Major discovery! Su Shi’s family cemetery confirmed...but why is Su Shi not there?

A few days ago, a major archaeological discovery was announced in Meishan, Sichuan, confirming the family cemetery of Su Shi, also known as the famous Su Dongpo - the tomb of Su Fu, the grandson of Su Shi, is in the Da Su Cemetery, and the tomb of Su Shan, the son of Su Fu, is in the Xiao Su Cemetery.

Excavation site of "Su Cemetery", source: Red Star News

As soon as the news came out, it attracted a lot of attention, but netizens seemed to be focusing on something different:

What? There is no Su Shi in Su Shi’s family tomb?

Yes, there is indeed no Su Shi in Su Shi’s family tomb. Just like the joke goes: there is no Su Dongpo in Dongpo Pork.

So the question is: As a leader of the Northern Song Dynasty scholars and a man of all talents, why didn't Su Shi follow the tradition of "returning to his roots" and return to Meishan, Sichuan? If it's not in Meishan, where is Su Shi's tomb?

To find the answer to the question, we have to start from the third year of Yuanfu (1100).

Su Shi decided to live in Changzhou for retirement

This year, Su Shi was 65 years old. Song Huizong ascended the throne, and Empress Xiang of Emperor Shenzong took charge of government affairs. Su Shi, who had been exiled to Danzhou (now Hainan) for three years, was finally pardoned and returned to the north.

Before being exiled to Hainan, Su Shi had accumulated enough experience in hunting wild animals: he was exiled to Huangzhou for four years at the age of 45, and to Huizhou for three years at the age of 59. Including the three years in Hainan, he was already a "wild king" of the Northern Song Dynasty. He studied new ways to eat pork in Huangzhou, added lamb ribs to the recipe in Huizhou, and pushed the status of oysters as a delicacy to a new historical height in Hainan. It can be said that anything that can't kill Su Shi will make him stronger, and anything that looks like it can be cooked, Su Shi will eat it.

However, Su Shi, who had such a strong and stable mentality, hesitated when facing the new life that was about to begin after returning to the north - where to live in his old age became a concern for him .

Su Shi first thought of Yingchang (now Xuchang), where his brother Su Zhe, who had shared his lifelong joys and sorrows, never left him. Back then, Su Zhe was still determined to "find his brother" when he was the deputy prime minister. Needless to say, the deep brotherly love between them is self-evident. After Su Zhe learned that Su Shi was released, he kept persuading his brother to settle in Yingchang and realize the good wish of brothers living together in old age.

Although it was good for the brothers to be reunited, Su Shi had some concerns. He was worried that moving his family to Yingchang would add burden to his brother, who was already financially strapped, and that Yingchang was close to Bianjing (today's Kaifeng), and if there was any disturbance in the political situation, it would be easily affected. After all, he was too old to afford the hassles.

In addition to Yingchang, another option in Su Shi's mind was Changzhou (now Changzhou). Changzhou appeared frequently in Su Shi's career, and the landscape and humanities there also deeply attracted him. Su Shi bought houses in Changzhou twice. In order to settle in Changzhou, he even wrote an application to the emperor. Most of his family members also lived in Changzhou during his demotion to Hainan. It can be said that Changzhou is the most ideal place for Su Shi to rest in peace .

Choosing Yingchang would realize the long-cherished wish of brothers to "sit on the bed in the rain at night"; choosing Changzhou was what Su Shi wanted. Between the two dilemmas, what really pushed Su Shi was the current situation - Empress Dowager Xiang passed away, and there might be changes in the court.

When Su Shi heard all the unfavorable news, he immediately gave up the idea of ​​settling in Yingchang and decided to retire in the south, in Changzhou.

Meishan, Sichuan, did not actually appear in Su Shi's retirement plan.

It is worth mentioning that Su Shi’s ancestral home is Luancheng, Hebei, and they call themselves "Zhaojun Su Family". Meishan is just a registered residence.

Su Shi's tomb was decided by his younger brother Su Zhe in Jia County, ****

Since Su Shi finally decided to return to his hometown in Changzhou, was his tomb chosen in Changzhou?

Not really.

Su Shi was exhausted from the long journey and was seriously ill before he arrived at his residence in Changzhou. He felt that he didn't have much time left, so he wrote a letter to his brother Su Zhe, entrusting him with his final wishes: "When I die, bury me at the foot of Mount Song, and write an epitaph for me." (Su Zhe's Epitaph for My Late Brother Zizhan Duanming)

Su Shi died in Changzhou on July 28, 1101, the first year of Emperor Huizong's reign. In accordance with Su Shi's last wishes, Su Shi was buried in Jia County, Henan Province, under the auspices of Su Zhe.

Why Jia County?

Some people say that it is because of the beautiful scenery of Jia County, as Su Shi had passed by there many times during his lifetime and praised it highly; others say that it is because of the good feng shui of Jia County, surrounded by mountains and rivers, making it an ideal burial place; others say that it is because high-ranking officials of the Song Dynasty were mostly buried in the capital or near the imperial tombs after their death to show their loyalty; and some even say that it was because the brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe were demoted for a long time and were short of money, and could not afford the cost of burial in Meishan.

All of the above reasons make sense, but there is only one biggest reason that led Su Shi to be buried in Jia County - Su Zhe.

Long before Su Shi became seriously ill, he had made a clear statement about his burial arrangements a hundred years later in a letter to his brother: "As for the cemetery, please help me make the decision." ("Letter to Ziyou") He entrusted all his affairs after his death to his most trusted brother Su Zhe, and let him make the decision on everything.

After the two discussed, they decided to choose the site of the tomb at the southern foot of Songshan Mountain. This was also confirmed in the memorial written by Su Zhe to Su Shi later: "Burying in Songyang means that there is a will." (Sacrificial Essay for My Late Brother Duan Ming) "Songyang" refers to the south of Songshan Mountain in Henan Province. "Will" refers to the will made by a person when he is conscious before his death.

**After accepting his brother's request, Su Zhe carefully considered the situation and reality and finally decided to bury Su Shi and his wife in Jia County. **This place has beautiful scenery comparable to that of his hometown Meishan, and it also avoids the political and economic pressure of returning to Meishan during the turbulent times. It is not far from Yingchang where he settled, making it convenient for worship.

In addition, the presence of a small Mount Emei in Jiaxian County may also be one of the reasons. In the epitaph of Duanming written by Su Che, it is mentioned: "Although the place is Jiahao, the mountain is called Emei. It is the will of heaven, not man."

After Su Shi was buried, Su Zhe wrote in his memorial: "Although this is not my hometown, my relatives are not far away, so don't be afraid or alarmed." ("Another Memorial to My Late Sister-in-law Wang") Although this is not my hometown, my relatives are not far away, so don't be afraid.

Su Che made the most appropriate decision he could make.

Ten years after Su Shi's death, Su Zhe passed away in Yingchang. Five years later, Su Zhe's wife Shi died of illness. According to Su Zhe's last wish, the descendants of the Su family buried them next to the tomb of Su Shi and his wife in Jia County. The two brothers finally realized their long-cherished wish of "sleeping in bed in the rain at night" and no longer had to be separated from each other.

There is no Su Shi in the Su Shi family tomb in Meishan, Sichuan, but Su Shi and Su Zhe are sleeping together. Blood is thicker than water, and one is not alone at the end of life.

Planning and production

Author: Dr. Wu Tai, Wenxue

Reviewer: Wang Hongzhi, Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Shanghai Normal University

Planning丨Xu Lai

Editor: Lin Lin