Case of the Longyou Herdsmen Office Impeaching the Herd Supervisor for Horse Theft in the 16th Year of Kaiyuan

In the 16th year of the Kaiyuan era (728 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, the Longyou Herdsmen Office impeached a herd supervisor for stealing government horses. The office alleged that the supervisor, entrusted with managing the strategic state herds, abused his position to misappropriate these vital military assets. The case was escalated to the imperial court, where the office demanded the application of the Tang Code's stringent "custodial theft" provision, which prescribed heavier penalties for officials who stole property under their charge. Emperor Xuanzong approved the impeachment, and the supervisor was consequently severely punished. The case underscored the legal risks of official venality within the critical horse administration system.

Emperor Xuanzong decreed that the crime be punished in accordance with the law on custodial theft. The herd supervisor was convicted and severely sentenced, likely facing exile or death.

The central legal debate was whether the herd supervisor's actions strictly met the definition of "theft by a custodian of state property" under the Tang Code, and whether the severe penalties attached to that specific article should be applied, as opposed to a lesser charge of ordinary theft.

The ruling reinforced the strict legal accountability of officials managing state monopolies. It served as a deterrent against corruption within the strategic horse administration, highlighting the Tang government's resolve to protect military resources and uphold the rigorous application of its codified laws.