The Great Qing Code
The Great Qing Code of 1740 established the ultimate format of China’s
criminal and civil laws, which included
laws reaching back more than 2,000
years. The Code was basically a set of instructions to local officials, known as
magistrates, as well as to higher authorities. These instructions attempted to
state the punishment for every possible
offense that the emperor believed was
necessary to maintain law and order.
https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/The-great-qing-code.pdf