bookcurios Chapter 516 The Emperor's Tomb in the Wheat Field
Chapter 516 The Emperor's Tomb in the Wheat Field
[Seen during the wheat harvest in Henan, the wheat field turned out to be a Northern Song Dynasty imperial tomb]
Many netizens are expressing their dismay: Is this how Henan treats the tombs of the seven emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty?
[A netizen from Henan replied: There's more than that. This is the tomb of Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty; the tomb of King Zhou of Zhou, who was most unfairly maligned in history; next to it are the tombs of Su Daji and Queen Jiang; the tomb of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu; and the tomb of Li Yu, the ancestor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the great poet of all time.]
[Adjacent to it are the tombs of Wang Zhihuan, one of the four great frontier poets; Di Renjie, a famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty; Han Yu, the foremost of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties and a literary giant for all ages; Li Shangyin, one of the most influential poets of the late Tang Dynasty; and Liu Yuxi, who wrote "This is a humble abode, but my virtue is fragrant."]
The tomb of Lü Bu, the fiercest general of the Three Kingdoms period, doesn't even have a tombstone; it's just a dilapidated little hut with incense burning inside.
The tomb of Cao Zhi, whose talent was said to be eight-tenths of a bushel of grain.
The Tomb of Su Qin, the most famous strategist of the Warring States period, who wore the seals of six states.
This is the site of the Battle of Guandu, just a lone monument.
[Also, there is the tomb of Zhang Zai, who once said, "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."]
Historical heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river, most of them buried in the Central Plains, ultimately returning to dust.
"After visiting Luoyang, you will truly understand that heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river [awkward laugh]"
"The number of visitors to Liu Xiu's tomb isn't even as high as the number of visitors to the mutton soup restaurant across the street [crying emoji]"
"It's only in Henan that, in other provinces, how many people visit the Longmen Grottoes and forget to see Bai Juyi's tomb, or even know that Bai Juyi is buried here?"
"Bai Juyi's is considered good, at least he had Bai Garden."
Look at Du Fu, Liu Xiu, Wang Zhihuan—they're all just mounds of dirt. The thatched cottage where the poet Du Fu stayed in Chengdu, Sichuan, is now a 4A-level scenic spot, yet his own tomb in Luoyang is so ordinary. [Desperate gaze][Desperate gaze][Smile][Smile][Smile]
"Last time I told my friend that Henan has the largest population in the country, and the number of ancestors buried underground is also the largest in the country [facepalm]"
"That's right, the botanical garden in our small county is surrounded by ancient tombs [awkward laugh]"
"The Emperor's chariot is six feet long, so they only dug a small pit. If they excavated the whole thing, the Xigong District would probably be lost. It could be on par with the Terracotta Army. Besides, there are definitely large Zhou Dynasty tombs nearby, but they dare not develop them. The Zhou Dynasty tombs in Jincun were looted by foreigners [facepalm]"
"You all know the Three Sus, right? They built the Three Su Ancestral Hall in the places where they lived in Sichuan, covering an area of several thousand square meters. There are tourist attractions all over the country built to commemorate Su Shi."
Their true burial place is in Jia County, a small county town at the foot of Pingdingshan in Henan Province. Although a Three Su Ancestral Hall has been built there, not many people know about it. When we went, there were only a few tourists. The tombs of the father and his two sons are just three mounds of earth. I was amazed that such a famous person as Su Shi was buried in Jia County. I had always thought he was in Hangzhou.
"My hometown is near Emperor Renzong's tomb. When I was a child, I would run and play on top of the empress's tomb mound. It was a place where young people would fall in love [smile]."
"If Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong were to focus on cultural relic protection, the national tourism market wouldn't be able to handle it [undercover observation]. It's an investment with little return; it can only be used for the protection of exceptionally good and meticulously preserved sites."
"Henan has been wealthy for 5000 years. I experienced its poorest period of one or two hundred years. If China were still an agricultural powerhouse, perhaps Henan could still be considered one of the top provinces. Unfortunately, the focus now is on industrial powerhouses. What Henan has in abundance is historical figures. After all, in ancient times, the Central Plains was known as the center of dynasties."
The Northern Song emperors under the sky: Yes, yes, how could the later generations above the sky treat us like this?
We were emperors, after all. How could they plant wheat fields right next to us? Are they blind? Didn't they see all those huge tombs?
I am the emperor, how can future generations leave us with no respect at all?
Henan native: What emperor? He's already dead, yet he still takes up so much space, blocking my way to work!
We have so many outstanding ancestors in this land, who are you to compare?
Some of our ancestors didn't value these things much: heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, generation after generation, all buried in the Central Plains.
We heroes cherish heroes, and even after we are laid to rest here, we can still drink and chat and discuss our merits and demerits beneath the grave.
Although cemeteries may not receive the same attention after thousands of years, it is enough for people to return to their roots. Besides, we ancient people from thousands of years ago have long since returned to dust and become antiques to later generations.
It's surprising that so many people are buried in this land, and it's so popular. It seems that there will be many neighbors around underground, so we can chat together whenever we want and not worry about being lonely.
Some ancestors, however, were more cautious: so be it if they weren't valued; it was better than having their tombs robbed and becoming someone else's untouched treasure vault.
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che: Why does my nose feel itchy? I've been eating well and sleeping well lately and haven't caught a cold. Is someone talking badly about me behind my back again?
Damn you, you little scoundrel! Don't let me catch you!