The practice of burial at Beiman Mountain originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the initiator was Liu Xiu, the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
When modern people talk about the Han Dynasty, they mostly talk about Liu Bang of the Western Han or Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. As for the Eastern Han, they mainly talk about the Three Kingdoms period. Therefore, Zhuang Rui is a little curious about Emperor Liu Xiu.
All founding monarchs were renowned for their military exploits, but Liu Xiu was an extremely low-key and mysterious figure in history. Zhuang Rui wanted to see if his tomb, like him, was unknown to the public.
"Liu Xiu's tomb is in Mangshan, but it's not on the mountain..."
Professor Meng, leaning on his cane, gently nudged Da Niu, who was walking ahead, and asked, "Da Niu, how far is the place you mentioned?"
Da Niu stopped and pointed to a mountain peak ahead, saying, "It's just ahead. Do you see that mountain? The highest one, that's it..."
"Yes, that location is quite good. Although it's a peak, it's sheltered from the wind, allowing it to gather vital energy. It also echoes the Yellow River from afar, making it an ideal place for a burial, with mountains behind and water in front, sheltered from the wind and gathering vital energy..."
Professor Meng looked at the mountain peak and carefully observed the surrounding terrain. He couldn't help but show a look of surprise. Such a feng shui treasure land must have buried a high-ranking emperor.
It is worth noting that 24 emperors from 6 dynasties are buried in Beiman Mountain, making it the most densely distributed, numerous, and spanning the longest period of time in China.
In a place where there is so much space for a reclining ox among the many tombs, this person's tomb must have a very important background to occupy such a prominent location.
However, ancient imperial tombs are the most secretive things. Even if there are some records in historical materials, they are vague. Therefore, Professor Meng could not determine whose tomb it was.
"By the way, Xiao Zhuang, didn't you ask about Liu Xiu's tomb? You'll see it once you get to that mountain peak..."
Professor Meng was getting closer to his destination and, feeling excited, quickened his pace towards the hilltop.
Zhuang Rui was somewhat confused by Professor Meng's statement. It seemed that Liu Xiu's tomb had been discovered and protected long ago, so why did the professor say that Liu Xiu's tomb was on the mountain?
With questions in mind, Zhuang Rui carried dozens of kilograms of tools and climbed up the mountain. The original ecology here was well preserved, with many old trees over a hundred years old on the mountain and many flowers and plants whose names he did not know growing on the ground.
"Senior brother, this mountain seems to have been the subject of much attention before, so why hasn't that tomb been discovered?"
On the ground between some trees on the mountain, clods of soil brought out by Luoyang shovels could be seen from time to time, indicating that this place was also the focus of tomb raiders. However, Zhuang Rui did not know why those people failed to find the ancient tomb inside the mountain.
"Zhuang Rui, Han Dynasty tombs are divided into brick tombs and cliff tombs. Brick tombs are mostly the mausoleums of ordinary people and court officials, and can be found with a Luoyang shovel... However, imperial tombs are mostly built in mountains. For example, the Lion Mountain Han Tomb in Pengcheng was built by hollowing out the entire mountainside. Therefore, when you probe down with a Luoyang shovel, you will often only touch the rock wall, which is not very suitable for exploring large Han Dynasty tombs..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Dr. Ren explained to him that no matter how good those Luoyang shovels were, they could not penetrate the mountain walls to discover these imperial tombs deep inside the mountain.
After hearing Ren Chunqiang's words, Professor Meng turned around and said, "Yes, Professor Wang, who excavated the Shizishan Han Tomb, is also an old friend of mine. He is a very respectable archaeologist..."
The Lion Mountain Han Tomb mentioned by Dr. Ren is located in Zhuang Rui's hometown. It is the tomb of Liu Wu, the third Chu King who was enfeoffed in Pengcheng in the early Western Han Dynasty. The entire tomb was carved into the stone and buried through the mountain. The tomb chamber is embedded more than 100 meters deep in the mountain.
When discussing the discovery of the Lion Rock Royal Tombs, one cannot ignore Professor Wang, who, along with Professor Meng, was an alumnus of Peking University and initially worked in Los Angeles.
