Preface:
In history, the winner has always dominated. However, in Chinese history, when Wu Zetian became the first female emperor, the image of Li Zhi, who had ruled the Tang Dynasty for ten years, was gradually diluted and labeled "mediocre".
First, to calm the civil unrest, Li Zhi showed cruel methods
In 650, Li Zhi ascended the throne and became emperor. Although he is past his teenage years, he is only in his early twenties, and even his beard has not fully grown. In terms of royal blood, he was the ninth of Li Shimin's sons and the least conspicuous of his brothers. This can also explain why Li Zhi was questioned and despised by the powerful ministers as soon as he ascended the throne.
When Li Shimin was dying, why did he suddenly choose this young son who looked domineering as the prince? This puzzled many courtiers who only knew superficial skills. They decided that the new emperor was nothing more than a puppet, and that the Great Tang Dynasty would eventually fall into the hands of a wise and famous minister like Wei Zheng.
However, they underestimated this seemingly effeminate young man. As soon as Li Zhi ascended the throne, he showed decisiveness and ruthlessness that surprised everyone. The several imperial brothers who were about to move before all ended miserably in his hands. Among them, the end of Li Jing, the king of Jingzhou, was the most miserable. This uncle, who once coveted the throne, was forced by Li Zhi to commit suicide by taking poison. The severe pain at the time of death was unbearable, and the eyeballs were about to fall out of the eye sockets, but Li Zhi was not moved at all, and only watched coldly. Li Jing's henchmen were also all killed.
Li Zhi's move can be said to be a sign of a political strongman. Many newly ascended monarchs will always be subject to the power of the royal family, and even be destroyed in the hands of the royal family's henchmen. And Li Zhi adopted such a strategy and resolutely eliminated all dissidents, undoubtedly showing the government and the public that this emperor was not as simple as a puppet.
Li Jing's gagging painful expression is still vividly remembered, and Li Zhi still remembers the scene at that time until his death. He must give the imperial uncle a taste of betrayal to deter other ill-wishers. Otherwise, whether in terms of seniority or status, he will never be able to compare with these brothers and uncles. Therefore, no matter how much Li Jing begged for forgiveness, Li Zhi was unmoved. Even for loved ones, there is only one end to betrayal. In Li Zhi's view, no one can be an exception.
Although he looks effeminate, he makes many unexpected and decisive choices. However, Li Zhi knew that this was just the beginning. The road to power is always full of thorns and blood, and he must move forward alone.
Second, join forces with Wu Zetian to divide the powerful ministers
After losing his loved ones, Li Zhi turned his sights to the Quanchen clique. In the court, the Guanlong clique, headed by Changsun Wuji, had important power, and the emperor was only a nominal existence. Li Zhi realized that in order to regain power, he must first deal with Changsun Wuji, a powerful enemy. However, Li Zhi, who had just calmed down the civil unrest, knew that his strength was still shallow, and it was difficult to confront Changsun Wuji head-on. At this dangerous moment, an unexpected ally appeared - Wu Zetian.
Wu Ze was naturally beautiful and moving, and he was extremely skillful, which was deeply appreciated by Li Zhi. What Li Zhi needed was a woman who could use it for himself. Therefore, he secretly decided to support Wu Zetian and Changsun Wuji to contend with him. Wu Zetian has a strong personality and is even more eager for power. After receiving the support of Li Zhi, she actively laid out and bought people's hearts everywhere. Li Zhi silently observed from the sidelines, and gave hints from time to time, leading Wu Zetian in the direction he wanted.
The two cooperated tacitly, and finally in **9 AD, Wu Zetian's faction framed Changsun Wuji, and Li Zhi took the opportunity to force Changsun Wuji to be imprisoned. This cooperation between Li Zhi and Wu Zetian shows Li Zhi's outstanding political skills. Faced with a powerful enemy, he chooses to join forces with women and divide the inside. This was extremely innovative and breakthrough in the feudal society of that time.
Changsun Wuji controlled the court for many years, and the imperial power had long been weakened. Li Zhi must find a way to regain power, otherwise he will be just a puppet with an empty throne. Using Wu Zetian was Li Zhi's brilliant plan. In fact, Wu Zetian did not have such great strength at first. Only with Li Zhi's quiet support was she able to rise rapidly. Li Zhi had already seen through Wu Zetian's ambitions, and also saw her means and charm. With her presence, the Guanlong Group will surely collapse.
Li Zhi always controlled the overall situation and skillfully guided Wu Zetian to play chess. With the cooperation of the two, Changsun Wuji was eventually defeated. However, Wu Zetian thought that the real power of the regent was about to arrive, but he did not realize that he was just a pawn used by Li Zhi.
Third, suppress Wu Zetian and return power to the monarch
After some power struggle, Li Zhi finally succeeded in regaining control of the court. The courtiers who had despised him could only be convinced, admitting that the seemingly fragile emperor actually hid extremely deep castles and vicious methods. After teaming up with Wu Zetian to defeat Changsun Wuji, Li Zhi was impressed by her abilities. As a result, he embarked on an unprecedented reform and ruled together with Wu Zetian, known as the "Two Saints".
Wu Zetian was complacent, thinking that he was about to take power. However, she did not know that in Li Zhi's heart, she was just a sharp and dangerous weapon. Now that the weapon has worked, Li Zhi intends to take it back so as not to hurt himself. Therefore, ostensibly maintaining the "two saints" system, Li Zhi secretly purged Wu Zetian's forces. He deposed Wu Zetian's henchmen, weakened her influence, and then firmly controlled her and stopped her from interfering in imperial politics.
