Literature | Four seasons of literature and history
During the Tang Dynasty, there was an ancient emperor who remained in history, this person was Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin. As the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin had largely overshadowed his father Li Yuan. Li Yuan, the founding emperor, may be the most non-existent founding emperor in history.
To this day, when mentioning the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin and Wu Zetian probably come to mind, but little is known about Li Yuan, and some people even think that the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty is Li Shimin, not Li Yuan. From this point of view, Li Shimin's position in the hearts of future generations is very powerful, and he is also a representative figure of the Ming monarch in history.
Stills: Li Shimin
Counting more than 400 emperors in ancient times, after they became god kings, they forgot to sleep and eat for their own prosperity, and at the same time, the imperial power in their opponents was also worried day by day, even if one day they were not careful, they would lose power. Suspicious nature has become their common disease, no wonder, after all, "the height is not cold", it is precisely "it is easy to fight the rivers and mountains, but it is difficult to guard the rivers and mountains." ”
Li Shimin is the same, after he took the throne, he was very uneasy about these generals who had followed him, and Shan Xiongxin was one of them. Shan Xiongxin in history is even more powerful than in the Sui and Tang dynasties, and he has a very good relationship with Xu Shiji, Li Shimin's adviser, but when Li Shimin kills him, Xu Shiji pleads to no avail.
Stills: Shan Xiongxin, Xu Shiji
The peasant uprising broke out in the late Sui Dynasty, and when the Wagang Army revolted, Shan Xiongxin, a fellow villager, joined the troops led by Zhai Rang along with Xu Shiji. The Wagang Army was the most effective of the peasant rebel armies in the late Sui Dynasty.
In the twelfth year of Daye (616), Li Mi, who was born into an aristocracy, defected to the Wagang army after failing to participate in Yang Xuangan's army. Li Mi was a person with political vision, and Zhai Rang was able to actively listen to some of Li Mi's suggestions and achieved a series of results.
The Sui dynasty was divided
Just as the Wagang Army was getting stronger, the contradictions within the leading group intensified. Because Li Mi showed great talent and resourcefulness in several battles, his prestige became higher and higher, and Zhai Rang took the initiative to give up the virtuous and gave up the leadership to Li Mi.
Later, Zhai Rang's brother Zhai Hong and others persuaded Zhai Rang to regain the leadership, so that the contradiction became increasingly intensified, and Li Mi's popularity was very small, so that finally Li Mi killed Zhai Rang.
After this infighting, the strength of the Wagang army became weak, and Li Mi caused the end of the rebellion of the people, and his own strength was greatly weakened. In June of the first year of Yining (618), Yu Wenwen and the Sui army led the Jiangdu capital to the north, and although the Wagang army won victory against Yu culture and battle, it also suffered heavy losses. In September, the Eastern Capital Sui Army took the opportunity to launch an attack, the Wagang Army was completely defeated, and Li Mi was cornered and rushed to Chang'an in October to surrender to the newly established Tang Dynasty. The generals of the Wagang army, Qin Shubao, Xu Maogong, Luo Shixin, and Cheng Yanjin, also surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.
Stills: Li Mi
Besides, after Li Mi designed to kill Zhai Rang, Xu Shiji was slashed by random soldiers, and Shan Xiongxin was helpless and kowtowed to Li Mi for mercy. Because Li Mi cherished talents, he comforted Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji and let them divide the people and let them divide and let the people of Zhai Zheng.
In the first year of Tang Wude (618), Yu Wenhe killed the Sui Emperor Yang Guang in Jiangdu, and Li Mi accepted Wang Shichong's canonization and led troops to fight Yu Wenhe. In September, after Li Mi defeated Yu Wenjian, Wang Shichong led an army to attack Li Mi.
After Wang Shichong defeated Li Mi, he entered the encirclement of Yanshi, Shan Xiongxin and others surrendered, and Xu Shiji turned to Li Tang. Wang Shichong used Shan Xiongxin as a general. After that, Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji parted ways.
If the two had not separated at the beginning, perhaps it would have been Li Mi instead of Li Yuan who would have become emperor in the future. If Shan Xiongxin had defected to Li Tang with Xu Shiji at the time of Li Mi's defeat, the outcome might have changed.
Shan Xiongxin continued to fight Li Shimin after defecting to Wang Shichong. Shan Xiongxin was brave and fierce, and once had the opportunity to take Li Shimin directly with a gun, but was rescued by Xu Shiji. Later, Li Shimin's strength became stronger and stronger, and Wang Shichong gradually became no match for him, and was swallowed up by Li Tang little by little.
Stills: Li Yuan
In the fourth year of Wude (621), Wang Shichong was defeated by Li Shimin and surrendered with his army. In order to eliminate future troubles, Li Shimin ordered that Shan Xiongxin and other generals be executed, including the general Shan Xiongxin.
As a fellow and former comrade-in-arms, Xu Shiji was very anxious after knowing this, and he pleaded with Li Shimin many times, hoping to spare his friends, but Li Shimin refused Xu Shiwei's request, and Li Shimin was afraid that these people would become a scourge for the Tang Dynasty in the future. And it wasn't Xu Shiji at the beginning, maybe Li Shimin was killed by him. Because of this, Li Shimin has always remembered and hated Shan Xiongxin.
In fact, Shan Xiongxin had long known that Li Shimin would not let him go, and he said to Xu Shiji: "Don't be sad, I have long known that there will be this day." Please take care of my family. Xu Shiji burst into tears after hearing this.
Stills: Shan Xiongxin (right)
Before Shan Xiongxin went to prison, Xu Shiji fed him a piece of meat. Xu Shiji said to Shan Xiongxin: "I will definitely take care of my family. Shan Xiongxin was also very moved after hearing this, and after eating the meat, he went to the execution ground. Shan Xiongxin did not return after going to the execution ground.
Speaking of which, Li Shimin is still very benevolent and righteous, although Shan Xiongxin died, he spared his family and did not destroy the three clans, and Shan Xiongxin's descendants were spared. But what Li Shimin didn't expect was that more than two hundred years later, Shan Xiongxin's descendants would launch the Huangchao Uprising.
When the Huangchao Uprising, the descendants of the Shan family were the main force, and it was their uprising that dealt a heavy blow to the Tang Empire, accelerated the demise of the Tang Dynasty, and indirectly avenged Shan Xiongxin. Imagine, if Li Shimin Rao Shan Xiongxin did not die at that time, would the end be a different scene?
Story painting: Yellow Nest Uprising
(The picture comes from the Internet, and the infringement must be deleted.) ）