Later, Professor Wang worked in the city and over the course of more than 20 years, he presided over the excavation of seven Han Dynasty Chu King tombs. His name was included in the Cambridge, England's "Who's Who in the World of Intellectuals". The Shizishan Han Tomb that was excavated at that time was a typical cliff tomb. This tomb had a total of 12 rooms, and the burial chamber alone covered an area of more than 850 square meters, almost hollowing out the entire Shizishan Mountain.
However, the imperial tomb had already been visited by tomb robbers, and many precious cultural relics had been lost. Nevertheless, more than 2,000 precious international-level cultural relics were still unearthed from it.
As the mountain rose higher, the group's pace slowed down. Although Professor Meng was in good health, he was almost sixty years old and needed to sit down and rest every now and then.
Sunlight filtering through the tall tree canopy dappled the mountain path. Occasionally, squirrels would peek out from between the trees, their fluttering sounds prompting people to look up. A woodpecker would then take flight, its yellow and white striped wings disappearing into the forest in an instant.
A gentle breeze carried the delicate fragrance of forsythia to Zhuang Rui's nose, while the chirping of birds near and far accentuated the rare tranquility.
Perhaps it was due to their state of mind, but as Zhuang Rui and the others walked through the space created by ancient trees, lush grass, and secluded flowers, everyone felt a strong sense of ancient charm.
Therefore, it is true that these emperors were buried in Mangshan. They enjoyed wealth and honor in life, and after death, they also wanted to be buried in a place with mountains and rivers, occupying auspicious feng shui locations.
Da Niu, who was walking in front, would occasionally introduce some herbs to everyone. He and Er Niu had accidentally discovered a very hidden cave entrance on the other side of the mountain wall while they were picking herbs on the mountain, which led them to the discovery of this tomb.
"Alright, let's take a break..."
It was more than an hour after they reached the top of the mountain. Apart from Zhuang Rui, even Hao Long was panting heavily, after all, he was carrying more than 30 kilograms of equipment.
"Teacher, where is the tomb of Liu Xiu that you mentioned?"
Zhuang Rui was still thinking about this matter. Professor Meng had just said that you could see it once you reached the top of the mountain, so Zhuang Rui asked about it.
Professor Meng took a sip of water, stood up, walked to the edge of the rock face, pointed into the distance, and said, "Look, that's it, near the Yellow River..."
"That...isn't Mangshan?"
Zhuang Rui looked in the direction Professor Meng was pointing, and saw a lush, tree-lined area in the far distance. However, the terrain there was flat, and it seemed that they had already left the Mangshan area.
"It's Mount Mang, specifically the northern part of the Mangling Mountains. Liu Xiu's achievements actually far surpassed those of Emperor Wu of Han. He quelled the separatist forces in various regions and completed the third great unification in Chinese history..."
Professor Meng spoke highly of Liu Xiu, and after introducing some of Liu Xiu's achievements, he said, "Xiao Zhuang, do you see anything wrong with that place?"
Standing on this mountain peak, one can have a clear view of the location of Liu Xiu's tomb. After observing for a while, Zhuang Rui said, "That location is backed by Mangshan Mountain and faces the Yellow River. It is a feng shui formation of 'pillowing the river and stepping on the mountain.' This is a dangerous place." Zhuang Rui did not know much about feng shui, but after studying for more than two years, he could say something about it.
The feng shui principle for tombs is "pillowed by mountains and stepped on by rivers," meaning the tomb must be built on high ground to avoid floods. However, Liu Xiu's tomb is the opposite, located in a dangerous place with "pillowed by rivers and stepped on by mountains."
Professor Meng laughed upon hearing this and said, "Xiao Zhuang, you're right. This feng shui arrangement is indeed one that ordinary emperors wouldn't choose. If the Yellow River rises, the tomb will definitely be flooded..."
Professor Meng paused for a moment, then continued, "But Liu Xiu was a clever man. Do you know that everyone in the world knows that Liu Xiu's tomb is here, but from ancient times to the present, his tomb has never been robbed even once..."
"Teacher, why is that?"
Zhuang Rui was a little confused. Ancient tomb raiders were far more vicious than those of today. They would never let Liu Xiu's tomb go just because he was a good emperor.
