In July 649, with a generation of legendary emperor Li Shimin, he completely completed his life and died of illness at Cuiwei Palace on The South Mountain. The famous rule of chastity in history ended here.
After that, the crown prince Li Zhi successfully ascended the throne, and the history was called Emperor Gaozong of Tang.
The Tang Dynasty thus entered the era of Li Zhi.
As the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi was often a very special existence. Whether it was his father Li Shimin or his daughter-in-law Wu Zetian, they were far more famous than him. But in fact, the territory of the Tang Dynasty reached its maximum in the era of Li Zhi. Moreover, during Li Zhi's reign, he also destroyed Goguryeo in the northeast and the Western Turks in the west, leading the Tang Dynasty to a new height.
In addition, Li Zhi's experience in ascending to the throne is also very bumpy. Li Zhi was not the eldest son of Li Shimin's concubine, and he was able to become the crown prince because the original crown prince Li Chengqian plotted rebellion, so he picked up a big bargain.
Is this really the case?
In fact, this answer is also not right. As the third son of Li Shimin, Li Zhi did not have the opportunity to become emperor. But to say that Li Zhi was able to become the prince purely because of good luck would be too small to look at him. In fact, Li Zhi's experience in ascending to the throne is also incomparably bumpy.
In 628, Li Zhi was born in Chang'an. When Li Zhi was born, his father Li Shimin had been emperor for two full years. Under the administration of his father Li Shimin, the Tang Dynasty began to gradually recover from the state of war and chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and its national strength was booming.
Before Li Zhi was born, Li Shimin had already given birth to eight sons! Of these eight sons, two, like Li Zhi, were born to Li Shimin's empress dowager, the eldest grandson. One is Li Chengqian, the eldest son, and the other is Li Tai, the second son. Because of the existence of these two brothers- in-law, after Li Zhi was born, he naturally became the third son of the concubine.
This year, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and grain production was seriously reduced. In order to ask for rain, Li Shimin even publicly ate locusts to express his heart. Li Zhi's birth seems to have brought good luck to the Tang Dynasty. Soon after Li Zhi was born, it began to rain in the Guanzhong area.
When Li Zhi was born, the situation in the Tang Dynasty was more or less like this.
As the third son of Li Shimin, Li Zhi's situation is actually very special. On the one hand, as a concubine, Li Zhi's status is actually higher than that of other concubines. But at the same time, because he was not the eldest son of a concubine, Li Zhi was not qualified to inherit the throne. Therefore, from the day of birth, the positioning of Li Zhi by the top level of the Tang Dynasty was that of an idle prince.
In the following years, Li Zhi gradually grew up, and the Tang Dynasty also entered a legendary period. When Li Zhi was two years old, there was a heavy snowfall in the northern steppe, and his father Li Shimin immediately sent the famous general Li Jing to lead a large army north to conquer the Eastern Turks. A few months later, when Li Zhi was just three years old, the Tang army won a great victory in the north, solving the enemies in the north in one fell swoop, and bringing the Turkic khans back to Chang'an to dance.
After a year of singing and dancing in Chang'an, Li Zhi was slightly older at this time. Therefore, in the year when Li Zhi was five years old, Li Shimin officially crowned Li Zhi as the King of Jin. From then on, until Li Zhi was made crown prince, the title of King of Jin would follow him.
When Li Zhi was eight years old, Li Jing went to the northwest again, and directly beat tuguhun in the northwest.
After these two battles were fought, the Tang Dynasty would never see any more wars in the hinterland of the Central Plains. The next time there will be another war in the hinterland of the Central Plains, we will have to wait until the Anshi Rebellion more than a hundred years later.
Li Zhi's youth basically witnessed the process of the Tang Dynasty's complete transformation from war to prosperity. For an ordinary prince, this is undoubtedly a fortunate thing. As a prince, he has been living a life without worries. If you are lucky enough to live in an era of less war, there is no risk of national ruin and family destruction. When this prince grows up, as long as he does not fight for savings, his life will be extremely happy.
Coupled with the identity of the third son, the tang dynasty's high-level cultivation direction for Li Zhi's future is an idle prince. Rao is Li Shimin has always been known for being strict with his godson, but on the issue of Li Zhi's education, he is also quite relaxed.
In general, Li Zhi's childhood should be regarded as extremely happy.
But all this came to an abrupt end in the year when Li Zhi was nine years old.
In this year, Li Zhi's biological mother, Empress Changsun, died.
The death of Empress Eldest Sun had a profound impact on the entire reign of Zhenguan. Empress Eldest Sun was Li Shimin's wife, and she married Li Shimin when she was fourteen years old, when the peasant revolt at the end of the Sui Dynasty had just begun, and Li Yuan had not yet gone to Shanxi to become an official. In the following twenty years, Empress Changsun accompanied Li Shimin through countless ups and downs, witnessed the demise of the Sui Dynasty and the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, witnessed how Li Shimin swept the world, and witnessed Li Shimin launching the Xuanwumen Incident and then ascending to the throne.
