As we all know, the Tang Dynasty was an extremely open dynasty, to what extent? Even the private life of the empresses and princesses of the Tang Dynasty was extremely chaotic, especially Empress Wei, Princess Gaoyang, Princess Taiping, princess Anle and so on. The princess of Gao Guo that we are going to talk about today, judging from the historical records, seems to have been imprisoned to death because of "fornication", but all kinds of indications show that the reasons behind this matter may not be simple.
Among the hundreds of princesses of the Tang Dynasty, princess Gao Guo was actually not too famous, but her influence was not small at all. Princess Gao guo was the daughter of Li Heng of Tang Suzong, who was initially named the lord of Yanguang County, and when she became an adult, she was married to Pei Hui, the son of Lady Gao Guo, and as the first husband of Princess Gao Guo, Pei Hui's identity was extremely simple.
Pei Hui was from the Pei clan of Hedong, not only as an official for generations, but also married with the royal family, princess Huo Guo, daughter of his uncle Pei Xuanshang Tang Ruizong, princess Xinping, daughter of his uncle Pei Jie Shang Tang Xuanzong, and his mother was Yang Guifei's third sister Lady Yu Guo, who was from the Yang clan of Hongnong. After the death of his father Pei Xuan, as Yang Guifei gained favor, his mother Lady Yuguo was also able to enter the capital, and even went to tang Xuanzong.
Because Yang Guifei was favored in the palace, in Pei Hui's generation, the connection with the Tang Dynasty royal family was still extremely close, Pei Hui married the lord of Yanguang County, and his sisters married the son of Tang Xuanzong's brother Li Xian. Pei Hui married Princess Jinyang, the daughter of Emperor Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty.
However, just as the so-called "blessings and misfortunes depend on each other", prominent status brings about a good life at the same time, but also brings disasters. After the "Anshi Rebellion" broke out, Tang Xuanzong escaped from Chang'an with Yang Guifei and the Crown Princess and others in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), but on the way to Shudi, the "Ma Songyi Rebellion" broke out, the prime minister Yang Guozhong was killed and his son, Lady Han, and Lady Qin were killed, and Pei Hui fled with his mother Lady Yu Guo, but because of the urgency of being hunted, Lady Yu Guo finally killed Pei Hui and killed herself.
After the "Ma Songyi Mutiny", the crown prince Li Heng went north to Lingwu to claim the title of emperor, and the lord of Later Yanguang County was also promoted to Princess Yanguang, and instead married Xiao Sheng, the son of Princess Xinchang, the daughter of The Servant Qing Xiao Heng and Tang Xuanzong's daughter.
This Xiao Sheng's identity is also extremely not simple, he was born in The Qi LiangFang of the Lanling Xiao clan, after Xiao Yan, the Emperor Wu of Southern Liang in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, his Lanling Xiao clan was still extremely prosperous during the Tang Dynasty, Xiao Sheng's fifth uncle Xiao Yu was once Tang Gaozu, Tang Taizong was the prime minister, his grandfather Xiao Song was the prime minister of Tang Xuanzong, his uncle Xiao Hua was the prime minister of Tang Suzong, and his brother Xiao Fu was also the prime minister during the tang Dezong period.
After Princess Yanguang married Xiao Sheng, she gave birth to four sons and daughters of Xiao Wei, Xiao Pei, Xiao Ru, and Xiao Wei. During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, their daughter Zhen shi was chosen as the crown princess of The Crown Prince Li In 781, and Princess Yanguang was also made princess of the State of Gao in the first year of Zhenyuan (785).
