In the past, in Chinese society, the concept of male superiority and inferiority of women was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but in the annals of ancient regime changes, women can often be seen. For example, in order to win the smile of the beauties, King Zhou You lit a beacon fire, which led to the betrayal of the princes; Wu Sangui's love for red face attracted the army of the Qing Dynasty and changed the history of China.
On July 2, 626, the fourth day of the sixth month of the ninth year of Tang Gaozu Wude, Li Shimin, as the second son of his father Li Yuan, launched a mutiny at the north gate of Taiji Palace in Chang'an City, and he personally shot his brother Li Jiancheng, successfully seized the position of the crown prince, and eventually became the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
It is not uncommon for this kind of seizure of power in the Tang Dynasty period of China, but a closer examination of historical sources reveals that most of the protagonists in the depictions involving this event are Li Shimin, Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Yuanji.
However, what is less known is that the two women played a key role in the Xuanwumen Change. The change of Xuanwumen has long been foreshadowed. Li Yuan's second son, Li Shimin, has never been an ordinary person.
When the Sui Dynasty was about to fall, it was Li Shimin who suggested that Li Yuan send troops against the Sui. In the ensuing war, Li Shimin repeatedly performed miraculous feats and helped Li Yuan seize the rivers and mountains of the Sui Dynasty.
Li Shimin originally thought that he tried his best to help his father fight the world, and his two brothers were so mediocre, the crown prince must belong to him. And Li Yuan did promise Li Shimin to make Li Shimin the crown prince after he ascended the throne.
In May 618, Li Yuan successfully seized the rivers and mountains of the Sui Dynasty, but established his eldest son Li Jiancheng as the crown prince, and the third son Li Yuanji was named the king of Qi, while the second son Li Shimin, who had the greatest merit, was only named the king of Qin, and was treated the same as the third son.
This made Li Shimin very dissatisfied, he felt that his father was crossing the river and demolishing the bridge, when he was fighting in the south and the north, he saddled his horse and worked hard, while the eldest brother and the third brother were as incompetent as straw bales, and now the biggest credit was given to the eldest brother.
Although he doesn't know Li Jiancheng's personality, Li Shimin's dissatisfaction with him is very strong. Regarding Li Jiancheng's character, there are many records in later generations, such as Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian", which mentions that he has an arrogant personality, likes wine and lust, does not do his job, hunts and plays all day long, and is completely a person who is both a vegetable and a pretending person.
Li Shimin's jealousy of Li Yuan is due to his desire for power and respect for his father. He didn't want to violate filial piety because of the struggle for power and profit, and he didn't want to bear the charge of rebellion.
Therefore, he chose to slowly find an opportunity to bring down Li Jiancheng, and this process had already begun in the early days of the Tang Dynasty. However, Li Jiancheng is not restless, he knows that he is inferior to Li Shimin in terms of ability and character, so he united with Li Yuanji to smear Li Shimin in front of Li Yuan.
This struggle between brothers finally ended in the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Shimin successfully ascended the throne, and Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji became passers-by of history.
This was the beginning of the struggle between Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng. Li Shimin's strategy is very clear, he is committed to building up his military exploits, rallying people's hearts, accumulating prestige, and when the time is ripe, he will naturally reap success.
For him, people's hearts and achievements are the key factors to ensure his invincible position. He hoped that in this way, Li Yuan would understand that he was the most qualified person to sit on the country and protect the country.
In comparison, Li Jiancheng is much inferior. He didn't have the same mind and strategy as Li Shimin, he only knew how to indulge himself, so he adopted some dishonorable means and used various opportunities to slander Li Shimin in front of Li Yuan.
In the early days of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, although the world was basically calm, there were still some rebels who resisted stubbornly, Li Shimin personally led the army to conquer many times, and achieved remarkable military achievements, Li Yuan loved and feared him.
Love because this son is really good, without him, the peace of the world would not be so smooth; I'm afraid that this son is too powerful. The so-called meritorious master, Li Yuan is also afraid that his son will rebel against him.
Therefore, no matter how great Li Shimin's achievements are, Li Yuan gives him all kinds of rewards, but he does not make him the crown prince, which makes the contradictions and conflicts between Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng increasingly intensified.
