Wu Zetian built his capital in Luoyang, but why was he buried in Qianxian County in Xianyang after his death?
After Wu Zetian listened to the government behind the curtain for a period of time, he finally kicked his son off the throne, established his own dynasty, named his own reign, and built the capital in Luoyang. It was enough. An emperor's addiction.
Wu Zetian was not only ambitious but also capable. She could handle court affairs well so that all affairs were in order and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Finally, when Wu Zetian was over eighty years old, Wu Zetian was forced from the throne by ministers. Wu Zetian had no choice but to hand over the throne to his son, and the Li family was still the king of the world. Although future generations also resented the empress for taking away her son's throne and becoming emperor herself, they were grateful that Wu Zetian finally handed the throne to the Li family, and secondly they were grateful for the empress's talent and strategy, so they still followed Wu Zetian's last wish. , and after his death, he was buried on Liangshan Mountain in Qianling Mausoleum, Qianxian County.
In 690 AD (the first year of Tianshou), Wu Zetian, a strong woman of a generation, ascended the throne and proclaimed herself emperor, abolished the title of Tang Dynasty, established the Wu Zhou Dynasty, and set the capital of Wu Zhou in Luoyang, known as the "Shen Capital" .
From then on, Wu Zetian, who had gone through ups and downs in her life and was 65 years old, reached the pinnacle of her life and became the empress of the generation, becoming the only orthodox female emperor in Chinese history.
About Wu Zetian’s capital in Luoyang, there is a “serious ghost theory”: She is afraid of ghosts!
During the Li Zhi period of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian was in the harem. If she wanted to survive, get rid of her fate, or even become emperor, she must defeat all opponents. Therefore, this determines that she must be both talented and ruthless!
Wu Zetian's cruelty began to show up after entering the palace for the second time. She once tortured Queen Wang and Concubine Xiao Shu to death one after another, and they died miserably. Unexpectedly, these two were not good friends. After their death, they almost drove Wu Zetian crazy. She was so frightened that Wu Zetian did not dare to live in the Chang'an Palace, and finally moved the capital.
A living person is almost driven crazy by a dead person? What is going on? Let's listen to Brother Fengzi tell us one by one.
According to reports, after the murders of Queen Wang and Concubine Xiao Shu, Wu Zetian often dreamed of "spirited ghosts" at night, and was always awakened by nightmares at midnight. She also issued a strange and strict order: No cats are allowed in the palace. . Empress Wu was afraid of cats, and the cats in the palace were either killed or driven away, and disappeared for a while...
This incident is recorded in the official history "New Book of Tang - Gaozong's Abolition of Empress Wang's Biography" It is clearly recorded in the text: "(Empress Wu) later heard that there were no cats in the six palaces."
Although cats were no longer kept in the palace, Wu Zetian still couldn't live in peace, and the problem became more and more serious. What's going on?
The "New Book of Tang - The Biography of Gaozong's Abolition of the Empress Wang" clearly records: "Empress Wu frequently saw two people being beaten to death. She was so angry that she expressed her gratitude with a witchcraft blessing, and then moved to Penglai Palace. Li Fujian, so he was stationed in the Eastern Capital."
It turned out that Wu Zetian always dreamed of the ghosts of Queen Wang and Concubine Xiao Shu, with disheveled hair and blood all over their bodies, coming to seek her life. She was frequently attacked. Frightened and troubled, he asked wizards to exorcise the ghosts, but it didn't work. Later, in order to avoid the ghosts, he moved to Penglai Palace, but he saw the ghosts of Wang and Xiao again. It’s endless, what should I do?
Wu Zetian was frightened many times and was so restless that she almost went crazy. Later, she no longer lived in the Chang'an Palace, so she had to live in Luoyang, the eastern capital, most of the time.
We have no way of knowing whether she felt better after living in Luoyang, but what we do know is that Wu Zetian, who later became the empress, simply decided to set her capital in Luoyang, thus avoiding Chang'an. The pain of running back and forth between , Luoyang and Luoyang was gone.
