Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click the "Follow" button, so that you can continue to push such articles in the future, and it is also convenient for you to discuss and share, your support is the driving force for us to insist on creating~
文|Neil
Edit|t
introduction
In the first year of Yanhe, Li Longji launched a coup d'état in Tanglong, killed the Weihou group, and subsequently removed the political opponent Princess Taiping before ascending to the throne. From the perspective of later generations, the coup d'état launched by Li Longji does not seem to be difficult.
As the crown prince, he is the legitimate heir to the throne, and Princess Taiping is a female concubine, can he be compared to him? In fact, the storyline in history books is often much more complicated than the first impression in the minds of future generations. If you want to defeat Princess Taiping, the difficulty is comparable to ascending to the sky!
(Princess Taiping)
1. Princess Taiping has a strong background
Before the Tang Long coup, Li Longji and Princess Taiping were still grasshoppers on a rope, and under the background of the cooperation between the two, the power of the Tang Dynasty returned to the hands of the Li family.
As the emperor, Li Dan was very moved at that time. One is his sister, the other is his son, both of them are courageous characters, I have this sleeping dragon and phoenix chick in Datang, what are we still fighting for in political achievements!
(Princess Taiping stills)
That is, Li Dan's own inaction in work directly led to the division of power between Li Longji and Princess Taiping, who are both ruthless characters who yearn for power. Li Dan thought that the two should be an aunt and nephew match, doubling the efficiency, but the fact became that the aunt and nephew turned against each other and thought that Fa'er wanted to clean up the portal.
If you want to say who was more powerful at that time, Princess Taiping or Li Longji was stronger, it must be Princess Taiping! Although Princess Taiping, as a woman, could not become the crown prince, she was really Wu Zetian's daughter.
Wu Zetian's genes in the political struggle were perfectly inherited to Princess Taiping, which Wu Zetian's wife admitted by herself.
(Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping)
Secondly, during the Wu Zetian period, as a woman, she also began to promote capable women to officials, among which the more typical one was the hexagonal "female warrior" Shangguan Wan'er, who was known as the political wall grass in history.
At that time, Princess Taiping was also arranged by Wu Zetian to handle government affairs, and coupled with Wu Zetian's love, many officials would also scold her intentionally or unintentionally. Wu Zetian ascended the throne in 690 AD, when Princess Taiping was 25 years old, and Li Longji was only a 5-year-old child.
(Li Longji)
Judging from the political background and tempering time, Princess Taiping's network advantage during this period is not ordinary. What's more, in the Tang Long coup, Princess Taiping was the first to act.
Li Longji did become the crown prince, but the problem is that most of the ministers in the court listened to Princess Taiping, and the princeling party did not seem to be as reliable as the princess party at this time, and some officials even thought that maybe Princess Taiping would replicate her mother's achievements.
(Princess Taiping)
Second, the game between Li Longji and Princess Taiping
In the face of such a terrifying aunt, how did Li Longji defeat her? Li Longji looked at his aunt's political team at that time, which could be called luxurious! There were not only many old ministers from the Wu Zetian period, but also many capable ministers who were almost liquidated after the death of Empress Wei, but because of Princess Taiping's "kindness," they were included in her pocket.
Who was in Li Longji's hands at that time? One Yao Chong, one Song Jing, the two of them exploded in ability, but the number was too small, they entered the prime minister's team and began to carry out reforms, and the results were good, after all, whether it was Princess Taiping or Li Longji, they still hoped to run this Tang Dynasty into a prosperous era, but the two did not choose to cooperate, but chose to fight.
(Li Longji)
Li Longji himself has the ability to strategize, and he launched the following waves of attacks against Princess Taiping. First, the use of Princess Taiping's four-person political team led by Xiao Zhizhong, who was once Empress Wei's subordinate, made Li Dan suspicious of them. Among them, there is a woman named Cui Xiang, who is also the lover of Princess Taiping.