"Hehe, firstly, Liu Xiu was frugal throughout his life. Before his death, he instructed that no gold, silver, or jade artifacts should be buried with him, only earthenware. These items are worthless, so tomb robbers have no interest in them. Secondly, Liu Xiu's tomb is located on the Yellow River beach, with water just a few meters below the surface, making it impossible to dig. Therefore, this seemingly dangerous tomb has been preserved for over two thousand years..."
After Professor Meng finished speaking, he pondered for a moment, and then said, "However, I suspect that the tomb is a fake imperial tomb. As a founding emperor, even if Liu Xiu himself did not want a grand burial, his descendants probably would not have agreed to it..."
In ancient times, to prevent tomb robbery, many people had decoy tombs after their death, the most famous of which is Cao Cao's tomb.
When Cao Cao was alive, in order to raise funds for his army, he formed the Tomb Raiders and almost looted all the imperial tombs in the world. After his death, fearing retribution, he built a total of 72 false tombs, and the real tomb of Cao Cao has not yet been found.
"That's all for now, this is just my personal guess. Alright, if everyone's rested enough, let's get started preparing..."
Professor Meng waved his hand, stopping himself from speaking. As an academic expert, speculating on things without evidence could cause a huge uproar if it got out.
Chapter 889 The Tip of the Iceberg (Part 2)
"Young comrades, you just need to stay on the mountain and prevent anyone from coming up..."
After resting for a while, Professor Meng began to assign tasks. The armed police officers guarded the mountaintop, while the rest of the team were busy selecting suitable rocks and trees to tie ropes to.
This was Zhuang Rui's first time conducting an archaeological excavation in the field, and he was quite excited. After taking off the bundle of ropes he was carrying, he found a huge rock weighing over a thousand pounds that was deeply embedded in the ground and tied it to the rock. He pulled on it with his hand, thinking that it should be able to support his weight.
"Xiao Zhuang, you need to add a pad to the corners of that..."
Professor Meng naturally didn't need to lift a finger. He walked around watching others prepare. When he got to Zhuang Rui, he stopped and took out a few soft leather mats from his bag on the ground.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's puzzled look, Professor Meng laughed and said, "Hehe, this is to prevent the sharp edges of the stone from wearing the rope off. Better safe than sorry, so we added it inside..."
"Thank you, teacher..."
Zhuang Rui then realized what all those leather cushions in the bag were for. It turned out that the teacher had thought of this long ago and had made preparations in advance. Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He still had a lot to learn.
The weather in May was already quite hot, and there were few trees on the mountaintop. Several armed police officers had already started setting up tents, and judging from Professor Meng's expression, he also had the idea of staying here.
After working for a while, four ropes were lowered from the mountaintop to the cliff face on the other side of the mountain.
"Alright, Da Niu, you go first, confirm the location, Xiao Ren follow behind, then I'll go! Xiao Zhuang, you go last..."
As for Erniu, Professor Meng didn't arrange for him to go down into the tomb at all. Erniu was too reckless, and if something went wrong while exploring the tomb, Professor Meng wouldn't be able to explain it to his fellow villagers.
According to Professor Meng, the tomb discovered by the Da Niu brothers is only the tip of the iceberg. Whether there are hidden mechanisms behind it is uncertain. After all, the wisdom of our ancestors should not be underestimated.
This mountain is also very strange. One side is a gentle slope covered with tall trees, while the other side is a cliff with a slope of nearly 90 degrees, which is 70 or 80 meters high. If you fall down, you will definitely be smashed to pieces.
Hao Long was also left on the mountaintop. Only the few people Professor Meng brought, plus the local staff member, made up a group of eight people to go down. Archaeological excavation is different from other work; it requires knowledgeable people to do it personally.
This is only under special circumstances; otherwise, even experts are not allowed to enter the archaeological site. For example, during open-pit excavations, the villagers who are invited are kept separate to prevent the artifacts from being stolen.
It's important to know that a large tomb often yields tens of thousands of artifacts. If there are many people and things are chaotic, it would be very difficult to detect if someone quietly steals a few small items.
"Teacher, I'm feeling well, so I'd like to go down first..."
