In the ninth year of Wude (626 AD), Li Shimin launched the "Xuanwumen Rebellion", killing his elder brother Jiancheng and younger brother Yuanji, and the sons of Jiancheng and Yuanji were also killed. Subsequently, Li Shimin became crown prince, and soon accepted the zen throne of his father Li Yuan, and ascended the throne as emperor for Emperor Taizong of Tang. Politically, Li Shimin is one of the preeminent emperors of China's history. However, in terms of personal morality, Li Shimin has been criticized by future generations. He not only killed his brothers and nephews and forced his father to abdicate, but also took over his brother-in-law, Yuanji's wife Yang. After Li Shimin killed his brother, he took over his wife, and many years later he gave birth to a son for his brother!
The Yang clan, from the famous Hongnong Yang clan, was originally the wife of Li Yuanji, the King of Qi, that is, the Princess of Qi. The history books record that Yang Shi was "jade with snow skin and picturesque eyebrows" and was a great beauty. After her husband Li Yuanji was murdered, the helpless Yang clan was favored by Li Shimin. Here is an interjection to tell you about this Hongnong Yang clan, which began with Yang Chang, the Western Han Dynasty minister. Yang Chang's grandson Yang Zhen was an official during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his family was the "Fourth Emperor and Three Dukes". When the wheel of history rolled into the Sui Dynasty, the Hongnong Yang family was even more prosperous.
The Yang clan was a member of the former Sui Dynasty Emperor Wen of Sui, and his uncle was Yang Xiong. At that time, the Tang Dynasty overthrew the regime of the Sui Dynasty and did not overthrow the door valve system at that time. Wei, Liu, Xue, and Yang were the heads of the Guanzhong family at that time. After the fall of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Xiong basically became the leader of the Yang family at that time, and his two sons took li yuan's two daughters. His daughter married Li Shimin, and princess Chao thorn, who was a side branch, also married Li Yuanji. As a brother to take a sister-in-law although a little unreasonable, just as the ancients said that heroes are sad to be beautiful off! Or in order to consolidate the political power, it is always Li Shimin who takes it.
Li Shimin was able to spoil the Yang clan, on the one hand, the Yang clan was very beautiful, and the "Secret Record of the Supervision of the Crane Control" recorded: "His son Changzong, who was nearly weak in age, had a jade appearance and snow skin, his eyebrows were picturesque, and his style was absolutely similar to that of Princess Chaola", just a few sentences, also proved that Yang's appearance was outstanding. But this is not the main reason why Li Shimin accepted the Yang clan as a concubine, in addition to beauty, the biggest reason is political considerations, the Yang family is the Hongnong Yang clan, and the Hongnong Yang clan was one of the most prestigious and powerful families at that time, which was to further win over the Yang family in Guanzhong.
After Li Shimin's original eldest grandson Empress Dowager died of illness, Li Shimin wanted to make Yang shi empress, but Wei Zheng disagreed and compared Yang to Huaiwei. Huai Wei was a beautiful woman in the Spring and Autumn Period, the wife of the Duke of Jin Huai, who after the death of the Duke of Jin Huai, remarried to the Duke wen of Jin and gave birth to a son. As a result, the Jin state was later in turmoil because of the position of crown prince. Li Shimin knew this allusion, so he no longer mentioned the matter of establishing the Yang clan as a descendant. Li Ming, the crown prince of the Yang clan, li shimin also made him the king of Cao, and made him a descendant of Li Yuanji, and then Li Shimin passed Li Ming to Li Yuanji, which was equivalent to giving Li Yuanji a son.