Li Xian, the founding hero of the Northern Zhou Dynasty
The story of Li Guang, the general of the Western Han Dynasty, has long been a household name. "The forest dark grass is frightening, and the general leads the bow at night." Ping Ming looked for white feathers, not in the stone edge. "Lu Lun's "Plugged Down Song" shows us the brilliant and vivid display of General Li Da, who is superior in martial arts. After Li Guang's death, his filial son Xiansun produced a heavyweight figure. This man's name was Li Xian, the founding hero of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, who once held the key to the Silk Road.
Li Xian: The silent Northern Zhou general
Li Xian (502–569) was born in Gaoping City, Anding County, in present-day Guyuan, Ningxia. At the age of 22, Li Xian joined the army to fight, and ten years later, it came to work. At that time, the general Yuwen Tai marched west, and the troops were stationed in Li Xian's hometown. By chance, Li Xian met Yuwen Tai. Soon, the Wonju man Dou Lu Wolf killed the Wonju keeper and occupied Wonju. Li Xian heard the news and led 300 warriors to launch an attack on the rebels of the Doulu Wolf. After a bloody battle, Li Xian won more with less and quelled the rebellion. Because of his military exploits, Li Xian was appointed by the imperial court as the Assassin of Wonju.
Yuwen Tai in the film and television drama
Yuwen Tai treats Li Xian with blue eyes, and the two become close friends. Every time Yuwen Tai came to Wonju, he would feast and drink at Li Xian's house. Later, Yuwen Tai also fostered his two sons in Wonju, and let Li Xian and his wife Wu Hui raise and educate on their behalf. The two children who lived around Li Xian and his wife were named Yuwen Yong and The other named Yu Wenxian.
Yuwen Yong in the film and television drama
The Emperor buried his adoptive father and adoptive mother
The adopted son brought infinite glory to Li Xian and his wife.
In 560, Li Xian's adopted son Yuwen Yong succeeded to the throne as Emperor of Northern Zhou. Yuwen Xian was not bad either, becoming the King of Qi in Northern Zhou. When Yuwen Yong succeeded to the throne, Li Xian was 58 years old. The new emperor was affectionate, righteous, far-sighted, not only wise but also capable of dictatorial matters. The new emperor did not forget the nurturing grace of Li Xian and Wu Hui, and regarded his adoptive father and adoptive mother as relatives of the emperor and the state, and greatly commended them. The new emperor also gave his adoptive mother Wu Hui the surname yuwen, and posthumously honored him as the Commander of the Great Wall.
Guyuan Beacon witnessed the rise and fall of the Li Xian family
In his later years, Li Xian, who held a high position of power, commanded the military forces of the Three Prefectures of The Western Road and the Governor of Hezhou. Because of Li Xian, Bian Sai was quiet, and he played the role of guardian of northern Zhou in the western region for a long time. During this period, Li Xian's waist was pinned to the key to the Silk Road. Merchants from all over the world who came along the Silk Road had to pass through the place controlled by Li Xian before they could reach Chang'an.
The mural lady in Li Xian's tomb
In 569, at the age of 68, Li Xian fell ill and died in Chang'an, the capital of the capital. The imperial court posthumously awarded Li Xian the honorary titles of Envoy Zhijie, Grand General of the Pillar State, and Governor of Dadu. The emperor followed his adoptive father's wishes and sent someone to escort the coffin back to Wonju, where his adoptive father and adoptive mother were buried together.
The figurines in Li Xian's tomb
1400 years after Li Xian's death, the tomb is still standing on the wasteland. In September 1983, archaeologists were ordered to excavate an ancient tomb complex on the southern outskirts of Guyuan. The archaeologists arrived at the site and decided to first carry out a rescue excavation of an ancient tomb with obvious damage and traces. Archaeologists worked patiently for 7 days, found the frescoes in the ancient tomb, and then found the epitaph... Everyone was very surprised to find that the owner of this large tomb was Li Xian and his wife from northern Zhou.
The figurines in the tomb
Funerary products show the prosperity of the Silk Road
The excavation of Li Xian's tomb opened up another world of hiding underground.
