Why and how did Li Shimin become emperor?

The first emperor of the Chinese Empire was the second monarch of the Tang Dynasty, the second son of gaozu Li Yuan. Born in Wude (now northwest of Wude, Shaanxi Province), at the age of four, he had physiognomy to predict that this son would save the world and the people in the future because he was famous. In the 11th year of Yang Di's great cause (6 15), Yang Di was besieged by Khan, a Turkish soldier, in Yanmen (now Daixian County, Shaanxi Province), and Li Shimin, who was only sixteen years old, became famous. In the 13th year of Daye (6 17), Li Yuan was ordered to stay in Taiyuan, and Li Shimin followed him to Jinyang (now Taiyuan, Shanxi).

At this time, the Sui government had declined and the world was in chaos. Li Shimin made friends with heroes, actively recruited and prepared to send troops to crusade against Sui and seize the world. His close friend, Liu Wenjing, the magistrate of Jinyang County, was arrested and imprisoned for being implicated by Li Mi, the leader of Wagang Army.

In the name of visiting prison, Li Shimin drew up a plan with him to recruit soldiers, enter the customs in the west and set up imperial industry in prison, and told Tang gaozu about this plan through Pei Ji, deputy supervisor of Sui Jinyang Palace. After Tang Gaozu set out for Jinyang, Li Shimin and his brother Li Jian organized the left and right armies to fight side by side, and conquered Chang 'an in November of the 13th year of Daye. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin was made a high official and a right general, and became the king of Qin. Li Shimin was the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty. In March of the first year of Wude (6 18), Xue Ju and Xue Lingbing, who were entrenched in Jincheng (now Lanzhou, Gansu), invaded Guanzhong and were ordered to lead the army to conquer it. Go away. Xue was executed after surrendering.

In the second year of Wude (6 19), in October, Liu Wuzhou, a native of Mayi (now the northeast of Shuoxian County, Shanxi Province), rebelled, led the people south, defeated Li Yuanji, Peiji and other Tang generals in succession, and almost occupied the whole territory of Hedong, causing the Guanzhong to shake. Tang Gaozu is ready to give up Hedong and stay in the west of Tongguan. Li Shimin volunteered to cross the Yellow River with 30,000 troops, defeated the elite troops of Song Jingang and Liu Wuzhou, and surrendered veteran Wei Chijingde and Xunping. Then, Li Shimin went north, and finally in the third year of Wude (620) in April, Liu Wuzhou was annihilated and the whole territory of Hedong was recovered.

In July of the same year, he led his troops across the Central Plains, successively recovered most counties in Henan, and besieged the remnant king of the Sui Dynasty in Luoyang, a lonely city. Then, he decisively adopted the strategy of siege and Dayuan, captured Dou Jiande alive, and landed in Wang, successively pacifying the two most powerful leaders since the end of Sui Dynasty.

Li Shimin showed his outstanding talent when he put down the leader in the late rebellion, which made Gaozu worry about the heir to the throne. At the same time, in the course of the war, Li Shimin got a group of talented people who are good at fighting and have extraordinary strategies, such as Chi Jing Jingde, Li Jing and Fang. This greatly strengthened the ability of Qin Wang and Prince Li to compete for the throne, and finally made the battle for the throne between them enter a white-hot stage.

On June 4th, the 9th year of Wude (626), Li Shimin led Sun Chang and Wei Chijingde, aides of Qin government, to assassinate Prince Li and his fourth brother Li Yuanji in Xuanwu Gate, north of Gongcheng. This is the "change of Xuanwu Gate". Two days later, Tang Gaozu made Li Shimin a prince. In August, Tang Gaozu became the emperor's father in Zen, and Li Shimin acceded to the throne for Emperor Taizong. At the beginning of the second year, Emperor Taizong changed the Yuan Dynasty to Zhenguan.

