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In the early years of Yuanhe, Li Qi was ambitious and had bad intentions. At this time, a person who was good at face-to-face predicted to Li Qi that the Zheng family would give birth to the Son of Heaven in the future.
Li Qi was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately accepted the Zheng family as a concubine. However, the good times did not last long, and Li Qi's ambition was discovered by the imperial court and he was eventually killed. Zheng, the former traitor's dependent, was confiscated into the palace and became the palace maid of Tang Xianzong's favorite concubine Guo Guifei.
In the palace, the Zheng family, with his outstanding talent and beauty, gradually attracted the attention of Xianzong. Soon, she was fortunate by Xianzong and gave birth to Li Chen, the thirteenth son of Xianzong.
After the death of Tang Xianzong, Li Heng, the king born to Guo Guifei, who served in the Zheng family in the past, ascended the throne for Tang Muzong. Since then, it has gone through the three emperors of Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong and Tang Wuzong.
In March of the first year of Changqing (821) of Tang Muzong, Li Chen was named King of Light. In terms of seniority, he was the imperial uncle of Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong, and Tang Wuzong, however, surprisingly, he was one year younger than Jingzong and Wenzong. This mismatch of generation and age gives him a special place in the royal family.
In the past 36 years, Li Chen and the Zheng family have been unknown, just an idle prince and concubine. However, they are resilient at heart, aware of their fate, and remain humble and low-key.
Tang Wuzong reigned for six years, and in order to seek immortality, he took the lead pill offered by Fang Shi, and finally died of poisoning and died young. Although Wu Zong left five sons at the time of his collapse, all of them could succeed him, but the eunuchs intervened in the government and supported Li Chen, the uncle of Wu Zongshu, to ascend the throne for Tang Xuanzong. The princess of Guangwang, the Zheng family, also became the queen mother.
According to the "Old Tang Book", in the sixth year of Huichang, Zheng Guang, the younger brother of the Zheng family, once dreamed that a car carried the sun and the moon, shining all over the world, which was considered a good omen.
Soon, Xuanzong ascended the throne, Zheng became the empress dowager, and Zheng Guang was also promoted, serving as the official inspection school household department Shangshu, Zhuwei general, Pinglu Jiedu envoy and other important positions. Since then, the Zheng family has been extremely glorious and has become a unique and prominent family.
However, what variables did Li Chen go through, and how did he get the throne in the end?
01
Li Chen came from a humble background and was ridiculed
Li Chen, whose biological mother Zheng was originally the concubine of Li Qi, the envoy of Zhenhai Festival. Li Qi was exiled for rebellion, and Zheng was summoned to the palace to become Guo Guifei's maid.
One day, Tang Xianzong was lucky by chance, and Zheng became pregnant with Li Chen. Li Chen has been silent since he was a child, and everyone in the palace thinks he is "unwise", but in a serious illness when he was more than ten years old, he showed unusual characteristics.
At that time, Li Chen was in a state of illness, as if he had no life. Suddenly, however, a dazzling light emanated from him, and he rose into the air, sat upright, and bowed his hands like a courtier to a king.
When the nurse saw this, she was worried, thinking that he had a heart disease. However, Emperor Muzong stepped forward, stroked Li Yi's back, and said with emotion: "This son is the talent of my Li family, not trapped by heart disease. In order to cultivate Li Chen, Mu Zong gave him jade ruyi, royal horses and gold belts, and specially arranged for Guo Shao, the cousin of Empress Dowager Guo, to be his master.
Li Chen's inner world is full of endless imagination and longing. He once dreamed that he was flying into the sky on a dragon, and told his mother Zheng about this dream.
When Zheng heard this, he looked nervous and told him not to tell anyone about this dream. She knows that this dream contains her son's future destiny, and she also knows that this destiny is not easy to achieve.
Li Chen became more and more obscure in the Taihe and Huichang dynasties. When he gets along with everyone, he is always silent and does not easily reveal his heart. Wenzong and Wuzong often forced him to speak during banquets and drinks, taking pleasure in it, and even jokingly called him "Uncle Guang". Despite this, Li Chen has always maintained his inner composure and tenacity.
