Looking back at history, it is well known that both nobles and common people generally believed that the souls of the deceased would go to other places, such as the underworld, heaven, etc., and prayed for another way to continue to live.
Because of this, many people are eager to enjoy the rights and wealth of their lives after they die, so the funeral system has gradually become popular among the civil and military ** and even the emperor.
However, when later generations excavate the remains of these buried concubines, we often see them with their feet open, what is the reason?
In ancient China, especially at the end of the feudal dynasty, the style of martyrdom prevailed. After the emperor's death, the concubines were often forced to be buried with him, symbolizing loyalty and observance.
This special system has a long history, even dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, due to people's belief in the power of ghosts and gods.
At that time, slaves were severely exploited and considered the private property of the nobility. Therefore, when a nobleman died, the slave was also buried.
Especially after the death of the monarch, many noble concubines were forced to die, and historical records reveal that the burial concubines experienced extreme pain and despair before receiving lethal drugs or choosing to commit suicide. Their life-and-death struggles are often most intense on their deathbed.
Under such a high-pressure environment, their bodies will naturally produce a variety of reactions, including the condition of double ***. This gesture is not an accidental phenomenon at the time of death, but a struggle in the last moments of life.
Before being buried in the tomb, some concubines once put up fierce resistance, and even tried to forcibly break their legs. Others were suddenly placed in coffins or graves in their sleep.
What is even more distressing is that some of the concubines did not die immediately after being forced to die, and may be buried alive in a coma or on the verge of death.
Faced with the torment of lack of oxygen and severe pain, he still struggled to find the possibility of life. Such a struggle finally turned into a static posture of double ***, which became the eternal mark of their tragic fate.
During the Ming Dynasty, the funeral system reached its peak. According to relevant historical records, more than 40 concubines were buried during the Hongwu period.
Before the ceremony, the concubines were placed in a palace near the royal tomb, waiting for the emperor to leave.
However, after the emperor's death, they were transported deep underground, forced to be poisoned or buried alive, suffering both physical and mental trauma.
After Zhu Gaochi passed away, his palace maids were dealt with in a more cruel way. According to the Records of the Li Dynasty, they were given food before burial, and then they were taken to the temple and placed on wooden beds, their heads wrapped in ropes, and then the beds were suddenly withdrawn, and the palace ladies suffocated to death.
During the Han and Tang dynasties, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered a ban because it was too strict, but it made a comeback during the Ming Dynasty and was not officially abolished until the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty.
During the Kangxi period, an order was issued strictly prohibiting the burial of living people, which marked the development of human civilization and the increasing value of the dignity of life.
The cruelty of the funeral system is not only reflected in the neglect of life, but also in the great debasement of the status of women.
At that time, women were seen as subordinate to men, whose values and prospects were completely controlled by men, especially the emperor. Martyrdom can be called an extreme manifestation of imperial power, and it is also a wanton trampling on the dignity of women.
The tragic fate of those innocent girls will never be dispersed, and it will always be regrettable and lamented.