Li Shimin ascended to the throne by launching the Xuanwumen Rebellion. In June 626, Li Shimin set up an ambush at Xuanwu Gate and killed the crown princes Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. At the same time, Li Shimin also led an army to execute Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's sons, regardless of age. At this time, Li Yuan, the Emperor gaozu of Tang, could only watch all his grandsons being executed, because his own fate was still in the hands of Li Shimin. Two months later, Li Yuan chose to abdicate and enjoy his old age.
After the change of Xuanwu Gate, all the men in Li Jiancheng's Li Yuanji mansion were killed. For the female family, Li Shimin did not pursue. However, she brought Li Yuanji's concubine Yang Guifei, her sister-in-law, into the harem. Yang Guifei was born in a century-old famous family- the Yang family, with outstanding looks and was deeply loved by Li Shimin. After the death of empress dowager. Li Shimin made Yang empress, but Emperor Taizong of Tang gave up because of Wei Zheng's advice. Yang Guifei bore a son for Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who had more than a dozen sons, three of whom were killed, three of whom committed suicide, three of whom died young, one of whom was placed under house arrest and two of whom were exiled.
As the saying goes, parents are a child's first teacher. Li Shimin seized the throne through rebellion. He himself set such an example for his sons. In 643, Li Shimin's fifth son, Li You, launched a rebellion and was finally put down. Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered him to be deposed as an ordinary man and died at the Taiji Palace in Chang'an.
Prince Li Chengqian's rebellion once again caused Li Shimin a headache. In the end, it was also abolished as an ordinary person. After weighing the prince's succession several times, Emperor Taizong of Tang finally chose Li Zhi as crown prince. Because, if the temperamental Li Zhi was the crown prince, he would be able to keep the three sons of Chengqian, Li Tai and Li Zhi at the same time.
In April 649, Emperor Taizong of Tang died in the Han Feng Palace at the age of 52. As for the cause of Li Shimin's death, it is not clearly recorded in the history books, but posterity still found many clues from the "Zizhi Tongjian", and in 645 AD, when Li Shimin moved to Dongzhuang, he once suffered scabies. Generally speaking, when he takes medicine, his body will suffer from scabies. Taoist warlocks call it a sign of the detoxifying effect of pills, but it is actually a symptom of poisoning.
During the Li and Tang dynasties, Lao Tzu was regarded as an ancestor and Taoism was respected. As a generation of kings, Tang Taizong Li Shimin also searched for the elixir of life, at least it could prolong life. Therefore, in his later years, he organized people to refine pills many times. In 648, the Tang army captured a Tianzhu Daoist who claimed to have lived for two hundred years and possessed the art of immortality. After Tang Taizong listened, he asked Li Jing to make him a longevity medicine. In addition, Li Shimin also ordered the military department to supervise the refining of elixirs. Tang Taizong Li Shimin often took these elixirs of immortality, which seriously damaged his health.
As a result, he ended his illustrious life at the age of 52. Li Shimin, his great achievements are world-famous, but history is objective and fair. We should promote good, not hide evil.