Not long ago, the tomb of Princess Taiping's first husband, Xue Shao, was discovered, which triggered a heated public discussion. Most of people's impressions of Princess Taiping come from the TV series "Daming Palace Words", in which the dramatic interpretation of Princess Taiping's "once you see Xue Shao mistakenly for life" is impressive. Princess Taiping, who has always been unable to seek love, seems to be ambiguous with Li Longji and has had a vague and unspeakable love entanglement.
"Daming Palace Words" Princess Taiping and Xue Shao stills
Archaeologists pointed out that Xue Shao's tomb was maliciously destroyed, it is likely that Li Longji did it, and the audience was even more "bumped" with an expression, feeling that Li Long's genes loved and hated, and destroyed the tomb of the "love enemy" to vent his private anger.
But in real history, Princess Taiping's love was only once, and she and Li Longji could never have a so-called love.
Princess Taiping met three men in her life, one of whom represented the innocence of love, one represented the helplessness of seeing through, and the other represented the struggle for rights. It can be said that these three men witnessed the tragic life of Princess Taiping from a naïve young girl to a victim of power.
"Daming Palace Words" Taiping Princess Stills
My family has a daughter who has just grown up
Princess Taiping was the younger daughter of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Wu Zetian, and was born in an unknown date, but it is speculated that it was around the second year of Lin De (665).
There is a reason why Taiping is favored, she is very beautiful. According to the Old Book of Tang, when Taiping was young, he went to the home of his grandmother Lady Rongguo, and was favored by his lustful cousin He Lanminzhi and "forced by Min". Wu Zetian was furious and exiled Helan Minzhi, who was only about 5 years old at the time, and his appearance was already so outstanding.
In addition to being naturally beautiful, Taiping is an obedient and well-behaved woman, and she is very politically talented. Wu Zetian "thought that he was like himself, and every premeditated discussion, the palace prohibition was severe, and the matter was not leaked." And Taiping is also "afraid of self-examination, but Chongdian Didi", she never shows off her talents, lives in simplicity, only spends money to decorate her own house, and obeys her mother's words.
But obedience did not affect Taiping's girlish feelings, and Taiping, who had just opened his love, in order to pursue his love, "wore purple robes and jade belts, folded scarves, had a variety of skills, and sang before the emperor".
Dressed in a military uniform, the empress dowager laughed: "Son is not a military attaché, why should he?" ”
Taiping succeeded and said his inner thoughts: "To give the donkey Marco Hu? ”
Of course, Emperor Gaozong knew what his daughter was thinking, so he "chose Xue Shao Shangzhi".
At the age of 16, Taiping had the most precious marriage in her life.
Xue Shao, the white moonlight in princess Taiping's heart
The history books do not record how Princess Taiping met Xue Shao, perhaps as in the film and television works, in the bustling streets of Shangyuan Night, Princess Taiping unveiled the mask of "Kunlun Nu" and could no longer take her eyes off; or they only met in a hurry in the deep palace, and Taiping was concerned about it.
Either way, Taiping got the love she wanted. On the day of the wedding, "the Zixing'an Gate was set up to burn the genus, and the Road was dry", the lights were bright, and the torches burned the trunks on both sides of the road, and the wedding was unprecedented.
But does Xue Shao love Taiping?
Xue Shao's brother Xue Yan had worried that Taiping's position was too prominent and afraid of causing trouble, and Wu Zetian also believed that Xue Shao's sisters-in-law Xiao and Cheng were of low birth and wanted to interfere in the Xue family's family affairs and force the Xue family to divorce their wives. These contradictions pestle between Taiping and Xue Shao, like a carp in the throat.
Xue Shao may not love Taiping as much as Taiping loves him, this love is too heavy.
Seven years later, Taiping's marriage was declared over. At that time, Xue Yan was involved in Li Chong's rebellion, and Xue Shao was implicated, and Wu Zetian imprisoned Xue Shao and starved him to death.
At that time, Taiping was still pregnant with Xue Shao's fourth child, and he didn't even see Xue Shao's last face. Wu Zetian insisted that his daughter had married the wrong person, and that doing so was for the good of Taiping.
More or less parents will interfere in the lives of their children "in the name of love", let alone Wu Zetian. But with Xue Shao's death, Taiping not only lost love, she also lost herself, and the simple and flexible Taiping was no longer there.