Under The fury of Li Shimin, only empress dowager Changsun was able to advise him. When Li Shimin went out to fight, Empress Changsun kept Li Shimin's harem in good order. The rule of Zhenguan can be left famous throughout the ages, and the empress dowager has actually made a great contribution.
But now, empress dowager Has died.
The death of Empress Changsun brought great changes to the Tang Dynasty. First, since then, Li Shimin's harem has begun to be less harmonious than before. Secondly, no one will be able to persuade Li Shimin again when he is angry. In addition, the most important thing is that Li Shimin himself is a typical wolf father, who will not teach children, but will only pressure children in a vague way. After the death of Empress Eldest Sun, Li Shimin began to be more and more estranged from his sons, and finally caused the tragedy seven years later.
For Li Zhi, the death of Empress Eldest Sun was undoubtedly the most important turning point in his life.
In fact, you can think about it, if you change to today, the son of a big business owner lost his mother at the age of nine. Since then, the company has been made bigger and bigger by the father, but he has no wife. So what should this child's future growth path look like?
With the death of Empress Eldest Sun, Li Zhi's life underwent tremendous changes. Moreover, just over a year after Empress Changsun's death, when Li Zhi was ten years old, his father Li Shimin went on a business trip to Luoyang. During the business trip, Li Shimin heard that there was a daughter of the founding hero of the Tang Dynasty in Luoyang, who was very good-looking, and that she happened to be driven out because of the dispute over the family property. After that, Li Shimin directly ordered this little girl, who was only fourteen years old at the time, to enter the palace and become his talent.
This little girl was the later Wu Zetian.
Of course, for Li Zhi at this time, he definitely didn't care about this. He didn't realize that this little girl would change his life in the future.
In the years that followed, the young Li Zhi gradually grew up. Losing his mother's protection, coupled with growing up in such a special place as the imperial palace, Li Zhi began to gradually mature. Under the influence of his ears, he also began to master various ways of power and scheming, which also laid the groundwork for his later ascension to the throne.
It is also in the past few years that Li Zhi has lived a relatively stable life. But his two elder brothers, Li Chengqian and Li Tai, began to become more and more delicate. Both Li Chengqian and Li Tai were several years older than Li Zhi. As Li Tai gradually grew up, he gradually began to covet the position of prince. However, at that time, it was Li Shimin who was in power, and the two children did not dare to fight too hard.
But what Li Shimin never expected was that it was he who changed this pattern.
Li Shimin himself was a typical wolf father, and when he educated the crown prince Li Chengqian, he was even more harsh. This kind of harshness, in the past, when the eldest grandson empress was alive, did not hurt. Because even if Li Shimin was a little harsher, empress eldest grandson could act as a bridge for communication between father and son. But with the death of empress dowager, the bridge was completely broken.
As a result, it is difficult for father and son to communicate anymore, and the gap is getting deeper and deeper. At this time, Li Shimin wanted to inspire Li Chengqian, so he openly showed his love for Li Tai, hoping to hone Li Chengqian and make Li Chengqian more excellent.
Judging from the later historical development, Li Shimin should never have thought of changing the prince. But what he did, in Li Chengqian's eyes, was precisely a sign that he wanted to change the crown prince.
In order to maintain his position, Li Chengqian began to secretly collude with courtiers and plot to launch a coup d'état and directly seize the throne from Li Shimin. Unfortunately, before he could formally rebel, he completely missed the wind.
After this incident, Rao was no matter how talented Li Shimin was, he was still undecided when dealing with his son. At this time, Li Tai, who had been arguing with Li Chengqian for the crown prince, jumped out and actively expressed his position to Li Shimin, imploring Li Shimin to make himself crown prince. In order to win Li Shimin's trust, Li Tai even openly proposed that he would kill his son in the future, and then pass the throne to the old third Li Zhi to avoid fratricide.
Li Shimin, who was originally undecided, was still difficult to make a decision. But it was Li Tai who jumped out in too much of a hurry, but it made Li Shimin make up his mind. Even his own son can be killed, such a person, does his words really count? If Li Tai really wants to become emperor, where will Li Chengqian have a chance to live in the future?
After that, Li Shimin immediately ordered that the third elder Li Zhi be made crown prince. At the same time, he severely reprimanded Li Tai and drove Li Tai out of the capital and far away from his fiefdom.
In the whole process, Li Zhi was like an outsider, did not participate in any fight, and the throne fell directly to his head. This is also what many people in later generations say that Li Zhi was able to become emperor purely because of good luck.
But in the process, did Li Zhi really do nothing?
The answer is no!
