During the Western Han Dynasty, there was a legal expert named Lu Wenshu, who was quite displeased with the prevailing laws and legal system of his time.

When Emperor Xuan of Han ascended to the throne, Lu Wenshu submitted a memorial titled "Shang De Huan Xing Shu" (A Memorial on Upholding Virtue and Mitigating Punishments). In this document, he cited a series of historical wrongful convictions and highlighted the widespread phenomenon of prison guards coercing confessions through torture.

He argued that even honest officials, influenced by the apparent heinousness of certain crimes, might judge a person to be 'deserving more than death' (死有余辜), thereby neglecting deeper issues within the judicial process.

Emperor Xuan found his arguments very insightful and subsequently implemented more benevolent governance policies.