When it comes to the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese people all feel the glory, the Tang Dynasty is the period when China's national strength was at its peak during the ancient feudal imperial period. During the Tang Dynasty, all the nations came to the dynasty, and the surrounding countries sent emissaries to exchange and study.
At that time, Japan worshipped the Tang Dynasty and sent more than a dozen Tang envoys to the Tang Dynasty. As a tribute gift, Japan not only offered a lot of gold and silver treasures, but also sent two princesses to the Tang Dynasty in order to marry the Tang Dynasty, but when the Tang Emperor spoiled the Japanese princesses, he put them in a cage.
The reign of Chastity
After Tang Taizong Li Shimin succeeded to the throne, he absorbed the reasons for the demise of the Sui Dynasty, recognized the power of the masses at the bottom, and attached great importance to the lives of the people. Not only that, in the selection of officials, it is also possible to appoint people on the basis of merit and make good use of people. For the policy of improving the living standards of the people, he can carry it out to the end, worry about the people's worries, and enjoy the people's happiness.
During his twenty-three years in power, Li Shimin practiced health maintenance and improved the examination system, and the whole society was very stable and the politics were relatively clean. With the efforts of the monarchs, a peaceful and prosperous world was created, becoming the most powerful country at that time. The inclusiveness of the Tang Dynasty also made the surrounding countries actively learn from the Tang Dynasty. In order to learn the advanced system and culture of the Tang Dynasty, Japan often paid tribute during the tang dynasty.
As a studying envoy to the Tang Dynasty, Gao Xiangxuan was considered to be the elder of the envoys. He came to China as early as 608 AD to study Chinese culture and institutions. In 648, Takashi Returned to Japan, and with his rich knowledge, he received great courtesy, and under his leadership, Japan underwent a major reform from a slave society to a feudal society. At this time, the Tang Emperor was already Li Zhi of Tang Gaozong.
The Envoy of the Tang Dynasty suggested that the Princess of Tribute be made
Faced with a new emperor they had never met, the Japanese mission did not know how to please him, but still needed to pay tribute to the new emperor. By chance, they learned a shortcut that made ministers flock to them, political marriage. If Japan could marry and marry the Tang emperors, then Japan's rise was just around the corner.
After Gao Xiangxuanli returned to China, he reported truthfully to the emperor, hoping that the emperor would send the princess to serve Emperor Gaozong of Tang so that he could form a political iron alliance, and with the princess by the emperor's side, he might also hear some extremely confidential things. The Emperor of Japan was very happy to hear this, and ordered Gao Xiangxuan to handle this matter immediately.
Therefore, after sorting out the tribute items, in 654 AD, Gao Xiangxuanli came to China again, not only offering treasures, but also sending the two princesses to the emperor. Emperor Gaozong of Tang was very satisfied with the sincerity of the Japanese envoys sent to Tang, and not only agreed to their request to come to study, but also appointed Japanese envoys to build a residence in Chang'an. This made Gao Xiangxuanli overjoyed, and his trip completely opened up the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Japan, and at the same time admired his wisdom.
The princess was put in a cage
However, before Gao Xiangxuan could ask the emperor for merit, an accident occurred. Emperor Gaozong of Tang spoiled the two princesses that night, but somehow put the two princesses in cages the next day. This news frightened Gao Xiangxuanli, and he constantly wondered in his heart whether it was because the princess had done something to anger the scales, or whether the emperor did not like the two princesses.
He was terrified, but he could not help but meet the emperor. So he came to the temple with a hard scalp. At this moment, Li Zhi was still in shock, and he motioned for the eunuchs on the side to question Gao Xiangxuan.
It turned out that when Li Zhi woke up, the two princesses had already finished dressing up. Only to see that the makeup they applied was very frightening, not only coated their faces with a thick layer of powder, but also shaved off their eyebrows and blackened their teeth, which frightened Li Zhi, who was sleepy-eyed. In a panic, Li Zhi asked the guards to throw the two princesses into the cage.
Hearing this, Gao Xiangxuan's heart sank. He paid tribute to the emperor that the makeup of the two princesses was a traditional Japanese culture, and the blackening of the teeth was a symbol of honor. Because the two princesses served the Son of Heaven, they were very attentive to get up early and put on makeup.
After listening to Gao Xiangxuan's explanation, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi calmed down his nervous mood. But after this farce, he was no longer interested in the princess's service, and this so-called "political marriage" also ended because of the cultural differences between the two countries, and became a joke after tea.
epilogue
In general, Japan's political marriage was a failure, and the result was mainly due to cultural differences. Details determine success or failure, if Gao Xiangxuan can think in advance that the cultures of Chinese and Japanese makeup are very different, it may really become a beautiful thing.
Inexplicably, the Japanese custom of blackening teeth for beauty was not abolished until 1873, not only tang gaozong at that time, the whole world is difficult to understand this strange aesthetic of Japan, but in the forest of the world's nations, all kinds of customs are not the same, and in terms of cultural differences, the best way is to respect and understand.
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