Just after the change of Xuanwu Gate, the Turkish "Jie Li Khan" took advantage of the civil strife in the Tang Dynasty and invaded on a large scale. Emperor Taizong sent Wei Chijingde to fight and defeated the Turks. A few days later, Jie Li invaded again, arrived at the Weishui Bridge, and sent a special envoy to Chang 'an to demonstrate. Emperor Taizong rode six times to Weishui, crossed the river, met Jie Li, and broke an agreement with several Jie Li. At this time, the troops of the Tang Dynasty also arrived one after another. Li Jie saw that Tang Jun was on a roll and thought that there was no gap to take advantage of, so he made peace with Emperor Taizong and returned to the north. This is the "temporary bridge alliance".

In the first year of Zhenguan (627), Emperor Taizong ranked the contributions of counselor Fang and Du Ruhui as the first, and appointed him as the prime minister to take charge of state affairs, which aroused the dissatisfaction of his uncle Li Shentong, King of Huai 'an, and the Great Xia. They boasted of outstanding military exploits and held high positions. They complained bitterly, disrupted the celebration order, and even punched and kicked Li Daozong, the king of Rencheng who came to surrender. So the generals will strive for merit and make a scene. In this regard, Emperor Taizong said to Li Shentong with an expression on his face: "Although my uncle was a pioneer at the beginning of the banner of righteousness, he was completely annihilated in two battles with Dou Jiande and Liu Heita, and once ran away. Ling Xuan, if able to strategize, stabilize the country and reward merit, should be the first. Although you are my uncle and the wealth of my country, you can never repay me with your personal kindness and meritorious service! Then, he said to Wei Chijingde: "When I was reading Hanshu, I saw that when Emperor Gaozu was in power, few active generals saved their lives, and I was often dissatisfied with Emperor Gaozu, so I wanted to learn from it and protect heroes intentionally so as not to cut off future generations. But you often take the credit for yourself and break the law. Today, I learned that it was not the fault of Emperor Gaozu that Han Xin and Peng Yue, the generals in the early Han Dynasty, were killed and their families were ruined. There are only two kinds of rewards and punishments in national affairs. You can't do it at the same time. You should cherish yourself and love yourself, lest you regret it later. "After hearing this warning, Li Shentong and Jingdezhen immediately expressed their remorse and turned over a new leaf, and the struggle for merit soon subsided. Then, Emperor Taizong pardoned Wang Jue, an official of former Prince Li, and entrusted him with the important task of managing state affairs.

Soon, Prime Minister Feng Deyi suggested to Emperor Taizong that middle-aged men (16 years old in the early Tang Dynasty) who were physically fit should simply enlist in the army, in view of the lack of soldiers in some respects. Emperor Taizong immediately agreed and ordered Zhongshu Province to draft letters, which were submitted to Xiamen Province for deliberation, and then handed over to Shangshu Province for implementation. However, when this imperial edict was sent to Menxia, Wei Zhi, an official in charge of signing and sealing, refused to sign it. Although the negotiations were repeated many times, they were all unsuccessful. Finally, Feng Deyi had to report to Emperor Taizong truthfully. Emperor Taizong was furious after hearing this, and immediately sent for Wei Zhi. He said with an expression: "I have agreed to make it easy for healthy middle-aged men to join the army." What does this matter have to do with you? I really don't know what you mean by refusing to agree so stubbornly? " Wei Zhi solemnly replied: "I heard that it's not that you can't catch fish, but that there will be no fish next year;" It's not that you can't catch animals if you burn the forest, but that there will be no animals next year. If China male skaters are drafted into the army, what will these people take from their original rent and taxes? And there are not many soldiers, the key is how to train. If you are properly trained, people are brave, why do you have to make up numbers? " Then, I also listed two or three things that have been broken by the people since Emperor Taizong ascended the throne. Finally, it is also severely pointed out that if this continues, how to win the trust of people! Hearing this, Emperor Taizong pondered for a long time and finally said sincerely, "I didn't think it over, so I made such a big mistake. In the long run, can we still achieve great harmony in the world? " Then immediately ordered to stop Jane point male, and gave Wei Zhi a golden urn.