This directly led to the lover being demoted from the prime minister to the right side of Shangshu, and the other three became local assassins, away from the capital court. Secondly, Princess Taiping attacked his identity, you are not the eldest son, what kind of prince should you be? Abolish the prince and maintain orthodoxy, this is the rule of the ancestors.
(Princess Taiping)
In this matter, Li Longji's strategist Song Jing stood up. Why should he abolish the crown prince? Is he Tang Long's coup d'état without meritorious service? What did he do wrong and hurt the heavens and reason? The position of crown prince was given up by his eldest son, Li Chengqi, and he did not want to be the crown prince, so who could force him to be? He still took the initiative to ask Li Longji to be made the crown prince, this is a testimony of ability, what is this not orthodoxy?
Princess Taiping saw that this trick was ineffective, and scolded Song Jing's ancestors for the eighteenth generation in her heart, but then relied on the relationship between years of cultivation in the palace to monitor Li Longji. Whenever he did something wrong, someone immediately stepped up to the scene.
(Princess Taiping stills)
If everything in Li Longji is controlled according to this rhythm, Princess Taiping should have no problem winning this political struggle, but his elder brother Li Dan is not an ordinary emperor.
3. Li Dan's tender shield
Li Dan is a good emperor and a kind person. He values his son and hopes that his sister will not be wronged. When he found that the contradiction between the two was irreconcilable, he was also tired.
(Li Dan)
Didn't you say that you could lie flat if you were right? Your palms and backs of your hands are full of meat, what do you want me to do, you don't fight anymore! Li Dan's idea is very simple, so that Li Longji can determine his political advantages, make a smooth transition to become the emperor, let his sister die this heart, reduce emotional pain, and make up for her well in the future.
But how to do it, that's a question. At this time, Yao Chong and Song Jing, who were under Li Longji, said that this was not easy? Transferring his eldest son, Li Chengqi, out to experience and train, the emperor who was younger than Li Longji would also control some government affairs and exercise his ability. As for Princess Taiping, just let her out, after the two are isolated, there will be no problems.
(Prime Minister Yao Chong stills)
Li Dan thought that this made sense, Princess Taiping was angry when she knew about it, but she couldn't show it. She came up with a plan and asked her confidant ministers to tell Li Dan that Yao Chong and Song Jing were not good people! They abolished a large number of "oblique officials" (officials who spent money to buy officials during Empress Wei's turmoil), but there are some capable characters in the world.
They did this just to meet their own political needs, not for the court and the emperor. The appointment of these officials was a decision made by the former emperor, and by doing so, weren't they slapping the former emperor in the face? Li Dan thought that it really made sense, and at this juncture, Princess Taiping came to sell her pity.
(Princess Taiping)
My brother asked me to go, I just left, but I have been with my brother for many years, and I am still a little reluctant. I just heard you say something about the oblique seal. Brother, you must pay attention to Yao Chong and Song Jing, it is not a good thing to remove these officials in large numbers, my sister can only help you here, I will miss you when I get to a new place!
Li Dan is a sensual person, he couldn't hold back at that time, my good sister, I will definitely listen to your words, I know you are wronged, but my brother will compensate you in the future!
In fact, Princess Taiping did these things for herself, as mentioned earlier, many officials under Queen Wei's banner were included in Princess Taiping's command, and a large part of these oblique officials were also the vital force that Princess Taiping could use.
(Li Longji)
It was because of Li Dan's tenderness that Li Longji stumbled. These two men are under my command, and my aunt is going to label me a hat of great disrespect to the emperor. After thinking about it, in order to be able to keep Yao Chong and Song Jing, and in order to keep this matter from affecting him, he decided to break the wrist of the strong man, saying that it was these two people who suggested that he let Princess Taiping leave Luoyang.
In fact, I can't bear my aunt, the two of them are separated from the feelings of our aunt and nephew, the emperor, let's punish them. Li Dan is an emperor who doesn't like to kill, he just dismissed the two of them from office, and there was no other decision.
