The Twenty-four Meritorious Servants of Lingyange during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang were similar to honorary titles conferred by the state. Being able to enter this list and hang the portrait on the Ling Yan Pavilion is not only a great honor, but also a "guarantee".
As long as there is no rebellion and no heinous crime, the family's dozens of generations of wealth are completely guaranteed. Qin Qiong ranked last among the twenty-four heroes, and many people complained about him. So, what factors did Tang Taizong consider when determining the list?
The forces behind these heroes are in the first place
Li Shimin was a rather clever politician, and his purpose in building this Ling Yan Pavilion was far-reaching, balancing forces in all aspects, separating relatives from each other, and having a light and important one.
But in any case, among the people who can be selected, there is an interest group behind any one of them, and they are integrated and deep-rooted with Datang, and Li Shimin cannot fail to put this in the first place.
Among these twenty-four people, Changsun Wuji, Chai Shao, Changsun Shunde, Gao Shilian, Liu Hongji, etc., were either relatives of Li Shimin's family or veteran aristocrats of the Guanlong Clique, who had followed Li Yuan very early, and Qin Qiong's qualifications were incomparable.
The second category is representatives of the military. Li Jing, Xu Shiji, Hou Junji, Duan Zhixuan, Yin Kaishan, Qu Tutong, etc., had a very high prestige in the army, and made great achievements, military merits, and influence in the army, and Qin Qiong could not compare with others.
The third category is the one who offers advice and is extremely famous, such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhan, Wei Zheng, etc., who come from different interest groups, but their extremely high reputation has a great influence on the government and the opposition.
Qin Qiong was at a disadvantage in these three aspects, and there was nothing strange about the final ranking.
Whether or not you have participated in the "Xuanwumen Change" is an important reference
The "change of Xuanwumen" was the most crucial battle for Li Shimin to ascend the throne as emperor, and in this battle, he suddenly launched, killing the crown prince Li Jiancheng and his younger brother Li Yuanji in one fell swoop, and forcing Li Yuan to abdicate, which led to the rule of Zhenguan and the Lingyange Pavilion.
No matter how much merit is made, it is not as fast as climbing with a number of "officers". To be able to give up his family's life to follow Li Shimin's rebellion is to bet all the treasure on it, and there is no possibility of turning back, which is the hardcore confidant that Li Shimin can completely rely on!
For example, Wei Chi Jingde, Li Shimin gave an order, he dared to do anything! An arrow killed Li Yuanji! In this life, he would have completely sold to Li Shimin. For example, the eldest grandson Wujie and so on, all day long instigated Li Shimin to "make up his mind"! After Li Shimin ascended the throne, of course, there will be a reward.
What is Qin Qiong doing? Qin Qiong was remaining neutral. Qin Qiong was both grateful for Li Yuan's kindness and had his own thoughts, although he later fell to Li Shimin, but how could the position in people's hearts be compared with the people who went shirtless to participate in the "Xuanwumen Revolution"?
Why does the eldest grandson rank first
The twenty-four meritorious heroes of Ling Yan Pavilion, the eldest grandson Wuji ranked first is the expectation of the public, and everyone in the government and the public is very agreeable, and no one has raised any objections.
In terms of merit, he was the greatest contributor to Li Shimin's ascension to the throne, and he has been plotting behind the scenes; after Li Shimin ascended the throne, the Tang Dynasty was worried about internal and external troubles, the people's livelihood was withered, the national strength was weak, and the eldest grandson was unscrupulous and conscientious, bowing down, and making great contributions to the Tang Dynasty, and it was Li Shimin who relied most on the ministers.
In terms of seniority, the eldest son Wuji met Li Shimin very early and has been following him ever since, no matter how difficult the environment is and how critical the situation is, he has never abandoned it, which is not only a friend of hardship, but also a friend of life and death, or a friend of cloth.
The order of the twenty-four meritorious men of Ling Yan Pavilion is also related to the official positions, titles, and ranks of these twenty-four people. The eldest grandson Wu Ji was the Duke of Zhao, the Situ of The Imperial Household, and no one in the Manchu Dynasty was comparable. What's more, the eldest grandson Wujie is Li Shimin's brother-in-law, and Li Shimin has a very good relationship with empress dowager, of course, he cannot treat the eldest grandson unscrupulously.
The eldest grandson ranked first, of course.
The reason why some people finally raised objections to Qin Qiong's ranking was more influenced by the yanyi novel, because in the commentary, Qin Qiong Qin Shubao was really too famous!
However, in terms of actual merits, Qin Qiong was not too aggressive in the early Tang Dynasty, when he was handsome and fierce, especially in the later period, he quit the "active service" early to recuperate due to injuries, and even pulled his hind legs. Just like in "Bright Sword", Li Yunlong was injured in a field hospital because he was injured, and he never participated in a major battle again, which affected the award.
Ling Yange's ranking is very important, but what is even more touching is Li Shimin's tolerance. Successive monarchs, after ascending the throne, rabbits and dogs cooked, and killed the founding heroes on a large scale, basically becoming the curse of the feudal dynasty! Only the Tang, Song, and Eastern Han Dynasties were generous to the heroes.
Don't forget. Easier said than done!