Emperor Wuzong was arrogant, but he was not very polite to Li Chen. He didn't seem to notice the depth and wisdom of Li Chen's heart. However, Li Chen doesn't care about these worldly eyes and evaluations. He is well aware of his mission and responsibility, and he is also well aware that the road he has to take is not smooth.
In this treacherous court, Li Chen is like a pearl that has been sharpened to become more and more brilliant. His silence and obscurity became his shield to protect himself and accumulate strength. He continued to observe everything silently in the court, gathering strength and waiting for his own moment.
02
Li Chen pretended to be crazy and stupid, and was supported by the eunuchs to become the emperor
Once, Tang Wuzong suspected whether Li Chen was really stupid or fake, so he sent someone to invite Li Chen and the kings to go out to walk in the snow together.
After admiring the perfect view, everyone planned to set off for the return trip. Feeling a little tired from playing, they stopped to drink and rest. Li Chen seemed to have drunk a little too much, or was too excited by playing, and actually fell off the horse.
When the kings heard the news, they searched in the snow and ice with a little drunkenness. However, after a long search, Li Chen's figure was still not found. Considering the arrangement of the itinerary, Tang Wuzong decided not to continue to search for Li Chen's whereabouts.
Li Chen made him deeply experience the warmth and coldness of the world from this experience. He understands that in the struggle for power, everyone can become an enemy, and even the closest people on a daily basis can leave you at a critical moment. This also laid the groundwork for his unique attitude towards courtiers and politics after he became emperor in the future.
Tang Wuzong secretly rejoiced in his heart. He felt that if Li Chen really didn't return to the palace, it would prove that he was indeed a fool. In addition, Tang Wuzong's sons were still young and failed to establish the position of crown prince. If Li Chen really encounters an accident, the throne can be passed to Tang Wuzong's own son safely.
The next day, the guards reported to Tang Wuzong that Li Chen appeared in his mansion safe and sound.
Tang Wuzong was taken aback when he heard the news, and at the same time, he was even more convinced of his suspicion of Li Chen. After thinking about it, he always felt that Li Chen's existence was a hidden danger and posed a threat to himself. In order to relieve his worries, Tang Wuzong decided to attack Li Chen. Soon after, he sent eunuchs to Li Chen's mansion, arrested and imprisoned him, and even planned to throw him into the palace toilet.
The eunuchs around Tang Wuzong thought that since Li Chen was a "fool", it was useless to stay by his side, so it was better to get rid of him altogether. Tang Wuzong felt that the eunuch was reasonable, so he agreed to his suggestion. However, after the eunuchs received permission from Tang Wuzong, they did not immediately carry out Li Chen's execution. Instead, he quietly hid Li Chen and transported him out of the palace.
This is because the eunuch knew that Tang Wuzong's son was still young and had not yet established the position of crown prince. He believed that Li Chen was older than Tang Wuzong's son, and he was a "fool" who was easier to be controlled by eunuchs. So, the eunuch decided to secretly protect Li Chen as a possible trump card in the future.
On March 21, the sixth year of Huichang (846), Tang Wuzong was seriously ill and on the verge of life and death. In order to maintain their power, the eunuch Ma Yuanzhen and others decided to find an heir who was easy to control. They chose Li Chen, believing that he was introverted, taciturn, and easy to control. So, they set up Li Chen as the emperor's uncle, responsible for handling military affairs, and became the new heir to the throne.
During his tenure as a prisoner, Li Chen showed deep sadness, but still insisted on handling government affairs. It was only then that the crowd truly realized his inner talent and character. His silence and obscurity are not incompetence or inaction, but hidden wisdom and talent.
On the same day, Emperor Wuzong of Tang died, and Li Chen officially ascended the throne as emperor at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. He became a generation of Ming monarchs in the history of the Tang Dynasty and was honored as Tang Xuanzong.
03
Li Chen succeeded to the throne and was in state affairs, but he was obsessed with pills and was poisoned and collapsed
Li Chen, deeply influenced by "Zhenguan Political Leaders", since his accession to the throne, diligent in political affairs, diligently seeking governance, and determined to resolve various social contradictions since the Tang Dynasty. He used iron-fisted means to rectify the dynasty, belittled Li Deyu internally, and put an end to the disturbance of the Niu and Li party disputes.