The excavations continued until the summer of 1984. Through the epitaph, archaeologists learned that the owner of the tomb, Li Xian, was a descendant of Li Guang, a famous flying general of the Western Han Dynasty. In Li Xian's tomb, archaeologists also unearthed a large number of funerary products of various colors such as gold, silver, copper, iron, pottery, jade, etc., with a total of more than 700 pieces of large and small pieces. Among them, gilded gold and silver pots, pottery maids, coffin lacquer paintings, glass bowls, and gold rings are both precious and rare.
Pavilions on frescoes
The excavation of Li Xian's tomb was a major archaeological discovery in 1984. Archaeologists have presented a vivid era of the Southern and Northern Dynasties in front of people's eyes. The excavation of the tomb murals shows people the traces of the Northern Zhou Dynasty for the first time, and the gilded gold and silver pots, glass bowls and gold rings in the funerary products are a strong proof to us that the cultural exchanges between the East and the West have a long history.
Rare gilt silver pot
The famous gilded gold and silver pot is now the treasure of the Ningxia Museum. The Ningxia Museum introduced the treasure this way: "37.5 cm high, weighing 1.5 kg, tall and long body, oval abdomen, thin neck, duck-bill shaped flow, round base, curved ends into a sheep's head, cast at the top of a human head, high nose wearing a round hat." Pot belly hammer A week of 3 groups of 6 men and women images protruding, one group is naked, as if to show the handsome warrior getting a woman's admiration scene. ”
The gilded gold and silver pot is three sets of pictures
The story of the Aegean sea came to China
Rigorous archaeologists, do not allow romantic imagination.
However, they quickly figured out the three sets of patterns on the gilded gold and silver pot, which were legends and stories of ancient Greece. The origin of the story is: on the beautiful Aegean Sea, Hera, Athena, and Aphrohito compete for who is the most beautiful woman. The referee of this pageant was the heroic Prince Paris of the Trojan Nation. Prince Paris was embarrassed, thinking that all three women were beautiful beauties. At this time, Aphrohithea told the prince that if she was elected, she would introduce another beautiful woman, Helen, to the prince. So the prince chose Aphrohito to be the most beautiful woman.
Characters on a gilded silver pot (partial)
The first set of motifs on the gilded pot was chosen by Prince Paris as the most beautiful woman chosen by Aphrohiti. The "most beautiful woman" told Prince Paris that another beautiful woman, Helen, was in Sparta.
In the second set of motifs on the gilded silver pot, prince Paris found Helen in Sparta, and the two fell in love with each other, according to Aphrohet.com. However, Helen was already the queen of Sparta. Even so, Prince Paris was still haunted and took the opportunity to escape from the palace with Helen.
The Spartan warriors took Helen back
The third set of gilded gold pot motifs, after Prince Paris and Helen eloped, angered the Spartans. The Spartans sent an army to enlist Prince Paris, successfully defeating the prince's forces. King Menelaeus of Sparta recaptured Helen and returned home with his beloved woman, Helen. This pattern is the scene of the Spartans receiving Helen.
The figurine array in the fresco of Li Xian's tomb
Gilded gold and silver pots bear witness to cultural exchanges
What we can be sure of is that the northern Zhou dynasty was close to the Sassanid empire. At that time, on the Silk Road, the commodity trade was frequent and prosperous. The Northern Zhou general Li Xian, who held the key on the Silk Road in his hand, was not surprising that he was able to obtain this exquisite gilt and silver pot. However, what excites us is that Li Xian learned the beautiful story of the Aegean Sea through the gilded gold and silver pot and saw the rich and vast external world. Otherwise, how could Li Xian's beloved utensils accompany the burial in the tomb?
Glass bowl in Li Xian's tomb
More than 1500 years ago, the Sassanid craftsmen of Central Asia engraved stories from the Aegean Sea on gilt and silver pots, and let gilt gold and silver pots come to China along the Silk Road. Today, when we see the gilded silver pot, it has been frozen as a witness to cultural exchange on the Silk Road. A rare gilded silver pot that completes the drift of life. This kind of exchange is also wonderful, just like the Tang Dynasty Chang'an people sat on the ground when they went to Japan, and the Chang'an people sat on chairs from Asia Minor. (Text/Fan Forward)