Why did Li Zhi bury his sister with a queen ceremony? The thousand-year-old mystery is revealed, and the unbearable historical truth is revealed
In the Tang Dynasty, there were not only many outstanding emperors and poets, but also many princesses who were both talented and unfortunate. Princess Xincheng is one of them.
Xincheng Princess Li is the youngest daughter of Tang Taizong Li Shimin and the half-sister of Tang Taizong Li Zhi. She married three husbands in her life, the first two of which died unusually, and the last one died of depression due to emotional discord. After her death, Li Zhi went against the norm and ordered her to be buried as an empress, which caused a great shock in the imperial court at that time.
Today, more than 1,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed the tomb of Princess Xincheng, confirming the historical fact that Princess Xincheng was buried as a queen. We can't help but ask, what did this princess go through in her life to be buried with such a high standard? What kind of wonderful story does she have with her brothers?
She was a very popular little girl in her early years, and became a princess at the age of eight.
In the winter of the eighth year of Zhenguan, Li was born in Chang'an Palace and was the twenty-first daughter of Li Shimin. Her mother, He Liangdi, is Li Shimin's talent and is very favored. When she was born, her father liked her very much, so Li Shimin named her"Chongying", which means favorite daughter.
He Liangdi hugged the newborn Li Chongying, looking at his pink life, and mother's love came spontaneously. She is determined to raise her daughter to be a hard-working, capable and talented woman, so that she can live a prosperous life that she has never had before.
Eight years later, eight-year-old Li Chongying has grown up and is a girl with clear eyebrows. Li Shimin saw that his daughter was smart, so he broke the rule of the Tang Dynasty not to name famous mountains and rivers, and called her when she was so old"Lord of Hengshan"to show love.
Princess Hengshan also got her own Tang family, which had 5,000 households. In general, princesses who were favored by eunuchs when they were young were very popular with the emperor. Today, Li has become one of the emperor's favorite daughters, the envy of other princesses in the palace.
Li Shimin's love for his daughter is reflected in all aspects. When the princess was sick, Li Shimin went to visit in person. When his daughter celebrated her birthday, Li Shimin prepared a precious gift to make her happy. When the princess grew up, Li Shimin fantasized about choosing a good husband for her.
The first fiancée is involved in a strange conspiracy.
In 634 AD, at the age of 18, Li Chongying was already a capable princess, and it was only natural that she began to choose a husband for her. At that time, Li Shimin's favorite minister Wei Zheng was seriously ill, and Li Shimin took the young Princess Hengshan to visit.
This visit led to the princess's first wedding as a child. Li Shimin said in front of Wei Zheng that he would marry the princess to his son Wei Shuyu. Wei Zheng was very moved, thanked Li Shimin, and said that he would take care of the princess at home.
However, the wedding was ruined by events that happened later. The following year, Wei Zheng was involved in the rebellion of Hou Junji and Du Zhenglun, but Wei Zheng himself was not guilty, and his son Wei Shuchen was guilty. In order to maintain the stability of the dynasty, Li Shimin canceled the marriage contract between the eldest princess and Wei Shuyu.
At the same time, Wei Zheng's family lost ground in the court, and the princess's marriage did not bode well for the future. Li Shimin couldn't let his beloved daughter enter the door and his future was bleak, so he had to choose another virtuous son-in-law.
Her second husband, who had been married to her for seven years, was also involved.
Five years have passed, and the princess is a girl in her twenties. Li Shimin chose a suitable husband for her, that is, Changsun Huyi, the younger brother of Changsun Wuji. The eldest grandson Huyi is the younger brother of the eldest grandson Wuji, who was born in the early years of the Tang Dynasty and was born in the eldest patriarch of the Sun family, so he is an ideal candidate for a groom with a similar status.
In the winter of 639 AD, Li Shimin held a grand wedding for the eldest princess and the eldest grandson. The feast was lively from morning to night. The eldest princess, dressed in a white wedding dress, shyly boarded the sedan chair and moved to the Changsun Manor. The eldest grandson Xi greeted him, opened his red hijab, and the two became husband and wife.
On the wedding night of his eldest grandson, Fleur, he treats a shy girl affectionately. The princess opens up to her husband and learns housekeeping and other housekeeping skills. During the day, the princess took care of the elderly at the eldest grandson's house, and at night, the husband and wife sang and talked freely. These seven years of married life were the happiest time for the princess.
But the good times didn't last long. In 646 AD, the seventh year of the princess's marriage, an official ** shattered her happy life. This year, her brother-in-law, Changsun Wuji, rebelled, and her husband, Changsun Wuji, also participated in the conspiracy.
The eldest grandson was exiled to the province of Cuckoo, where he was brutally interrogated and tortured in prison. In the last moments of his life, he uttered the last words of his beloved:"I may die, but my words will not be in vain"He eventually died in prison at the age of 29.
When the princess heard the news, she was devastated. She has been grieving for three years, and in order to express her thoughts about her deceased husband, she dresses simply and does not apply grease powder. Three years of widowhood took a heavy toll on her body and spirit, and she was no longer as lively as she used to be.
Her brother became a princess and had to remarry.
Li Zhi, the newly enthroned Tang Gaozong, went to visit his sister after being widowed for three years. Li Zhi was very sad when he saw his sister withering, and blamed himself for failing to protect her and let her live a happy life.
He decided to fulfill his brother's duties and change his sister's name. He named his sister Princess Xincheng, increased the fiefdom by 5,000 households, and chose a new husband for her.
This person's name is Wei Zhengzhuo, and he is a court **. Li Zhi took care of the marriage of the owner, hoping that this marriage would bring a happy life to the princess. However, the princess is still mourning the death of her ex-husband, Sun Wuji, and is not satisfied with the forced marriage.
After marriage, Princess Xincheng was very cold to Wei Zhengju. She doesn't like to talk and often spends time alone in the yard. Wei Zhengju was very dissatisfied with his wife's behavior, and sometimes insisted that the princess fulfill her obligations as a woman. The relationship between the two was very strained.
In this atmosphere, the eldest princess's body deteriorated, and her mood was always low. Three years later, in an unhappy marriage to Wei Zhengju, the eldest princess fell seriously ill and died at the age of 30.
Kurihime blames herself for her sister's accident and orders her sister to be buried as the empress.
Li Zhi was deeply saddened by the death of Princess Xincheng, and he blamed himself for forcing his sister to remarry, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted in her unhappy marriage, and finally died of illness and drowning. As an older brother, he felt sorry for his sister and his heart ached.
Because his brother-in-law Wei Zhengzhuo was rude to his sister, Li Zhi ordered a thorough investigation of Wei Zhengzhuo's rude behavior and put him to death shortly after. He also ordered the burial of the princess of Xincheng with the gift of the queen as an apology.
At that time, many ministers opposed this practice, believing that it was contrary to public morality. But Li Zhi was not impressed, and he held this special funeral with the majesty of the emperor. When the eldest princess was buried, Li Zhi wore a white filial piety dress and bowed three times in front of the coffin, and the scene was tragic and solemn.
More than a thousand years later, when archaeologists excavated the tomb of the princess of Xincheng, the characteristics of the tomb met the standards of the queen's tomb, and the fact that Li Zhi made an exception was confirmed. The people who unravel the mysteries of the millennium can't help but sigh for the ups and downs of the life and fate of the princess of Xincheng.
She was born a princess, but she had no control over her own destiny. She remarried twice and never got true happiness. Her brother Li Zhi also blamed her, but it was too late. The fate of Princess Xincheng shows that everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness.