Across the five-thousand-year course of Chinese civilization lie countless unsolved mysteries that have captured people’s imaginations. Wrapped in the dust of history, they glimmer with intrigue in the depths of time. This book focuses on history’s most astonishing mysteries, using historical records as its foundation to clear away the fog of legend and speculation and seek out clues to the truth. Where did the Nine Tripod Cauldrons cast by Yu, symbols of imperial power and the unity of the Nine Provinces, ultimately end up? The underground palace of Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum, a subterranean marvel built with the ingenuity of Qin craftsmen, remains shrouded in mystery. Did it truly contain a grand layout of “rivers and waterways formed from mercury”? The wordless stele of Wu Zetian stands atop Qianling, the final riddle this legendary empress left to later generations. Was it a gesture of magnanimity, leaving posterity to judge her merits and faults, or did it reflect her silence in old age amid questions of power and controversy? Zhu Yunwen, the Jianwen Emperor, mysteriously disappeared amid the flames of the Jingnan Campaign. Did he die by fire in the Nanjing palace, flee in disguise and live among the common people, or sail across the seas?
Each mystery in this book begins with an examination of historical sources, weaving together official records, unofficial tales, and modern archaeological discoveries. Amid an atmosphere of suspense, it brings the scenes of the past to life and invites readers to travel through time, touch fragments of truth buried by the years, and feel the thrilling unknown and mystery behind Chinese history.
