On July 2, 626, Li Shimin shot his eldest brother Li Jiancheng at Xuanwu Gate and ordered his subordinates to kill his third brother Li Yuanji, making himself the only heir to the throne and seizing the throne, which was the change of Xuanwu Gate.
After Li Shimin succeeded to the throne, he opened the "Zhenguan Prosperous Era", the Tang Dynasty prospered, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the change of Xuanwumen can be said to be the only stain on his life.
But few people know that in addition to Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng, there are two women who indirectly participated in and promoted this bloody imperial coup.
Li Yuan rebelled, causing the sons to fight openly and secretly
In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, the emperor fainted and the crowds rose up in various places, and Li Yuan was one of the people who rebelled, but in fact, Li Yuan was not the first person in the Li family to propose anti-Sui.
Li Yuan's second son Li Shimin had ambitions, not a thing in the pool, and when the Sui Dynasty declined, Li Shimin immediately sensed the opportunity to come, and suggested that Li Yuan send troops to oppose the Sui, calm the chaotic world, and fight his own country.
Li Yuan originally had ambitions, and after his son proposed it, he immediately agreed, and in the following years of war, Li Shimin wholeheartedly assisted his father, saddled before and after the horse, and repeatedly established battle achievements to help Li Yuan establish a foundation step by step.
Li Shimin was so attentive, Li Yuan naturally knew his thoughts, so he promised his second son that he would definitely make him crown prince after he became emperor, bluntly saying that Li Shimin was impeccable in both talent and character.
Li Shimin was naturally full of joy, his eldest brother Li Jiancheng was a straw bag since he was a child, he only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, and did not do the right thing; after Li Yuan's army, the only one of the three sons who could help was Li Shimin, and the third son, Li Yuanji, although not as incompetent as Li Jiancheng, did not have any talent, only Li Shimin, who had a heart full of ambition, was strategic, and had a good character, attracting a large number of strategists and generals to come to his aid.
It can be said that without Li Shimin, Li Yuan would not have become emperor so smoothly.
However, in May 618, after Li Yuan overthrew the Sui Dynasty and established the Tang Dynasty as emperor, he did not fulfill the promise he had made to himself, but instead made Li Jiancheng crown prince, Li Shimin the King of Qin, and his third son Li Yuanji the King of Qi.
You can imagine how broken Li Shimin's heart is, you are an old thing, I have worked hard for you for so many years, you do not pass on the Jiangshan Sheji to me, but to the eldest brother, who only knows the color of wine!
Li Shimin was very angry in his heart at Li Yuan's reneging on his word, and his heart was very uncomfortable, but it was not easy to say anything, first, Li Yuan was an emperor, he could not go against the will of the holy lord, otherwise it was a rebellion; second, Li Shimin was of good character, he was a filial piety, in ancient times, disobeying his father was a great disrespect, Li Shimin was supported by many counselors and generals, and did not want to destroy his own image.
Therefore, he decided to think slowly in the long run, and one day, Li Yuan would understand that he was the most suitable heir to the throne.
Why did Li Yuan go against his word and not fulfill his promises?
Logically speaking, his second son has both moral integrity, high prestige, and high hard work, according to the reason, he should be made the crown prince, at least before he has conquered Jiangshan, Li Yuan thinks so.
However, after laying down jiangshan, Li Yuan's mentality changed, and he hesitated and changed his mind.
In fact, it is not surprising that Li Yuan will renege on his word, objectively speaking, almost every emperor will have Li Yuan's common disease - fear of usurping power and usurping the throne.
Yes, Li Yuan was afraid that Li Shimin would seek power and usurp the throne, after all, Li Shiming's prestige was too high, to say that he was not polite, he did not have the prestige of his father, there were more really talented and practical strategists and generals in the Qin Palace, all of whom were attracted by Li Shimin's personality charm to throw themselves into his command when they were fighting the world, and if Li Shimin wanted to rebel, Li Yuan was really difficult to deal with.
Therefore, when he wanted to make a prince, Li Yuan hesitated, after all, he could still stay on the throne for several years, and he made the second prince, his ability was so powerful, in case he was not willing to be under one person, and wanted to be above ten thousand people? Won't it be time to overthrow yourself?
The so-called Gong Gao Zhen Lord, Li Yuan was also afraid that his son would eat him, and the reason why Li Shimin was not made crown prince was precisely because he was too powerful.
On the contrary, Li Li jiancheng's straw bag is much safer for the prince, this eldest son has no great ambitions, only knows to eat, drink, play, play with women, is to give him the opportunity to rebel, he does not have the ability to grasp.
Therefore, after Li Yuan became emperor, there was a showdown: I reneged on my promise, the second eldest you will become a King of Qin, and your status is not low, just make it up!
Li Yuan's renegation of his promise also led to many struggles between his three sons later.
In order to protect the throne, Li Jiancheng exhausted his tricks
In order to compete for the throne, Li Shimin showed his talents everywhere, and he hoped to make Li Yuan change his mind in this way and admit that he was the most suitable person to inherit the throne.