Externally, he restrained the vicious expansion of eunuch power and effectively dealt a blow to those lawless magnates and relatives. What's even more valuable is that he cleared up the hundred officials who died unjustly in the Manna Change, and their reputations were restored except for Zheng Zhu and Li Xun.
Li Chen governs the country with frugality, treats the people as injuries, treats the people lightly, and pays attention to the selection of talents. In foreign policy, he showed extraordinary courage and wisdom. He successively defeated the declining forces of the Tibetans, Uighurs, Dangxiang, and Xi people, and recovered a large area of land that had been occupied by the Tibetans after the Anshi Rebellion.
This not only restored the national prestige of the Tang Dynasty, but also made the people gradually rich, and the government presented a well-off scene of "Zhongxing". Some historians praise him as a Ming monarch comparable to Emperor Wen of Han under the rule of Wenjing and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty under the rule of Zhenguan, so the period of his reign is called "the rule of Dazhong" in history.
However, there are also opinions that although Li Chen is good at making decisions, he is too strict and ignores the meaning of benevolence. This kind of personality may explain why, during his reign, despite his personal diligence and dedication to the people, the world was still plagued by floods and droughts.
What is even more distressing is that since the 12th year of Dazhong (858), rebellions broke out in various feudal towns. There were generals in Xuanzhou, Hunan, Guangzhou, Jiangxi and other places who rebelled, and the situation was turbulent for a time. Li Chen responded quickly, and ordered Cui Xuan and others to be the observer envoys and jiedu envoys of various states, and quickly pacified the turmoil in various places.
However, fate seems to have deliberately played a joke on this king, who was dedicated to the affairs of the state. In May of the thirteenth year of Dazhong (859), Li Chen was poisoned by eating the elixir (long-term medicine) offered by the imperial physician Li Yuanbo.
His condition deteriorated rapidly, he was thirsty and his body was so hot and dry that he was unable to go to the court to deal with political affairs for more than a month. Despite the best efforts of the imperial doctors, his life could not be saved. On August 7 (or August 10 according to the New Tang Dynasty Book), Li Chen died in Daming Palace at the age of 50.
The ministers gave this wise king the title of "Emperor of Shengwu Xian Wenxiao", and the temple name "Xuanzong". His death caused great grief to the government and the opposition, and people deeply felt the loss of a virtuous and capable monarch. However, the wheels of history rolled forward, and the fate of the Tang Dynasty gradually went downhill with his departure.
Li Chen's philosophy and talent undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for the revival of the Tang Dynasty. He has interpreted what the real Mingjun is with his own practical actions. His spirit of worrying about the country and the people and being diligent in his administration will always be remembered in people's hearts.
However, fate always seems to like to joke. Just as he was about to make a big splash, he died of an unfortunate accidental ingestion. This undoubtedly cast a shadow over the future of the Tang Dynasty.
After more than 30 years, Li Chen has climbed from the trough to the peak step by step, which is a journey full of ups and downs and challenges.
During these long years, he experienced countless hardships and setbacks, but he never gave up on his dreams and beliefs. No matter how great the difficulties he encountered, he moved forward with determination, constantly striving to improve his abilities and wisdom.
Li Chen's childhood dream has always been an unquenchable flame in his heart, which illuminates his path forward and gives him endless strength.
In the process of realizing his dream, Li Chen showed tenacious perseverance and determination. He is not afraid of hardships and dangers, and he is not afraid of difficulties, and he moves forward bravely. He used his sweat and hard work to write a legendary struggle, and finally realized his childhood dream.
Standing at the pinnacle, Li Chen looked back at the past and was full of emotion. Those former hardships and setbacks have now turned into precious treasures, adding more color and meaning to his life. He knows that all these achievements are inseparable from his own persistence and hard work, and also inseparable from those who have always supported him.
After Li Chen's death, some people in the world still called him "Little Taizong" to highlight his contributions and achievements during his reign.
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