Xixia Mausoleum: It is obviously a pile of loess. How can it be the emperor's tomb?

It is not surprising that you don't read much history and know very little about the Xixia Dynasty. Besides, this short-lived dynasty was crushed by the iron hoof of the Mongolian army and vanished in an instant. Perhaps Genghis Khan hated it so much that he didn't give it any place to rest his soul in Yuan history, and the record about it was almost blank. Naturally, it is understandable that its existence has been seriously ignored by a historical blind like me. Until this day, I accidentally broke into the location of the Xixia tomb, which suddenly narrowed the distance between me and it. When I first saw a pile of loess-like platforms, I couldn't believe that even a magnificent imperial mausoleum could look like this. But it does exist and is called the "Oriental Pyramid". This cemetery is also considered as one of the largest existing royal cemeteries in China with the most complete ground remains. It seems that without strong network knowledge and boundless imagination, it is really difficult to figure out what this dynasty called Xixia really looks like. After all, there are only a few big mounds there. More than 30 kilometers west from Yinchuan, you will see the cemetery. The mausoleum looks so big, with its back against the majestic Helan Mountain and the endless Yinchuan Plain in front, facing the Yellow River, which seems to be bustling. It should be said that this is a good place for feng shui. There are nine main tombs. According to legend, Li Yuanhao, King of Xixia, and his grandfather, father and descendants are all located here. No one can tell who is there, and there are many small tombs buried around him. It is said that they belong to the prince. According to documents, in the past, every cemetery had underground tombs, burial rooms, ground buildings and gardens, and their shapes and layouts were basically the same. From south to north are Menfan, Beiting, Yuecheng and Miyagi. The mausoleum platform is rammed earth, tower-shaped, seven-story octagonal, eave wood structure, and hung with tiles, dripping water and top animals, and wrapped with bricks. The construction of the cemetery fully absorbed the advantages of imperial tombs since Qin and Han dynasties, especially since Tang and Song dynasties, and integrated the essence of Han, Buddhism and Tangut culture, but it was unique. What I can see now is only the mounds, ruins and ruins destroyed by man-made and natural forces, but its skeleton is still there and its pattern is still there. It is faintly visible that its layout is rigorous and its scale is magnificent. It seems that you can still feel the unique spirituality and breath of this once tribal dynasty. What kind of tribal dynasty is this? According to historical records, the ancestors of Xixia were originally Tangut Qiang people, and Old Tang Book denounced them as "another kind of Western Qiang". In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, they were still wandering around the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, struggling for a living, and gradually grew into several tribes relying on the Tang Dynasty, occupying today's southeastern Qinghai and southern Gansu. Later, because he was afraid of looting and killing by the Tibetan army, he turned to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty for help and was moved to Qingyang, Gansu today. After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, they moved to the north of Yulin, Shaanxi and the east of Baicheng, Inner Mongolia for fear that these barbarians were up to no good. By the end of the Tang Dynasty, because of its meritorious service in pacifying Huang Chao, it was able to grant land to the marquis, and since then it has become a separatist force in the buffer region. But the next five generations and ten countries all bowed their heads and were willing to be princes. It was on this basis that the later Xixia Dynasty was established. Xixia dynasty lasted 189 years in the history of China and experienced 10 emperors. During the Ding Feng period, its ruling territory touched Ningxia and most of Gansu, western Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi, eastern Qinghai, eastern Xinjiang and vast areas in southern Mongolia. In the early stage, it was equally divided with the Northern Song Dynasty and Liao Dynasty, and in the middle and late stage, it stood side by side with the Southern Song Dynasty and Jin Dingzu. Described by the world as "one third of the world, dominating the northwest for 200 years." Of course, although the Xixia Dynasty, where nomadic people were born, once created its own prosperity and glory, it was not a flash in the pan to survive in the cracks of powerful countries in the long history of China, which experienced wars, imperial power changes and frequent civil strife. Speaking of this mysterious Western Dynasty, I think of two people. One is the rebel Li. This man, Li, is the grandson of our cousin. It should be said that without the rebel Li, there would be no beginning of the Xixia Dynasty. At that time, the Northern Song Dynasty imperial court was bent on getting rid of Zhou Xia, a long-entrenched buffer region, and the best strategy was to bring it to the capital. It happened that Li, whose political mind was a little longer than others, defected under an excuse and fled to the vast grassland, where he married many daughters of local strongmen as wives and concubines, and gradually took power through hard work, and began the journey of resisting the court and plotting autonomy. Song Taizong was furious and sent five troops to suppress the rebellion, but they were all defeated and died before they recovered. After he acceded to the throne, he not only could not surrender, but also cut off a lot of land and gave it to Li to avoid getting into trouble, which was equivalent to acknowledging the fact that Xixia was independent. Unfortunately, Li didn't last long. He was assassinated by the Tubo people, and was seriously wounded by a crossbow and died at the age of 42. The other is the grandson of Li, the founding emperor of Xixia, thanks to his father. His father, Li Deming, has worked hard for many years, kept a low profile, rested and even grovelled. Just after the founding of the People's Republic, when everything was ready and he was about to become emperor, he suddenly died, paving the way for his achievements. After Li Yuanhao ascended the throne, I was deeply impressed by the following things that happened to him: First, the people of China were ordered to go bald within three days, and those who disobeyed orders were beheaded. Baldness is not all baldness, but a little on each side. Second, I named a minister named Ye Liren Rong. It took three years to free up more than 5,000 Xixia characters, and changed the Chinese characters that were originally recognized by everyone into Xixia characters that were not recognized by sinologists. Third, he killed his brother-in-law, took his wife into his arms, and soon took a fancy to the future daughter-in-law of the abandoned prince and quickly took it for himself. Fourthly, finally, in order to avenge his wife and mother, the abandoned prince cut off his nose with a sword and died in great pain.