And Li Jiancheng naturally did not want to show weakness, in order to keep the throne, he racked his brains, he did not have Li Shimin's talent, will not lead the army to fight and quell the rebellion, but he can play tricks, play the side door left way.
One of Li Jiancheng's tricks is to please Li Yuan, greet Him every three to five times, and express filial piety in various ways.
Li Yuan was originally jealous of Li Shimin, and although he didn't like Li Jiancheng much, at least Li Jiancheng made him feel very "relieved", he knew that Li Jiancheng's flattery of himself was just to keep the position of prince, which made Li Yuan feel that Li Jiancheng had better control and gradually began to like this waste son.
As for the second son, Li Shimin, Li Yuan is superficially appreciative and full of jealousy in his heart, and he praises him very much when he is used, and is wary when he is not used.
After Li Yuan became emperor, although he did not faint, he did not restrain his desires, he spoiled many concubines, and when there were many concubines, harem battles naturally arose.
In order to stabilize their position, the concubines who were deeply favored by Li Yuan consciously or unconsciously participated in the struggle for the throne, which created opportunities for Li Jiancheng.
During Li Yuan's reign, the main hall where Li Yuan's three sons lived was connected to his own palace, and Li Jiancheng joined forces with Li Yuanji, and the two frequently entered the harem in the name of filial piety to please Li Yuan's many concubines, and each time they had to send countless exquisite jewelry and pearls.
Li Jiancheng's plan was very smooth, and after these concubines received benefits, they more than once spoke kindly for the two in front of Li Yuan, and for Li Shimin, who disdained to make friends with women, these concubines tried their best to smear them.
Li Yuan was already wary of Li Shimin in his heart, and his two sons plus a large number of his own wives provoked many times, and gradually, Li Yuan also disliked Li Shimin more and more.
Among Li Yuan's many concubines, two women played a crucial role.
Among Li Yuanna's concubines, there were two women with very good postures, the most favored by Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji knew that these two women had weight in Li Yuan's heart, so they focused on pleasing the two.
These two women are Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei.
There are wild history records that in order to consolidate his position, Li Jiancheng completely pulled Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei to the same boat, and even had an affair with the two.
Because there is no historical record, I don't know whether it is true or false, but judging from the character of Li Jiancheng recorded in the history books, this matter is mostly true, Li Jian's cost is lustful, Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei are beautiful, and it is not surprising that Li Jiancheng will hook up with the two.
Moreover, there are many similar incidents of absurdity and harmony in the palace in the past dynasties, and the Sui Emperor before the Tang Dynasty occupied his sister-in-law...
In short, Li Jiancheng successfully pulled Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei into his camp, and the two said good things for him in front of Li Yuan many times.
At that time, in the Tang Dynasty, there were still rebellions in the country, and there were turks and other foreign troubles on the frontier, and although Li Yuan was wary of Li Shimin, he had to admit that at least before the Jiangshan was completely stable, He still needed Li Shimin to guard his home.
Therefore, although Li Yuan did not like Li Shimin in his heart, his position as king of Qin had always been sitting firmly.
In 621, Li Shimin led an army to conquer the rebellious Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and after the Battle of Hu prison pass, he destroyed the thieves and won a great victory, capturing a large number of wealth left by the thieves.
Li Yuan was very happy when he learned of this, and praised Li Shimin above the court, which made Li Jiancheng suddenly feel alert in his heart, realized that it was not good, and hurriedly found Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei, hoping that the two could provoke the relationship between Li Shimin and Li Yuan.
Li Shimin made another battle merit, and his heart was very happy, this time, the old man would finally admit his merits, right? Is it time to consider a replacement for the position of prince?
Soon, Li Shimin sent someone to Report the situation to Li Yuan, and asked Li Yuan to send someone to receive the property left by Wang Shichong, but the name was actually a request for merit, and Li Shimin hoped that Li Yuan could reward himself.
But at this time, Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei were signaled by Li Jiancheng to come and stir up trouble in time, and the two pestered Li Yuan and asked for money and jewelry, and in their words, they intentionally or unintentionally mentioned the thief army property that Li Shimin had confiscated.
Where would Li Yuan not know her two careful thoughts, but I have to say that Li Yuan really did not take Li Shimin's son to heart, and only valued him when needed, and now as soon as the war is over, Li Yuan immediately forgets Li Shimin's goodness.
At this time, Li Shimin won the battle, Li Yuan, an old fool, did not reward his son and a group of generals at the first time, but sent people to receive the property, and the most absurd thing was that he also allowed Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei to lead a large group of harem concubines to Luoyang to pick up treasures together.
When these women arrived, Li Shimin was instantly angry after asking the reason: Old things, aren't you old and confused? The soldiers fought bloody battles on the front line, and now that the war is over, they are waiting for a reward, you are good, you actually called your wives to come here and ask for that for the first time, are you not afraid of the chills of the people under your hands?
Fortunately, Li Shimin had the right to decide everything in Luoyang at that time, and he resolutely refused to send away the women, and then he replaced his father and rewarded the generals.
