Li Jiancheng began to speed up the pace of attacking Li Shimin, and the first step was to eliminate the military generals around Li Shimin. But how do you do that? The answer lies in Tang Gaozu Li Yuan.
Li Yuan likes his two sons very much because they are both very capable of it. However, Li Yuan was more inclined to the crown prince. He believed that the rapid demise of the Sui Dynasty was due to the replacement of the crown prince by Emperor Wen of Sui.
If Emperor Wen of Sui had died and had been succeeded by the former crown prince Yang Yong instead of Emperor Yang of Sui, then the Sui Dynasty would definitely not have perished so quickly. The bloody example of the Sui Dynasty is in front of us, and this event has only recently passed.
Therefore, Li Yuan firmly believes that the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and it must not be replaced unless it is absolutely necessary.
Li Jiancheng used Li Yuan's authority to suppress Li Shimin's supporters, including civil ministers and military generals, through his will. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others were transferred out of the capital, Wei Chi Jingde was framed after being bribed unsuccessfully, and Cheng Zhijie was also sent abroad.
Some of the princelings even advocated killing Li Shimin directly.
However, the repeated persuasion of Wei Zheng, Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, and others did not change Li Jiancheng's decision. After the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Shimin grabbed Wei Zheng and asked him why he had separated their brothers.
Wei Zheng replied that if the crown prince had killed Li Shimin according to his advice, there would have been no disaster today. As a result, Li Shimin is more determined to protect himself and his family.
Wei Zheng had proposed that Li Jiancheng kill Li Shimin, but Li Jiancheng did not agree. There are two main reasons for this: First, Li Jiancheng believes that the current crackdown measures against Li Shimin are sufficient, that he has already gained an advantage, that Li Shimin does not pose much of a threat to him, and that there is no need to take drastic measures.
Moreover, Li Shimin has a high prestige in the DPRK and many supporters, if he kills him, he will bear the notoriety of killing his own brother, and may even lose Li Yuan's support and will not be able to keep the crown prince.
Therefore, this proposal is risky. The second is that Li Jiancheng's character is generous and benevolent, and he is full of love for people, he can't accept killing his own brother, and he always feels bad in his heart, and he can't bear it.
According to the Zizhi Tongjian, Li Jiancheng is "lenient and simple" and "quite benevolent", which just reflects this characteristic of his character.
In general, Li Jiancheng did not agree to kill Li Shimin, firstly because of the risks and consequences, and secondly, because of his own benevolence and tolerance.
In the TV series "Li Shimin, King of Qin", the Tang Dynasty was invaded by the Turks in the ninth year of Wude (626), Tang Gaozu Li Yuan issued an order, and Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, led an army to resist.
But this holy decree deprived the generals of the Qin Palace's military power and required them to obey the dispatch of the King of Qi, which dealt a heavy blow to Li Shimin's political capital and strength.
In particular, the princeling's unfavorable measures through Li Yuan made Li Shimin desperate, and the Qin faction faced a crisis of life and death.
Faced with this predicament, Li Shimin summoned the most core civil and military generals to the mansion to discuss countermeasures, and recalled some people who had been sent to other places.
In the era of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the contradictions between the princeling faction and the Qin royal faction intensified, which eventually led to a major event in history - the Xuanwumen Change.
For the Qin faction, they are facing an unacceptable crisis, and if they continue to remain silent, they will lose their power, and their political lives will also end, and they may even endanger their own lives.
In order to prevent this from happening, they decided to take extreme measures and carry out a coup d'état. Their first step was to kill the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi, Li Yuanji, but this was only part of the plan.
If they only kill their opponents and fail to control the emperor, then their efforts will be in vain, and even the charge of rebellion will be incurred. At this critical moment, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's military strength had surpassed Li Shimin, and Li Shimin's military power had been deprived.
In order to solve this problem, the people sent by the Qin King began to meditate, but a piece of news came that made the situation even more complicated: Li Yuan summoned Li Shimin and asked him to explain why the celestial phenomena predicted that he would rebel.