However, due to Xiao Sheng's early death, Princess Gao Guo was widowed again, but with her age and status, it was difficult to remarry at this time. It was also after this that various rumors about the princess of Gaoguo began to spread, first the chancellor Zhang Yanxian denounced the Janissary general Li Sheng in the third year of Zhenyuan (787) for entering and leaving the palace of the princess of Gaoguo without permission, and as a result, Li Sheng was transferred out of the Janissaries and given the title of Prince Zhan Shi. Later, another relative of the emperor denounced Princess Gao Guo and the crown prince Zhan Shi Li Sheng, Shu Prefecture Bei Driving Xiao Ding, Fengyang County Ling Wei Ke, Peng Zhou Sima Li Wan for adultery, and cursed the emperor with the art of disgust.
Regarding this matter, the Old Book of Tang contains that "in Zhenyuanzhong, Shu prefecture did not drive Xiao Ding, Shangzhou Fengyang Ling Wei Ke, former Pengzhou Sima Li Wan, crown prince Zhan Shi Li Sheng, and others went in and out of the lord, and the sound of obscenity was rumored." When Emperor Dezong of Tang learned of this, he was furious and deposed Princess Gaoguo and killed Li Wanjian, Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, and Li Sheng were exiled to Lingnan, Princess Gao's son Xiao Wei was exiled to Duanzhou, Xiao Pei, Xiao Ru, and Xiao Wei were exiled to Fangzhou, Pei Li was exiled to Jinzhou, and Xiao Fu, who was then the crown prince Zuo Shuzi, was also demoted to Raozhou.
After that, the matter involved the crown prince Li Shu, so that Tang Dezong once wanted to depose the prince, and the prince had to ask Tang Dezong for a divorce from Concubine Xiao in order to protect himself, but before the two divorced, Princess Gao died in the sixth year (790) of the crown prince, but the prince also fell ill, so Tang Dezong killed the crown princess Zhen shi to "disgust" the prince.
Judging from the historical records, the tragic fate of princess Gao Guo and her daughter seems to be entirely caused by the chaos of Princess Gao Guo's own private life, but a careful analysis of this matter and the synthesis of various signs make me feel that behind this matter is not so simple.
The first is the age of the princess of Gaoguo at the time of the incident, although the historical records do not record her birth year, but from the perspective of the death of her first husband Pei Hui in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), the princess of Gao Guo was at least forty or fifty years old at this time, although the private life of noble ladies at this age during the Tang Dynasty was normal, but in terms of the identity of Li Wan, Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, and Li Sheng, would they be willing to give the princess of Gao Guo a face? And it is also a woman who works with several people.
In addition, judging from the records of the New Book of Tang and the Zizhi Tongjian Tang Ji on this matter, there may be another mystery behind this case.
First of all, Zhang Yanxian denounced the Janissary general Li Sheng's entry and exit from the residence of princess Gao Guo, according to the "Zizhi Tongjian Tang Ji" record, Zhang Yanxian formed a vendetta with Li Shuming, who was then the envoy of Dongchuan Jiedushi, and the Janissary general Li Sheng was the son of Li Shuming, so Zhang Yanxian reported this matter after learning that Li Sheng often came with Princess Gaoguo, and it is not known whether there were false accusations.
Regarding this matter, Tang Dezong once summoned Li Bi for consultation and said to him, "Gao Guo is old and young, what is this?" That is to say, Tang Dezong also knew that the close relationship between Princess Gao Guo and Li Sheng could not be a private affair, but another hidden affair. Li Bi immediately realized the problem and said directly, "There must be those who want to shake the Eastern Palace, who will say it for Your Majesty?" This means that this case seems to be denouncing Princess Gao Guo, but it is intended to be the Prince of Donggong, and directly guessed that the informant was Zhang Yansheng, so he advised Tang Dezong to say, "Sheng Cheng's grace, the prohibition of soldiers, the extension of the reward can not be slandered, and Gao Guo is the mother of Crown Princess Xiao, so he wants to trap his ears", and suggested that Tang Dezong did not have to investigate in detail, and if he did not trust to transfer Li Sheng away from the forbidden army, so Tang Dezong changed Li Sheng to the title of Prince Zhan Shi.
