Preface
In ancient Chinese history, the Xuanwumen Revolution was a pivotal event that reversed the fate of history, and the story behind it was full of political intrigue and family feuds.
Prior to this, the power of Li Shimin, the prince of the Tang Dynasty, had gradually expanded, and people could not help but speculate about how great his influence was? It was this huge force that made Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji and others daunting. Their fears are not unfounded, but stem from deep concerns about Li Shimin's power.
Let's travel back in time to explore the infighting and intrigue of the Tang Dynasty royal family, revealing the hidden wisdom and loyalty, as well as the truth about that turning point in history.
A gifted young talent
In 599 AD, the Great Sui Dynasty welcomed a special child. He was born in Liangzhou Li - a prominent family of eunuchs. In his infancy, some people said that he was extraordinary, and when he was a child, some people praised him for his intelligence. This child is the future Tang Emperor Li Shimin.
In the eleventh year of the Great Cause (615), the 17-year-old Li Shimin showed his amazing strategy for the first time. At that time, the Turkic iron cavalry raided Chang'an, and Emperor Yang of Sui ordered all walks of life to recruit troops to the king.
Li Shimin resolutely joined the army and gave an unexpected suggestion - "Erect flags on the city overnight, light bonfires everywhere, and then send people to beat war drums." The Sui army did so, and when the Turkic army saw this, they mistakenly thought that reinforcements had arrived, and retreated in a hurry. In this way, the young Li Shimin resolved a national disaster by himself.
In the twelfth year of the Great Cause (616), Li Yuan was ordered to guard Taiyuan. In order to consolidate his position, he appointed Li Shimin to command his own soldiers. This year, anti-Sui uprisings broke out one after another.
Taiyuan thieves raided Li Yuan's mansion, and Li Shimin led his troops to rush into the trap at the last moment, and the thieves fled in a hundred steps. Li Yuan was impressed by this son. Since the beginning of this year, Li Shimin has been active in the turbulent situation, making contributions and making a name for himself.
Political games on the eve of Xuanwu Gate
In the second year of Yiyuan (617), the Sui Dynasty was exhausted. Under the persuasion of his son Li Shimin, Li Yuan finally made up his mind to raise troops against Sui. This year, Li Shimin was only 19 years old and became his father's most powerful assistant. He personally drafted the essay, made a generous statement, and called on the righteous people of the world to respond to the Li family and raise the banner of righteousness.
In the first year of Wude (618), Li Yuan broke through Chang'an, supported Yang Yu, the acting king, as the emperor, and appointed himself as the prime minister, with great power. In June of the same year, Dai Wang Chan was located in Li Yuan, which was for Tang Gaozu. The world returned to the heart, and the Li Tang Dynasty was established. However, this entrenched half of the world is far from unified. There are Dou Jiande and Liu Heimin in the east, Xue Ju in the west, Turkic in the north, Wang Shichong in the south, and the Quartet is eyeing the strong.
At this moment, who would have thought that the greatest threat to this nascent dynasty would lurk in the power vortex within it. As the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Li Shimin should have belonged to the position of crown prince. But Li Yuan's choice disappointed him - the position of crown prince was granted to his eldest son, Li Jiancheng.
Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanyan's eldest son, has few ambitions. In the process of helping his father take the world, he once captured Tongguan and opened a channel for the Tang army to enter Guanzhong. In addition, he also defeated Dou Jiande's attacks many times, stabilizing the eastern frontier of the Tang Dynasty. The merit is great, and it deserves to inherit the unification.
However, in that era when it was common to kill kings and seize the throne, qualification did not mean that there was capital. In contrast, Li Shimin is undoubtedly the most threatening opponent. On the one hand, Li Shimin has repeatedly performed miraculous feats. He successively quelled the Xue Ju Rebellion, captured Dou Jiande, and defeated Wang Shichong, clearing most of the obstacles for the Tang Dynasty. With the addition of officials and knights, the military talisman is in hand, and Li Shimin has become an existence under one person and above ten thousand people.
On the other hand, Li Shimin has a wide range of contacts. He first opened the Tiance Mansion, recruited wizards from all over the world, and made friends with a group of fierce generals such as Cheng Yanjin and Qin Qiong. Then, he took the opportunity of the conquest to win the hearts of the people and buy the hearts of the army. So much so that later, wherever Li Shimin went, there were returnees who came to surrender.
There are all kinds of signs that a battle for imperial power has secretly lit the fuse. And the last straw that broke the camel's back was Li Yuan's preference for Li Shimin. In 624 AD, Li Yuan gave Li Shimin two Ding furnaces and allowed him to mint money.
In today's parlance, this is an opportunity for Li Shimin to "generate income". Coupled with Li Yuan's appreciation of Li Shimin and his courtesy, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji couldn't sit still anymore.
A life-and-death duel within the Xuanwu Gate
On June 4, 626, the storm changed dramatically. In the early morning of this day, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji laid an ambush in front of Xuanwu Gate, preparing to capture Li Shimin alive. However, something was wrong, and Li Shimin noticed something unusual.
Seeing that the matter had been revealed, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had to lead troops to meet the battle. However, where are they Li Shimin's opponents. Within a moment, gunsmoke erupted in front of the Xuanwu Gate, and Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had become prisoners. In a fit of rage, Li Shimin shot Li Yuanji to death with an arrow, and then escorted Li Jiancheng into the main hall and forced him to commit suicide.
A premeditated seizure ended in blood and fire. And from this moment on, Li Shimin also tied his fate closely to the rise and fall of the Tang Empire.
Ascend the throne and become the emperor and create a prosperous era
In July 626 AD, in the face of the life-and-death battle of his sons, Li Yuan had to make a choice. On the balance, Li Shimin is undoubtedly the best candidate – capable but not too strong, prestigious, but not in danger of being divided, and most importantly, he has just undergone a baptism of blood, which paved the way for his ascension to the throne.
So, in August of the same year, Li Yuan abdicated, and Li Shimin succeeded to the throne as Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. During his reign, Li Shimin made great efforts to govern the country, paid attention to the administration of officials, reformed the system of electing officials, adopted advice, reduced taxes, revitalized agriculture, and promoted education.
Politics is harmonious, and Xianning is in all directions. Historians refer to this period as the "rule of Zhenguan" and consider it to be a prosperous era of feudal society. However, just as his throne came from, Taizong's fame was fraught with controversy.
Just 12 years later, in the twelfth year of Zhenguan, Wei Zheng, who had always praised Taizong, revealed on his deathbed: Before Taizong ascended the throne, he said to Gaozu: "Jiancheng, Yuanji, never have this heart", the implication is that the change in Xuanwumen is basically a coup d'état directed by Li Shimin.
The Xuanwumen Incident, there is no way to verify who is right and who is wrong. But one thing is certain - in that era of fierce competition and domineering, force is the ladder to the top of power, and strategy is the key to success or failure.
What will be the fate of the "rule of Zhenguan" created with blood and an iron fist? Will it usher in an era of peace and prosperity as the official history says? Today, it looks more like a beginning full of contradictions—under the harsh rule, there is a hidden crisis; In the appearance of prosperity, there is a turning point.
epilogue
Throughout Li Shimin's life, there are paradoxes and contradictions everywhere. He is brilliant but ruthless, he is prosperous but extreme, he is hardworking, but intrigue is his ladder to the top of power.
Today, when we re-examine this period of history, we can't help but ask: which one is more important, merit or morality, power and benevolence?
Perhaps, Li Shimin's life has given us an answer worth pondering. In the Game of Thrones, the winner is king, and the loser is the loser. But on the scales of history, the brilliance of human nature is the most valuable weight.