Preface
In ancient times, people at that time were full of yearning for the power and status of the emperor. However, during the Tang Dynasty, an unthinkable event occurred, and an emperor who was considered a "fool" ascended to the throne, but showed surprising wisdom in the early days of his reign.
This "fool" is none other than Li Dan of Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty. During his reign, although he was considered a mentally ill emperor, his reign was marked by some surprising features. Behind the scheme, he shows a different side. Ruizong Li Dan's first holy decree made the courtiers cry bitterly, what is going on?
Li Chen, a king of light who is regarded as a "fool".
In 821 AD, Li Chen was canonized as the King of Light by his nephew, Li Chun, then Tang Xianzong. However, due to his mother, Zheng, who came from humble beginnings, he did not have a high status in the royal family.
In addition, Li Chen has a withdrawn personality and is often silent, and the ministers in the palace do not take him seriously. Even officials above the fourth rank were indifferent to him. Over time, rumors about Li Chen being a "fool" quietly spread in the palace.
Li Chen's image is becoming more and more strange and thin in people's minds. It was as if he had become an insignificant man, a member of the royal family who had no value but blood.
In the winter of 826, a sudden change caused Li Chen's fate to take a sharp turn. That year, as he prepared to meet the Empress Dowager Yi'an, the group was about to pass by a bridge when an assassin suddenly appeared. He held a sharp blade and pointed it at Li Chen's vital point. Fortunately, the guards were quick to capture the assassin.
However, Li Chen was still greatly frightened. He is already an introvert, and this tragedy hit him particularly hard. Since then, Li Chen has been even more silent in the palace, and even began to show slight signs of stupidity.
As a result, the rumors in the palace intensified, and people asserted that Li Chen was born with a defective intelligence. This is undoubtedly a great insult and misfortune for a prince. And at this time, who can understand Li Chen's inner pain and helplessness?
Wu Zong suspected Li Chen's ambition and set a trap
In 836, Li Chen's nephew Tang Wenzong died, and his younger brother Tang Wuzong Li Yan succeeded him as emperor. This shrewd and capable emperor has always been wary of Li Chen.
In Li Yan's eyes, this uncle of his has never really been "stupid". Li Chen's style of pretending to be stupid is probably to achieve some hidden purposes. As the heir, Li Yan naturally regarded Li Chen as a potential threat, and was afraid that he would have a dissent for the throne.
In order to get rid of this big trouble, Li Yan began to set a trap with the intention of eradicating Li Chen. At several polo matches in the palace, he deliberately arranged for Li Chen to be "accidentally injured". Even once, when Li Chen fell off his horse, the guards around him didn't know about it, which undoubtedly added to the suspicion that Li Yan had set a trap.
After several dangerous incidents, Li Chen gradually realized that someone had deliberately put him to death. He had to be careful and go out less to avoid situations where he might be harmed. However, Li Yan did not stop there
In the winter of 846, a sudden heavy snowfall filled Chang'an. Li Yan invited Li Chen to come to the palace to enjoy the snow. On the way back, Li Chen accidentally fell off his horse again and fell unconscious in the snow. By the time the Shence army on duty passed by and rescued him from his death, several hours had passed. Li Chen escaped this catastrophe, but he also understood that Li Yan was determined to get rid of himself. The two are already at odds with each other.
The eunuch suddenly supported Li Chen to ascend the throne to make profits for himself
Just when Li Chen's life and death were uncertain, a eunuch Qiu Gongwu stumbled upon him. After learning of Li Chen's identity, Qiu Gongwu realized that using Li Chen might be able to fight for greater benefits for himself. So he rescued the dying Li Chen, secretly transported it out of Chang'an, and hid it.
In the winter of 846, Tang Wuzong fell ill and died. At this time, the two major leaders of the eunuch group, Ma Yuanzhen and Qiu Gongwu, acted quickly and turned their attention to Li Chen. They believe that a royal family that is considered a "fool" must be easy to manipulate and will not pose a threat to their power.
So, after the death of Tang Wuzong, Ma Yuanzhen and others immediately supported Li Chen to ascend the throne and gave him a good imperial name - Tang Xuanzong. However, the real purpose of Ma Yuanzhen and others is to control the puppet of Li Chen, control the power of the government and strive for greater interests for themselves.
Li Chen was well aware of the disadvantages of the times and began to implement reforms
However, at this time, Li Chen had already seen the essence of this troubled world. He is not really "stupid", but deliberately pretending to be stupid, hoping to preserve his strength in this brutal political struggle and wait for an opportunity.
After ascending the throne, Li Chen first deposed the power-leaning prime minister Li Deyu. This good move not only weakened the backing of the eunuchs' forces, but also released a shocking signal to Ma Yuanzhen and others.
Next, Li Chen took back the power in the hands of the eunuchs and implemented a series of important reforms. He attached great importance to his confidants, pacified the party struggle between the DPRK and China, strengthened the border military, and carried out the imperial examination to select talented people to govern the country. These measures made the situation in the Tang Dynasty begin to stabilize.
In May 847, Li Chen issued an edict to send troops to fight against foreign invasions. This marked the official start of the frontier war. Through several wars with ethnic minorities, Li Chen further consolidated the Tang Dynasty's national defense.
In March 851, he again sent troops to stabilize the northwest and completely purge the domestic party forces. For a time, the eunuch forces were forced to accept the absolute authority of the new emperor and no longer dared to have different intentions. And Li Chen's reforms also made all levels of Tang Dynasty society begin to rejuvenate.
An important reason why Li Chen was able to successfully overthrow the dictatorship of eunuchs and implement profound reforms was that he was not as "stupid" as people thought in the past. On the contrary, he is thoughtful and thoughtful, understanding the deepest ills of the empire, and thus able to accurately diagnose and deal with them.
A "fool" can be called a king or an emperor, but he cannot be called smart. Li Chen reversed the situation. He is like an outstanding national player, with extraordinary wisdom and courage, he has opened up a quiet and peaceful blue sky in the troubled times
epilogue
Li Chen's life has shown the world a truth: talent and ambition are often hidden under the most inconspicuous clothes. And when we look back on his extraordinary life today, we may be able to examine history from a new perspective.
In the field of culture, Li Chen also carried out a series of reforms. He encouraged the prosperity of literature and art, advocated Confucianism, and attached importance to the selection and training of civil officials, laying the groundwork for the later cultural revival. This allowed the culture of the Tang Dynasty to reach its peak under his rule, and was hailed by later generations as the "prosperous era of the Kaiyuan Dynasty".