After broadcasting the ancient times live, I handed the system over to the state.

“After the Ming and Qing dynasties, burial procedures were already quite strict, and the changes in the tombs were closely related to the above-ground architecture.”

"The burial objects also began to be related to daily life. Mural tombs were no longer popular. Instead, items related to daily life became more popular, such as jade ruyi scepters and snuff bottles."

"At this time, the value of burial goods has been declining. Looking back, we can see that burial goods have become increasingly simple, and have begun to gradually shift from reflecting social status to reflecting a person's living needs, interests, and so on. This is also a major trend."

"This can also be seen from the coffin used by the deceased during the burial ceremony."

"During the Neolithic period, people believed that the soul could be resurrected, so in the late Neolithic period, coffins and outer coffins were found in some tombs, because people at that time believed that this could preserve the body."

"Later nobles even felt that this was not enough, and would add an outer coffin. The Book of Rites records many such instances, such as 'the emperor's coffin has four layers, and the feudal lords' coffin has three layers.' The coffin system reached its peak in the Han Dynasty, and during the Western Han Dynasty, people of high status could use the Huangchang Ticou (a type of ancient Chinese coffin).

"Moreover, some people can even use special burial clothes—jade suits."

Zhu Qinggu released photos of the Huangchangticou (a type of ancient Chinese coffin), and the neatly arranged, overlapping coffins exuded a solemnity. The restored jade burial suit, displayed in a showcase under the lights, was also a sight to behold.

[I first learned what "Huangchangticou" was when I watched an archaeological documentary.]

[And the jade burial suit too; I thought it was one of those straw mats from Guangdong and Guangxi.]

[The kind that snags your hair, right?]

[No wonder tomb raiders love robbing Han Dynasty tombs; there's not much to loot from Ming and Qing Dynasty tombs anymore, because there's nothing left to find.]

[Actually, there are some, but they're not worth it.]

[They've endured countless wars; nine out of ten Han Dynasty tombs are now empty.]

Tianmu's mention of this made many people in the Han Dynasty hold their breath.

"No, from now on, burials should be simple!" an official said. "From now on, I want burials to be simple, with more classics and historical texts buried there, and less gold and silver!"

However, the path of simple burial has been blocked.

The joint tomb of Liu Zhu, King of Chu during the Western Han Dynasty, and his wife has a foundation stone that indicates that there were no luxurious clothes or valuable gold and jade in the tomb, only a coffin and bones.

As a result, the tomb raiders dug one tunnel after another.

“A simple burial is impossible, so I’ll poison it, add quicksand…” Some high-ranking officials and nobles are thinking about upgrading their anti-theft methods.

Sometimes it's called "there are policies from above and countermeasures from below." After all, the dead can't rise from the dead and the living can't update their security measures, which means that security measures are always lagging behind.

……

Zhu Qinggu was the same way. He used to enjoy watching archaeological documentaries and exploring the truth of history little by little by following the footsteps of the archaeologists, learning the stories behind each tomb and each burial object.

I once saw a documentary where archaeologists unearthed elixirs of immortality that the ancients had concocted!

Zhu Qinggu found it very interesting at that time.

As she grew older, she also realized that history was neither cruel nor boring; each person's life was written within it, gradually weaving together the history of China over thousands of years.

With that in mind, she decided to wrap up the rest of the content and end the live stream for the day.

"The use of jade burial suits is also closely related to the strong religious beliefs of that time. People at that time still believed that if the body was preserved, the soul could be revived, and that using jade burial suits to protect the body could maintain its immortality."

"However, this belief disappeared rapidly after the Han Dynasty. During the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, jade was rarely found in tombs. This was because at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turban Rebellion occurred, and Taoism quickly became a very influential religion. They believed more in attaining immortality and becoming immortals than in the resurrection of the soul, so they placed more emphasis on rituals on earth."

"In addition, with the rise of Buddhism after the Eastern Han Dynasty, people began to believe in karma and reincarnation. Everything underground and everything above ground were separated. Coffins lost their function and became a continuation of rituals and etiquette. Coffins were also quickly simplified."

"So who says that the ancients were necessarily bound by etiquette and morality? The ancients would change things that they found inconvenient or inappropriate, unlike later times when any change was considered impolite, a violation of ancestral teachings, or a reversal of the natural order."

Zhu Qinggu said a few simple words, which resonated with many viewers in the live chat.

[Anyway, our ancestors were quite creative with their art, including things like palace paintings, haha. They even wore tank tops in the summer when it was hot. I don't even dare to read anything written by Feng Menglong.]

[Even modern people have their own cults of righteousness...]

[In a certain TV series, the character's head was edited to look like a bobblehead...]

[Sigh, there are plenty of these things, no need to compare.]

……

Zhu Qinggu smiled slightly, “After the Sui and Tang dynasties, people’s concept of ‘treating the dead as if they were alive’ was no longer strong. Basically, there was only one coffin and one outer coffin. Commoners even had only one coffin. The burial clothes were no longer as elaborate as in the Han dynasty.”

“After the Song Dynasty, especially the Liao people, they liked to place the corpse directly on the mortuary bed, and the Jin people even cremated it directly. These all show that they no longer respected the concept of the soul in the Han Dynasty and before.

"By the Ming and Qing dynasties, funeral rites had lost the soul worship of the early period and were only used to commemorate ancestors and remember the ancestors."

Zhu Qinggu said with some emotion, "After seeing these, everyone will realize that Chinese funerals are closely related to society. As society gradually evolves, customs in all aspects also evolve, including funeral rites."

"Even now, society is still developing rapidly and technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. In the third episode, we will also talk about the funeral customs of modern society and some new funeral methods for the future."

[Can this kind of thing really be innovated?]

[Of course! There's nothing we can't do if you can imagine it!]

[People should boldly produce large quantities, understand?]

"Hmm? This can be considered an innovation?" Liu Che was very curious, and then he thought of the cremation used by the Jurchens mentioned later. Cremation... isn't that just leaving no trace of the body?

For people today, cremation is more cruel than beheading or dismemberment.

Therefore, they dared not even think about cremation.

They could only mutter to themselves, "As expected of barbarians! They don't understand the customs of the Central Plains!"

Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, was also a proponent of simple burials. He saw that Zhu Qinggu said that later generations' funerals were basically about commemorating ancestors, and he agreed with this, as it was a major trend.

However, as an emperor, his every move had certain political implications. It wasn't just about simple burials; it was also about guiding the people to be frugal and thrifty.