Wei Zheng's suicide note, Li Shimin was furious and dug up his grave
In the history of feudal dynasties, courtiers who possessed true knowledge and were in high positions, even at the risk of their lives, were resolute in admonishing the king only to prevent him from stray from the right path.
Such scenes have repeatedly appeared in the feudal history of our country. Among them, the most well-known is Wei Zheng, who is known as the "generation of bright ministers". As an important adviser to Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Wei Zheng's admonitions amounted to hundreds of thousands of words, and he was called "the first in the world" by later generations.
Although Wei Zheng was not born in the Tang Dynasty, he was an official under the treasure of Chengyuan in Wuyang County and Li Mi, but his loyalty and talent were appreciated by Tang Taizong.
Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty personally ordered Yan Liben to paint his portrait and stand in Lingyan Pavilion, which is undoubtedly the best proof of Wei Zheng's merits. However, when Li Shimin inadvertently flipped through the booklet left by Wei Zheng before his death, he was instantly furious, and even bluntly said that he would dig Wei Zheng's grave.
Despite this, Wei Zheng's kindness and outspokenness were still recognized and respected by Li Shimin.
It turned out that in the early days of Li Shimin's accession to the throne, Wei Zheng had always been on the opposite side of him, and Wei Zheng had also worked under Li Jiancheng's disciple for a long time. After the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Shimin cleaned up the old departments of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, but this turmoil did not affect Wei Zheng.
This shows that Wei Zheng has been immersed in officialdom for a long time and has a deep understanding of the way of being an official. His knowledge and talent were also recognized by Li Shimin. The double aura – his own talent and the emperor's appreciation – destined Wei Zheng to leave a strong mark in the history of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin seized the throne after the Xuanwumen Incident, but he felt that his reputation was not right, and the people were dissatisfied with his behavior of killing his brother and forcing his father.
He needed to establish a beloved image of the Ming Emperor to appease the people, and the courtiers above the temple were the best channel to convey this image. Therefore, we have witnessed the humble and courteous demeanor of Tang Taizong, even as an emperor, he has no arrogance.
On the contrary, he was always willing to listen to the suggestions of the imperial court and correct them in time, which also made Wei Zheng gradually gain Li Shimin's trust.
Everyone else used gentle language to persuade Li Shimin, carefully avoiding angering him, but Wei Zheng dared to speak openly and bluntly about Li Shimin's problems and shortcomings, completely ignoring his own safety.
In the first year of Zhenguan, Wei Zheng served as Shangshu Zuocheng, and his position was not high, but because he was Li Yuan's old department, Li Shimin often summoned him to the dormitory to discuss national affairs.
Wei Zheng naturally would not let go of such an opportunity, and every time he saw the emperor, he would put forward his opinions and suggestions without reservation.
His political theories and ideas for governing the country deeply resonated with Li Shimin, and Wei Zheng was quickly reused. In the sixth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin decided to marry his beloved daughter Princess Changle to Changsun Chong, the son of the eldest grandson Wuji, and told the ministers that he hoped to raise the wedding specifications of his beloved daughter to a higher level.
The ministers agreed and suggested that it should be doubled according to the specifications of the wedding of the eldest princess of Yongjia. However, Wei Zheng frowned and raised objections. He clearly pointed out that the eldest princess of Yongjia, as the aunt of Princess Changle, must be different from her descendants.
Wei Zheng stood in the position of the Son of Heaven, considered the etiquette system, and opposed to giving Princess Changle an overly luxurious marriage. This move resonated with Empress Changsun, who appreciated and supported him, believing that he was a person who truly thought about the emperor.
Wei Zheng was thus inspired to provide straightforward advice to Li Shimin even more resolutely. Soon after, his efforts paid off with a promotion to the rank of county magistrate.
After ten years of Zhenguan, the eldest grandson queen returned to the west with a crane, Li Shimin deeply regretted and was depressed all day long. He deliberately built a layer in the palace, hoping to temporarily relieve the pain of longing in his heart when he climbed high and overlooked his wife's mausoleum.
After Wei Zheng accompanied Li Shimin to the upper floor, Li Shimin asked him if he could see the Zhaoling Tomb in the distance, but Wei Zheng frankly said that he could not see clearly, and Li Shimin was displeased after hearing it.
Your Majesty, I observe that you are watching the mausoleum from afar. As soon as these words came out, the people who followed him became nervous, after all, everyone knew Li Shimin's deep feelings for Empress Changsun, and Wei Zheng's words undoubtedly touched his sore spot.
