Li Yuan, who can be called a heroic leader, was the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty. With wisdom and courage, he ushered in an era and laid the foundation for prosperity for future generations. Li Shimin is the second son, and he has made great contributions to Li Yuan's victory in the world, but as the founder of the new dynasty, Li Yuan, why didn't he choose Li Shimin, who made great achievements in war, as the crown prince? This issue has been debated endlessly in history, and some people think that it was because of Li Yuan's incompetence and prejudice that Li Shimin's mutiny and seizure of power later, is this really the case?
First, let's look at the ancient system of inheritance. In ancient times, there was a saying that the eldest son was not established, which showed that the importance of the son-in-law was attached, and there was a long order in the son-in-law, so most of them chose the eldest son to inherit, that is to say, the position of the prince was usually the emperor's seal in the East Palace to the eldest son. Li Jiancheng, as Li Yuan's eldest son, naturally ranked ahead of Li Shimin in the order of succession. Although Li Shimin made great achievements in the establishment of the Tang Dynasty and had a high prestige, according to the ancient inheritance system, he was not eligible to be selected for the East Palace.
Secondly, Li Yuan's suspicion of Li Shimin was also one of the important reasons why he failed to become the crown prince. Li Shimin's credit is too great and his prestige is too high, which makes Li Yuan suspicious and worried about him. He was worried that if Li Shimin was made the crown prince, there might be a situation in the future where powerful ministers would interfere in politics and even pass on the throne in advance. For the imperial power, even father and son, they are not willing to give in. Therefore, when choosing an heir, Li Yuan considered a variety of factors, not just the size of the merit.
Therefore, Li Yuan's failure to choose Li Shimin as his heir cannot simply be attributed to his incompetence or prejudice, but from the measurement of the imperial power.
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