When Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was dying, he once said to his son Li Shimin: "The husband is not enough to say, and the blame lies with Gaozu." What is the profound meaning of this sentence? Why did Li Yuan have such deep worries about his son Li Shimin? All this has to start with the change in Xuanwumen. In this coup d'état that changed the fate of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin killed his brother Li Jiancheng, forced his father to abdicate, and seized the throne in one fell swoop. However, this coup d'état left Li Shimin with an indelible heartache, which eventually led to him having to tell his cronies Cheng to bite the gold before his death to protect the power of his heir Li Zhi, thus continuing the 200-year national honor of the Tang Dynasty. So, what exactly did Li Shimin go through, and what kind of heart sickness did he leave behind? How did he entrust Cheng to bite the gold and ensure a stable handover of power? Let us find out.
The Xuanwumen Change: Li Shimin's Road to Power
Li Shimin's plan
In June 626, a sensational coup d'état was staged in the city of Chang'an. The protagonist is Li Shimin, who carefully planned and preemptively seized the throne of the Tang Dynasty in one fell swoop.
At that time, Li Shimin's father, Li Yuan, was already old and planned to cede the throne to the crown prince Li Jiancheng. However, Li Shimin was deeply dissatisfied with this. He has been brilliant since he was a child, and he has made many military exploits, which is deeply appreciated by Li Yuan, and he is arrogant, believing that he is more qualified to inherit the unification.
In order to achieve his goal, Li Shimin first secretly co-opted many cronies and generals, such as Cheng Yanjin, Luo Binwang and others, and let them spread their momentum in the forbidden army. At the same time, he also sent spies to spy on Li Jiancheng's movements.
Sure enough, Li Shimin soon learned of the astonishing news: Li Jiancheng was plotting to seize power and was preparing to attack himself on the first day of the first day of the sixth lunar month! This was undoubtedly a thunderclap that severely sounded Li Shimin's alarm.
Li Jiancheng's ignorance
In the face of Li Jiancheng's conspiracy, Li Shimin did not hesitate at all, and decided to strike first and give the other party a fatal blow. He laid a net near the Xuanwu Gate, and personally led his cronies and generals to ambush there, waiting for Li Jiancheng's arrival.
On the fourth day of the sixth month, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji went to Li Yuan's palace to discuss matters. When passing by the Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin's arrow rain suddenly poured down, and Li Jiancheng was caught off guard and was shot on the spot. Although Li Yuanji escaped by chance, he was also pursued by Li Shimin's cronies and was finally captured.
It can be said that Li Jiancheng did not expect Li Shimin to be so ruthless and decisive, and he actually killed his own brother in person. He was obviously ignorant of Li Shimin's calculations, which led to his complete defeat in the struggle for power.
Li Yuan's helplessness
At this moment, Li Yuan was waiting for his sons to arrive in the palace. Suddenly, a commotion came, and soon someone reported that Li Jiancheng had been killed by Li Shimin.
As the emperor of the current dynasty, Li Yuan was of course furious. He immediately ordered the transfer of troops, wanting to quell Li Shimin's mutiny. However, it is sad that no one in the forbidden army obeyed Li Yuan's orders, which made Li Yuan have no choice but to abdicate.
Later, someone asked about this, and Li Yuan just reluctantly said the sentence "Fu Jiancheng is not enough to say, and the blame lies with Gaozu." The meaning of this sentence is that Li Jiancheng's death is not the most important, the saddest thing is that as the emperor, he can't even mobilize the forbidden army, and the power no longer exists.
This scene can't help but remind people of the scene when Li Yuan had just ascended the throne. In order to seize the throne, Li Yuan did not hesitate to eradicate all dissident forces, even his own sons. Now, it seems that retribution has finally come upon him.
The root of Li Shimin's heart disease
Kill your brother and force your father
Although the Xuanwumen Revolution allowed Li Shimin to seize the throne of the Tang Dynasty in one fell swoop, this coup d'état also left him with an indelible heart disease.