Just when Li Tai actively pleaded with Li Shimin, Li Tai, in addition to promising Li Shimin to 'kill his son and pass on his brother', also sent someone to threaten Li Zhi and ask Li Zhi not to participate in this dispute. Li Tai knew very well that after Li Chengqian's rebellion, the only two concubines who were qualified to be crown princes were him and Li Zhi. In terms of age, he is older than Li Zhi and deserves to be crown prince. Therefore, Li Tai threatened Li Zhi, but he wanted to make his plan more secure.
But Li Tai did not expect that the young Li Zhi was actually more sophisticated and calculating than he seemed on the surface. After being threatened by Li Tai, Li Zhidang secretly reported the matter to Li Shimin. In a sense, this incident also became the last straw that crushed Li Tai, making Li Shimin firm in his determination not to make Li Tai the crown prince.
Just a few days after Li Chengqian was deposed, Li Zhi was made the new crown prince. This year, Li Zhi was just 16 years old, but he became the only winner in this prince conspiracy case.
In addition, at the end of this year, Li Zhi had his first son, Li Zhong. Interestingly, judging from the later historical developments, we have reason to believe that Li Zhong's birth should be the son that Li Zhi hastily gave birth to in order to stabilize his position as crown prince.
Before becoming crown prince, Li Zhi had already married a woman of the Taiyuan Wang clan as a concubine, but after the Wang clan married Li Zhi, because of his younger age, he had no heirs. The prince's rebellion occurred in April of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, and Li Zhong was born in December. That is to say, Li Zhong's mother should have been pregnant with Li Zhong in April, that is, shortly after the rebellion.
In addition, Li Zhong's mother was not Li Zhi's wife and concubine, but an ordinary palace girl in Li Zhi's palace. After Li Zhi ascended the throne, he did not give this palace girl any name.
All kinds of indications show that although Li Zhi was young at that time, he was definitely not the kind of person who had no heart and no tricks. He would report Li Tai at a critical time and win the position of prince for himself. Then he can give birth to a child with an emotionless palace girl and stabilize his position.
Li Zhi's mental means are obviously hidden very deeply.
After the end of this princely rebellion, it coincided with Goguryeo in the northeast and invaded the Tang Dynasty border. Li Shimin had already held his stomach fire because of the previous events, and was looking for a place to breathe. Therefore, a year later, Li Shimin formally issued an edict and personally conquered Goguryeo. After learning the news of Li Shimin's personal conquest, Li Zhi looked sad and often cried. After that, Li Shimin ordered Li Zhi to supervise the state of Baoding and personally lead a large army into the Liaodong region to fight.
Before Li Shimin went out on the expedition, Li Zhi, in the name of filial piety, asked Li Shimin to allow him to pass on the news of both sides on a fast horse. After that, during Li Shimin's conquest of Liaodong, Li Shimin knew all the daily behaviors of Li Zhi. At the same time, Li Shimin's every move in front of him, Li Zhi also knows it well.
What exactly this means is self-evident.
After Li Shimin returned from Liaodong, he had poisonous sores. In order to show filial piety, Li Zhi personally used his mouth to take pus for Li Shimin, and personally accompanied Li Shimin back to Chang'an.
Because of Li Zhi's various performances, Li Shimin was completely assured of Li Zhi, and Li Zhi's position as crown prince also began to be incomparably firm. In the few years of being the crown prince, Li Zhi's position as prince basically no one could shake. At this time, Li Zhi was only about twenty years old.
I have to say that compared with Li Chengqian, Li Zhi really seems to be more deliberate.
In the years of being the crown prince, Li Zhi worked hard to learn the way of governing the country and became a very good prince. This also laid the foundation for his smooth ascension to power in the future.
Twenty-three years after Zhenguan, Li Shimin went to the Cuiwei Palace of Zhongnan Mountain for a vacation, and then unfortunately fell seriously ill. During his serious illness, Li Zhi has been accompanying him, during which time Li Zhi met Wu Zetian, who also served At Li Shimin's side, and the two secretly had a relationship. This also laid the groundwork for Wu Zetian's entry into the palace two years later.
In 649, on May 26, Li Shimin, a male lord of the generation, died of illness in the Cuiwei Palace. After Li Shimin's death, Li Zhi successfully took the throne without encountering any twists and turns.
This year, Li Zhi was just 22 years old.
Looking at the history of Li Zhi's ascension to the throne, it is not difficult for us to find that li zhi can become the crown prince and then successfully ascend the throne, and there is indeed a great element of luck. But to say that it is all due to luck is obviously wrong. In addition to luck, Li Zhi himself is actually very clever, which is the real reason why he can smoothly take the throne.
But...... Such a Li Zhi, however, makes people feel a little distressed.
In Li Zhi's youth, the biggest turning point was the death of his mother, Empress Eldest Sun. It was precisely because of the death of Empress Eldest Sun that Li Zhi, who was only nine years old at the time, had to start facing many things alone, allowing him to mature prematurely.
If Empress Eldest Sun could live a few more years, I believe that the history of the Tang Dynasty would become completely different.