Tomb of Lord Mengchang

Tomb of Lord Mengchang

The Tomb of Lord Mengchang is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Lord Mengchang is located 1 kilometer south of Guanqiao Town, in the northeast corner of the ancient city of the State of Xue. Originally, there was a large burial mound resembling a small hill, which historical records indicate to be the tomb of Lord Mengchang Wen, the Chancellor of Qi, and his father, Lord Jingguo Tian Ying. The Northern Wei Dynasty's Li Daoyuan wrote in his Commentary on the Water Classic: "The tombs of Lord Jingguo and Lord Mengchang are situated in the northeast corner of the city. This was personally verified by Li. It is said that Lord Mengchang was enfeoffed in Xue and was subsequently buried there."

During the Warring States period, Tian Ying, the youngest son of King Wei of Qi, served alongside his father and frequently led troops into battle. In the ninth year of King Xuan of Qi’s reign (312 BC), Tian Ying was appointed Chancellor. In the third year of King Min of Qi’s reign (299 BC), he was enfeoffed in the region of Xue. After Tian Ying’s death, his son Tian Wen inherited his fiefdom and continued to reside in Xue, holding the title of Lord of Xue and known as Lord Mengchang.

Lord Mengchang became renowned throughout the land for his "hospitality and patronage of scholars." He was adept at employing people, recruiting virtuous and talented individuals from all over, and was willing to exhaust his family fortune to treat guests generously. As a result, scholars and worthy men from various regions came to join him, and his retainers numbered more than 3,000. His reputation spread far and wide, and he was counted among the Four Lords of the Warring States period (Pingyuan Jun of Zhao, Xinling Jun of Wei, Chunshen Jun of Chu, and Mengchang Jun of Qi), eventually being appointed Chancellor by King Min of Qi. Lord Mengchang treated his retainers without regard to their background, showing no favoritism and treating everyone equally. His retainers were deeply grateful and remained loyal to their duties. As a result, many historical anecdotes about him are still widely celebrated today. On one occasion, one of Lord Mengchang’s retainers...

Feng Xuan volunteered to go to Xue to collect debts. Upon arriving in Xue, Feng Xuan discovered that the people had suffered consecutive years of disaster, with poor harvests and widespread hardship. He burned all the debt notes of those who were unable to repay their rents, telling the people that this was the order of Lord Mengchang. The populace bowed in gratitude upon hearing this. When Feng Xuan returned to report to Lord Mengchang, he claimed to have bought “righteousness” for his master. After hearing the details, Lord Mengchang dismissed him from his position as Chancellor, and Lord Mengchang returned to his fiefdom in Xue. When the people heard of this, they came out in droves with the elderly and children kneeling by the roadside to welcome him, offering food and fine wine. It was then that Lord Mengchang finally realized what Feng Xuan had done, saying to him, “When you burned the bonds to buy righteousness back then, the merit we see today is boundless.” During his time in Xue, Feng Xuan advised Lord Mengchang that for one to remain invincible, one should follow the example of a cunning rabbit that has three burrows. “Now that you have Xue as your first burrow, I will create two more for you to ensure your safety for generations to come.” Feng Xuan then traveled to the states of Wei and Qin, persuading King Zhao of Wei and King Mu of Qin to both offer the position of Chancellor to Lord Mengchang, along with substantial rewards. Feng Xuan also went to Qi to explain the pros and cons to the King of Qi, prompting King Min of Qi to personally travel to Xue to apologize to Lord Mengchang, inviting him back to the capital and reinstating him as Chancellor.

More than two thousand years have passed, yet the story of Lord Mengchang remains a celebrated tale. The tombs of Tian Wen and Tian Ying were restored and marked with steles by the Guanqiao Town government in 1991. A Hall for Honoring the Virtuous was also added, providing visitors with a place to pay tribute to these historical figures.