At this point, Princess Taiping and Li Longji can be said to be 73 open, and the number of political groups under Princess Taiping is still far ahead of Li Longji. But not long after, Li Dan said, this emperor Lao Tzu doesn't want to be anymore, I just want to lie flat, it's good to be an emperor.
(Princess Taiping)
Did Li Longji dare to take the position at that time? Surely he didn't dare, who knows if his father was testing himself. But from the perspective of future generations, Li Dan really wants to lie flat. Although Li Longji refused on the surface, he did one thing very cleverly, that is, to ask his father Li Dan to recall Princess Taiping and the two older brothers who were older than him.
How can we, who are the crown princes, not think of the love of brotherhood? When Princess Taiping came back and saw this scene, she knew that if she didn't do it again, it would be too late.
(Princess Taiping)
Seeing this, in fact, everyone can see that Li Dan really doesn't want to go to power, and he values sibling affection more than he loves power, which is also the core reason why Princess Taiping and Li Longji have been fighting for many years, but they always hit the cotton with their fists and can't eradicate each other.
Fourth, Princess Taiping was shocked to operate, and a coup d'état broke out
Princess Taiping thought of a way to ask the minister in charge of stargazing to tell Li Dan that the celestial phenomena have moved today, the emperor has moved, and the position of the emperor may have to be changed. Princess Taiping's ideal picture is that Li Dan is furious, Emperor Lao Tzu is doing a good job, who said that he would be replaced?
Some time ago, I was just tempting to test Longji, how can I say that he really wants to be the emperor, ask you to lie to me, what is the emperor star moving? Princess Taiping is usually too scheming, overestimating the complexity of Li Dan, people say that they want to give way, that is really letting, there is no adulteration at all.
(Princess Taiping)
Now that such a play has been made, Li Dan said, since the will of heaven is like this, then Longji, you are in power, I can finally retire and lie down! This time Princess Taiping will not be able to fix it, Li Longji is estimated to have laughed in the bed for three days and three nights at night.
However, Princess Taiping still has the means, she said that Li Longji is still young, and the emperor cannot completely delegate power, regarding the appointment of officials above the third grade, as well as many important cases in the country, brother, you still have to watch it. Li Dan naturally agreed, but it seemed a little perfunctory, Princess Taiping looked at Li Dan's attitude, she knew that her brother was "hopeless".
If she wants to seize power and become the second Wu Zetian, she needs to carry out an assassination attempt, or launch a coup d'état! The assassination was carried out by poisoning Li Longji, but this plan failed, and a coup d'état followed. She spent money to buy off the commander of the forbidden army, and was ready to send someone to Li Longji's residence at any time to cut off her nephew's head.
(Li Longji)
It's a pity that this plan was heard by a prime minister named Wei Zhigu and reached Li Longji's ears. Li Longji smiled at this time, since you want to use the knife, then don't blame me for being polite. After grasping the evidence that the Taiping Duke staged a coup d'état, all of Li Longji's actions were regarded as self-defense, and of course, from the perspective of our future generations, Li Longji still launched a coup d'état.
first lured the monarch into the urn, using his own emperor's edict as a bait, and in the name of Emperor Li Dantai, let these bought forbidden army commanders into the trap and kill them one by one. After controlling the forbidden army, it will not be difficult to force a Taiping princess to death.
(Princess Taiping)
The core of Li Longji's success in this political struggle lies in his father Li Dan's contempt for power and his love for his close relatives. Secondly, Princess Taiping obviously does not fully understand her brother, Li Longji's status as a prince is something she can't have, and after the initial attempt, she found that it can't be shaken.
If Princess Taiping wants to seize power, she can only kill Li Longji through a coup d'état, but unfortunately, her luck is still a little worse. If this news hadn't been spread, maybe somewhere in the capital, Li Longji's head would have been hung high.
Resources:
Journal of Hebei Normal University(Social Sciences),1997,(01):41-47+70.
Du Wenyu.The only princess in the world——Princess Taiping[J].Literature and History Knowledge,2023,(07):11-20.