In 618, the jade cave of the Sui Dynasty was cracked, and the people were struggling to make a living. This great era needs a wise monarch to lead the new life. In troubled times, those who eventually claim to be kings and hegemons are often those who have great ambitions and ambitions higher than the sky.
So, how big was Li Yuan's ambition? How did he rise in the troubled times and eventually establish the glorious Tang Dynasty? Also, what kind of political ambitions does the name he chose for his four sons reflect?
As a descendant of Tang Guogong, a famous family in the Western Wei Dynasty, Li Yuanzhi was determined to glorify his ancestors and was extremely eager for power since he was a child. He regarded the safety of his family and country as one, and took it as his responsibility to seize power. Li Yuan once revealed to his confidants that his ambition was second only to the ambition to serve the country. It can be seen that this gentleman from a famous family has long been ready to covet power in his heart.
When the world was in turmoil in 618, the ambitious Li Yuan finally waited for an opportunity. In the face of the corruption of the Sui Dynasty and the misery of the people, he chose to raise the banner of rebellion and raise troops to seize power in the name of "clearing the monarch's side and saving the people's livelihood". Although many of his subordinates were initially suspicious of his motives, Li Yuan, with his outstanding military skills and strategy, captured Taiyuan, Fenzhou, Jinyang, and other places. With the assistance of the fourth son, Li Yuan's career was thriving, and the Sui Dynasty was already at the end of its power.
In 621, Li Yuan finally unified the north and established the Tang Dynasty as the ancestor of the Tang Dynasty. It seems to have completed the legendary leap from a local official to the Son of Heaven, but the higher ambitions have just begun. Li Yuan's name for his fourth son reflects his infinite desire for power.
The "built" of the eldest son, Li Jiancheng, means that he wants to surpass himself and establish greater achievements. This is undoubtedly a good wish for the future of the Tang Dynasty. The second son, Li Shimin, is "helping the world and saving the people", hoping that he will become a benevolent ruler. The word "ba" contained in the name of the third son Li Xuanba reflects Li Yuan's passionate pursuit of power. He hoped that Li Xuanba would gain fame and fortune in the court. As for his youngest son, Li Yuanji, Li Yuan gave him the beautiful expectation of creating a new glory for the family.
The name of the fourth son reflects Li Yuan's infinite thirst for power and super high ambition. He not only wants to build the country and become the emperor, but also to pass on the country and the society from generation to generation. Li Yuan had already brewed a grand blueprint of "four generations in the same house" in his heart.
However, the good times did not last long, and Li Yuan's ambition also buried hidden dangers. In 626, two brothers, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, clashed over the crown prince. In the end, Li Shimin won, and all the factions were executed. Li Shimin seized power and ascended the throne for Tang Taizong.
The "Xuanwumen Change" caused by this brotherly wall has become the bloodiest portrayal of the Li family's struggle for power and profit. Witnessing his beloved son brutally killing his brother, Li Yuan was grief-stricken. He paid a huge price for power, and his dream of four generations of people was shattered.
In his later years, Li Yuan lived a life of retreat with the dignity of the emperor of the ether, and although he was fortunate to witness the initial prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, he still couldn't hide his regret for the lost dream with a smile. In 630, Li Yuan died of illness in Chang'an. In his deathbed edict, he still hopes that his descendants will inherit his legacy and enjoy the country forever.
Li Yuan and his four sons were eventually buried in Zhaoling, lying with their brothers and sons who died fighting for power and profit. We see that Li Yuan ultimately failed to fulfill his ambitions in his life, nor did he enjoy eternal peace with his four sons. However, it was with unlimited political ambition that Li Yuan rewrote history and created the glory of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan and his four sons used their blood and tears in exchange for a prosperous and powerful Tang Dynasty. But at the same time, it is precisely the excessive ambition that causes them to escape the cruel test of fate in the struggle for power.
The legendary rise and fall of Li Yuan's generation warns us of the dark side of power, and also eulogizes the beautiful idealistic side of human nature. Only by facing up to the contradiction between personal ambition and reality and knowing how to balance it can we achieve greater political achievements in reality.
There is nothing wrong with ambition, but if ambition does not serve a greater ideal, it will inevitably fall into the trap of the ego. Li Yuan and his four sons left valuable historical lessons for future generations. When we strive for our ideals, we should also remember to compromise with reality and quit blind self-confidence, so as to adapt to the needs of the great times and create history instead of being eliminated by history.