Speaking of the fact that the imperial relatives denounced princess Gao Guo and Li Sheng, Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, and Li Wan for sexual immorality, the Zizhi Tongjian Tang Ji contains this: "The main daughter is a princess, and the initiator is very generous, and the lord often arrives at the Eastern Palace on his shoulders." All the clans are sick. Or sue the Lord for fornication and prayer", that is to say, this kind of report is more because the imperial relatives are too jealous of the princess of gaoguo, although it is not a false accusation, but the possibility of borrowing the topic is extremely likely.
Based on the above indications, I personally believe that Princess Gao Guo and Li Sheng, Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, and Li Wan may really have close contacts, but the possibility of private feelings between men and women is relatively small, and it is more likely to create a momentum for the crown prince Li Yu and win over the korean and Chinese forces, after all, the identities of Li Sheng, Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, and Li Wan are too sensitive.
Although the official position of these four people is not too high, the power behind them is extremely large:
First, let's look at the crown prince Zhan Shi Li Sheng, as mentioned above, his father Li Shuming was the envoy of Dongchuan Jiedushi (later Jiannan Jiedushi), and his family was the Hao clan. As we all know, after the "Anshi Rebellion", the central government of the Tang Dynasty became weaker and weaker, and the situation of the division of feudal towns became more and more serious, and Li Shuming's strength as a local emissary could not be underestimated.
Looking at Shuzhou don't drive Xiao Ding, Xiao Ding is no one else, it is the brother of Xiao Sheng, the second husband of Princess Gao Guo, who has already introduced the situation of Xiao Sheng's family in the previous article, and how big the power behind it is, it is needless to say more.
As for Ling WeiKe of Fengyang County, although no relevant records have been found about him, from the perspective of his surname and official location, it is most likely from the Jingzhao Wei clan, as one of the "five famous families in Guanzhong", wei shi not only has great influence in the Guanzhong region, but also has great influence in the middle of the dynasty, and only the Tang Dynasty Wei clan has produced nearly twenty prime ministers.
Sima Li Wan of Pengzhou was li tang sect chamber, and was the grandson of Li Yuan, the emperor of Tang Gaozu, and the natural thing behind it was a part of the Li Tang sect room.
Although since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the imperial court has attached great importance to weakening the power of door valves, but until these door valves are after all hundreds or even thousands of years of magnates, want to be completely eliminated is an overnight achievement, this problem has not been solved until the end of the Tang Dynasty, until the end of the Tang Dynasty five generations since the chaotic influence, these Hao clan door valves are gradually declining. What's more, after the "Anshi Rebellion", the influence of the door valve on the court has warmed up. Princess Gao Guo's close contact with these people could not but arouse the vigilance of Tang Dezong, after all, since Wu Zetian came to power, there had been too many coups d'état in the Tang Dynasty.
Perhaps because of this, Tang Dezong only deposed the initiator, Princess Gao Guo, but instead exiled Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, Li Sheng, and her sons, and even killed Li Wan, who was from Li Tangzong's family. After all, Princess Gao's own influence was extremely limited, but the forces behind Xiao Ding, Wei Ke, Li Sheng, and her sons were too powerful.
In this way, it is not difficult to understand that the Princess Gao incident implicated The Crown Prince Li Xuan, after all, the Princess of the Gao Kingdom co-opted the ministers of the DPRK and the local door valves, and the purpose was to help the crown prince Li Shu to the throne, and Tang Dezong could not help but doubt the role played by the crown prince Li Shu. To this end, Tang Dezong once wanted to depose his own son, and even wanted to replace his nephew Li Yi, the Prince of Shu, as crown prince.
According to the New Book of Tang and the Biography of Li Bi, Li Bi also saw Tang Dezong's intention to change the crown prince, and it was finally under his persuasion that Tang Dezong gave up deposing the crown prince, but still killed Concubine Xiao of the Lanling Xiao clan.