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On July 2, 626 AD, Li Jiancheng, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, and his younger brother Li Yuanji walked to the Xuanwu Gate of the capital Chang'an. Suddenly, a cold arrow shot out from their backs, and the two of them fell to the ground.
This coup d'état that shocked the empire did not last long, but it had an extremely far-reaching impact on the political ecology of later Chinese feudal dynasties.
For many years, people have been curious: Why was Li Shimin able to easily kill the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji? Could it be that the contradictions between Li Shimin and the crown prince had really developed to the point of irreconcilability?
It wasn't until people saw an inscription from the Tang Dynasty in a museum in Paris that the historical truth of the Xuanwumen Revolution gradually surfaced.
A coup d'état that shook the empire
In 618 AD, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan officially ascended the throne as emperor, and a new dynasty was born. He established his eldest son Li Jiancheng as the crown prince according to custom, and his second son Li Shimin was canonized by him as the king of Qin.
However, the contradiction between the crown prince Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin is very acute. Because Li Shimin has been fighting abroad all the year round, many generals in the Tang army are Li Shimin's old friends and friends, which makes Li Jiancheng, as the crown prince, feel threatened.
On July 2, 626, Li Shimin decided to launch a coup d'état against the crown prince Li Jiancheng. A large number of archers and soldiers lay in ambush around the Xuanwu Gate, waiting for the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi, Li Yuanji, who came here.
In the early morning of the same day, Li Yuanji and his brother Li Jiancheng finally came to the Xuanwu Gate. Li Shimin and his soldiers, who had already been ready, immediately took action to end the lives of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.
When the news reached Taiji Palace, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan couldn't believe his ears. He never imagined that his second son would dare to kill his brother and younger brother.
It is precisely because Li Shimin killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji that the contradiction between Li Shimin and Tang Emperor Li Yuan became irreconcilable.
So, Li Shimin simply forced Li Yuan to give up the throne. This move not only became a turning point in Li Shimin's life, but also put the Tang Dynasty on the road to prosperity and development.
Li Shimin raised troops to force the palace
After killing Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin quickly swept away the subordinates and entourage of these two. At the same time, Li Shimin ordered that all the family properties of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji be swallowed up and handed over to the government for management.
At this time, Li Shimin's subordinates stepped forward and persuaded Li Shimin: "The great sin is that the two culprits have now been punished, we should not continue to chase and fight the rest of the people, the most important thing at the moment is to let His Royal Highness obtain the right to inherit the throne." ”
As a result, Li Shimin immediately led the troops to rush to the Taiji Palace where Li Yuan lived. The meaning of Li Shimin's move is very obvious: Li Yuan must pass the throne to Li Shimin, otherwise the Tang Empire will face the danger of splitting.
In front of his son, who was holding a heavy army, Li Yuan had long since lost his bargaining chips. In desperation, Li Yuan had no choice but to declare Li Shimin as the crown prince, and at the same time, he himself immediately held a Zen throne ceremony to cede the throne to Li Shimin.
Since then, Li Yuan has become the emperor who lives in the palace, and no longer cares about the affairs of foreign courts. An era that truly belongs to Li Shimin has arrived.
But over the years, there have been many controversies about Li Shimin's performance in the Xuanwumen Change. Many people really don't understand: how did Li Shimin kill the crown prince Li Jiancheng and his younger brother Li Yuanji?
It wasn't until people saw a Tang Dynasty inscription on display in Paris, France, that they finally understood the choice Li Shimin made in the Xuanwumen Rebellion.
The truth of the Xuanwu Gate Change
In the 20s of the last century, due to the Qing government's negligent management of the northwest region, many foreign explorers took advantage of the situation and stole many rare treasures in the Dunhuang area of the mainland, including some cultural relics of the Tang Dynasty.
Many years later, a Tang Dynasty inscription was stumbled upon in the National Library in Paris. I saw that this inscription reads:
"Taizong was able to ambush his disciples in Xuanwumen on June 4, the ninth year of Wude, and the guards did not notice it. Although Yuanji had a warning first, those who did not care about it must be at least not the party members of Taizong. ”
According to the record of this inscription, people can know that most of the soldiers guarding the Xuanwu Gate at that time were Li Shimin's old subordinates. Some historians even believe that Chang He, the general who guarded the Xuanwu Gate at that time, was Li Shimin's internal response to this place.
In addition, the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji knew the news that Li Shimin was going to kill him in advance but did not pay attention to it, which led to the tragedy that they were finally killed under the Xuanwu Gate.
If you look at it from the perspective of strength alone, Li Shimin, as a very powerful prince, although he can compete with the crown prince Li Jiancheng, if he wants to kill Li Jiancheng, I am afraid it will not be so easy.
But it was because of a series of coincidences and Li Shimin's careful preparations in advance that Li Shimin's murder of the crown prince was successful.
Facts have proved that Li Shimin is also a wise enough "usurper", and the Tang Dynasty gradually embarked on the road of prosperity and strength under his rule.
Not only that, Li Shimin also led the army of the Tang Empire to completely sweep away the hidden dangers brought to the country by the surrounding nomads, and he himself was also respected by the nomadic people and generals as "Heavenly Khan".
Political struggles are often brutal, and only the victorious side deserves to write history. However, the evaluation of the people of later generations may not be completely subverted because of a few records in the history books, because there is always a set of common standards for right and wrong, justice and morality in people's hearts.
Bibliography:
1. The Causes of the "Xuanwumen Change" in the Tang Dynasty Journal of Jiangxi Electric Power Vocational and Technical College
2. Research on the Construction of the Legitimacy of the Tang Empire: From the Beginning of the Tang Dynasty to the Kaitian Period, Journal of Shaanxi Normal University