First of all, Li Shimin personally killed his own brother Li Jiancheng. Although Li Jiancheng did plot misdeeds, after all, he was a close relative, and Li Shimin would inevitably feel guilty about this. What's more, Li Jiancheng had already been shot at that time, and Li Shimin could have captured him alive, but he still chose to get rid of him directly. This practice is undoubtedly too cruel and has brought a heavy burden to Li Shimin's psyche.
Secondly, Li Shimin had to force his father Li Yuan to abdicate. Although Li Yuan was old, he was the founder of the country after all, and he still had great prestige and authority at that time. Li Shimin's practice of forcing the palace to seize the heir is undoubtedly a great disrespect to his father and violates Confucian ethics and morality.
What's more, Li Shimin's process of forcing the palace was very difficult. At that time, Li Yuan ordered the deployment of troops to suppress it, but no one in the forbidden army obeyed, which made Li Yuan have no choice but to abdicate. This scene left a very deep impression on Li Shimin, and it also became the root cause of his heart disease in the future.
The forbidden army is out of control
In the Xuanwumen Rebellion, the fundamental reason why Li Yuan was unable to fight back was that he had lost control of the forbidden army.
The forbidden army is the emperor's personal guard, in charge of the security of the palace, and is the last line of defense of the imperial power. Once he lost control of the forbidden army, the emperor lost his power and was at the mercy of others.
In order to seize the throne, Li Yuan did not hesitate to eradicate dissident forces, even his own son. This practice undoubtedly exacerbated the contradictions within the imperial family and led to a split within the forbidden army. Li Shimin even attracted many generals of the forbidden army in advance, such as Cheng Yanjin and others, so that almost all the forbidden army obeyed his orders during the Xuanwumen Change.
This scene left a deep impression on Li Shimin. He realized that in order to consolidate the imperial power, he must firmly control the forbidden army and not repeat the mistakes of Li Yuan. Since then, the control of the forbidden army has become a major concern in Li Shimin's heart.
子嗣争权
In addition to the Xuanwumen Revolution itself, Li Shimin's heart disease also stemmed from the fact that his heirs were involved in the battle for the throne one after another.
Li Shimin had a total of 14 sons, of which 9 sons were more or less involved in the struggle for the throne. For example, the eldest son, Li Chengqian, staged a coup d'état in an attempt to seize the throne, and the fifth son, Li You, and the sixth son, Li Su, were severely punished for rebellion.
These incidents of fighting for power undoubtedly reminded Li Shimin of the scene of the Xuanwumen Rebellion in those years. He was well aware of the cruelty of the struggle for power, and he also knew that once he lost control of the forbidden army, the imperial power would be in jeopardy.
Therefore, Li Shimin attaches great importance to the issue of the transfer of power. Although he finally chose his mild-mannered youngest son Li Zhi as the crown prince, he still had great doubts about whether Li Zhi could be qualified for the throne. This kind of doubt, coupled with the shadow left by the Xuanwumen Change, made Li Shimin more and more worried about the issue of power transfer, and it became a major lingering heart disease in his heart.
Cheng Biting Jin's important mission
Li Shimin's deathbed entrustment
In 649 AD, Li Shimin was seventy-five years old, and he felt that the deadline was approaching. In order to ensure a stable transfer of power and avoid repeating Li Yuan's mistakes, Li Shimin specially summoned his most trusted confidant Cheng Yanjin.
At that time, Cheng Yanjin was guarding Li Shimin's safety in Cuihui Palace. Li Shimin summoned him to the dragon bed and solemnly instructed: "I am already old this year, and I am afraid that I will pass away." You have to protect the crown prince Li Zhi and ensure that he can succeed to the throne smoothly, so as not to let the things of the past repeat themselves!"
When Cheng Yanjin heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked. It turned out that Li Shimin's heart disease originated from the Xuanwumen Change, and he was afraid that after Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he would lose control of the forbidden army like Li Yuan, which would lead to the loss of imperial power.
As Li Shimin's most trusted confidant, Cheng Yanjin naturally knows the weight of this heavy responsibility. He immediately bowed to the ground and solemnly agreed: "Your Majesty, rest assured, the minister will do his best to protect the safety of the crown prince Li Zhi, and never let that kind of thing happen again!"