Although Li Shimin was angry when he heard Wei Zheng's advice, he understood that Wei Zheng was reminding him not to forget to mourn his father, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan. This was the first and last time that Li Shimin invited Wei Zheng to accompany him to the upper floor, and he then ordered the demolition of the building, which violated religious traditions.
Wei Zheng's admonition was tactful enough, and Li Shimin deeply admired it.
Li Shimin once mentioned this incident and praised Wei Zheng's outspokenness. He said that Empress Changsun also recognized Wei Zheng very much during her lifetime, but Wei Zheng never looked forward or backward in the face of right and wrong, and he was a real Qing official.
In the twelfth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin celebrated the birth of the emperor's grandson Li Xiang, granted amnesty to the world, and held a banquet in the palace to celebrate. Everyone was congratulating the emperor on his happy event, but only Wei Zheng, who "didn't know how to lift", published a book not long after, "Ten Gradual and Unrestrained Deaths", which directly pointed out Li Shimin's collection of rare treasures, his life was too luxurious, he was close to his ministers and alienated from gentlemen, and overworked the people, and he mercilessly criticized Li Shimin's arrogance.
In history, there was no one else who dared to criticize the Son of Heaven in an almost accusatory way, except Wei Zheng.
Li Shimin was broad-minded, and in the face of Wei Zheng's outspokenness, he was not angry but happy, accepted it gladly, and asked the historian to record it to show the deep affection between him and Wei Zheng.
If there was no rebellion by Li Chengqian, Hou Junji and Du Zhenglun would not have been brutally punished for Li Chengqian's actions. Wei Zheng's fate will also change because of this, and he will not be dug up by Li Shimin because of a booklet.
The separation of the monarch and the minister caused by the opposition of father and son made Li Chengqian lose his qualification to become the prince of the East Palace.
This monarch is uninhibited by nature and unwilling to concentrate on learning virtues, compared to Li Tai, the king of Wei, who is more popular. "Waste grows and grows young"The narrative thus spread.
Li Shimin's thoughts on the matter are elusive, but he is tired of these statements. Although there may be an idea of resetting the crown prince, this should not be commented on by His Royal Highness's courtiers at will.
Historically, there are many examples of brothers killed by imperial power, and Li Shimin, as a first-hand witness of the murder of his brothers, knows this very well. He knew that if he allowed it to develop, it would be easy for Li Chengqian and Li Tai to have contradictions, so he decided to take action to change the status quo.
After weighing it for a long time, Li Shimin chose to send Wei Zheng to teach Li Chengqian. Doing so can not only show his own attitude, but also to gag the mouths of others and maintain the relationship between the crown prince and the king of Wei.
Giving such an important matter to Wei Zheng is enough to show Li Shimin's recognition of him. Although Wei Zheng politely refused, Li Shimin insisted that he was the best candidate, which also showed his trust in Wei Zheng.
In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Wei Zheng died, and there was no more outspoken admonition in the court. Li Shimin felt very sad, and he issued an edict to bury Wei Zheng and posthumously named Zheng Guogong.
He not only led hundreds of officials to send his coffin out of the city, but also carved an inscription for him himself.
Li Shimin lost his right-hand man, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "With copper as a mirror, you can be dressed properly; With history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall; With people as a mirror, you can see the gains and losses.
After Wei Zheng's death, I lost a reference for many years. In February of the same year, Li Shimin ordered the painting master Yan Liben to paint the portraits of the twenty-four heroes of the dynasty and hang them in the Lingyan Pavilion to express his sorrows, and Wei Zheng was among them, which shows that Wei Zheng's position in his heart is extremely important.
If the story of Li Shimin and Wei Zheng ends here, it will definitely become a good story that will be passed down through the ages. Unfortunately, not long after Wei Zheng's death, Li Chengqian attempted to rebel, and Hou Junji and Du Zhenglun in his camp were the candidates recommended by Wei Zheng. ”
The father and son turned against each other, and the drama of swords and soldiers meeting each other did not last long, Hou Junji was executed for rebellion, and Du Zhenglun was deposed and became a commoner. As the recommender of the two and Li Chengqian's teacher, Wei Zheng's name once again attracted attention.
Li Shimin was suspicious, and he suspected that Wei Zheng might also be involved in the rebellion plot. However, Wei Zheng had died, and there was no sufficient evidence, so the matter had to be dismissed.
