When you think of "mummies," everyone thinks of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. In China, we have always paid attention to burial, and after the death of the emperor, no one has adopted the "mummified" way of funeral.
But there are exceptions to everything.
Among the ancient Chinese emperors, there was really only one emperor who was mummified after death.
He is Liao Taizong, Yelü Deguang.
Liao Taizong Yelü De Guang
I. Emperor Taizong of Liao became the "Emperor of the Central Plains"
This Emperor Taizong of Liao was the second emperor of the Liao Dynasty. When he was young, he was also a fierce man, occupying the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun, destroying the Later Jin Dynasty, and becoming the "Emperor of the Central Plains", with great military achievements.
"Emperor of the Central Plains" Liao Taizong
In terms of culture, he absorbed Han culture, recruited talents regardless of race, punished corrupt officials, and imitated the Han system to change politics, changing the country's name from Khitan to Liao.
All of the above measures greatly increased the strength of the Liao state, and it can be regarded as an emperor with a name left in history.
Second, after the defeat of the soldiers, they coveted good women and indulged in death
In 947, the 45-year-old Yelü de Guang was defeated and contracted a fever on the way out of the Central Plains. The fever has not subsided. The entourage placed a lot of ice on his chest and abdomen, but it couldn't cool down either.
The doctor told him to stay away from the female color, but he scolded the doctor: "You are all unlearned, I have a fever, I am about to vent the fire of the female color, how can I stay away from the female color!" ”
Because of his indulgence, when this Liao Taizong walked to Luancheng (Luancheng County, Hebei), he suddenly spat out blood and cried out for his life.
III. The Empress Dowager Demanded that "To Be Born to See People, and to Die to See Corpses"
Empress Liao, who was far away in Shangjing, the capital of the Liao State, was very angry when she learned of this. She decreed, "In any case, you must see people in life, and you must see corpses in death." ”
This stumped the palace ministers who were at the emperor's side at the time.
Because it was so hot at the time, the body was really difficult to keep. And the road back to Beijing is still a few days away, I am afraid that by the time I return to Beijing, the emperor's body will already be decomposed, and at that time, I am afraid that it will be even more sinful.
Just when the accompanying ministers and doctors were helpless, an imperial cook came up with an idea: Or should the emperor be made into a "羓"?
What is "羓"? It is a food similar to "bacon".
Northern nomads like to eat cattle and mutton, sometimes after killing a cow or sheep, they can't eat it for a while, and in the summer, the herders will hollow out the internal organs of cattle and sheep and brine it with salt, which will become a "silk" that will not rot.
As soon as this idea came out, although the accompanying ministers and imperial doctors felt that something was wrong, they had no choice but to do it according to the chef's advice because there was no other way.
As a result, Emperor Taizong of Liao was made into a "mummy" and sent back to the capital.
Later, for this matter, the descendants also gave him a special name, called "Emperor Mummy", which translates to "Emperor Mummy".
Emperor Taizong of Liao became the only person in history to enjoy this title exclusively.