Li Jiancheng's methods were extremely insidious, in order to suppress Li Shimin, he not only slandered his second brother in front of Li Yuan, but also colluded with Li Yuan's harem concubines, intending to worsen the relationship between Li Yuan and Li Shimin through the harem struggle.
Women play an important role in the struggle for the throne, which puts Li Shimin's position in jeopardy. However, when Li Shimin ascended the throne, Li Yuan's mentality also changed, he began to pursue pleasure, and in his later years, he accepted many harem concubines, and the favored concubine gave birth to twenty heirs.
The fierceness of the harem struggle was second only to the battle for the throne, and the concubines made friends with Li Yuan's three sons in order to consolidate the status of their children and improve their status.
In the name of filial piety, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji frequently entered and exited the emperor's dormitory, in an attempt to weaken Li Shimin's status by currying favor with Li Yuan's concubines. They mainly relied on Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei, the two most favored beauties, to skillfully draw them into their camp.
Zhang Jieyu and Concubine Yin Defei frequently blew the pillow wind in front of Li Yuan, praising Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, while slandering Li Shimin. Because Li Shimin disdained to curry favor with his concubines, he was slandered many times in front of Li Yuan by Zhang Jieyu and Concubine Yin De and other concubines.
Li Yuan always had scruples about Li Shimin's prestige and talent, so he gradually favored Li Jiancheng, which made Li Shimin feel worried. However, in 621 AD, a special year, Li Shimin helped the Tang Dynasty quell internal and external rebellions, demonstrating his ability to defend the country.
During this period, he successfully encircled and suppressed Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and won a decisive victory. This period of history became a key moment for Li Shimin to consolidate his position, and also made Li Yuan re-realize his value.
Li Shimin won the war, and his heart was full of joy. He thought that now his father must know who is the backbone of the country, who is the most qualified person to inherit the throne and protect the country.
Compared with his eldest brother Li Jiancheng, he can't be compared. Li Shimin thought to himself, the eldest brother is just a person who likes to have fun, what else will he do? Li Shimin was full of joy and sent people to send back the battle report quickly.
The report of the battle was transmitted back to the court, causing an uproar. Li Shimin has rich connections in the court, and those who are good friends with him take the opportunity to praise him. Li Yuan was very happy to hear the news.
He felt that eliminating Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande was like pulling out two thorns in his heart. Coupled with the praise of Li Shimin from hundreds of civil and military officials, Li Yuan was in a happy mood.
He sighed: "My second child is really capable, I saw it as early as when we were fighting the country." ”
Li Yuan's unintentional words made Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji panic, and they worked hard to make Li Yuan full of suspicion and vigilance against Li Shimin, but the result may fall short.
Li Jiancheng realized the gap between himself and Li Shimin, Li Shimin's accumulated military exploits and connections were real strength, but his cleverness was insignificant. In order to praise Li Shimin's military exploits, Li Yuan named him the general of Tiance and put him in charge of all the manpower and financial arrangements in Luoyang after the war, which made his status and power in Luoyang extraordinary.
This frightened Li Jiancheng, because Admiral Tiance was the top military attache position in the Tang Dynasty, with the power to independently recruit talents and set up **, and only Li Shimin held it in the entire history of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan was full of affirmation of Li Shimin's achievements, which made Li Jiancheng feel a lot of pressure, and he knew that he had to take action to destroy the relationship between Li Shimin and Li Yuan, otherwise he would lose the crown prince.
His first step was to ask Li Yuan's favorite concubines Zhang Jieyu and Yin Defei for help. The two concubines immediately took action and ran to Li Yuan to be coquettish. "Your Majesty, I heard that Erlang won a big battle and destroyed Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, do you know that Wang Shichong robbed a lot of wealth?
You can't leave it all to Erlang! "Your Majesty, people's rouge gouache is not enough, and the necklaces and jewelry have not been replaced for a long time, should the treasury replenish it?" ”
Li Yuan was quickly fascinated by their sweet words, but after thinking about it, Erlang is still young, and it is indeed not a good thing to let him manage so much wealth at once.
At this moment, Li Shimin very sensibly sent someone over to report to Li Yuan, and asked him to send someone over to receive a large amount of money from Luoyang's inventory.