In the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), in March, the Tang Dynasty defeated Li Jing and Li Ji, captured their Li Jie Khan, and East Turkistan perished. The territory of the Tang Dynasty extended to the north of today's Lake Baikal. Some tribes originally belonging to Turkic tribes were attached to Xue Yantuo in the north, some went to the western regions, and the remaining hundreds of thousands surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. How to deal with more than 100,000 Turks, Emperor Taizong called courtiers to discuss. Most courtiers believe that the nomadic people in the north have been a serious border problem in the Central Plains since ancient times. Today, they are fortunate to be extinct. They should all be moved to the inland south of the Yellow River, disrupting their original tribal organization and structure, and scattered in various counties to guide them to grow textiles. In this way, the original unruly nomadic people can be turned into mainland residents who are easy to subdue, and the land in Saibei will always be empty. It has also been suggested that ethnic minorities should surrender if they are weak, or rebel if they are strong. It has always been like this. We should drive them to the vast grasslands and not stay in the mainland to avoid heart trouble. Only Wen Yanbo, the head of the Chinese secretariat, advocated that the Turks should be moved to the Hetao area with abundant water and grass, and that the original tribes should be preserved and the living customs should be observed, which would not only enrich the empty land, but also strengthen the northern border defense forces. Finally, he pointed out tit for tat: "The son of heaven should be like an overwhelming load, without omission." Today the Turks surrendered to me when they were down and out. Can they be rejected and not accepted? Emperor Taizong agreed with Wen Yanbo's suggestion and added: "Since ancient times, China has always been like a family to China, but I love them like a family!" Since ancient times, you have been China and you have been barbarian. I love one another, so my race is like my parents. ) So he set up two governors' offices in Dingxiang and Yunzhong in Hetao area to lead the Turks. Chiefs at all levels who are willing to join the army are worshipped as generals, corps commanders and imperial courts. There are more than 100 minority officials with more than five grades, accounting for almost half of all courtiers, and nearly 10,000 people have moved to Chang 'an one after another. This policy of Emperor Taizong quickly won the support and love of many ethnic groups around him. They regarded Emperor Taizong as "Tiankhan" (meaning "a leader as big as the sky") and respected him as a god.

Li Shimin's imperial clan is descended from several generations of ethnic minorities. Li Shimin's grandmother, Dugu, was a Xianbei, and the ancestor of the Queen was Tuoba of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Prince-later Tang Gaozong's eldest son Li Zhi was born. Because of this, coupled with Li Shimin's great mind, the early Tang Dynasty did not discriminate against ethnic minorities excessively.

After pacifying the Turks, Emperor Taizong continued to manage the western regions and used troops many times. In the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), Emperor Taizong attacked Tuguhun, including Li Jing, Hou Jijun and Wang Daozong. The following year, Tuyuhun Fuyun Khan fled to the desert and was killed by China people. Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty established another Tugu Hun King. In the 13th year of Zhenguan (639), Emperor Taizong and King Gaochang paid tribute to the Western Regions, ordered Hou and attacked Gaochang. The following year, King Gaochang died of illness, and his son Zhisheng succeeded to the throne and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong then set up Anxi Duhu in Jiaohe City, Gaochang capital, and all countries in the western regions paid tribute to Chang 'an.

In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan (64 1), in the first month, Emperor Taizong promised to marry Princess Wencheng, the ancestral daughter of Tubo (the ancestor of Tibetans in Tibet), and sent Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites and Li Daozong, king of Jiangxia, to escort the princess into Tibet. Songzan Gambu was overjoyed to hear the news. He personally came to Heyuan (west of Eling Lake in Qinghai) from the capital Losom (now Lhasa, Tibet) and met Li Daozong as a son-in-law. When he saw China's gorgeous clothes and spectacular manners, he was envious. From then on, Tubo and Tang Dynasty became nephews and uncles, learning from each other and getting along well.

