The biggest political change in the Zhenguan period was the dispute between the crown prince Li Chengqian and the Wei king Li Tai. It not only affected the inheritance of power in the empire, but also ruthlessly broke the political pattern that Taizong had worked so hard to maintain.
The relationship between the emperor and the crown prince has been delicate since ancient times. One is the current emperor and the other is the future emperor. With the blessing of the primogeniture, once the emperor publicly established the crown prince, the relationship between them escalated from the simplest father-son relationship to the most complex contradiction in the empire. There are common interests between the two and at the same time conflicting with each other.
For the empire to prosper and enjoy its longevity in the future, the emperor must involve the crown prince in the day-to-day management of the empire from the moment he is established. Therefore, the East Palace system where the crown prince is located will be modeled after the ** system where the emperor is located, and will be equipped with an additional administrative system. For example, the crown prince Zhan Shi is equivalent to the prime minister of the system, in charge of everything in the East Palace, and is the first of the three products. There are also princes, princes, guests, princes, princes, princes, and so on. These princes' subordinate officials are also called princes, and like the ** system, they have their own special office space in the imperial city, and there is also a special hall for princes and palace ministers to discuss politics in the East Palace. Even the East Palace has an armed force that imitates that the emperor is equipped with - the East Palace Six Rates.
And the minister who serves as a subordinate official of the East Palace is likely to be **senior**. That is, the emperor allocated the top elite talents of the empire to the crown prince at the same time. In the case of the smooth operation of the empire, these subordinate officials of the East Palace are equivalent to having the options of the empire, and their interests are deeply bound to the crown prince, which is not only related to their own careers but also determines the rise and fall of the family. Therefore, they will spare no effort to assist the crown prince until he ascends the throne, so as to obtain greater political rights. Therefore, invisibly, the power of the crown prince will swell to the point of threatening the imperial power.
This gave the emperor a dilemma, on the one hand, the crown prince is the future of the empire, and he must be trained to familiarize himself with political affairs in his daily management, and this process inevitably needs human assistance. Therefore, the auxiliary system configured for the East Palace shall not be reduced. On the other hand, it is only a matter of time before the prince's power is allowed to expand without restricting the imperial power, and this is how the ministers of the past dynasties came, and even this force will completely defect at a critical moment, and whether the emperor can die well is a question mark. For example, when Emperor Wen of Sui was dying, Yang Su completely fell to the crown prince Yang Guang, and it is still rumored that Yang Guang poisoned Emperor Wen.
Therefore, if the emperor wants to sit firmly and ensure the quality of the crown prince at the same time, he can only take the road of checks and balances. That is, to cultivate another force to contain the crown prince. And there is only one option left for the emperor, and that is the clan. Strictly speaking, only the cultivation of the prince's own brothers can play a role in checks and balances. Because he is also a prince, he is also theoretically qualified to inherit the throne.
Since Liu Bang, this kind of operation has been frequently seen in history books, and Liu Bang wanted to replace Liu Ruyi as the prince in his later years, which was essentially to balance the Lu group behind the prince Liu Ying. Cao Cao intentionally or unintentionally supported Cao Zhi, but in order to make the prince Cao Pi fearful.
When he came to Li Shimin, Li Tai, the king of Wei who was a fellow mother of the crown prince Li Chengqian, was the only suitable candidate. Both of them were born to the eldest grandson queen, and they are both descendants, according to the principle of succession, if Li Chengqian has an accident, Li Tai will most likely be the next prince.
Therefore, it is most appropriate and the most deterrent to use Li Tai to balance the crown prince. There is an argument on the Internet that Li Yuan played checks and balances at the beginning, and let the prince and prince pay equal attention, which led to the change of Xuanwumen. Now that the party Li Shimin is the emperor, he still follows his father's old path and pays equal attention to the prince and the prince, and as a result, the prince rebelled. Why can't we learn the lesson? It's really not that Li Shimin doesn't learn a lesson, it's that he really doesn't have a choice. Sitting in that supreme position, his first priority is to ensure that he is not pulled down. This is not only the selfishness of imperial power, but also the stability of power inheritance. Isn't the great turmoil of the Northern and Southern Dynasties hundreds of years the bitter fruit of the destruction of the order of power inheritance?
Therefore, we can see that it probably began with Li Chengqian's first time in charge of the country and was unanimously praised by the government and the opposition. Li Tai began to be elevated by Li Shimin, intentionally or unintentionally.
Li Yuan died in the ninth year of Zhenguan, and as his son Li Shimin needed to give up all government affairs and concentrate on filial piety, the crown prince Li Chengqian would naturally replace his father in charge of the country. Historical records record that the minister's evaluation of the prince is: quite able to hear. (June of the ninth year of Zizhi Tongjian Zhenguan).