Wu Zetian was extremely angry, but she was no longer able to resist. Under Li Zhi's ruthless control, she failed to realize her ambition to seize power again and again, and could only watch power leave her. Li Zhi's methods were extremely clever, allowing Wu Zetian to taste the sweetness of power, and then regain real power at a critical moment. Wu Zetian finally understood that she was just a pawn in the emperor's hands, and the real player was Li Zhi.
As a monarch, Li Zhi must take back power, which is his basic duty. If others are allowed to control the imperial government, then what is the point of the imperial throne? Using the step of getting rid of Changsun Wuji was only the first step for Li Zhi to consolidate the imperial power, and then he had to let the courtiers understand who the master of the court was.
Fourth, purge the power and concentrate power on the monarch
Of course, Li Zhi did not intend to imprison Wu Zetian forever. He was just warning her not to try to use any means to fight for imperial power, because the monarch is the one who really holds the imperial power. Wu Zetian sadly accepted this fact and began to curry favor with Li Zhi in other ways.
After joining forces to deal with Changsun Wuji, Li Zhi was more convinced of Wu Zetian's value. She is the sharpest card in his hand, and if used well, it will be beneficial to himself, but he must also always be wary of her tyranny. This delicate relationship allows the two to maintain a superficial harmony, but they know that they do not trust each other.
Driven by Li Zhi's strategy, Wu Zetian finally helped him eliminate the last obstacle of the inner court. Including the famous general Cheng Zhijie, several old ministers left by Emperor Taizong Li Shimin were purged and removed by Wu Zetian. Cheng Zhijie once fought side by side with Li Shimin in the South and Northern Wars, and was famous. However, in Li Zhi's eyes, such courtiers could also become a stumbling block to his rise to power. Therefore, he mercilessly sent Cheng Zhijie to prison and executed him, so as not to connect more people in the future.
Li Zhi's actions once again showed his decisive and cruel side. Even the old ministers who have made great achievements, once they become an obstacle to the imperial power, there is only one way to die. Cheng Zhijie was loyal to Li Shimin, however, loyalty to the previous emperor did not mean loyalty to Li Zhi. Therefore, the Chengzhijie must be removed.
After this series of struggles, there was no longer any force in the court that could compete with the imperial power. The Great Tang Jiangshan was finally firmly controlled by Li Zhi in the palm of his hand. Li Zhi was in a good mood, he finally regained the power he deserved as a monarch, and the imperial throne was no longer a vacant position.
Fifth, the national strength is prosperous, and the strength is extraordinary
During the reign of Li Zhi, thanks to the stability of the dynasty, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty was unprecedentedly strong. Not only did the east destroy the ****, but the west successfully repelled the Western Turks, expanding the territory of the Great Tang by more than 1,200 square kilometers. This undoubtedly proves that Li Zhi's talent and strategy are by no means something that a mediocre person can do.
When power finally concentrated in his hands, Li Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief. He has long seen through the evil in the human heart, and the courtiers left by his father are all coveting power and want to become his puppets. Now, everything is a foregone conclusion. Li Zhi was not worried about Wu Zetian standing aside, her ambition was not enough to pose a real threat. As long as she always remembers that she is only a pawn of him, the imperial power will always be in Li Zhi's own hands.
The unprecedented prosperity of the Tang Dynasty proved Li Zhi's outstanding political talent. He transformed from a powerless monarch into a real emperor in a short period of time, and his strength was far beyond the rumors. He was even better at using power than Wu Zetian, but he was slightly negligent at the last moment, allowing Wu Zetian to succeed. However, looking back on the whole process, there is no doubt that Li Zhi has always been in control of the overall situation, which is undeniable.
Sixth, after all, control the overall situation, not mediocre
In 660, Li Zhi died at the age of 39. This provided Wu Zetian with an excellent opportunity to seize power. She successively controlled the two emperors and proclaimed herself emperor in 690, establishing the Wuzhou dynasty. This also became the birth of the first female emperor in Chinese history. However, without Li Zhi's initial use of Wu Zetian's promotion, would she have ascended the throne? Li Zhi cleverly used Wu Zetian to eliminate political opponents and suppress her ambitions, and had already firmly grasped power. The so-called "controlled by Wu Zetian" is only the result of the speculation of posterity.
A truly weak monarch who will truly take power completely to himself in ten years is impossible. If you have to describe Li Zhi, I am afraid that the word "insidious" is more appropriate.
Looking back at the long history of history, we can find that Li Zhi is by no means the legendary mediocre king. Born at the center of a power struggle, he knew what kind of skill an emperor needed. Li Zhi laid out patiently, steadily advanced, and always made amazing and decisive choices at critical moments.
Although the result was that Wu Zetian seized the imperial throne, the whole process was under Li Zhi's plan and control. Although Wu Zetian, who had accumulated power for a long time, eventually took advantage of his death to turn around, the root of power must come from Li Zhi. Without his promotion and support, how could Wu Zetian have such strength? If it were replaced by other mediocre kings, I am afraid that he would have already become a puppet of the powerful ministers. The reason why Li Zhi is underestimated is probably not entirely because of Wu Zetian's existence.
epilogue
History is ultimately written by the victors. Li Zhi was extremely authoritative during his lifetime, using many dark methods that were not known. It was not until after his death that Wu Zetian exposed these cruel political tactics. From then on, Li Zhi was described in the history books as a mediocre monarch.
As the proverb goes, we should not underestimate the power of those with deep hearts. Li Zhi is a good example. Although he eventually lost to Wu Zetian, he succeeded in taking control of his destiny and the rise of the Tang dynasty. All this has been enough to change his image in history.