Why did ancient prisoners ask questions after autumn?

The questioning after the autumn originated from the record of Qiu Meng Month in the Book of Rites and the Moon Order of the Warring States Period: "The cool wind comes, the dew falls, the cicadas sing, the eagle is a sacrificial bird, and it is slaughtered with the beginning." It's getting colder and colder, and the cold cicada has begun to moan. Because the eagle wanted to sacrifice birds, it began to catch and kill birds in the sky. Therefore, it is believed that after autumn, eagles began to kill birds and offer sacrifices, so that human beings can condemn prisoners and uphold justice.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a record of "execution in autumn and winter" in Zuo Zhuan's Twenty-six Years of Xianggong. After the Western Han Dynasty, "autumn and winter execution" was written into law and became a system. That is, it can only be implemented in autumn and winter, and beginning of spring cannot be implemented in the future. Later, the Tang Dynasty stipulated that the execution time of the death penalty should be in October, November and December. This system has been used until the Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

The days before the autumnal equinox are longer than those after the autumnal equinox. The weather is warm and sunny, and everything grows. People think it is more suitable to enjoy in this meteorological environment. You can't go against the laws of nature and kill life. Otherwise, mankind will be punished by disasters, plagues and other gods. After the autumnal equinox, the days are getting shorter and shorter, the weather is getting colder and colder, everything is dying, and many creatures automatically stop living. People think that it is more suitable for punishment and killing in this meteorological environment. Therefore, the execution of the death penalty can only be placed after the autumnal equinox, which is after the autumnal equinox.