Yang Guang and Li Shimin have many similarities, both working for a country, but the outcome is completely different.
Neither was a good bird in terms of personal character.
The Sui Dynasty emperor Yang Guang and Tang Taizong Li Shimin were both famous figures in Chinese history, the former being considered a representative of tyrants, and the latter being revered as a model of Ming Jun, which seemed to be two very different people, and then a difference.
1 Origin
Both were from the Military Aristocracy of Guanlong. Yang Guang was also Li Shimin's cousin, and later Li Shimin accepted Yang Guang's daughter as a little wife, and Yang Guang should also be regarded as Li Shimin's half-in-law
Both fathers were first subjects and then masters (Yang Guang's father Yang Jian, who originally worked for the Northern Zhou Emperor and later usurped the throne and established himself; Li Shimin's father Li Yuan, who was originally a retainer of Taiyuan in the Sui Dynasty, later took advantage of the chaos to seize the world).
2 Meritorious service in the early years
Yang Guang: In 588, Yang Guang, who was less than 20 years old, commanded the Sui Dynasty army to destroy the Chen Dynasty on the south bank of the Yangtze River and unify China; in 590, he quelled the rebellion of the high wisdom of Jiangnan; in 600, he led an army north to defeat the Turks.
Li Shimin: In 617, he joined Li Yuan in his army and conquered Chang'an; after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, he led his army to eliminate Xue Ju, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, Liu Heimin and other separatist forces, making outstanding contributions to the unification of China by the Tang Dynasty.
3 Get the throne
Both men obtained the throne by improper means. Yang Guang won the favor of his parents by pretending to be simple, coupled with his outstanding talent, and finally asked his father to depose his brother and establish him as the crown prince, and later when he took the throne, there were rumors of killing his father and killing his brother, but it was not seen in the history;
Li Shimin's bloody coup d'état at Xuanwumen killed his brother and forced his father, which is recorded in the history of Zheng, and although he himself has been modified, it can still be seen that the royal father and son brothers killed each other in disregard of flesh and blood in order to compete for power.
4. Talent
Yang Guang: It improved the pioneering work of selecting officials by the WenDi Sub-discipline Examination, and formally established the Jinshi Section, which canonized the examination system, so that Han intellectuals had the opportunity to participate in national politics, breaking the monopoly of the Guanlongshi clan, and exerting a profound impact on later generations of China. Li Shimin: Improving the examination system, vigorously establishing schools, attaching importance to educational activities, popularizing the selection and recruitment of officials, reusing talents, and demoting talents in an eclectic manner, the use and leadership of talents have reached a very high level.
These two benevolent brothers are both wise and martial people, wen Tao and martial arts, and both are strong and elegant, can give poetry and composition, and the level is not bad: Guangge's "Drinking Horse Great Wall Cave Line" has become a famous passage through the ages, "Tongshou gas is powerful, quite Wei Wu style." Later generations of literati have a very high evaluation of his poems; Shi Minge's personal cultivation and talent are extremely high, rich in literary words, calligraphy, ink treasures passed down to the world, famous works such as "Hot Spring Inscription" and "Jinci Inscription".
The two are different
Yang Guang's employment is unknown, most of his loyalties to him have been killed by him, and most of the people who have left behind are people who have sneaked up on horses, and they have betrayed him at key moments; Li Shimin knows people well and has strong organizational skills, look at his subordinates, there are really few very talented people, and each of them has shortcomings. But Li Shimin can use his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, so that their respective abilities are exerted to the limit, for example: the resourceful old house soft egg, let him honestly come up with ideas, how to make decisions do not need him to manage. Old Man Wei, who likes to sell his reputation and fish for fame, if you have a lot of mouth, go and be a counselor, and see how much saliva you have. And these subordinates swore to die loyal to him. Li Shimin made them successful, making these ministers with average ability become famous ministers throughout the ages.
Yang Guang was very happy and meritorious, knowing that he had done something wrong and refused to admit his mistake, and he refused to turn back, he built canals and conquered Goguryeo, which was not wrong, but he made the national treasury empty, and complained bitterly, he knew that the national strength was not enough, but for the sake of building meritorious deeds, for the sake of leaving a name for eternity, for that little selfish desire is not to turn back, engaging in construction is not the same as poor tossing. If he had more self-knowledge, or a little compassion and concern for the people, he might have become another famous monarch after Emperor Wu of Han. But unfortunately, history has not been if; Li Shimin was also very happy, he built a large number of civil engineering and expeditions to Goguryeo, but he was finally able to admit his mistakes to the people, so that he could be forgiven by the world, and he could change his mistakes and be very good.
Yang Guang killed the chancellor in vain, so much that he himself could not count, while Li Shimin only killed Liu Huan and Li Junxian. Although it is a bit of a fifty-step laugh and a hundred steps, killing a loyalist is not as simple as losing the battle and escaping. Talent is rare, talent loyal to oneself is even more rare, killing one less, loyal to oneself killing too many of course will fail.
Yang Guang lacked restraint on the army in the middle and late period, and the lower troops would not obey the command, either fleeing from the battlefield or taking advantage of Yang Guang's banner everywhere, and there were especially many deserters in the later period. And Li Shimin's subordinates were loyal to him, and they would never tolerate him for a little betrayal. The army is his lifeblood, and he regards military discipline more than anything else.
Yang Guang did not listen to the advice, and the officer only relied on his own preferences. Li Shimin can accept many opinions and listen to them. The criticism of his subordinates could not be put down at that time, and finally accepted with an open mind, although it was a bit contrived, but it was still rare. And mistakes can be changed.
Personally, I think that qin and han are very similar to sui and tang, han chengqin system, Tang cheng sui system
But both of the former are suddenly tragic,
In today's view, many things done by Qin and Sui are not wrong, maybe the timing is really wrong, maybe it is over
In the face of rebellion, I felt that whether it was Hu Hai or Yang Guang, they were still not enough in their ability to deal with the crisis
In particular, yang Guang's internal problems have not yet been settled, so he will do other things, and he is too eager to do it