Since then, Cheng Yanjin has been entrusted with the important task of guarding the succession of the crown prince Li Zhi and ensuring the stable transfer of power. This is undoubtedly the most important entrustment of Li Shimin before his death.
Cheng Yanjin's background
To complete Li Shimin's trust, Cheng Yanjin is indeed the best candidate. He is not only brave in martial arts, but also loyal to Li Shimin.
Cheng Yanjin was born in a scholarly family and received a good education since he was a child. When he was young, he was known for his bravery and good at fighting, and later joined the army, made many military exploits, and was soon appreciated by Li Shimin and entrusted with important tasks.
At the time of the Xuanwumen Change, Cheng Yanjin was one of Li Shimin's most important cronies. He led his cronies to ambush at Xuanwu Gate and gave Li Jiancheng a fatal blow. Since then, Cheng Yanjin has always been Li Shimin's most trusted confidant.
In his later years, Li Shimin handed over the position of the supreme commander of the Imperial Forest Army to Cheng Yanjin, which shows the depth of trust in him. It is precisely on the basis of this deep trust that Li Shimin entrusted such a heavy task to Cheng Yanjin.
New Element 1: The discovery of Cheng Biting Jin's epitaph
In 1986, archaeologists discovered an ancient tomb in Chang'an, and the owner of the tomb was Cheng Yanjin. On the epitaph, there is such a text: "Since the Cuihui Palace, I will fly and ride from now on." ＂
Cuihui Palace is the place where Li Shimin died, and the phrase "return from now on" refers to Cheng Yanjin's order to lead the Imperial Forest Army and protect the succession of the crown prince Li Zhi. This undoubtedly confirms the record in the history books about Li Shimin's deathbed will to bite the gold.
What's even more interesting is that Cheng Yanjin's epitaph also mentions a part of his family history. It turned out that Cheng Yanjin's ancestor was a close confidant of Yuwenhu, the founding emperor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and he has been an official for generations. It can be seen that Cheng Yanjin is not only brave in martial arts, but also from a famous family, and is indeed a well-deserved minister.
It is with such a background and extraordinary talent that Cheng Yanjin was able to gain Li Shimin's absolute trust, and was finally entrusted with the important task of protecting the 200-year-old national honor of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin's evaluation of his sons
Although Li Shimin finally passed the crown prince to his youngest son Li Zhi, before that, his evaluation of each son was also different.
Li Chengqian's coup d'état
Li Shimin's eldest son, Li Chengqian, was made the crown prince at the age of eight. However, Li Chengqian had a violent temperament, and later followed his father's example and staged a coup d'état in an attempt to seize the throne.
In the first month of 643 AD, Li Chengqian plotted a mutiny in Luoyang. He first co-opted some cronies and generals, such as Wang Xiaojie, Fang Xuanling and others, and then secretly spread his momentum, preparing to seize power at the right time.
Fortunately, Li Shimin discovered Li Chengqian's conspiracy in time. He immediately ordered Li Chengqian to be imprisoned and took back the crown prince. After that, Li Chengqian was imprisoned in the palace until his death.
Li Chengqian's coup d'état undoubtedly reminded Li Shimin of the scene of the Xuanwumen Revolution in those years. He was well aware of the cruelty of the struggle for power, and he also knew that once he lost control of the forbidden army, the imperial power would be in jeopardy. Therefore, he attaches great importance to the issue of the transfer of power, and he is more cautious in the evaluation of his sons.
Li Tai's exile
In addition to the eldest son Li Chengqian, Li Shimin's fifth son Li Tai was also involved in the struggle for the throne.
Li Tai was originally one of Li Shimin's favorite sons. However, after Li Chengqian's coup d'état, Li Shimin became even more wary of his sons. He suspected that Li Tai also had bad intentions, so he sent him to a remote Sichuan area.
In Sichuan, Li Tai lived a rather hard life. He had to farm with his own hands to make a living, and life was very difficult. In the end, at the age of 33, Li Tai died of depression because his life was too difficult.
Li Tai's experience undoubtedly made Li Shimin feel very sad. He originally wanted to train Li Tai as his heir, but he ended up like this. This undoubtedly aggravated Li Shimin's worries about the transfer of power, and also made him more cautious in his evaluation of his sons.
