Legends of Marquis Wu’s Tomb

According to folk tales, Zhuge Liang fell critically ill after Wei Yan broke into his tent at night and ruined the ritual meant to prolong his life.

On his deathbed, he left a will for Emperor Liu Shan, asking that four soldiers carry his coffin southward after his passing. He instructed them to bury him wherever the carrying pole snapped and the ropes rotted away.

How could Liu Shan go against the last wish of the prime minister who had rendered extraordinary service to the Kingdom of Shu-Han? He ordered four strong men from Guanxi to carry the coffin straight south.

After trekking for a full day and night, the four porters were utterly exhausted, yet neither the pole nor the ropes had broken. They made a secret decision and buried the coffin right on the spot.

When they returned, they lied to Liu Shan that they had buried the prime minister exactly where the pole broke and the ropes frayed. Liu Shan sensed something suspicious; it was impossible for the equipment to wear out so quickly. He had the four men arrested and tortured. Unable to endure the punishment, they confessed the truth.

Enraged, Liu Shan sentenced all four to death for deceiving the emperor. With their execution, the exact location of Zhuge Liang’s grave was lost forever.

The tale might have ended here. Later generations, however, embellished the story to highlight Zhuge Liang’s ingenuity. People believe he foresaw everything. Kongming anticipated that the Sima clan would eventually conquer Shu-Han and plunder his tomb after the kingdom fell. Therefore, he orchestrated the whole episode to ensure eternal peace for his remains.

Both Cao Cao and Kongming arranged secret burials. Yet Cao Cao was labelled crafty and treacherous, while Zhuge Liang was praised for his wisdom. This subtle contrast is worth pondering deeply.

Visitors to the tomb always notice an odd sight: a huge yellow fruit tree growing right on top of the mound. Traditional Chinese customs strictly forbid planting trees over a grave, making this phenomenon quite unusual.

People thus formed a touching legend. The tree is said to be the reincarnation of Huang Achou, Zhuge Liang’s wife. Out of deep devotion, she transformed into this tree to shelter her beloved husband from wind and rain for all eternity.