Wang Shichong was one of the late Sui Dynasty warlords, whose power once spread throughout the Central Plains. He once had 500,000 troops and fought against the rebels in Wagangzhai, Shandong province on many occasions. However, it was such a Central Plains overlord who was finally defeated by Tang Taizong Li Shimin, and he was also defeated very badly. So, how did Wang Shichong come to perdition? Why did he lose so badly?
Like Yu Wenhua and Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Li Yuan, Wang Shichong was also an official of the Sui Dynasty from the beginning, but unlike Li Mi and others, Wang Shichong was not from the Guan Longshi clan, but was an authentic han disciple. Before Wang Shichong raised an army, he had followed the Sui Emperor Yang Guangnan on a tour of Yangzhou, and later, due to the outbreak of the Wagangzhai Rebellion, the Sui Emperor transferred him to Luoyang to assist Yang Tong, the King of Yue, in presiding over the suppression of the rebellion.
Luoyang was the center of the Sui Dynasty, and the Sui Emperor also attached great importance to this place, as early as the Sui Wen Emperor period, there were large granaries such as Luokou Warehouse and Liyang Warehouse near Luoyang, and the grain stored in these two granaries was enough to support the Sui army for ten years. After the outbreak of the Wagangzhai Rebellion, Luokoucang and Liyangcang were successively occupied by the Wagang army, and in order to retake these two granaries, the Sui Emperor sent Wang Shichong to assist the Yue King, and for a long time opposed the Wagang army.
In the confrontation with the Wagang army, Wang Shichong gradually took control of Luoyang. When Li Mi was defeated, Wang Shichong annexed the entire Central Plains, and at that time, he took in many of the subordinates of the Wagang army, and even a number of Xiao generals such as Shan Xiongxin, Luo Shixin, and Qin Qiong also belonged to Wang Shichong.
Wang Shichong had a strong army and was fully capable of unifying the Central Plains, but unfortunately, within a few years of his division of Luoyang, he was defeated at the hands of Li Shimin. Such a tyrant is a pity. The reason why Wang Shichong's defeat was so rapid was actually inseparable from his own character. Wang Shichong's defeat and demise are mainly manifested in three aspects.
First of all, Wang Shichong's usurpation of the throne and ascension to the throne were unpopular. Wang Shichong was originally a subordinate of Yang Tong, the King of Yue, but unfortunately, after he became strong, he did not take the King of Yue seriously. Wang Shi was so arrogant that in the same year that Emperor Sui was killed, he deposed Yang Tong, the king of Yue, and ascended the throne himself. This move disappointed the former Sui officials who had originally belonged to him. Without the support of his courtiers, Wang Shichong would naturally quickly go to ruin.
Li Yuan's ascension to the throne was deliberately done by the Sui Gong Emperor Yang You, and he did not coerce and coerce like Wang Shichong, while Wang Shichong completely forced the king to abdicate, and such a powerful minister was naturally unpopular. Therefore, although Li Yuan and Wang Shichong were both usurpers, the attitudes of the former Sui officials towards the two of them were very different. In the eyes of the Sui Dynasty officials, Li Yuan's throne was the most secure, so he followed the normal Zen procedure.
Secondly, Wang Shichong's own character led to the detachment of his subordinates. Wang Shichong's personal character was not good, and he often used small favors to win people's hearts, but his actions led to the dissatisfaction of the generals. Wang Shichong's rewards lack fairness and lack the ability to discern talents, and Qin Qiong, Luo Shixin and others saw through Wang Shichong's practice and turned to the Tang Dynasty.
In the end, Wang Shichong ruled the people with harsh punishment and cruel law. Before the world had been annexed, Wang Shichong used cruel criminal law to brutalize the masses, and naturally could not win the hearts and minds of the people. In contrast, Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty, the rewards and punishments were clear, the name of benevolence and righteousness spread far and wide, and the soldiers were united, up and down, and the balance of unification was naturally tilted towards the Tang Dynasty.
Wang Shichong himself faced the resourceful Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Shimin, and although Wang Shichong had certain military talents, there was still a big gap between him and Li Shimin. The quality of military commanders can often determine victory on the battlefield, and Wang Shichong is inferior to Li Shimin, which also leads to his inability to unify the whole country.
The decline of the State of Zheng was caused by the situation, when the Tang army besieged Luoyang and defeated Wang Shichong's reinforcement Dou Jiande, zheng guo had already lost the perfect opportunity to break through, under the internal and external difficulties, Wang Shichong could only surrender Kaesong, and eventually fell under the blows of the Tang army.