Of course, although Chang'an was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, it also gave her too many ups and downs, sad and painful memories. She left this sad place and went to Luoyang Palace 800 miles away. Maybe Wu Zetian will feel more peaceful and comfortable, and also alleviate the shadow in her heart (to avoid entanglements such as ghosts, etc.).
Is Wu Zetian moving the capital to Luoyang just because of ghosts and psychological shadows?
1. Political considerations
King Wu of Zhou aspired to "home in China", that is, to create a new capital "in the middle of the world". Later, King Zhou Cheng built a new capital called Luoyang (Luoyang). From then on, Luoyang became the capital of subsequent dynasties.
Wu Zetian regarded Luoyang as the "sacred capital" and established its sacred status. She built the Wanxiang Shrine to express the destiny of the gods and Wu Zhou as the orthodoxy. It also followed the meaning of "King Wu established Zhou to build a new capital".
The Wu Zhou Dynasty founded by Empress Wu Zetian came from usurping the country of Li Tang. Moving the capital to Luoyang can, to a certain extent, get rid of or weaken the old forces that supported the Li and Tang dynasties.
Staying away from the old foundation of Li and Tang can also better manage and stabilize the new foundation of Wu and Zhou. Firstly, Wu Zhou's new dynasty brought a new atmosphere, leaving the old capital to welcome the new capital; secondly, Luoyang was also the base of Wu Zetian's power.
2. Geographical location
In terms of geographical location, Luoyang is suitable to be the capital of the country. It has unique natural advantages and is the first choice as the political center of Wu Zhou.
Luoyang lies on the Yellow River in the north, with Mang Mountain as a natural barrier; in the south is the steep Yique, in the west is the danger of Xiao and Hanzhi, in the east is Hulao, Heishi and other passes; in the middle are the fertile Yi and Luo plains , enough food to support themselves.
Therefore, Luoyang is an important place with "control of three rivers and four fortresses", which gives Luoyang superior military conditions to "control the inside and defend the outside". The geographical situation of Luoyang is also suitable for being the capital.
3. Historical reasons
In the second year of Emperor Xianqing's reign (657), Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty implemented the "two capital system". In addition to Chang'an, Luoyang was also used as the eastern capital. After that, Gaozong frequently traveled between the two capitals.
In fact, starting from the second year of Linde (665), Tang Gaozong and Empress Wu basically lived in Luoyang for a long time, while Chang'an was mainly used for national ceremonies, sacrifices, etc.
Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, lived in Luoyang until the last moment of his life. Luoyang is the place where Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Zhi, Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty, have been together for a long time. There are emotional factors as well as historical factors.
4. Ruling factors
The Tang Dynasty went through two dynasties, namely Taizong and Gaozong, and its territory continued to expand.
In the first year of Emperor Gaozong's reign (668), the territory of the Tang Dynasty reached an unprecedented size: "Its territory reaches the Jihai Sea in the east, reaches Yanqi in the west, extends to the southern border of Linzhou in the south, and borders the Xueyantuo border in the north. Nine thousand five hundred and eleven miles, 16,918 miles from north to south."
According to the territory (range) of the Tang Dynasty at that time, Chang'an's position on the map was slightly smaller than that of Luoyang. To the west. Luoyang, connected to the Guanzhong Basin to the west and the North China Plain to the east, has been called "the center of the world" since ancient times. Therefore, taking Luoyang as the capital has the function of "taking control of the world from the center".
5. Economic reasons
The economic conditions in the Guandong region where Luoyang is located are better than those in the Guanzhong region where Chang'an is located.
A large area of the Guandong region is located in the North China Plain in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The Sanhe (Henan, Hanoi, and Hedong) area at its western end is the intersection of the Yi, Luo, He, and Ji rivers. Agriculture has been very developed since ancient times.
Before the "An-Shi Rebellion" in the Tang Dynasty, this area was already the most developed agricultural area in the country. The improvement of the level of economic development in the Guandong region has indirectly strengthened the importance of Luoyang's status.
