Is life difficult after Li Yuan's abdication? Li Shimin suggested that he go home to marry, and there were too many palace maids.
As the founders of dynasties, the founding kings are often the most mythical emperors of each dynasty. However, the founder of the Tang Dynasty, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, was an exception, and his light was overshadowed by the later Tang Taizong Li Shimin.
The rule of Zhenguan founded by Taizong of the Tang Dynasty created the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but Li Yuan left behind a down-and-out image of being forced to abdicate. So, how did Li Yuan abdicate? How did he spend his life after his abdication?
Li Yuan's abdication was closely related to the Xuanwumen Change. Before the Xuanwumen incident, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin fought endlessly for the throne. As Li Yuan's eldest son, Li Jiancheng deserved to be made the crown prince, but Li Shimin's military strategy was ancient and modern, and he made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan named him the King of Qin, the Third Duke, the Prime Minister, and even the "General of Tiance", but none of these titles could match his merits. Li Shimin is a rare prince in history, and his achievements and status have made many courtiers dissatisfied.
As a result, the contradictions between the two factions intensified, which eventually led to a palace struggle.
On the fourth day of the sixth month of the ninth year of Wude in the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, used the guards to rebel and set up an ambush at the Xuanwu Gate to wait for the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji. At that time, the atmosphere was tense, and everyone was so nervous that they didn't even dare to come out of the atmosphere.
Suddenly, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji came on horseback and also noticed the abnormality, but they chose to turn their horses around and want to escape. Li Shimin didn't want to miss this opportunity, so he immediately called out to them.
Li Yuanji had already had murderous intent towards Li Shimin, and after hearing the call, he immediately picked up a bow and arrow to get rid of Li Shimin at one time. However, due to nervousness, I was unable to fully draw the bow several times.
And Li Shimin, as the god of war on the battlefield, immediately picked up a bow and arrow to counterattack, shot Li Jiancheng on a horse, and later killed Li Yuanji with the help of Wei Chigong and others.
At this point, the struggle between the crown prince and the king of Qin has settled. And Li Yuan, as the monarch and father, accompanied the concubine on the lake at that time and lived a happy life.
When Li Shimin's victory was decided, and all the palace guards were under his jurisdiction, Li Yuan had no power to return to heaven, so he could only write an abdication edict and become the emperor in name only.
Although Li Yuan was forced to abdicate and become the emperor and lost face, Li Shimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, still wanted to maintain his dignity. After Li Yuan abdicated, he still lived in the Taiji Palace where the emperor lived, while Li Shimin lived in the East Palace where the crown prince lived to handle government affairs.
Although Li Shimin seized his father's throne, he did not force Li Yuan to relocate, and arranged a large number of palace maids to serve Li Yuan in the Taiji Palace, so that he could live for a long time.
But the legitimacy of Li Shimin's rule has been questioned, because the emperor, who has always lived in the side hall, is not very authentic no matter how you look at it. When he was at a loss, a Chinese scholar named Li Baiyao gave Li Shimin an idea.
At that time, Chang'an suffered from drought, and Li Baiyao said that it was because there were too many palace maids in the palace and the yin qi was too strong, which caused Chang'an to delay raining. Although Li Shimin just wanted a reason to force Li Yuan to leave the palace, he still agreed to this suggestion.
So, he ordered the release of the palace maids and allowed them to find their spouses, not only to save money, but also to alleviate social conflicts.
It turned out that there were too many palace maids in the palace, which cost a lot of financial resources, and did not help the court substantially, so they were released to freedom and allowed to marry. This incident caused more than 3,000 palace ladies to leave the Taiji Palace, leaving the once lively palace deserted.
In this regard, Li Yuan felt very uncomfortable, because he was used to being served by court life. He surrendered to Li Shimin, under the pretext that he loved mountains and rivers, so he moved to the Hongyi Palace where Li Shimin used to live.
Hongyi Palace was once the residence of Li Shimin's palace, and it was not suitable for the noble Emperor Taishang. However, Li Shimin ignored these and was not even willing to renovate the palace, but simply renamed it Da'an Palace, and then hurriedly settled Li Yuan to live here.
After Li Yuan moved into Da'an Palace, he lost the support of the palace maids, and also lacked the company of his friends, and even Li Shimin rarely came to greet him, so he could only spend the last days of his life alone in a remote palace.
On May 6, the ninth year of Zhenguan, Li Yuan died in the Da'an Palace, and his life in the Da'an Palace at the age of 70 made Li Yuan miss the opportunity to become a glorious generation of heroes in history, and ended up dying in a nest, which was entirely his own fault.
After Li Yuan became emperor, he knew that Li Shimin had worked hard and made great achievements, but he favored his eldest son Li Jiancheng and made him the crown prince, which laid the bane of brotherly rivalry. If Li Yuan has a resolute attitude and wholeheartedly supports Li Jiancheng, then even if Li Shimin is not convinced, he will not dare to disobey.
However, Li Yuan hesitated on the issue of establishing a prince, and after Li Shimin's meritorious service, he repeatedly hinted that he would abolish the crown prince and appoint Li Shimin as the prince. It is precisely because of Li Yuan's hint that Li Shimin will not be able to suppress his ambition and gradually embark on the road of killing his brother and forcing his father.
Li Yuan's life is full of twists and turns and impermanence of fate. In troubled times, with his family background and heroic son, he established the Tang Dynasty, but his talent was not enough to support the heroic name of the founding king, and he could not even obtain the absolute allegiance of the palace guards.
His later life, which seems to have been caused by a failed court struggle, is actually a historical necessity. It was precisely because of his abdication that there was the later rule of Zhenguan, which made all nations come to the dynasty and let the world appreciate the style of the Tang Dynasty in advance.
Li Yuan's life is like a history full of drama, which makes us lament the impermanence of life and the complexity of fate.