Preface
Who don't you know that Li Shimin, Xuanwumen punished his brother at night, and jumped to the throne? Who don't know that Li Shimin, who killed his father and usurped the throne, shocked the world with great rebellion? However, this brutal and sneaky king alone gave great grace to the prisoners, causing them to shed blood and tears in thousands of households. The prisoner returned with gratitude, and died when he returned to Beijing crying blood, moving the heavens and the earth. Is this kind of extravagant move a conspiracy? Or is it a sincere government? It is not known what the true nature of the people is.
1. Xuanwu Gate, killing brothers and seizing the throne
At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the people changed, the world was in turmoil, and the history of the Qing Dynasty went through several catastrophes. Li Yuan rushed under the Hu bed, formed eighteen horsemen, and raised troops in Taiyuan, known as the appeasement envoy. Recruiting the Xianbei men under his command, Li Shimin is a small lieutenant, following him day and night.
Li Yuan was based in Hedong and called on the world to oppose Sui, and the momentum was huge. Li Shimin has repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and he has won Li Yuan's appreciation for his soldiers. The two agreed that after success, Li Shimin would succeed to the crown prince. However, in the first year of Jingkang, Li Yuan called the emperor in Chang'an, and changed the Yuan Tang Dynasty, that is, Tang Gaozu. The sons competed for the throne, and Li Yuan actually made his eldest son Li Jiancheng the crown prince. Li Shimin was shocked and dissatisfied.
In July of the second year of Wude, the Xuanwu Gate changed, and the blood light shone on the brilliant lights of the capital. Li Shimin ordered to kill Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji left and right. Tang Gaozu was furious and wanted to punish him, but Li Shimin flatly denied it. Li Gaozu imprisoned Li Shimin in Wende Palace, and wanted to be overwhelmed. It is said that Li Shimin's son-in-law, the eldest grandson Wuji, helped Li Shimin kill and guard the palace.
In the end, Li Gaozu was forced to give way to Li Shimin. Since then, Li Shimin has been in power and proclaimed emperor. The world is boiling, and everyone in the world says that he killed the king and usurped the throne, committed the crime of killing his father, and violated the law of human ethics. Although Li Shimin let others spread the word that his father gave way, no one was convinced. The people criticized Li Shimin on the one hand, and his reputation was notorious.
2. Release death row prisoners and seek the hearts of the people
During the six years of Wude, Li Shimin unified the world by force, strengthened the imperial power, established the foundation of Taizong, and gradually stabilized the political situation. However, the reputation and public opinion attacks are always like maggots attached to the bones, which cannot be removed. In order to clear the reputation of taking away his father and killing his father, Li Shimin has strived for his political achievements and prestige over the years.
In the late winter of the sixth year of Zhenguan, the imperial court tried the bill, and there were 290 death row convicts. Li Shimin was at the court meeting of the Qi Ming Palace, aiming to show the image of Shengming. Suddenly, he had a sudden realization and a whim. It was announced on the spot that all death row inmates would be released to their hometowns and towns to reunite with their parents and wives for the New Year.
The officials were taken aback and hurriedly stepped forward to admonish. This move is too risky, and the death row inmates are all habitual violent criminals, and their release will inevitably lead to trouble. Li Shimin did not listen to the advice and insisted on releasing the death row prisoners. As a result, 290 death row inmates were given a new lease of life, and they returned to their hometowns wearing linen and filial piety clothes, and their parents shed tears on the streets. Suddenly, the Quartet heard about the amnesty of God's grace and praised it. The people also thanked Li Shiming for his compassion, benevolence and love for the people.
In the autumn of the following year, none of the 290 death row inmates were absent, and all of them died in the capital. The world was impressed, saying that Li Shimin was perceptive and penetrating. The condemned prisoner can still repay the grace of the saint when he is dying, which shows that the true dragon son of heaven is extraordinary, and he must not be the king of Wuyi Yanjun, but like a loving father who embraces relief thousands of miles away. Li Shimin's release of life and death prisoners has greatly boosted his reputation and prestige, and he has blocked all kinds of criticism.
3. Lenient sentences for death row prisoners, and the lives of prisoners are cut off by surgery
The bold release of life and death prisoners is an impure motive and inconsistent on the outside. Looking at the government and the opposition, everyone is speculating that a treacherous person like Li Shimin must have ulterior motives. The mystery in this is more than just conspiracy.