But Li Shimin did not think that he did this instead of letting Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei find an excuse, and after a group of women returned, Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei complained to Li Yuan as representatives.
Li Yuan's heart was also very uncomfortable after listening to it, and his prejudice against Li Shimin came to mind: This boy is so bold, my emperor father sent someone over, how dare you let them eat behind closed doors?
But Li Yuan also knew that Li Shimin was doing a reasonable job, but Li Shimin's approach made him lose face, and his heart was not happy, and naturally it was impossible to appoint Li Shimin as the crown prince, he named Li Shimin a general of heavenly strategy, and the position of prince was not mentioned.
Li Shimin's expectations were not realized, and he began to feel disappointed in Li Yuan in his heart, he was not stupid, and naturally saw that Li Yuan listened to the rumors of women and big brothers, and was more distant from his most talented son.
These two women indirectly participated in the change of Xuanwumen
Seeing that the relationship between Li Shimin and Li Yuan was gradually rigid, Li Jiancheng saw that he was happy in his eyes at that time, and he decided to take advantage of the victory to pursue and continue to provoke his relationship with Li Yuan, it was best to let Li Yuan depose him as the King of Qin, so that he really could sit back and relax!
At the behest of Li Jiancheng, one day, Zhang Jieyu asked Li Yuan for dozens of acres of land, saying that it was for her father's peaceful use in his old age, and Li Yuan had always loved this concubine, and naturally approved it.
But this was exactly where Li Jiancheng's was, and Li Yuan did not know that the land property that Zhang Jieyu had asked for had been given to his subordinate Li Shentong by Li Shiming.
The purpose of this trick is to create a contradiction between Li Shimin and Li Yuan.
Sure enough, when Zhang Jieyu's father went to ask for fields, Li Shimin's subordinate Li Shentong drove him away very domineeringly, joking, these fields had already been given to him by the King of Qin, how could they still be given to him?
In the Tang Dynasty at that time, the emperor's edicts and the orders issued by the prince, the king of Qi, and the king of Qin were consistent in rank, and whoever gave the order first was subject to whose order, because Li Shimin gave the land to Li Shentong first, so Li Shentong had reason to refuse to give up the land.
At this point, Li Shimin was unlucky again.
Zhang Jieyu went back to Li Yuan to complain: "Li Shimin, the King of Qin, has no holy eyes, and the people under him actually think that the edict of the King of Qin is higher than the order of the holy one!" ”
Li Yuan heard that Long Yan was furious, and calling Li Shimin was a bitter scolding, Li Shimin was shot lying down, and the dissatisfaction with Li Yuan in his heart was a little more.
Before this was over, Li Yuan was still angry, and he was even grumpy, and once after drinking, he sighed: "The second elder has been out on many expeditions, and he has been taught by those counselors, and he is no longer the same as before." ”
Not long after, Du Ruyi passed by the mansion of Yin Defei's father, Yin A-Rat, and when he walked through the gate, because he did not get off the horse, Yin A-rat felt that Du Ruhan did not respect himself, and led people to rush up and beat him severely, Du Ruhan was aggrieved in his heart, and found Li Shimin to complain, Li Shimin saw that his men were being bullied, and his heart was very unhappy.
As a result, Yin A rat's evil people first filed a complaint, asking Yin Defei to slander Li Shimin to Li Yuan, saying that Du Ruyi's insult to his family must have been signaled by the King of Qin.
Li Yuan did not even investigate, he called Li Shimin, cut his head and covered his face, a scolding, Li Shimin was not happy in his heart, as a result, his father was still so indiscriminate, his heart, finally intolerable.
Li Shimin originally had some expectations for Li Yuan, but after this incident, he saw the true face of Li Yuan, this old guy was already old and confused, it was impossible to expect him to be sober, if he did not take measures again, maybe he did not know how to die one day...
And what are the measures taken by Li Shimin? I believe that many friends have already guessed, yes, it is the change of Xuanwu Gate.
On July 2, 626, Li Shimin killed his eldest brother Li Jiancheng at Xuanwu Gate, and his men shot Li Yuanji to death, and Li Yuan, who had no choice but to make him crown prince, successfully seized the throne.
Throughout history, Li Jiancheng actually has no capital to compete with Li Shimin, if it were not for Li Yuan's jealousy of his second son, the position of prince should be Li Shimin.
And Li Jiancheng played a conspiracy trick, jointly with Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei to provoke the relationship between Li Yuan and Li Shimin many times, which also caused Li Shimin to gradually disappoint his father, and then had the idea of bloody seizure of power.
It can be said that the two women, Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei, indirectly promoted the change of Xuanwumen, but the history books do not record the subsequent ending of the two.
Li Shimin already had the strength to fight with his father, but he always restrained himself until he was completely disappointed in Li Yuan.
Judging from Li Shimin's later performance of diligent government and love for the people, he was not a murderous and cruel person, and Zhang Jieyu and Yi Defei should not have been killed by him, after all, Li Shimin's throne had already arrived at that time, and he did not need to add to his own notoriety.