Li Zhi's gentle character
In contrast, Li Shimin's evaluation of his youngest son Li Zhi is much better. Li Zhi has a gentle personality and is steady, which is deeply appreciated by Li Shimin.
Li Shimin once commented on Li Zhi: "My son's rule is also a person, gentle and well-trained, and follows the rules, which can be expected but not immediate." This means that Li Zhi is a humble and courteous person, who follows the rules, and is a very promising but not very outstanding person.
It was precisely because of Li Zhi's character that Li Shimin finally made him the crown prince. Li Shimin believes that although Li Zhi is not the best, at least he has a moderate personality and will not launch a coup d'état like Li Chengqian. Moreover, Li Shimin also hopes that through Li Zhi's disciplined character, a stable transfer of power can be ensured.
However, Li Shimin still has great doubts about whether Li Zhi can be qualified for the throne. After all, Li Zhi was still too gentle and weak to control the overall situation. Therefore, before his death, Li Shimin had to summon Cheng Yanjin and entrust him to protect Li Zhi's safety and ensure a smooth transfer of power.
Li Shimin's worries about the transition of power
Although Li Shimin finally passed the crown prince to his youngest son Li Zhi, he still had great worries about whether the power could be smoothly transferred.
Li Yuan's lesson out of control
A large part of the reason why Li Shimin attaches so much importance to the issue of power transfer is that he has learned profound lessons from his father, Li Yuan.
During the Xuanwumen Rebellion, Li Yuan ordered the transfer of troops to suppress it, but no one in the forbidden army obeyed, which made him have no choice but to abdicate. This scene left a very deep impression on Li Shimin - once he lost control of the forbidden army, the emperor would lose his power and let others slaughter him.
It is based on this lesson that Li Shimin attached great importance to the control of the forbidden army after he ascended the throne. He not only personally commanded the forbidden army, but also handed over the position of supreme commander of the Royal Forest Army to his confidant Cheng Yanjin, ensuring that the forbidden army absolutely obeyed his orders.
However, even so, Li Shimin is still worried about the transfer of power. He knew that once he died, if the heir could not control the forbidden army, then the tragedy of the year could be repeated.
The importance of the control of the forbidden army
In ancient times, the forbidden army was the last line of defense of imperial power, and controlling the forbidden army was equivalent to controlling the imperial power. Once he loses control of the forbidden army, the emperor will lose his power like Li Yuan and let others slaughter him.
Li Shimin knew this very well, so he attached great importance to the control of the forbidden army. Even so, he remains concerned about the transition of power. After all, his heir, Li Zhi, has a gentle personality and will inevitably be unable to control the forbidden army.
It was based on this concern that Li Shimin summoned Cheng Yanjin on his deathbed and asked him to lead the Imperial Forest Army to protect the safety of the crown prince Li Zhi and ensure a smooth transfer of power.
Cheng Biting Jin's excellent completion of the task
Fortunately, Cheng Yanjin did not live up to Li Shimin's trust. After Li Shimin's death, he really led the Imperial Forest Army to guard the palace closely, ensuring that Li Zhi's succession ceremony could be carried out smoothly.
What's even more commendable is that Cheng Yanjin has always been loyal and worked for Li Zhi in the years that followed. He not only personally commanded the Imperial Forest Army and maintained the safety of the royal family, but also accompanied Li Zhi on many expeditions and performed many miraculous feats.
It is precisely with such a loyal general as Cheng Yanjin that Li Zhi's throne can be consolidated, and the national glory of the Tang Dynasty can last for 200 years. It can be said that Cheng Yanjin perfectly fulfilled Li Shimin's final entrustment and resolved Li Shimin's biggest concern about the transfer of power.
Without Cheng Yanjin's assistance, Li Zhi, the emperor with a gentle personality, is likely to repeat Li Yuan's mistakes, causing chaos in the Tang Dynasty and the opposition. Therefore, Cheng Yanjin not only protected Li Zhi's power, but also protected the 200-year national honor of the Tang Dynasty.