In Qin and Western Han China (221 B.C.E.–9 C.E.), laws aimed at regulating nearly every aspect of governance and social conduct played a crucial role in overseeing officials and governing the populace. Adherence to and enforcement of these laws relied on their effective transmission and publication. Excavated legal and administrative texts shed light on the process of disseminating laws during this period. Following the enactment of new laws by the emperor, they immediately underwent a process of transmission, beginning within the inner court circle and gradually extending to local offices across various administrative levels, step by step. While forwarding documents of imperial decisions swiftly and securely was mandated, delays in their transmission to distant local offices were likely commonplace. As government documents, including imperial edicts, circulated exclusively within official circles and were not directly disseminated to the general populace, district and prefecture officials assumed the responsibility of publicizing laws to them. This entailed various methods such as oral readings at local gatherings or posting notices in prominent locales. The examination of the transmission and publication of laws offers valuable insights into the functioning of legal and administrative systems in early imperial China, enriching our understanding of governance during this period.

Jingrong Li obtained her Ph.D. from Hamburg University in Germany and currently serves as associate professor at the Law School of Hunan University. With academic backgrounds in both Chinese history and law, her primary research area centers on the legal and administrative manuscripts and the legal history of early imperial China. She has been actively involved in reconstructing, interpreting, and researching the Qin bamboo slips collected by Yuelu Academy, as a member of the editorial team. She has published one monograph and over 20 academic papers in Western journals such as T’oung Pao, Early China, and Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, as well as in Chinese journals such as Shi lin, Wen xian, and Jian bo.