In Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, we can see 9 mausoleums lined up, which belong to the 9 emperors of the Western Han Dynasty. Of course, we know that there were more than 9 emperors in the Western Han Dynasty, among which Emperor Wen of Han, who pioneered the "rule of Wenjing", was not among them. The Tomb of Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty is located in the northeast corner of Bailuyuan, on the eastern outskirts of Xi'an, far from the Imperial Tomb in Xianyang. This makes people feel very strange, why did Emperor Wen of Han not abide by the ancestral system and built the mausoleum near his father Liu Bang?
(Stills of Emperor Wendi of Han)
In fact, I think Liu Heng did this in order to abide by the ancestral system. As we all know, there was another emperor before Emperor Wen of Han, that is, Liu Ying, the Emperor of Han Hui, who was Liu Heng's older brother, not his father. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the "Zhaomu system" was particularly respected, what is the Zhaomu system? To put it simply, the ancestor is located in the middle of the temple, and then the descendants are lined up in two columns on the left and right, with Zhao on the left and Mu on the right.
Taking the Emperor of the Western Han Dynasty as an example, Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gaozu, was the ancestor, and his long tomb was located in the middle, and his son Liu Ying was Zhao, who was buried to the left of Liu Bang after his death. The later Han Jing Emperor was Liu Bang's grandson, and he became Mu and was buried to the right of Liu Bang after his death. Next, it will be arranged in this way according to one left and one right.
(Liu Bang stills)
The identity of Emperor Wen of Han was very embarrassing, because he was the son of Liu Bang, and it was reasonable to say that he should be buried on the left side of Liu Bang, but there was already Liu Ying on the left. If he continues to be buried on the left, it is equivalent to disrespecting Liu Ying, and if he is buried on the right, then he will become Liu Ying's son, Liu Bang's grandson, and the generations will be chaotic. If he did this, how would his son be buried next? Therefore, Emperor Wen of Han chose another cemetery to solve this problem, and at the same time did not violate the ancestral system.
We understand the location of Emperor Wendi of Han's mausoleum, so why didn't Empress Bo die with her husband Liu Bang and bury her near her son Emperor Wen of Han? In ancient times, since Empress Bo was Liu Bang's concubine, and she was the biological mother of Emperor Wen of Han and the grandmother of Emperor Jing of Han, why not be buried in Changling?
(Han HuiDi Liu Ying stills)
In response to this problem, the author puts forward some views.
First, the ancient concept of concubines was very heavy. Lü Hou was Liu Bang's wife, and only she was eligible to be buried with Liu Bang. Empress Bo was nothing more than a concubine, and according to the etiquette of the Han Dynasty, she could not be posthumously honored as an empress. Without the identity of the empress's wife, it is naturally impossible to be buried with the emperor.
Then some people have to say, even if Empress Bo cannot be posthumously honored as an empress, she is also the righteous empress dowager of the Han Dynasty, and by the time of the Han Jing Emperor, she is already the empress dowager. If the Han Jing Emperor, out of filial piety at that time, wanted to forcibly bury his grandmother and grandfather, no one could object. But Empress Bo herself is unwilling, which is what the author wants to say about the next few points.
(Empress Bo stills)
Second, although Empress Bo was Liu Bang's concubine, she had no feelings for Liu Bang. If he hadn't listened to other people's discussions, Liu Bang might not have remembered at all that he had already put Bo Ji into the harem. After Empress Bo arrived at the weaving room, she had never been able to see Liu Bang's face, and Liu Bang listened to others and spoiled her once, and he never saw her again. In Empress Bo's heart, she and Liu Bang had no feelings to speak of.
Third, Lü Hou was Liu Bang's wife, and she was buried with Liu Bang in Changling. Before Lü Hou was born, she was fierce and resentful of Liu Bang's favored concubine, and it was precisely because Empress Bo was not favored that she escaped the clutches of Lü Hou. If she was forcibly buried in Changling because of her status as empress dowager, she would meet with Empress Lü, which was also very unwilling of Empress Bo.
Fourth, Empress Bo had a deep affection for Emperor Wen of Han's mother and son. Emperor Wen of Han is a famous filial piety in history, and the "Taste the Soup Medicine" in the Twenty-Four Filial Pieties tells the story of Emperor Wen of Han and Empress Bo. Empress Bo was not favored by Liu Bang all her life, and she had no status in the harem, and the only thing that made her persist was this son.
Later, when Liu Heng ascended the throne, he has always been very filial to his mother, and the mother and son are considered to be dependent on each other. In 157 BC, Emperor Wen of Han died of illness, and Empress Bo sent a white-haired person to a black-haired person. At this time, her health was also deteriorating, and from the heart of her heart, Empress Bo definitely wanted to continue to stay with her son after death. Therefore, she will specifically confess to the Han Jing Emperor and bury herself near Baling.
There is also a saying that Emperor Wen of Han was not the son of Liu Bang, but the widow of Wei Bao. Therefore, after Empress Bo died, she did not dare to see Liu Bang, so she chose another cemetery. I don't quite agree with this, after all, Bo Ji was included in the harem by Liu Bang, and it took a year before she was favored by Liu Bang, if Liu Heng was really a widow, Bo Ji could not have been pregnant for so long.
(Bo Ji and Liu Heng stills)
In fact, neither Emperor Wen of Han nor Empress Bo's decision violated the etiquette of the Han Dynasty, and it was also reasonable. Emperor Wen of Han was not buried on his father's left, which not only saved the face of his brother Liu Ying, but also solved the problem for his descendants. The later Han Xuan Emperor Liu Qian, also out of the consideration of the "Zhaomu system", chose the mausoleum in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an.
Because Liu Qing was the grandson of the deposed crown prince Liu Zhao, and the nephew of Liu Fuling, the emperor of Han Zhao, he could not continue to be buried in the two columns of Changling as the son of Emperor Han Zhao. Empress Bo's decision did not violate the etiquette of the concubines not being buried with the emperor, and also allowed her to reunite with her son.
(References "History", "Book of Han")