In 643, when the famous general Hou Junji rebelled and was exterminated, Li Shimin cried and said: "I want to pardon you, but the hundred officials do not agree, do you have any last words?" After Hou Junji heard this, he burst into tears and said: "It depends on my merits, leave me a son, inherit the incense of the Hou family and sacrifice my merits!"
Hou Junji, the character period, was born in the Hou family of Sanshui Valley in Zizhou, and has been famous for his bravery and fierceness since he was a child. Although he failed to practice martial arts when he was a child, and his archery skills were unsatisfactory, he boasted of his superiority and often showed off his martial arts in the township, but his ambitions and ambitions were far more than that.
When he was a teenager, Hou Junji mixed in the military camp and followed Li Shimin's Qin Wangfu to fight in the south and north. At that time, Li Shimin had not yet gained too many courtiers, and Hou Junji could be said to be one of the first henchmen to follow him.
In many battles, Hou Junji gradually gained the trust of Li Shimin by virtue of his courage in charging into battle. In 620, Li Shimin made Marquis Junji the Marquis of Shanggu and ordered him to command a troop of cavalry.
In 626, after the Xuanwumen Change, Wang Shichong besieged Li Yuan in Taiji Palace, and the great cause could no longer be sustained. At this time, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, led his cronies to burn the Xuanwu Gate, entered the palace, and killed Wang Shichong. During this period, Hou Jun gathered his strength to fight and made great achievements.
Afterwards, Li Shimin ascended the throne as emperor for Tang Taizong. Grateful for Hou Junji's merits, he was named the general of the left guard, and soon entered the Duke of Luguo, with a thousand households.
In the following years, in Taizong's many expeditions, Hou Junji made great contributions. Taizong trusted him a lot and relied on him a lot. And because of his humble background and direct personality, Taizong also saw that he was honest and never doubted him.
However, the good times did not last long, people's hearts were unpredictable, and Hou Junji could not avoid the impulsiveness of mortals. In 640, Taizong's fourth son, Li Tai, was made king of Wei, which made Hou Junji quite jealous.
He was worried that the crown prince Li Chengqian would be deposed, and he would also lose power. Therefore, he secretly co-opted the forces of Li Chengqian's side in an attempt to gain greater achievements in the DPRK and China.
The following year, Li Jing set out for Gaochang, and Hou Junji, as a deputy general, made meritorious contributions in the desert. However, his greedy nature also showed signs of plundering Gaochang's treasures without authorization, and was impeached by the imperial history. Fortunately, others interceded for Hou Junji, and Taizong saved him from death.
After that, Hou Junji became more and more dissatisfied with the imperial court, and turned to conspire against Zhang Liang and Li Chengqian. In 643, Li Chengqian was deposed as a concubine, Hou Junji was ambushed, and his third son was also exiled to Lingnan.
Before the execution, Hou Junji wept bitterly and implored Taizong to raise his noble hand and leave his eldest son to sacrifice incense in Chang'an. Taizong couldn't bear his suffering, so he agreed to his request, and still left his eldest son in Beijing to guard the tomb of Hou Junji.
Although Hou Junji was a great rebel, Taizong did not forget his past exploits after all, and left his incense to show his grace. Moreover, the monarch is wise, distinguishes between merit and demerit, and should not erase all contributions because of a momentary mistake, which also fully reflects Taizong's generosity and benevolence.
Although Hou Junji's eldest son, Hou Chengqian, was not executed, he felt deeply humiliated by his family, and since then he has been indifferent to fame and fortune and lived in seclusion in the capital. He kept to himself all his life and never participated in the struggle between Korea and China again. The incense was passed on, and although the family was defeated, it was still glorious, which can be described as the best ending.
Although Hou Junji is a great rebellion, his original intention is still commendable. Taizong learned from this principle, so he forgave Hou Junji for a son to fulfill his family incense. Taizong's move shows the emperor's mind and vast measurement, indicating that the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is coming.
