Explore the intriguing story of Lady Gouyi, a woman from ancient China whose mysterious burial and empty coffin with silk shoes have puzzled historians for centuries.
At the beginning, Lady Gouyi committed a crime and was ordered to be executed. After her funeral, her body did not emit a foul odor; instead, a fragrance spread for over ten miles. As a result, she was buried in Yunling. Emperor Wu of Han mourned her and suspected that she was not an ordinary person. He dug open her tomb to inspect it, and the coffin was empty, with no body, only a pair of shoes left. According to one account, after Emperor Zhao of Han ascended the throne, he reburied Lady Gouyi, and the coffin was empty, with no body, only a pair of silk shoes remaining there.
《钩弋夫人》
初，钩弋夫人有罪，以谴死。既殡，尸不臭，而香闻十余里。因葬云陵。上哀悼之，又疑其非常人，乃发冢开视，棺空无尸，惟双履存。一云，昭帝即位，改葬之，棺空无尸，独丝履存焉。