Written by | Zhao Libo
As a pioneer of the prosperous tang dynasty, but also an important founder of the Li Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's life can be described as riding a horse and shooting arrows across the battlefield, splashing ink after getting off the horse, pointing out the country and mountains, and is a rare figure in history who is both literate and martial. From the age of 16, with the aura of nobility, he followed his father and brother's strong rise to embark on the road of military service, 18 years old as a pioneer officer, 24 years old has become famous, across the battlefield to achieve great military achievements. After ascending the throne at the age of 29, he bowed down to the rivers and mountains and opened an important model of the flourishing era of Chinese civilization, which is directly related to Li Shimin's personal style and ability.
Portrait of Li Shimin
(1) Twenty-nine-year-old Li Shimin pointed out the country and the mountains with great vigor and interpreted the youthful vitality of the Sheng Tang Dynasty.
In June of the ninth year of Wude (626), although the weather was hot, datang had just experienced the trembling "Xuanwumen Change". The old emperor Li Yuan, as the biggest shocker of this family tragedy, began to become disheartened, and on the third day of the incident, he officially issued Li Shimin's edict as the crown prince to the world. "Crown Prince Shimin is born and knows, knows Mingyun, Wende Wugong, and Ping Yi Yunei." Entrust the people with the same righteousness. The last sentence is of even greater significance: "From now on, the military aircraft and soldiers will barn grain, and all the government will be in power, no matter how big or small, and the crown prince will decide and then listen to the music." ”【1】
"The Change of Xuanwu Gate"
A few days later, Li Yuan formally proposed that he be crowned Emperor Taishang. Thus the transition of power between father and son was officially completed. The twenty-nine-year-old Li Shimin was full of vigor and vigor, which corresponded to the efficient operation of energy and rapid response to the handling of imperial affairs, thus providing full preparation for the full opening of the "rule of Zhenguan". As we all know, Li Yuan relied on his wolf-like sons to finally win the world and consolidate the scattered sand. In the creation of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's ability and merits were the greatest. Of course, Li Yuan's is by no means Fan Fan's incompetent, but "Su Huai Ji Shi's strategy, with the heart of the world." "A man. [2] It is also because the tiger father has no dogs, Li Shimin independently commanded the four major battles in the key victorious war, from the first year of Wu De's resistance to Xue Ju, to the forty-six months before and after the pacification of Liu Heimin five years later, Li Shimin himself was on the front line of the battlefield for as many as twenty-seven months, and the war amplifier comprehensively demonstrated Li Shimin's outstanding military ability. With regard to war, he once summed it up from a high vantage point: "I know the key to using troops in a few directions, and every time I look at the enemy's position, I know its strength or weakness, and I often regard my weakness as its strength and my strength as its weakness." [3] This is a typical "Tianji horse racing" tactic, and it is also a model for Li Shimin to learn and use. Even Li Shimin is well versed in the spiritual essentials of "protracted war", when the confrontation between the two armies is in a state of glue, he will take the measure of delaying the enemy army, consuming the endurance and grain of the other side, and finally the key blow, the so-called "hard wall setback" and "the enemy's hunger to prolong the drawbacks" tactics have become the winning magic weapon of young Li Shimin, from the age of 16 to the age of 29, Li Shimin finally embarked on the peak of life, interpreting the true connotation of youth and achievement.
Li Shimin film and television image
(2) The builder of Datang's soft power, the art of employing people has achieved the connotation of Sheng Tang.
For soft power, his most important thing is talent, once said: "To be a king, drive talents, and push the heart to treat the soldiers." [4] The reason why Li Shimin has such a profound experience stems from the great understanding of the power of talent in his early years of entrepreneurship. In the case of the long-term monopoly of the door valve system, Li Shimin took the lead in breaking the birth qualifications, "not to be humble and not to use, not to be humiliated and not to be respected" [5]
Faced with the situation that "after the scholars and doctors leave in a disorderly manner, they are not happy to advance, and the officials are not filled", Li Shimin desperately hopes to "be promoted to the ranks of the ranks and take the soldiers to the end of the ordinary". In terms of system, he comprehensively inherited and improved the imperial examination system, and finally let all the readers draw on the merits, and the people of the time said: "Emperor Taizong really has a long strategy, and he has earned a hero's head." [6] When Li Shimin saw the grand situation of the new branch of the jinshi coming out of the fish, he couldn't help but say: "Heroes of the world, into the middle of my body", this kind of Urgency of Zhou Gong spitting out the world and returning to the heart, and finally let Li Shimin harvest a large number of talents, thus enriching all over the place, and injecting vitality into the continuous flow of Sheng Tang.
In addition, the biggest feature of Li Shimin's selection and employment of people was that in the early years of the Qin Dynasty's confidants, such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruyi, Changsun Wuji, Gao Shilian and other "relatives", and the talents under Li Jiancheng in the early years were also successfully won over by Li Shimin, such as Wei Zheng, Wang Jue, Zhang Xuansu, and so on. Finally, there were his father Li Yuan's heavy ministers such as Xiao Yu and Feng Deyi.