According to the ancients, this is a symbol of "changing the sky", which indicates turmoil or a change of power.
On July 1, 626, when the Tai Bai Star appeared on the division of Qin, a ** secret recital said: "This is a sign that the King of Qin should have the world." ”
Ancient Chinese astrology believed that various places on earth corresponded to certain areas in the heavens, and that the celestial phenomena that occurred in the heavenly regions foreshadowed the good fortune and evil of each corresponding place.
The noon position in the south of the sky corresponds to the land of Qin, and Li Shimin is the king of Qin, so this ** said that this celestial phenomenon indicates that the king of Qin will win the world.
When Li Yuan saw it, he was very angry, and thought: I'm not dead yet, and even if it changes the sky, it should be the crown prince who will succeed to the throne?
How could it be the King of Qin? So he ordered the King of Qin to enter the palace to explain. Therefore, this news is unfavorable news for the Qin Wang faction.
However, Li Shimin found an opportunity from it, an opportunity to lure the crown prince and the king of Qi to leave their respective mansions and wipe them out.
When Li Shimin met Li Yuan, he took the opportunity to secretly play and accused Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji of fornicating with the harem concubines. Is there such a thing?
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the harem system was not very sound, so it was not impossible for Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji and these concubines in the harem to have some improper relationships between men and women.
The palace is forbidden and secret, and some things are difficult for the outside world to know. According to the "Zizhi Tongjian", Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had dealings with harem concubines in order to win the support of the harem, but it was more of a cooperative relationship, which did not mean that there was an improper relationship between men and women.
However, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, reported to his father that the crown prince had fornicated with the harem, which was a matter that would become a scandal in any dynasty, and once it was leaked, it would become a laughing stock for future generations.
Li Yuan was very angry when he heard this, and he ordered to summon the crown prince and the king of Qi to inquire about the matter in person. Li Shimin's approach was very clever, not only to avoid himself being suspected of rebellion, but also to successfully divert Li Yuan's attention to the matter of the prince's fornication harem.
On July 2, 626, the crown prince and the king of Qi each left the mansion and prepared to enter the palace through the Xuanwu Gate.
The details of the Xuanwumen Revolution are thought-provoking. Li Yuanji has superb archery skills, but he can't put the arrow on the bow three times in a row at the critical moment, and Li Shimin also lost control of the horse because of the excessive shock after shooting his eldest brother.
Meng Xianshi, a professor at the School of Chinese Studies at Chinese University, believes that this performance may be related to their mentality at the time, although they have been fighting openly and secretly before, but when it comes to face-to-face and hands-on, they are inevitably a little hesitant and nervous.
The crown prince and the king of Qi were in rebellion, and the king of Qin had ordered their execution. His Royal Highness the King of Qin was worried about disturbing you, so he sent me to protect you. There was no threat in his words, but it showed that he was trying to protect Li Yuan.
After hearing this, Li Yuan understood the ins and outs of the matter, and was at a loss, so he asked the ministers around him for their opinions.
Wei Chi Jingde led some ** who supported the King of Qin to make a statement to Li Yuan, believing that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had no merit for the country, and they were only jealous of the merits and prestige of the King of Qin and plotted against him.
The King of Qin had already killed them and won the hearts of the world. If the king of Qin is appointed as the crown prince and the affairs of the state are entrusted to him, similar things can be avoided from happening again.
After hearing this, Li Yuan agreed, and Wei Chi Jingde suggested that Li Yuan issue a handwritten edict to let all armies obey the orders of the King of Qin, and Li Yuan also accepted this suggestion, thus handing over the military power of the world to Li Shimin.
This is the end of the Xuanwumen Incident, which was not a large-scale palace coup, but a precise blow with a clear purpose, that is, to kill Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.
Li Shimin successfully eliminated his rivals after the Xuanwumen Incident and stabilized his throne. Next, we will ** the profound impact of the Xuanwumen Revolution on Li Shimin and the Tang Dynasty. February** Dynamic Incentive Program