In order to express his satisfaction with Li Shimin, Li Yuan ordered all the concubines to receive the spoils of war with him, and also allowed them to choose their favorite items. This decision surprised Li Shimin, who believed that the soldiers who fought bloodily should be rewarded first, and then the treasury should be collected.
However, Li Yuan's concubines relied on Li Yuan's will, not only wantonly demanded money from Li Shimin, but also demanded fiefdom official positions for their own family members. This behavior made Li Shimin and his generals feel very angry.
Li Shimin did not want these women to succeed, he said: "The property has been registered and handed over to the imperial court, and as for official positions, only those who have made military achievements and talents can obtain them." ”
After sending the women away, he immediately distributed the spoils to the soldiers, reassuring the people. Li Yuan's concubines were naturally unwilling, and when they went back, they said bad things about Li Shimin.
Li Yuan was very unhappy in his heart, after all, this is the person I called over, your second child is so faceless, you let my father's face be put a**? However, Li Yuan also knew that Li Shimin was doing it reasonably, and Li Shimin did not embezzle property, except for rewarding the soldiers, everything else was handed in, so he didn't blame too much, just called Li Shimin to scold, and his good impression of Li Shimin disappeared.
However, Li Yuan didn't know that his confused operation also made the shackles in Li Shimin's heart begin to loosen.
Li Shimin has long had the strength to challenge Li Yuan, but he has been trapped in"Filial piety"with"Rebellion"threats. Li Yuan's behavior made him realize that no matter how hard he tried, Li Yuan always had reservations about him.
Li Yuan trusted his concubines more, and Li Shimin's two brothers could confront him with just a few words of understatement. If these concubines join forces to provoke Li Yuan, they may abolish Li Shimin's status as the king of Qin.
Li Yuan sent his concubines to the front line to condole, but it caused the Xuanwumen Rebellion. Li Jiancheng took the opportunity to sow discord and asked Zhang Jieyu to ask Li Yuan for land, but Li Yuan didn't know that these lands had been sealed by Li Shimin to his subordinate Li Shentong.
Li Yuan credulously trusted Zhang Jieyu and allowed her to ask for land, which caused problems. Zhang Jieyu took the opportunity to slander Li Shimin, claiming that he gave Li Shentong the land given to her father despite Li Yuan's orders.
Shimin, a child who has been leading soldiers to fight outside for a long time, is becoming more and more arrogant, and he is no longer the same person. I have to admit that Li Jiancheng was really smart and didn't use soldiers, but he almost destroyed Li Shimin's difficult image in Li Yuan's heart.
When Du Ruhui passed by Concubine Yin's father's mansion, he was beaten by the Yin family because he did not get off the horse, and was sued by the wicked first. Concubine Yin Defei cried to Li Yuan about the incident, and Li Yuan then scolded Li Shimin's cronies and did not listen to his explanation.
Li Shimin felt a real crisis because of this, and was completely disappointed in Li Yuan.
Du Ruhui has always believed that as long as he performs well, Li Yuan will recognize his filial piety and talent. Li Shimin hopes to establish peace and fight for the throne in a bloodless and bloodless way, so that his good name will live forever in the world, and avoid blood and tears between brothers.
However, Li Yuan repeatedly listened to the woman's words, which disappointed Li Shimin. Now that Li Shimin has understood that only he can seize the throne, he has decided to give it a go, no matter what the cost.
The Xuanwu Gate Change (comics) On July 2, 626 AD, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Revolution and shot Li Jiancheng with his own hands, and Li Yuanji wanted to run into the Wude Hall to ask Li Yuan for help, but Li Shimin had already ambushed the soldiers, and Wei Chigong caught up with Li Yuanji, who was also killed by an arrow.
At this point, the tragedy of the Xuanwumen Revolution came to an end, and Li Shimin seized the throne in a bloody way of fratricide. However, if it weren't for Zhang Jieyu and Concubine Yin Defei to sow discord, perhaps Li Yuan would have made Li Shimin the crown prince a long time ago, and the Xuanwumen change would have been avoided.
It's just that Li Yuan's act of sending concubines to Xuanwumen to comfort the soldiers laid the groundwork for this tragedy.