Still
The systematic and targeted selection and employment of personnel all reflect Li Shimin's strategic height, and in addition, he cherishes the talent echelon he has run. Fundamentally prevent each other from falling over. In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Xiao Yu was surpassed by Fang Xuanling because of his status, so he told Li Shimin that Fang Xuanling said: "The party is better than zhou, and there is no heart to offer", and further slandered: "This generation is related to the power, there is the same glue paint, Your Majesty does not know it in detail, but he does not turn his ears." [7] Li Shimin seriously refuted Xiao Yu's rumors. In addition, for the talents that have been won by the opposite side, Li Shimin "has no doubt", and through continuous letting go of their use, these people will eventually contribute to them with a dead heart.
(3) Li Shimin's personal demeanor has opened up an inclusive atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin's demeanor in seeking advice and receiving advice was the biggest highlight of his life, and although he was the honor of the empire, he was often able to listen to advice modestly. As early as when he was made crown prince, he ordered that "a hundred officials should be sealed" [8] Shortly thereafter, he took the throne, and the music that flew like snowflakes in front of his book case rushed to the young man. For these suggestions, Li Shimin said to Sikong Pei Ning: "Sometimes there are many articles in the book, and the number of articles is very large, and the yuan is always pasted on the wall of the house, and the entry and exit are all read once." Therefore, we must be tireless and worthy of the hard work of our subordinates. Every thought of politics, or three more square sleeps. ”【9】
Li Shimin calligraphy
At the beginning of Li Shimin's ascension to the throne, his behavior was quite serious, and many of his subordinates were worried about the improper advice, so they were very worried. When he heard about it, he immediately changed his attitude, talked to his subordinates with a pleasant face, and listened sincerely. In this regard, he explained: "If a man wants to look at himself, he must be clear-sighted; if the Lord wants to know the country, he must be loyal to his subjects... Whenever the public sees that things are unfavorable to people, they must speak to the extreme. [10] Li Shimin's demeanor was like a warm spring breeze, blowing into every corner of the empire. At that time, a lawyer named Yuan was sentenced to death, and the official in charge said: "According to the law, there should be no execution, how can we abuse the cruel punishment?" Li Shimin felt that it was very reasonable, so he gave him the Lanling Princess Garden, worth millions of dollars.
The rule of chastity
Some people think that the reward is too heavy, to which Li Shimin responded: "Since he took the throne, there has never been such a slander, so he gives a heavy reward." Since then, there have been many things that officials have advised and received rewards, and with a special body temperature, they have been recorded in that period of history, and the direct advice represented by Wei Zheng has pushed this to a high level, vividly showing Li Shimin's personal demeanor and open and inclusive atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. Shi Zai "Zheng Ya has the talent of the country, sexual resistance, and no bending." [11] Li Shimin often summoned him to the inner chamber to inquire about all faults. In just a few years, Wei Zheng summed up more than 200 important suggestions, which Li Shimin greatly appreciated. However, Li Shimin was also an emotional animal after all, and sometimes he had a fierce dislike for Wei Zheng's advice. In March of the sixth year of Zhenguan, after retiring from the dynasty, Li Shimin suddenly scolded and said, "We must kill this old peasant man." Empress Eldest Sun asked who was so angry? Li Shimin said, "Wei Zheng insults me every time. The empress persuaded: "Concubines have heard that the Emperor's Mother, the subordinates will be straight, today's Wei Zheng's remarks are all because of His Majesty's wisdom, I should congratulate you." [12] Thus Li Shimin played a classic norm for the harmony of kings and subjects.
Li Shimin and Wei Zheng
Two years later, Li Shimin found that some officials were playing things to him, always trembling, fearful, and speaking incoherently, so he emphatically said: "Ordinary people play things, and the situation is like this, and if you want to slander him, you must be afraid of committing rebellion." [13] So he comforted these people, saying, "In the future, even if your advice is not necessarily correct, I will not be angry, and if I rebuke you, I am afraid that you will never dare to speak again, and who will be able to give me advice in the future." "Under the influence of Li Shimin's demeanor, "the courage of the ministers is actually due to the emperor's ability to be consulted." "The demeanor of Datang is gradually formed under such circumstances, so that the history of that period of history is steaming and graceful."
exegesis:
[1] Book 259 of the Book of The Yuangui
[2] Notes on Datang Entrepreneurship, Vol. 1
[3] Old Book of Tang, biography of Xue Rengao
[4] Old Book of Tang, Xiao Yu's biography
[5] "Emperor Fan" Volume 1 "Seeking Wisdom"
[6] "Tang Shuyan"
[7] Old Book of Tang, Xiao Yu's biography
[8] Old Book of Tang, Taizong Benji
[9] "Zhenguan Politician"
[10] "Zhenguan Politicians" Volume II "Asking for Advice"
[11] The Old Book of Tang is a political biography
[12] The Continuation of the Wei Zheng Gongzhi, vol
[13] The Twenty-Second Chronicle of History, vol. 19