The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is not a simple four-word summary.
Its prosperity and prestige were famous in ancient times, making the eastern country known as the "best land", all because of the Tang Dynasty, a dynasty with a majestic history. The ideal society of "the world is the same" and "the door is not closed at night" in the "Book of Rites" has been almost realized in the Tang Dynasty.
People were even shocked that death row inmates were pardoned during the Chinese New Year and returned home to take care of their funeral affairs until the following year's execution was decided.
The reign of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Zhenguan left a strong mark in the prosperous history of the Tang Dynasty. However, no matter how developed a country is, there are always people who can't restrain their hearts and fall into illegal behavior.
The rule of Zhenguan has made significant contributions in all aspects. In terms of territorial management, Tang Taizong treated people of all ethnic groups with kindness, which was in stark contrast between inside and outside.
Externally, it adopted iron-fisted methods and repeatedly attacked neighboring countries, so that the territory of the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan period surpassed that of the dynasty managed by Emperor Xuan of Han. During the period of Tang Gaozong, the territory of the Tang Dynasty reached its peak, reaching the sea in the east, the green mountains in the west, wading into the desert north in the north, and crossing the South China Sea in the south.
In foreign wars, Li Shimin accumulated majesty, and after defeating the Turks, he was honored as "Heavenly Khan", which became the highest honorific title of the steppe people for the king.
It is recorded that Tang Taizong sent troops to attack Gaochang, causing Ju Wentai, the king of Gaochang, to surrender in panic. At the same time, the Xueyantuo Khanate was strong and launched a large army against the Tang Dynasty, but it was defeated by the united resistance of the Tang army of 3,000 people.
In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, the Xueyantuo Khanate, a neighboring country of the Tang Dynasty, also developed strongly, sending 200,000 troops to attack the Tang Dynasty. However, the Tang Dynasty defeated tens of thousands of local troops with only 3,000 Tang troops, showing the strength of the Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the Turkic, Tuyuhun, Gaochang, Qiuci and other states submitted to the Tang Dynasty, and implemented the system of protecting the capital, pushing other countries to build roads to the Tang Dynasty, making the Tang Dynasty the overlord of the East.
Li Shimin has performed well in the economy, politics, diplomacy, nationality and other aspects, and Li Shimin attaches importance to the strength of the peasants and the people to promote the development of the country.
The Tang Dynasty provided convenience for merchants, a vast area, and a high degree of openness, which gave full play to the role of the Silk Road, and the goods were transmitted to Western countries, laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
The rule of Zhenguan was a period of comprehensive improvement in the Tang Dynasty, and Li Shimin improved a number of systems, including three provinces and six ministries, the government military system, and the imperial examination system.
Li Shimin was generous, and the Tang Dynasty moved to the forefront of the world under his leadership. However, even in this glorious era, there were people who fell astray. The fact that death row inmates were allowed to return home for the Chinese New Year and were executed the following year caused shock.
Li Shimin was not only a monarch who loved the people, but also a ruler with majesty. He attached great importance to the rule of law, emphasizing that the laws of the country should be obeyed by all the people, not the laws of the emperor's private family.
During the reign of Zhenguan, Li Shimin ensured that the prince committed the same crime as the common people, and maintained the majesty of the law. However, Li Shimin was hesitant to enforce the criminal law, knowing full well that people cannot be resurrected after death.
While reviewing death row cases, he personally visited the prison to communicate with the inmates and learned that many of the mistakes were made on the spur of the moment.
This made him feel compassionate, so he decided to relax the prisoners to go home for the Chinese New Year, and eventually released more than 390 death row inmates.
This move aroused opposition from the ministers, who believed that the prisoners could commit crimes again and bring even greater harm.
However, Li Shimin insisted that the prisoners be given some time to go home to attend to their affairs and voluntarily return for punishment next fall.
This incident spread throughout the country, praising Li Shimin's benevolence, righteousness and generosity. There is a record in Zizhi Tongjian: "The New Wei Emperor personally recorded that he was a prisoner, and saw that the deceased Min Zhi died in the autumn even if he returned home, and he still set up death row prisoners all over the world, and they all sent envoys to come to Beijing to teach the master."
Although Li Shimin's reign was controversial, such as the "Xuanwumen Incident" and the chaos in the harem, his contribution to China in history was enormous.
His military prowess was admired by future generations, and as emperor, his duties were perfect, and the Tang dynasty achieved unprecedented strength under his leadership.
Li Shimin's era is known as the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, and people are full of yearning for this era.