wu Zetian was furious and ordered Lai Junchen to thoroughly investigate the matter. Lai Junchen was uneasy. He thought, 'Zhou Xing is a cunning and treacherous person; it will be impossible to make him confess with just a secret letter. But if I can't find results, and the Empress Dowager blames me, I won't be able to bear the responsibility.' What could he do? After much deliberation, he finally came up with a brilliant plan.

He prepared a lavish banquet and invited Zhou Xing to his home. The two men toasted each other and chatted. After several rounds of drinks, Lai Junchen sighed and said, 'Brother, when I handle cases, I often encounter prisoners who refuse to admit their guilt. Do you have any good methods?' Zhou Xing proudly replied, 'That's easy!' He took a sip from his cup. Lai Junchen immediately feigned earnestness and said, 'Oh, please enlighten me quickly.'

Zhou Xing smirked and said, 'You find a large urn, heat it from all sides with charcoal, and then make the prisoner get inside. Do you think any prisoner wouldn't confess?'

Lai Junchen nodded repeatedly in agreement. He then ordered servants to bring a large urn and, as Zhou Xing had described, lit charcoal fires around it. Then he turned to Zhou Xing and said, 'Someone in the palace has accused you of rebellion, and I've been ordered to investigate. I'm sorry, but now, please, Brother, step into the urn yourself.'

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing's wine cup clattered to the floor, and he immediately fell to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing and saying, 'I am guilty, I am guilty, I confess.' This story is found in 'Zizhi Tongjian, Empress Zetian of Tang, Second Year of Tianshou'. The idiom 'Qing Jun Ru Weng' (Invite you into the urn) is a metaphor for making someone suffer the same treatment they devised for others.