In the history of China, Li Shimin was an emperor with great talent for ruling the world. However, he obtained the throne by launching a coup d'état, that is, the change of Xuanwumen. At that time, the strategists around Li Shimin all suggested and urged him to launch a coup d'état to realize his great talent.
However, Li Shimin had always been cautious and cautious in the early stages, and after making a decision in the later stage, he also insisted on inquiring about the attitudes of the two generals Li Jing and Li Ji first. It was not until Li Ji and Li Jing expressed their acquiescence that Li Shimin determined that he was dependent on military strength that he launched the Xuanwumen Rebellion and seized imperial power.
I. The antecedents of the change of Xuanwu Gate
In China's feudal society, people have always been strictly divided into hierarchies in accordance with the Three Principles and Five Constants. Among all the people, the emperor was in a very superior position. So imperial power became something that everyone dreamed of. However, because of the ancient Chinese practice of the idea of divine authority of kings, in most cases, this position is passed up and down in the so-called imperial relatives or royal families.
Ancient Chinese emperors had three palaces and six courtyards, and many concubines, so this also meant that the emperor would have many sons. Once the emperor's sons grew more, they faced the problem of competing for the throne and seizing the concubine. And if these problems are not handled well, they will lead to mutinies. For example, the change of Xuanwumen in the early Tang Dynasty.
Anyone who knows a little about history will know that the Xuanwumen Rebellion was an armed coup d'état initiated by Li Shimin and the group he led. Through this coup, Li Shimin took the throne from the then emperor Li Yuan. In fact, to some extent, Li Shimin can be regarded as the best son of Li Yuan.
However, Li Yuan did not want to pass the throne to Li Shimin, but instead left the throne to the emperor's eldest son, Li Jiancheng. This also reflects the primogeniture system in feudal culture. From the very beginning, Li Shimin encouraged his father to raise an army to rebel. To the back, step by step, he helped his father to fight around, destroyed the Sui Dynasty, and watched his father single-handedly establish the Tang Dynasty.
In the whole process, Li Shimin can be regarded as the greatest achievement. However, he did not expect That Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng would cross the river and tear down the bridge. Instead of thanking Li Shimin, they were jealous of him. Step by step, he took away the military power in his hands. Under such circumstances, Li Shimin had no choice but to decide to launch a coup d'état.
In fact, Li Shimin himself was also a very filial and loyal person, and he hesitated when some people around him first advised him to launch a coup. But later, Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng did too much, forcing Li Shimin to come to this step.
2. Li Jing and Li Ji
Under the constant persuasion of Li Shimin's advisers, after Li Shimin decided to launch a coup d'état, Li Shimin first sent someone to ask Li Jing and Li Ji, who were leading troops, for their opinions. It was not until their reply that Li Shimin officially began to take action. Li Jing was originally a military general during the Sui Dynasty.
At that time, Li Yuan was also an official in the Sui court, and Li Jing happened to be under Li Yuan's command. Li Yuan listened to the advice of his son Li Shimin and decided to launch an uprising against the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty. So Li Yuan began to recruit soldiers everywhere, and in the process, he accidentally leaked the news and was known by Li Jing. Li Jing secretly ran to the imperial court and wanted to tell the Sui Emperor.
As a result, before he reached the imperial court, Li Jing was taken down by the rebel army. Although Li Jing was only a military general, he was relatively literate and strategic, and he was also very motivated. Therefore, he is not willing to go to this step, and his life is over. Li Jing wanted Li Yuan to give him a chance, and later because he was appreciated by Li Shimin, he was taken under Li Shimin's command.
During the Sui Dynasty uprising, and when the political situation of the Early Tang Dynasty was still unstable, Li Jing led troops everywhere and made great achievements for the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. Later, after the situation in the Tang Dynasty was relatively stable, Li Jing always led troops to garrison abroad. Li Ji also embarked on his military career in the last years of the Sui Dynasty by joining the rebels against the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty.
Li Jijia was very rich, and he initially joined Zhai Rang's rebellion. And because of the generous shot, it quickly recruited a group of people. Later, their ranks grew larger and larger, and they established their own regime. Li Ji became a great general in this regime. At that time, the Tang Dynasty had already been established.
A mountain cannot tolerate two tigers, so Li Ji's regime confronted Li Tang. In the course of the confrontation, because Li Ji was good at judging the hour and sizing up the situation, he wanted to submit to the Tang Dynasty. However, some officials of Li Ji's regime also disagreed with submission. A disagreement occurred, and Li Ji led a few of his old men to Li Tang.
After joining Li Tang, Li Ji continued to exert his essence as a military general, leading his army to repulse the Turks and pacifying some other rebels. Later, he received Li Shimin's blue eyes and became the Shangshu of the Bingbu And commanded the side.
Third, the attitude of the military generals
At the juncture when Li Shimin decided to launch a coup d'état, he did not have many troops on his hands. Because in the early stage, Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng used various reasons to take away the military power. To some extent, Li Jing and Li Ji can be regarded as having received the grace of Li Shimin's knowledge, and they have also become generals who command the military power of one side.
Li Shimin was a very thoughtful and thoughtful person, so in order to ensure that he could succeed in launching a coup, he first determined the attitude of Li Jing and Li Ji. If Li Jing and Li Ji were opposed to his coup. Then the chances of Li Shimin's success are very small, and maybe he will give up this coup.
And if Li Jing and Li Ji take a positive attitude toward his major affairs, then it will increase Li Shimin's great chances of winning. At the most critical juncture, Li Shimin sent his men to send messages to Li Jing and Li Ji to ask for their views and opinions. The messenger at that time brought back the news that Li Jing and Li Ji invariably chose to turn a blind eye and pretend not to see.
This also means that Li Jing and Li Ji, the two generals, both adopted a tacit attitude toward the coup. So after this, Li Shimin officially began the change of Xuanwumen. Through this coup, Li Shimin killed the original crown prince Li Jiancheng. He also forced his father Li Yuanchan to take the throne for himself, becoming the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty and opening his own xiongtu hegemony.
4. Summary
Whether it is from Li Shimin's push for Li Yuan's establishment of the Tang Dynasty behind his back, or from the coup d'état in which Li Shimin launched the Xuanwumen Revolution, it can be seen that Li Shimin is a step-by-step man. Li Shimin is very good at judging the hour and sizing up the situation and measuring gains and losses.
Li Shimin is a person who does not make decisions easily, but once he makes a decision, he will definitely succeed. Moreover, he was also a monarch with a discerning vision of heroes, which can be seen from his early inclusion of Li Ji and Li Jing under his command.