Our ancestors practiced polygamy and polygamy. Successful men in ancient times could only have one wife, but they could have several concubines. In ancient times, it was emphasized that "there is no concubine as a wife", even if the right wife dies, the concubine cannot help the right wife. After a man loses his wife, he can only marry another wife, and he cannot straighten out the concubine, otherwise it is indecent.
In ancient times, the system of primogeniture was practiced. The son born to a wife is a concubine. The son born of a concubine is a concubine. The eldest son is the head of the patriarch and naturally inherits the ancestral inheritance. If the eldest son dies prematurely, it will be the turn of the second son to inherit. Only when all the concubines are dead, or if there are no concubines, the concubines have the right to inherit.
The ancestors formulated such a strict patriarchal system in order to avoid the children and grandchildren from fighting for property and causing a situation that could not be controlled. The patriarchal system of "orderly growth and childhood, and difference between concubines" makes it difficult for the sons to have a chance to emerge.
Li Yuan stills, picture from the network, thanks to the original author.
For example, since the founding of the Tang Dynasty and until the heyday of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, there have been 9 emperors, including Tang Gaozu, Tang Taizong, Tang Gaozong, Emperor Xiaojing, Tang Zhongzong, Tang Ruizong, Tang Shaodi, Emperor Rang, and Tang Xuanzong. Seven of the emperors had birth mothers who were empresses, and only two emperors had birth mothers who were concubines.
Li Yuan's father was Li Fu, the Duke of Tang. Li Fu had four sons, namely Li Cheng, Li Zhan, Li Hong, and Li Yuan. Li Fu had four sons, the title of Duke of Tang, so why did the youngest son, Li Yuan, inherit it? The reason is very simple, because Li Yuan's birth mother is Li Fu's wife, Empress Yuanzhen of the Tang Dynasty (posthumously) Dugu Clan.
Although Li Yuan was young, he was the eldest son. The brothers were older than him, but they were all sons. In accordance with the principle of "establishing a concubine to be long", Li Yuan naturally inherited the dukedom of Tang. Li Yuan could later become rich in the world, which had a lot to do with his being the Duke of Tang. Without the blessing of Tang Guogong's status, after Li Yuan raised an army, how could there be a situation where there were many people gathering?
Li Jiancheng stills, picture from the network, thanks to the original author.
Li Yuan had 22 sons, four of whom were concubines. They were Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Xuanba, and Li Yuanji, and Li Xuanba died early and did not live to the founding of the Tang Dynasty. After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan's three concubines fought for me. The shuzi could only watch the bustle, and did not dare to covet the chair in the middle of the Taiji Hall.
Li Shimin, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was the second son of Empress Taimu. Li Shimin ascended to the throne through the transformation of Xuanwu Gate and ascended to the emperor's throne. Li Shimin had three concubines, namely Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Zhi. Li Shimin also had eleven sons, the more powerful of which were Li You the Prince of Qi and Li Ke the King of Wu.
In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, there were two cases of rebellion by the emperor in the Tang Dynasty. Li You, the Prince of Qi, and Li Chengqian, the crown prince, plotted against each other and were both captured alive by Li Shimin. Li You, the son of Shu, begged his father to spare his life, but Li Shimin still gave him the death penalty. After Li Chengqian was caught, he still blamed his father for favoring Li Tai and forcing him. Li Chengqian's attitude of confessing guilt was not as good as Li You's, but Li Shimin did not kill him. The treatment of the eldest son and the concubine is vividly reflected at this moment.
Li Zhi stills, picture from the network, thanks to the original author.
The eldest son Li Chengqian and the second son Li Taidou were both defeated and injured, and the third son, Li Zhiyu, was profitable. Li Zhi had four concubines, the eldest son Li Hong was Emperor Xiaojing of Tang Yizong (posthumously), the second son Li Xian was the Prince of Zhanghuai, the younger son Li Xian was Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, and the younger son Li Dan was Emperor Ruizong of Tang. Three of Li Zhi's four concubines produced emperors, but all four of his concubines were short-lived ghosts.
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was a miserable guy, he only had one concubine, Li Chongrun, plus three sons Li Chongfu, Li Chongjun, and Li Chongmao. Li Chongrun was also saddened by his father and was beaten to death by his grandmother Wu Zetian. After Li Chongrun's death, Li Xian had no concubines. After Li Xian's death, Li Chongmao ascended the throne as emperor, and was known as Emperor Tang, also known as Emperor Shao of Tang.
Li Chongmao's birth mother, who is unknown, is the first concubine son since the founding of the Tang Dynasty to ascend the throne and become emperor. Biologically speaking, Li Chongmao was not related to Empress Wei. Empress Wei adopted Li Chongmao as a son before li chongmao ascended the throne. From a patriarchal point of view, Li Chongmao was also the second son of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.
Li Chengqian stills, pictures from the network, thanks to the original author.
The Tanglong coup was the fourth Xuanwumen change in the history of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Longji, with the support of his aunt Princess Taiping, led troops into Xuanwumen. Li Longji killed Empress Wei and Princess Anle and took control of the situation in the Tang Dynasty. With the support of Li Longji and Princess Taiping, Li Dan once again ascended to the emperor's throne. When Li Dan ascended to the throne, Li Chongmao could only be deposed.
Li Longji was Li Dan's third son, and Li Dan's eldest son was Li Chengqi. When Li Dan first became emperor, he crowned Liu Shi as empress. Li Chengqi was born to Empress Liu and was the eldest son of Li Dan. When Li Dan first became emperor, he crowned his eldest son Li Chengqi as crown prince. When Li Dan was ousted from the imperial throne by his mother Wu Zetian, Li Chengqi's position as crown prince was also deposed.
Princess Taiping stills, picture from the network, thanks to the original author.
When Li Dan became emperor for the second time, he still wanted to follow the principle of "establishing a concubine to be long" and crown li Chengqi, the eldest son of the concubine, as the crown prince. The crux of the matter is that Li Longji, the third son of Shu, is strong. If Li Longji had not become the crown prince, he would certainly not have given up. The Tang Dynasty had already changed the Xuanwu Gate four times, and if Li Longji had not become the crown prince, there would definitely have been a fifth Xuanwu Gate change.
Li Chengqi knew his situation, and he knew that once he became the prince, he would become Li Jiancheng's version 2.0. Li Chengqi was very sensible, crying and shouting to give up the position of prince. Li Longji was also very sensible, crying and shouting to ask his father to make his eldest brother Li Chengqi the crown prince. Brothers, you let me, I let you, play a bitter love drama of "brothers and brothers".
Manchu Wenwu pretended to be touched by his brothers and advised Li Longji not to resign and accept the position of crown prince. Li Dan also pretended to be touched by his two sons, and also persuaded Li Longji to accept the position of crown prince. Since everyone advised Li Longji to accept the position of prince, Li Longji had no choice but to reluctantly accept the position of prince.
Li Longji was the only person from the early Tang Dynasty to the Prosperous Tang Dynasty who was made crown prince as a concubine when his father had a concubine. It was also the only person from the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty who, while his eldest brother was alive, was enthroned as emperor and sat firmly on the throne.
After Li Chengqi gave up the position of prince, he was also able to die a rich and prosperous life. After all, Li Chengqi was the eldest son of Concubine, and after his death, he was still posthumously awarded the title of Emperor of The Tang Dynasty.
This article was originally written by Wang Fuxing. Code words are not easy, please respect the original, unauthorized, reproduction is strictly prohibited. I have signed a contract with a rights protection company to entrust a rights protection company to protect my rights. Unauthorized reprinters, the rights protection company will defend the rights on behalf of the person.