A homicide case was involved in the Ningxia area, where Li was drunk and killed in a quarrel, and the circumstances were heinous. Not long after the case occurred, Zhang Yungu, the secretary of Dali who tried the case, took a neutral position, restored the facts, and sentenced Li to death in accordance with the law. The border of Bingzhou was harassed by bandits, and the people had no way to complain, so Zhang Yungu executed the gangsters and made an example. Who knew that Zhang Yungu was impeached for bending the law for personal gain, and Li Shimin was so angry that he gave Zhang Yungu to death.
After Zhang Yungu's unjust death, the law enforcement officials of the DPRK and China were all terrified, for fear that they would be executed in confusion. As a result, they gritted their teeth and made a painful decision, and the sentence was as strict as a mountain. Four years ago, only 29 people had been sentenced to death, but by six years, the number of prisoners sentenced to death had skyrocketed to 290.
All kinds of indications show that Li Shimin's brazen release of death row prisoners is actually a warning to the judges. On the surface, he embellishes the image of the king's benevolence, but on the inside, he urges the judge to be lenient and forgive his crimes. This is Li Shimin's Mingjun trick, which is really breathtaking.
Fourth, the king mirror, self-warning and encouragement
Li Shimin is well versed in human feelings and sophistication, and is strategizing. Understand that if a judge admits to a wrong decision, he will choose to pass the buck and will never repent and reform. Li Shimin's explicit metaphor is precisely to use negative examples to make officials reflect on themselves. The law should not lightly release prisoners on death row, and the monarch should not lightly kill the faithful. The judge must be cautious in sentencing and deciding the case, and the emperor must also be cautious in deciding the power of life and death. Life is incomparably precious, and the sin is only light, and the ancient admonition says: "People cannot be resurrected after death." ”
Li Shimin's release of death row prisoners is like a mirror hanging above the palace. When every official saw this scene, they all checked themselves and reflected deeply. Human nature was originally greedy for life and afraid of death, and when they saw the death row prisoners returning to their hometowns for reunion, and insisting on dying when they returned, everyone burst into tears. Li Shimin used this to warn the government and the opposition, reminding the monarchs and ministers to cherish life, not to kill lightly, and to be cautious and arbitrary. The foundation of the Tang Dynasty is all loyal and upright ministers who are united and smooth.
Fifth, the big husband, cherish the world
Li Shimin's release of death row prisoners is far-sighted, and he will certainly not be so superficial as just a power plot. It is against humanity for him to kill his father and brother to ascend the throne, but he also cares about the common people, and he sends this great grace to influence people's hearts with virtue. The death row inmates thanked God for returning home, and all families rejoiced, and all the old and young were in tears. This shows that Li Shimin's heart has the compassion of empathizing with thousands of people.
As the old saying goes: "There are three people who can rule the world by a husband: one is to tolerate people, the second is to tolerate people, and the third is to tolerate people." Li Shimin is an indecisive monarch. He personally laid down the Tang Dynasty, thought of the common people, and regarded the people of Li as flesh and blood. Releasing prisoners on death row is a benevolent act, so that the prisoners repent and rehabilitate, and the people are grateful to Dade and convincing the people. Li Shimin is the lord of the British Lord, who has the power of the world and regards the people as his son.
epilogue
Li Shimin shoulders the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty and the survival of the society, and is determined to live for the common people, and what he is in charge of is not only power and wealth, but also thousands of lives. It is precisely because of such an inclusive and fearless mind that he can constantly reflect on his own mistakes, change his ways, promote the good and eliminate the disadvantages, and establish a prosperous era of Datong. The touching scene of death row inmates thanking God for his grace proves that Li Shimin's prestige and kindness have taken root in the hearts of the people. Since then, the foundation of the Tang Dynasty has been strengthened, and it has truly embarked on the road of laying the foundation of all generations and thousands of years.
To sum up, Li Shimin's release of death row prisoners is inconsistent on the outside, but his profound and far-sighted considerations not only warn the government and the opposition that they need to be cautious in making decisions about the law, but also warn themselves and introspect, and also have a large number of great wishes to accommodate thousands of living beings in their arms. The death row prisoner Xie Weeping is shocking, and it can be seen that Li Shimin's prestige is believed by the people of the world, and it is out of the realm of great compassion!