Zhuang Rui knew that Professor Meng was taking care of him. Those who went down first should find a safe place to stay, and the last person to go down would be the safest.
"You have no experience, and you arrange it like this..."
Professor Meng waved his hand to interrupt Zhuang Rui, and walked to the edge of the cliff to observe the terrain below.
"Why are you wearing this damn thing? Just grab a rope and get down..."
Da Niu walked over, muttering to himself. He wasn't used to the climbing equipment used by the archaeological team; the protective straps, which looked like briefs, felt very awkward to wear.
Despite his words, Da Niu was still very quick. After securing the rope to the alloy lock around his waist, he grabbed the rope with both hands and slid away, disappearing from the edge of the cliff.
When they descended about forty meters, Da Niu's figure suddenly disappeared. Zhuang Rui looked through his binoculars from above and saw a short, crooked tree growing where Da Niu had vanished.
"Hey, come down, it's right here..."
Da Niu stuck his head out and shouted towards the cliff. Dr. Ren had already hooked up the harness and was falling down.
Although the cliff looks steep, there are still footholds. With ropes supporting the body and bearing most of the weight, there is basically no danger. Professor Meng descended with great ease.
Dr. Ren had the heaviest task, as he had to carry the small diesel exhaust fan that Zhuang Rui had carried up the mountain down. This thing weighed more than 40 kilograms, and it was only with the help of a staff member that the exhaust fan was finally sent down.
When Zhuang Rui stepped onto the tree growing in the crevice of the rock wall, a hole about one meter square appeared before him. There were many vines growing at the entrance, but they had all been cleared away by the people who had come down first.
Zhuang Rui really admired the Da Niu brothers. Judging from the growth of the vines, they must have blocked the entrance at first. Yet, the two brothers were able to discover this ancient tomb. They were truly extraordinary people.
With Dr. Ren's help, Zhuang Rui climbed into the cave. The entrance was not large, but the inside was very spacious. Zhuang Rui looked up and saw that the cave was about 2.2 to 2.3 meters high.
The rock wall next to the cave shows no signs of being carved by knives or axes, so it must be a natural cave. It is estimated that the ancient people who were specializing in feng shui and finding burial sites for the royal family more than a thousand years ago must have discovered this place by lowering ropes down from the mountaintop.
Many emperors began preparing their mausoleums as soon as they ascended the throne. The construction of a mausoleum often took thirty or forty years. For example, the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang almost exhausted the resources of the entire country. However, this also sowed the seeds of the Qin Dynasty's short-lived existence after only two generations.
"Is everyone here? Okay, Da Niu, take us to that tomb chamber..."
After Zhuang Rui came down, Professor Meng counted the people and asked Da Niu, who was walking in front, to turn on the lights. There was light at the entrance of the cave, but after walking in for more than ten meters and turning a corner, it became pitch black.
Since the excavation was carried out inside the mountain, each member of the archaeological team was equipped with a battery-powered lamp. Once the lights were turned on, the cave immediately became bright.
Walking through the cave, Professor Meng suddenly spoke up: "This isn't the entrance to the tomb; rather, the tomb just happened to be built here..."
Although the cave is very high, it is relatively narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side at the same time. This would be very difficult to excavate for a tomb with such a large-scale project. Furthermore, the cave is surrounded by rock on both sides, so it could not have been filled in later.
When they reached the first stone gate, everyone stopped. Professor Meng told Da Niu to step back and went forward to inspect it himself.
"You people, what a terrible thing you've done! Such an exquisite stone gate, and yet... sigh..."
Professor Meng stroked the stone gate, which was about two meters high and three meters wide, with both hands, his face full of regret.
The stone gate is carved with two animal heads, neither lions nor tigers, with bulging eyes and a stone ring hanging from their mouths, staring at the group of people in front of the gate. They are so lifelike that no one can tell what kind of animals they are.
Zhuang Rui and the others following behind could see that a hole had been smashed open in the upper part of the stone gate, about one meter square. Without a doubt, this was the work of the Da Niu brothers.
"Ahem, back then, this door was buried in the ground. When we dug it up, we found it was just a rock, so we broke it open..."
Da Niu looked somewhat ashamed and offered an embarrassed explanation.