In April of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), Prince Li Chenggan was abolished for the crime of rebellion, so Emperor Taizong appointed his ninth son, King Li Zhi of Jin, as the prince and strictly supervised him. While eating, he pointed to the food and said to Li Zhi, "It takes hard work to plant the land and plant the spring crops and harvest the autumn crops. Only by cherishing the people's resources and not robbing the farming season can we have food forever "; Seeing him riding a horse, he said, "Horses can walk for others and save energy. If you use it properly and don't try your best, you can still ride horses often. " Seeing him in the boat, he said, "The boat is better than people, and the water is better than people. The knife cuts bread and fingers. You will become a monarch in the future. Think about the relationship between water and boats. Can you not be afraid? " Seeing it resting in the shade of a tree, he said, "Although the trunk of this tree is bent, it can be sawn into a straight board by measuring it with a carpenter's rope. Although the monarch has no choice, he can become a saint as long as he is good at taking advice. He also taught several other sons: "It is human nature for a father to love his son, and you don't need to teach everyone. It is best for a son to be loyal and filial. If you don't listen to instruction and keep etiquette, you will be killed. Although your father loves you, he is helpless. Before the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, and Liu Dan, the prince of Yan, was arrogant and disobedient. Huo Guang only issued an imperial edict and died. As courtiers, we should learn from this incident, be careful and never imitate Liu Dan. It is said that from now on, these children and grandchildren are law-abiding, and few people run amok.

In February of the 19th year of Zhenguan (645), Emperor Taizong led six armies from Luoyang to the north to attack Korea on the grounds that Su Wen abused the people in the spring when North Korea was in power. However, after crossing the Liao River eastward, Tang Jun could not capture Anshicheng (now Yingchengzi in the south of Haicheng, Liaoning Province) for a long time because of the tenacious resistance of North Korea. In addition, the climate turned cold, and the grass withered and the grain could not be reached. It was difficult for the army to stay long, so we had to send a letter to adjust the troops.

During the reign of Emperor Taizong, he made outstanding achievements in politics and military affairs, and made great progress in society, culture and education. On the social front, in view of the fact that the gentry still monopolized the way of senior officials, in order to stabilize the family status and provide more talents for the country, Emperor Taizong ordered Gao Shilian to select the genealogy of the gentry and re-evaluate the gentry with the standard of "meritorious service, moral integrity and standing up", and all those who failed in virtue were removed from the list; On the other hand, it inherited the imperial examination system of Sui Dynasty to attract talents.

In order to provide a good educational environment, Emperor Taizong established the Shi Jing School headed by imperial academy. Including the establishment of Guo Zi School, imperial academy and four schools in Gaozu, the establishment of law school and calligraphy school in Taizong, and the construction of additional school buildings with a capacity of 2,000 students. Hong Wen Pavilion is built for the children of royalty and senior officials. At that time, culture and education were developed, and Siyi sent their children to Chang 'an to study.

At the same time, Emperor Taizong paid attention to compiling books and history. He ordered to look for the suicide note of the dead scholar among the people. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, all the books of Luoyang Sui Dynasty were in the Yellow River on the way to Chang 'an, with only 14,000 volumes, about 90,000 volumes, but the Hong Wen Pavilion was established in Taizong, with more than 200,000 volumes. Tang Taizong also believed that the Confucian classics in the Southern and Northern Dynasties were divided into two schools, namely, the North and the South, and the Confucian classics were voluminous. Confucius sorted them out and awarded them as the final edition of the Five Classics, which was a just manuscript of the Five Classics and provided a basis for the imperial examination. In historiography, Emperor Taizong established the National History Museum to compile the history of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui Dynasty, on the one hand to show the orthodoxy of the Tang Dynasty, and on the other hand to learn from it.

In the twenty-second year of Zhenguan (648), in the first month, Emperor Taizong dedicated twelve articles of Emperor Fan written by him to Prince Li Zhi, and warned him: "You should learn from the ancient sages, like me, and never imitate them. Because from the top, you can only get it, and from the middle, you can only get it. Since I reached the top, I have made many mistakes: the brilliant pearls and emeralds are endless, palaces and pavilions are always busy, dogs, horses, eagles and falcons are far away, and I travel everywhere to give me trouble. These are the biggest mistakes I have made. Don't learn from me. 」

In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649), on May 26th, Taizong died of illness in the Hanfeng Hall of Cuiwei Palace. In August of the same year, he was buried in Zhaoling (northeast of Shaanxi Liquan).

Emperor Taizong was able to appoint talents, take good advice and change as soon as he heard it. Treat people like children, regardless of China people and foreigners. Create a "chastity rule". He is a good emperor praised by China people for thousands of years.