The reason why Wu Zetian was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum in Xianyang after his death
Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, set the precedent of "digging a cave in the mountain and burying the mountain as a mausoleum", and was buried in Xianyang after his death. Jiuwei Mountain in Liquan County is called Zhaoling. Zhaoling is the joint burial mausoleum of Li Shimin and the Changsun family of Queen Wende.
After that, many Tang emperors followed suit. Later, Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, also built the majestic Qianling Mausoleum for himself on Liangshan Mountain in Qian County, Xianyang. After the Shenlong Coup, the old Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate, and her son Tang Zongzhong Li Xian was restored to power. Wu Zhou was destroyed, and the world returned to the hands of Li Tang.
After Wu Zetian's death, Li Xian buried his mother Wu Zetian, as the empress of the Tang Dynasty (the title of daughter-in-law of the Li family), and his father Li Zhi together in Qianling Mausoleum on the basis of "a woman must obey her husband in death". Therefore, Tang Zhongzong Li Xian is also an important reason.
The reason why Wu Zetian has been talked about for more than a thousand years is because she has wisdom and courage that exceeds ordinary people. She chose to be buried next to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi. This was Wu Zetian's excellence.
We know that after 665, Wu Zetian and Gaozong Li Zhi basically spent their time in Luoyang. Forty years later, in 705, Zhang Jianzhi and others launched the Shenlong Coup, which brought the Eighth Route Army to Luoyang. At the age of thirteen, Wu Zetian dethroned herself as emperor.
At that time, Wu Zetian proposed to his son Li Xian that after his death, he should enter the Li family ancestral hall, be buried next to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and remove his imperial title ("Attach the temple, return to the mausoleum, and go to the emperor"). No.") and other requirements.
(Qianling Double Breasts Que)
Later, his son Li Xian respected Wu Zetian's wish and buried her next to his father Li Zhi in Qianxian County, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province.
Wu Zetian’s choice makes sense.
Choosing to be buried in the Qianling Mausoleum was a very penetrating political gesture made by Wu Zetian. As the emperor, although Wu Zetian had a brief moment of melancholy over the choice of successor, she still decided to let her biological son continue to rule the world. Choosing to be buried as Queen Gaozong Li Zhi can appease the Li and Tang forces in the world. Wu Zetian, who had struggled for most of her life, understood better than anyone else that her decision had invisible and powerful power. This decision can save a lot of unnecessary trouble.
(Qianling Memorial Monument)
Being buried in Qianling was an inevitable choice for Wu Zetian to return to her humanity in her later years. Before and after the Shenlong coup, Wu Zetian was already experiencing internal and external difficulties. The power of the Wu Group was weakening, while the power of the Li Group was turbulent. She clearly realized that if the world was handed over to the Wu family, there would inevitably be a court coup, which would bring disaster to the family and the country. Asking to be buried next to Li Zhi not only showed that she was the daughter-in-law of the Li family, but also showed the Li Tang Group's determination to return to power.
Some people say that Wu Zetian was buried in Qianling Mausoleum to enjoy the sacrifices of the descendants of the Li family, that Wu Zetian was buried in Qianling Mausoleum to atone for the sins of the Li family, etc. These are actually underestimating Wu Zetian's great wisdom.
This question is easier to explain! The "Zhou" dynasty established by Wu Zetian peacefully evolved from the "Tang" dynasty established by the Li family. After Wu Zetian became emperor, ordinary people in the outside world still believed that the world belonged to the Li family. In order to achieve the purpose of differentiation, Wu Zetian therefore The capital of the country was set in Luoyang, which was also an important place in the capital at that time. In this way, the rule will not be affected and the difference will be achieved. As for the reason why she was buried in Qianling after her death. It was because she passed the throne to her son before she died, and the country returned to the Li family. She became the daughter-in-law of the Li family. Of course, she had to be buried with her husband Li Zhi. Wherever her husband was buried, she would also be buried. Where. It's just a pain for her children that she can't write on the tombstone, so she has to build a "wordless monument" for her...
The burial place is the clearest explanation of identity. The main and most critical reason why Wu Zetian was not buried in Luoyang but in Xianyang was that Wu Zetian's Wu Zhou did not continue.