Then, less than a year later, according to the custom, the old emperor's funeral needed to adjust the title of the clan. Li Tai was transferred from the king of Yue to the king of Wei and served as the governor of Xiangzhou. What is more conspicuous is that except for the young prince, all the clans went to the fiefdom, but the adult prince Li Tai was allowed not to be an official and stayed in Beijing. We know that the early Tang Dynasty implemented a policy of emphasizing the inside and the outside, and it was generally regarded as a demotion to the local government from outside the capital. Li Tai was able to obtain first-hand information by staying in Jingshi, which was considered a special favor.
Then, because Li Tai loves literature, he set up a literature museum in his mansion and let him recruit bachelors.
If the concession is not an official, it is a natural expression of the father's affection for his son. Then letting Li Tai set up a literature museum is a deliberate political act by Taizong. Because he himself set up a literature museum in the Qin Palace, and the literati and bachelors he attracted became his team of advisors, playing an important role in his struggle with Li Jiancheng.
Therefore, at this time, no matter how high-sounding the reason given for Li Tai to set up a literature museum, it can't help but make people feel surprised. This is equivalent to giving Li Tai a set of succession team.
The history books do not record the attitude of the crown prince Li Chengqian at this moment, but without thinking about it, he knows that a strong sense of crisis will definitely come to his face.
Next, someone played a minister above the third grade to despise King Wei, and Li Shimin was furious and gathered the ** above the third grade and scolded him. You must know that the prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty are like Zhongshu Ling, and the servants are all three grades, and the so-called three grades or more are equivalent to including the entire elite team of the empire. Put a prince openly above the administrative system, and let the prince deal with himself?
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that even for the sake of the balance of power, the emperor's approach is too out of line. This will cause a shock in the empire, and it will allow people with a heart to see the opportunity to take the position, so as to choose sides and form friends. And partisan rivalry will plunge the empire into endless internal strife, and even lead to a coup d'état and overthrow the regime.
So in the 11th year of Zhenguan, Ma Zhou used Cao Cao's pampering of Cao Zhi to cause Cao Pi to take the throne, and Cao Zhi died of depression all his life, so he came to persuade the emperor, and over-pampering King Wei was actually equivalent to harming him.
But Li Shimin didn't take it to heart, with his mastery of history, he didn't know what Ma Zhou said. However, for the sake of stabilizing imperial power, checks and balances are not the best solution, but they are a necessary topic. The so-called water is difficult to recover, and there is no way to take it back when you go out with this step. With Tian Khan's ability to keep the checks and balances under control, he still has this confidence.
In the 12th year of Zhenguan, because Wang Jue was dissatisfied with the three grades or above, the prince needed to get off the horse or get off the car to show respect, and felt that this was not in line with etiquette, and was taught a lesson by Taizong. Not only that, but also said the following words: Life is difficult to die, in case the prince is unlucky, Anzhi kings will not be the lord of the public generation in the future! What a light!
This is no longer a hint but a clear telling the world that the East Palace is worried about changing hands.
Everyone knows that the kings who can replace the crown prince in Taizong's mouth, who else can there be besides King Wei!
Although this matter was said by Wei Zheng to be the death of the father and the son since ancient times, there has never been such a clever statement as the brother and the brother. But in order not to make the power unbalanced, Fang Xuanling was worshiped as the young master of the crown prince in the first month of the following year.
Later, Li Tai compiled the book "Kuodi Zhi", and Taizong rewarded him greatly, and even his monthly consumption exceeded that of the prince. After Chu Suiliang wrote to advise, Taizong simply stipulated that the prince's use was not restricted in order to block the tongue.
In this way, you can see that the balance that Taizong has worked so hard to maintain is becoming more and more unbalanced, and has even reached a controllable upper limit. The ministers of the court and the central government began to be at a loss, so they had to choose sides, and they chose the prince after being wronged by Li Shimin, and felt that Li Tai would sooner or later enter the East Palace and took refuge in the King of Wei. So finally, under the panic of the crown prince and the pressure of the king of Wei, Li Chengqian chose to strike first, and after the failure of the assassination of the king of Wei, he took a risk and attempted to rebel. was denounced by his own guards and stillborn.
This is the result that Li Shimin does not want to see the most, whether it is his checks and balances, or suppression, it is all to restore the normal order of power inheritance. Minimize the negative impact of the Xuanwumen Revolution and achieve a smooth and stable transition of power during his lifetime. Maybe he had been in a trance, and his two sons made it impossible for him to let go easily, but reason told him that the only purpose of supporting the King of Wei was to contain the crown prince. There is no intention of abolishing it.
In the 16th year of Zhenguan, the government and the opposition discussed that the emperor wanted to replace the crown prince, which made Taizong very disgusted. In order to calm down this argument, Taizong worshiped Wei Zheng, whom he was extremely optimistic about, as the prince and teacher, to eliminate the suspicion of the world. Even in the 17th year of Zhenguan, Taizong also publicly said: It is rumored that the prince is sick, and the king of Wei is smart and favored, so there are objections, causing many people to climb the dragon and join the association. Although the prince has a problem with his feet, it does not affect his walking, and according to the etiquette law, the son of the prince dies, and the grandson is established, and the prince's son is five years old.
