Li Fuping's calligraphy

The most powerful dynasty in China's history was the Han and Tang Dynasties. In line with the historical trend of long-term separation, prosperity is bound to be a great division. After the demise of the Han dynasty, it was a chaotic period of hundreds of years in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. Similarly, after the demise of the Tang Dynasty, it was a chaotic period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The biggest grave robbery in China's history occurred in the Houliang of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to the later Tang Dynasty.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the world was in chaos. As a powerful minister in the Tang Dynasty, Li became our envoy in Fengxiang and Longyou because of his meritorious military service. He fought against Tangmen and defeated Tangmen's army. It was named the King of Qi by the Tang Dynasty, and the control area included most areas of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Li has a Yaozhou ambassador named.

inscription on pottery

Wen Tao is from Yaoxian County, Shaanxi Province. Because he belongs to Li, he was appointed as our special envoy Yaozhou, Chongzhou and Yuzhou. These three States, including Fuping County, Sanyuan County, Jingyang County, Xianyang County, Liquan County and the surrounding areas of Ganxian County in Shaanxi Province today, were Li's territory and the location of the imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty at that time.

In troubled times, it was the swing of have it both ways, sometimes attached to Li, and then took refuge in Zhu Wen. However, both Li and Zhu Wen were appointed as our time ambassadors. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, local separatist regions always liked to change their names, while Yaozhou, Chongzhou and Yuzhou were actually in Guanzhong, close to the tomb of the Tang Dynasty. Wen Tao was imprisoned for seven years.

Map of Five Dynasties and Ten Countries

The Tang Dynasty in our time is equivalent to a local military and political leader with considerable power, that is, during his stay in Guanzhong, Wen Tao took advantage of his position to steal the tomb of the Tang Dynasty. This is the biggest grave robbery in the history of China, and it is also the worst one, which is much bigger than the incident of Sun Dianying stealing the tomb of the Qing Dynasty in the early years of the Republic of China.

As we all know, the tombs in the Tang Dynasty are all thick burials, and there are also many jewels and belongings buried with them. Near Chang 'an, Tang Dou, it took Wen Tao seven years to steal all the tombs of the Tang Dynasty that he had the conditions to dig, namely:

Eighteen tombs in Tang dynasty

Tang Gaozu's Xianling Mausoleum, Emperor Taizong's Zhaoling Mausoleum, Tang Zhongzong's Dingling Mausoleum, Tang Ruizong's Qiaoling Mausoleum, Tang Xuanzong's Tailing Mausoleum, Tang Suzong's Jianling Mausoleum, Tang Daizong's Yuanling Mausoleum, Tang Dezong's chongling's Fengling Mausoleum, Tang Xianzong's Jingling Mausoleum, Tang Jingzong's Zhangling Mausoleum, Tang Wuzong's Duanling Mausoleum and Tang Xuanzong's Zhenling Mausoleum.

There were 2 1 emperors in the Tang Dynasty, and Wen Tao stole 17 emperors. Only several imperial tombs, such as the Fuling of Wu Zetian, were not stolen, not because of Wen Tao's kindness, but because Wen Tao suddenly had foresight when preparing to steal the Fuling of Wu Zetian. Suddenly, the bad weather such as storm and thunder suddenly came, and it was impossible to steal in bad weather. Every time Wen Tao and others go back.

rob a tomb

Wen Tao was born as a thief and didn't know many words. I don't know how he mixed up our time. In an era of war, perhaps martial arts is the way to survive. As the biggest grave robber in history, Wen Tao's methods of grave robbery are somewhat different from other grave robbers.

1, blatant, stolen goods are also publicly announced.

Wen Tao's grave robbery was conducted directly and openly, and it started in broad daylight without any disguise. As a thief, Wen Tao couldn't even bear to feel ashamed. He steals from places with property. After the grave robbery, he also publicly produced a grave robbery book, which was handed down to let people know what property Wen Tao had stolen.

Wu Zetian's Dry Mausoleum

In particular, Wen Tao stole the Zhaoling Tomb of Emperor Taizong, the greatest emperor in the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong is the most famous emperor in the history of the Tang Dynasty, and also the emperor with the most fruitful achievements. Of course, the treasures buried with Emperor Taizong are the most, especially the original "Preface to the Lanting Pavilion" by Wang Xizhi, a great calligrapher in the Jin Dynasty, which is also in the mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, because all the existing works of "Preface to the Lanting Pavilion" are copied, and only Emperor Taizong has the original. The value is immeasurable. As a thief, Wen Tao didn't know anything about the peerless calligraphy work Preface to Lanting Collection. After the theft, the priceless Preface to the Orchid Pavilion was discarded, and Wen Tao took a fancy to the satin box containing the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion.

2. Use the most troops to rob the tomb.

Wen Tao as our time, there are tens of thousands of troops, Wen Tao directly put his army into the mausoleum and began to rob the tomb, with 30,000 to 40,000 people every time. The number of grave robberies of this specification is really large.

3. The number of grave robbers is the largest, and the property is the largest.

Emperor Taizong Zhaoling

Most of the tombs in the Tang Dynasty were stolen by Wen Tao. How much property was buried in so many graves, all of which were stolen by Wen Tao and squandered. On the one hand, he squandered himself, on the other hand, he managed to give the treasure to the forces he attached, such as Li and Zhu Wen. After the demise of Houliang, he took refuge in Li of the later Tang Dynasty and bought Li's queen Liu with stolen property. So once Li arrived, although he robbed many ancient tombs, he committed heinous crimes.

However, although Li has not been punished, it does not mean that he can sit back and relax. After Li's death, Li Siyuan, the second emperor of the later Tang Dynasty, was killed. Li Siyuan killed Wen Tao because Wen Tao was a grave robber and the tomb of the Tang Dynasty was stolen. Li Siyuan's dynasty was also the Tang Dynasty. This Wen Tao stole a large number of pre-Tang tombs. Is that so? Don? Insult, and Wen Tao even stole the tomb of the former Tang Dynasty, and naturally he stole the tomb of the later Tang Dynasty, so he simply killed him. In this way, a generation of grave robbers, Wen Tao, was killed and his grave-robbing property was confiscated by the court.