As early as "Zhou Rites", there were the positions of "Tomb Man" and "Tomb Master", responsible for taking charge of the "cemetery land" and the "state tomb area". "Cemetery area" refers to the cemetery of the royal family; "State cemetery area" refers to the cemetery of civilians in a state. In the royal cemetery, the tomb of the ancestors is in the center, and the descendants are buried on the left and right in order of Zhao Mu. The common people's cemeteries must also be buried in the order of Zhao Mu, and they cannot be buried wherever they want.
Wu Zetian seized the kingdom of the Li Tang royal family and founded Wu Zhou. In order to get rid of the old trend of supporting the Li Tang dynasty, she stayed away from the foundation of the Li Tang Dynasty and the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an. With Luoyang as the divine capital, the construction of the Wanxiang Shrine represented the destiny of the gods and Wu Zhou as the orthodoxy. Wu Zetian probably also imitated King Wu's intention of building a new capital after establishing the Zhou Dynasty. King Wu of Zhou intended to build a new city as the capital in "Zaizi China", that is, in the world. When he became king, he realized this wish and built a new capital, Luoyang. Since then, Luoyang has often been the capital of subsequent dynasties, which is one of the reasons why Wu Zetian chose Luoyang. Luoyang has unique conditions for being a capital city.
Of course, Luoyang also has burial areas. There are ancient tombs of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the ancient Han Dynasty, the ancient tombs of the Cao Wei Dynasty, the ancient tombs of the Western Jin Dynasty, the ancient tombs of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the ancient tombs of the Five Dynasties and the Later Tang Dynasties. However, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Eastern Han Dynasty, Western Jin Dynasty, Northern Wei Dynasty, and the Five Dynasties and Later Tang Dynasties were all dynasties that were passed down for several generations, and had Luoyang as their capital, instead of having only one emperor like Wu Zhou.
In addition, Wu Zetian abdicated the throne and established a prince. Prince Li Xian succeeded to the throne and was still the emperor of the Li Tang royal family. Wu Zetian's identity when she died was the Queen Mother of the Li Tang Dynasty, and the Wu Zhou Dynasty no longer existed. The queen of Tang Gaozong of the Li Tang Dynasty will be buried in the Li Tang royal family. The imperial mausoleums of the Tang Dynasty are all in Guanzhong. Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum in Xianyang in the first year of Guangzhai in 684 AD. Since Wu Zetian's identity was clear, she could only be buried in the Qianling Mausoleum.
I have traveled all over the country and seen famous mountains and rivers. The mausoleum of Mangshan is wide and stable, like Xi'an. The ground is moist but not humid, the mountain behind is less windy and cold, the left and right peaks are harmonious, and the front view is wide. When the water comes and goes slowly and flows gracefully, the sky will return to the western land, and China will be safe in its heart.
Qianling Mausoleum is the best-preserved main tomb among the eighteen mausoleums of the Tang Dynasty, and it is also the only tomb in the Tang mausoleum that has not been stolen. Wu Zetian selected Liangshan as the mausoleum and carried out large-scale construction. It was the joint tomb of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi and Wu Zetian.
Liangshan has since been replaced by the famous Qianling Tomb where the emperor and his wife were buried together
Wu Zetian was a native of Wenshui County, Shanxi today, and the only female emperor in the history of our country.
Historically, Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty were both known as the "Two Saints". After Emperor Gaozong's death, she took the throne; in the first year of Tianshou (690), Wu Zetian proclaimed herself emperor and established Wu Zhou, in today's Luoyang The capital was established; in 705, she died in Shangyang Palace. Her son Zhongzong followed her orders and buried her as a queen in the Qianling Mausoleum in the north of today's Qian County.
According to documentary records, Gaozong died in December of the first year of Hongdao (683). In compliance with her husband Gaozong's last wish of "returning Chang'an", Wu Zetian chose an auspicious site on the Weibei Plateau in Guanzhong, mobilized more than 200,000 soldiers and migrant workers, and carried out the burial in Qianxian County, Xianyang, according to the burial system of "making mountains a mausoleum". The main peak of Liangshan Mountain was used as a mausoleum, and caves were dug into the mountainside to build an underground palace.
