China has a long history, and there are countless treasures handed down in ancient times, there may be tens of millions of pieces, each of which is a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. However, there are also many treasures that have been lost abroad and are treasured in foreign museums. Some strange treasures in ancient China are difficult to understand, such as Wang Mang's head, which was collected until 272 AD, and every generation of Eastern Han emperors regarded it as a treasure.
In 9 AD, Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, and the name of the country was "New" Dynasty. This was followed by the "Wang Mang Reform System", but it did not change the dilemma of the world, making people's livelihood more and more difficult. At this time, there were uprisings everywhere to overthrow Wang Mang's rule. It was not until 23 AD that Liu Xiu attacked Chang'an and Wang Mang was killed.
Wang Mang's head was cut off, and the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu later ascended the throne and ordered that Wang Mang's head be painted black and stored in the state treasury. Every subsequent generation of Eastern Han emperors treasured Wang Mang's head as a "foreign treasure" in the palace, which was passed down to the Jin Dynasty.
In 272 AD, in the 5th year of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, the arsenal of Luoyang caught fire, and Wang Mang's head was also burned in the fire. At that time, it was a pity for both the government and the public, but why was Wang Mang's head treasured for so long? In fact, there are many considerations, the most important is the role of warning. Wang Mang, as a foreign relative, could not die in the end when he usurped the throne, which was a good example of the emperor warning his subordinates. At the same time, this head was also warning the emperors not to trust their foreign relatives, otherwise there would be no good end. Wang Mang's head was a wake-up call, and it had been ringing in the ears of successive emperors.
Moreover, in ancient times, there were also superstitious thoughts, that the heads of evil people could ward off evil spirits, and that when they were born, they could fight against evil things, which was equivalent to "attacking poison with poison." What do you think about that?