Stills of Xue Shao in "Daming Palace Words"
Wu Youji, a political tool in the eyes of Princess Taiping
After Xue Shao's death, Wu Zetian arranged a second marriage for Taiping, and she asked Taiping to marry Wu Chengsi. Taiping used the phrase "inherit a minor illness" and "strike faintly".
This is Taiping's struggle against his mother, but Wu Zetian ignores Taiping's struggle, arranges for her to be weak, and kills Wu Youji's wife and asks him to marry Taiping.
Until this moment, Taiping knew that her husband could only be surnamed "Wu", Wu Zetian was called the emperor imminent, and only the Wu family could stand in the political center.
"Daming Palace Words" Wu You and stills
Taiping gave up the struggle and accepted the marriage arranged for her by Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian also got his wish and ascended the throne two months after Taiping's marriage.
But Taiping does not love Wu Youji, her love is dead, and all that remains is the wanton splurge of lust. In this marriage, Taiping cheated many times, and she even used this way to get revenge on Wu Zetian.
In the second year of Tongtian (697), Taiping "recommended Yi's brother Changzong to be imprisoned", and she used the art of love on her own mother. Wu Zetian was addicted to it, and after a long period of deployment and waiting, Taiping finally waited for the opportunity to avenge Xue Shao.
In the first year of shenlong (705), the chancellor Zhang Kamzhi launched a mutiny, killing Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, Taiping assisted you, and entered the zhenguo Princess Taiping, and Wu Zetian returned to Li Xian, and soon died.
"Daming Palace Words" Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping stills
Li Longji, the terminator of Princess Taiping's fate
After Wu Zetian's death, Li Xian's empress Dowager Wei was in power, Li Xian was killed and died, and Taiping was once again drawn into political struggle.
This time she was on the side of her brother Li Dan. In the fourth year of Jinglong (710), Taiping had himself conspiring with Xue Shao's son Xue Chongjian and Li Dan's son Li Longji to kill Wei Hou and Wu Yanxiu and other martial parties.
After Wei Hou's death, Li Chongmao, the King of Wen, ascended the throne, but both inside and outside the imperial court were returned to Xiangfu, and Taiping personally "raised the young lord" and advocated "honoring Emperor Ruizong". Under the leadership of Taiping, Li Dan sat firmly on the throne, and Li Longji was made crown prince.
However, the aunt and nephew of Taiping and Prince Li Longji did not have a love story in the film and television drama, but instead began a fierce political struggle.
"Daming Palace Words" Li Longji stills
Li Dan obeyed his sister's words, and everything had to be consulted with Taiping, and taiping power fell to the opposition, and there were seven prime ministers in the dprk, and five of them were from the princess's door. Taiping was also closely related to Chang Yuankai and Li Cizhao, who controlled the forbidden army, all of which made Li Longji deeply uneasy, not to mention that Taiping had the blood of the "Wu" family, a bloodline that made the Li Tang royal family fearful.
Now, Taiping enjoyed everything that her rights brought her, and she had finally become a person like her mother, and no one could sway her will and force her to do what she did not want to do.
However, under the power, there must be bloody rain and wind, from the Xuanwumen change of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin to Li Dan's Tang Long coup, the Tang Dynasty has become accustomed to seizing power in coups, and Taiping is the victim and terminator of this last coup.
In the second year of The First Heaven (713), Taiping plotted to depose Li Longji, but Li Longji was the first to attack him, and Li Longji deployed more than 300 forbidden troops to arrest and behead all taiping's henchmen. Taiping fled to the Mountain Temple, where she was ordered to die in her own home three days later by Li Longji. In addition, Taiping's sons were all killed except for Xue Chongjian, and even the dead Wu Youji, Li Longji, ordered the "destruction of his tomb".
Therefore, the destruction of Xue Shao's tomb was probably also caused by Li Longji, but it was definitely not that Li Longji fell in love with Taiping, but that Li Longji hated Taiping too much.
The death of Princess Taiping ended more than 90 years of power change in the Tang Dynasty, and after that, Li Longji also opened the Kaiyuan prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty.
Looking back on Princess Taiping's life, she gained love from Xue Shao, learned power struggle from Wu Youji, and suffered bad consequences on Li Longji. Born in the imperial dynasty, Taiping could only choose to go with the flow and stand at the top of power to end his life. Before dying, Taiping could have thought of his naïve self and Xue Shao's little bits and pieces, but he had regretted embarking on this road of no return.
References: Old Book of Tang, New Book of Tang, Zizhi Tongjian