This has been made very clear, but the situation has long been on the side of King Wei, and Li Shimin's efforts have failed. So when he learned that the prince had rebelled, he would be in pain. And Li Tai, the king of Wei, did not get what he wanted, but was deposed by Li Shimin together with the crown prince.
Having said all this, what is the position of the eldest grandson Wuji? Watch and see what happens. It is said that even a figure of Fang Xuanling's level is implicated, and there is no reason for the eldest grandson Wuji to stay away from the whirlpool. But looking through the history books, there is not a single word about this matter. He was in the center, but he was just right away from right and wrong.
Of course, Li Chengqian and Li Tai are his nephews, and he will be honest with anyone he helps. But did he choose to avoid suspicion because of his special identity? Or did he have insight into Taizong's checks and balances and deliberately turned a blind eye? Or is it waiting for the right moment to strike a blow in order to grab greater political benefits?
The answer was revealed in April of the 17th year of Zhenguan.
After Li Chengqian was deposed as a concubine, Li Tai entered the palace to serve Taizong, who promised to make him the crown prince in person, and Cen Wenwen and Liu Xun also supported the king of Wei. But the eldest grandson Wuji, who has always stayed away from right and wrong, firmly supports Li Zhi, the king of Jin. When Taizong hesitated, Li Tai snuggled in his father's arms and said: I only feel that today I really become the son of His Majesty, it is really the day of my rebirth, I have a son, and on the day I die, I will kill His Majesty, and then pass on the throne to King Jin.
Li Shimin was stunned, and told the courtiers these words the next day. Chu Suiliang saw the clue as soon as he heard it and said: How can there be a reason why after your majesty is long lived, the king of Wei has the world, and he is willing to kill his beloved son and pass on the throne to the king of Jin.
No one does not love their children, this is clearly against human nature, the implication is that as soon as King Wei says this, as long as he ascends the throne, Li Zhi, the king of Jin, will definitely die. So Li Tai was out.
In the subsequent operation, the terrifying strength of the eldest grandson Wuji was exposed.
Li Shimin held a small-scale Politburo meeting in the Liangyi Palace, and remembered that his son was still in pain. When he was agitated, he hit his head on the bed, and then drew his saber and prepared to commit suicide. The eldest grandson Wuji stepped forward and hugged Li Shimin and asked him: Who do you want to set up?
Li Shimin said: I want to establish the king of Jin.
The eldest grandson Wuji was afraid that he was overly excited and said such a lawless sentence: I respectfully obey the edict, if there is any dissent, please behead him.
There were only four people in the main hall, in addition to him and Chu Suiliang, there were also Li Shi and Fang Xuanling. Needless to say, Chu Suiliang and Li Shi both supported Li Zhi. Only Fang Xuanling's attitude is unclear, he is Li Chengqian's crown prince and young master, and his son Fang Yiai is a die-hard fan of Li Tai. It's really hard to say who he supports, and if the eldest grandson Wuji has any objections, please behead him. Inevitably, it is not a warning to Fang Xuanling.
In this way, the four of them reached an agreement, but the procedure had to be completed. Li Zhi has always been unknown, and the ministers of the DPRK and China have sided with each other, and Li Shimin is very worried about the attitude of the foreign ministers. So he said to the eldest grandson Wuji: You have agreed to establish the king of Jin, but you don't know what the opinions of the ministers outside are?
The eldest grandson Wuji said: King Jin is benevolent and filial, the people of the world have been in their hearts for a long time, and if they don't believe it, Your Majesty can summon hundreds of officials, and if you have different opinions, your Majesty will die.
This is a proper poisonous oath, and daring to pack a ticket like this shows that he is confident. It also shows that he has already done a hundred officials.
Sure enough, Li Shimin summoned hundreds of officials above the sixth grade in the Taiji Palace, and everyone cheered in unison: King Jin is benevolent and filial piety, and he should be the heir.
Isn't it scary? There is nothing that everyone can agree with and it is impossible for everyone to disagree, this is the norm in the world. This is especially true when it comes to issues of interest. But the eldest grandson Wuji did it, which shows that his power has infiltrated the corners of the empire. Or his influence has become so great that everyone submits to him, so that when everyone hears that he supports Li Zhi, they all follow suit.
This is called a word, so much so that Li Shimin said to Li Zhi: Your uncle promised you, hurry up and thank him!
So why did the eldest grandson Wuji forcibly push Li Zhi to the throne?
Because first, his special status and identity, as well as the trust he gained, could shake Taizong's will. The huge influence that extends from this allows him to influence the situation at critical moments.
Second, Li Tai has cultivated his own team in the battle for succession with Li Chengqian. If the eldest grandson Wuji supports Li Tai, it will be the icing on the cake, but choosing Li Zhi, who was originally unrelated to the storage position, is undoubtedly a relief in the snow. Only with such support can his political interests be maximized.
But such political demands will eventually bring him backlash ......