"New Book of Tang Dynasty·Chen Zi'ang Biography" records: "The restoration of the mountain tombs will require the help of servants. Leading the masses of the enemy, tens of thousands of troops will be mobilized to Kinki, supervising and supporting the young and old, and shoveling the back of the mountain. Stone, driven to achieve merit." After more than 300 days and nights of intense construction, the main project was completed by the time of the burial in August of the first year of civilization (AD 684). After Emperor Gaozong was buried, the construction of Qianling Mausoleum continued.
Twenty-two years later, Wu Zetian died of illness in Shangyang Palace, Luoyang. There was a debate in the court over the burial of Wu Zetian. Zhongzong wanted to fulfill his mother's last wish of "returning to the mausoleum", but minister Yan Shansi strongly opposed it. He said: "The venerable ones are buried first, and the humble ones should not touch the venerable ones and then bury them. The Queen Mother is inferior to the Emperor. If they open the mausoleum and bury them together, it will be an insult to the venerable ones and may frighten the dragon's veins. I heard that the Xuanque of Qianling Mausoleum , its door is blocked with stones, and the gaps between the stones are fixed with cast iron. If the mausoleum is to be built now, it must be chiseled. Not only can we follow the funeral ceremony, but we can also achieve solid foundation. If you know the way of the gods, you should understand it. If you are ignorant, what good will it do?"
Emperor Zhongzong did not accept this suggestion. In order to show filial piety, he ordered people to dig out the Qianling Mausoleum and open the tomb door. In May of the second year of Shenlong, Wu Zetian was buried together in the Xuan Palace of Qianling Mausoleum. Since then, Qianling Mausoleum has become the only mausoleum of ancient Chinese emperors that buries two emperors in one mausoleum. After Empress Wu Zetian was buried together, Zhongzong and Ruizong buried 17 people including the second prince, the third king, the fourth princess, and the eighth minister in the Qianling Mausoleum. Therefore, all the construction projects of Qianling Cemetery were completed after Wu Zetian, Zhongzong and Ruizong, which lasted for 57 years.
When the Qianling Mausoleum was built, it was during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The treasury was full, the cemetery was large-scale, and the buildings were majestic and gorgeous. It was built after the pattern of Chang'an City, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and was divided into an imperial city, a palace city, and an outer city. Its north-south main axis is 4.9 kilometers long, which can be called "the crown of all emperors' tombs in the past".
Because Wu Zetian’s mausoleum had been chosen by a Feng Shui master before his death, it is now Liangshan, Qianzhou. In 683 AD, Wu Zetian ordered people to build the Qianling Mausoleum. In the same year, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi passed away and the coffin was kept for a year. , was buried in Qianling in 684. After Li Zhi was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum, the construction of the Qianling Mausoleum continued. Wu Zetian died in 705 and was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum in 706. This mausoleum for the burial of emperors and empresses is also to show that Wu Zetian moved in as the daughter-in-law of the Li family. The merits and demerits of the wordless monument are left to future generations to comment. After all, the queen is still the first person in the world, and in a patriarchal society It's still a bit out of place, but on the other hand, it's probably to protect the descendants of the Wu family!
From a distance, Qianling Mausoleum looks like a graceful lady looking at the sky and the earth peacefully. I have to say that Liangshan is really a geomantic treasure. It is a mausoleum based on the mountain, overlooking the land of Guanzhong, and bless the descendants of the country and the country for a long time.
If Wu Zetian was buried in Luoyang, I am afraid that the tomb robbers in Luoyang would have been visited by Luoyang tomb robbers now. Wu Zetian has been in Luoyang for more than ten years, and he still understands the character of Henan people. Henan people don’t even have Shaanxi ancestors. If you admit it, will you still show mercy to her? Therefore, the burial in Qianling Mausoleum in Shaanxi Province has been preserved to this day.