However, another incident that reached Li Shimin's ears made him instantly angry. It is said that Wei Zheng compiled all his memoranda into a separate book and handed it over to the historian Chu Suiliang for safekeeping, so that future generations could understand his reputation for daring to speak out.
After Li Shimin heard about this, he deeply felt that he was deceived by Wei Zheng, thinking that he didn't really think about him and Datang, but just wanted to leave a good name for himself. Li Shimin was very angry, and even said that he wanted to dig up Wei Zheng's grave.
It is rumored in the history of the wild that Li Shimin did send someone to overthrow the tombstone that he personally inscribed for Wei Zheng, and canceled the marriage contract between the princess of Xincheng and Wei Shuyu, the son of Wei Zheng. Time flies, recalling the sixteenth year of Jeongguan, a beloved in the past, there was a coup d'état in Goguryeo, and Yuangae Suwen killed the monarch, usurped power, and became the de facto ruler of Goguryeo.
After that, he united with Baekje to send troops with the intention of destroying Silla.
Trapped by a strong enemy and surrounded by enemies, Silla knew that it could not be resisted, so he sent a plea for help to the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty had always been the suzerainty of Goguryeo, and when he received a signal from Silla for help, Li Shimin, as the leader of the suzerainty, decided to intervene in mediation.
However, Goguryeo, which thought it was powerful, did not give Li Shimin this opportunity, and its attacks on Silla showed no signs of stopping, and even began to harass the Tang border.
This daring to provoke the imperial power angered the Tang Dynasty, which was at its peak of national power, and Li Shimin decided to personally go on an expedition against Goguryeo in the 19th year of Zhenguan. This expedition was the last battle of Li Shimin's military career.
Under the power of the Tang Dynasty army, more than ten cities were captured in a few months, and the momentum was like a bamboo. However, when they challenged Anshiseong, an important town in eastern Liaodong, they were met with stubborn resistance from the Goguryeo army, and no matter how hard Li Shimin tried, they failed to make a breakthrough.
Autumn is approaching, the weather is getting colder, and military supplies and army morale are under great pressure. What worries Li Shimin even more is that Xue Yantuo in Mobei seems to be waiting for an opportunity to move, wanting to join the battlefield when the Tang army is tired of coping.
With his rich battlefield experience, Li Shimin made the best choice: since he had eliminated most of the main forces of Goguryeo, forcing the battle would only increase the army's **.
Therefore, he decided to return to the DPRK, which was the best strategic choice.
Li Shimin returned safely to the national capital after retiring from the army, although this expedition led to thousands of soldiers**, and military supplies such as war horses and armor were also consumed a lot, but he still failed to realize his ambition of leveling Goguryeo in one fell swoop before the war.
Although the defeat was heavy, he blamed it on his own decision-making mistakes.
If there were people around him at that time who could analyze the pros and cons for Li Shimin, perhaps the Tang Empire would have been reincorporated into the territory of Goguryeo. Li Shimin, who was examining himself, began to question whether the decision of the imperial driver was wise, when a long-lost name suddenly broke into his mind, and he whispered to himself: "If Wei Zheng is still here, he will definitely not let me make such a decision." ”
Recalling his former friends, the bits and pieces of the past reappear like a rewind, which makes Li Shimin feel full of thoughts. However, the years are ruthless, things are people, no matter how you evaluate Wei Zheng's merits and demerits, he has become a passer-by of history.
Li Shimin's heart was full of loss and melancholy, sighed softly, and then ordered Wei Zheng's tombstone to be rebuilt. Although he is the Son of Heaven, the world is impermanent, and the loved ones who have passed away cannot come back, leaving him with endless thoughts.
There are different historical accounts as to whether Wei Zheng's editorials are true, and it is no longer important. Even if Wei Zheng's burial place was restored by Li Shimin himself, this could not change Wei Zheng's position in history.
Wei Zheng, as Li Shimin's auxiliary minister, jointly created the "rule of Zhenguan", and their relationship was like that of master and apprentice, and other details were insignificant. In later generations, Wei Zheng was praised as a generation of celebrities who dared to speak out, and Li Shimin also had a more perfect image because of Wei Zheng's assistance.
After thousands of years of wind and rain, back to the past, everyone in the world said 'enough'. The rule of Zhenguan, prosperous and prosperous, is a brilliant stroke in the history of China's feudal dynasties, which is admirable.
As for Li Shimin and Wei Zheng, they may have already abandoned their previous suspicions, and left their merits and demerits to future generations to comment. ”