Chapter 51 Chapter 51: The Confusion of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty

Tang Taizong Li Shimin can be regarded as a generation of bright masters in the history of our country. He opened the imperial examination, practiced equalization of land, and set up rent and regulation; he used Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng and other famous ministers; The Bohai Sea, west of Tubo, ruled the world; externally, it strengthened economic and cultural exchanges with Dongying (today's Japan), Tianzhu (today's India) and Dashi (today's Arabian region), making Chang'an an international metropolis, and finally Created a prosperous scene of "the rule of Zhenguan".In the phrase "Qinyuanchun", Chairman Mao listed him as a romantic figure in history along with Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Song Taizu, and Genghis Khan.

However, when Tang Taizong entered his later years, he gradually became proud and complacent, no longer accepting advice humbly, and did a lot of stupid and stupid things.After living a life of ease and pleasure for many years, he gradually turned to luxury and corruption.In order to enjoy it better, he restored the luxurious palace built by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in Luoyang. He also selected the fourteen-year-old daughter of the late minister Samurai Wok as a talent, and named her "Mei". Later Wu Zetian.In the last few years of his reign as emperor, he was even more uncharacteristic. He was both superstitious in divination and obsessed with elixir. As a result, he unfortunately died of overdose at the age of fifty-two.

In the 22nd year of Zhenguan (AD 648), Taibai star appeared in the sky many times during the day. I heard that the "Secret Records" circulated among the people said: "After the third generation of Tang Dynasty, the heroine King Wu will rule the world." This made him, the emperor, unable to sleep.How could his Li family dynasty be replaced by "King Wu"?Therefore, he wanted to do everything possible to find this "King Wu" and strangle him in the cradle. There was a General Zuo Wuwei named Li Junxian who unfortunately became unlucky.In his official title, title, native place and position, there are four characters of "Wu" in a series - one in "General Zuo Wuwei", one in "Wulian County Duke", and he is "Wu'an County" "The man is the guard of the "Xuanwu Gate" at the north gate of Miyagi, and Taishi's divination happened to be on him, which couldn't be more coincidental.But his parents gave him a little girl's name "Five Niangzi" when he was a child, hoping that he would be easy to support.However, "Five" and "Wu" have the same pronunciation, which happens to be implicated in the taboo of the heroine.Li Shimin's superstitious belief in divination almost lost his mind. He couldn't help explaining that he first demoted Li Junxian to Huazhou (now Huaxian, Shaanxi) as the governor. Later, he was still worried and killed him with excuses.

Li Junxian didn't know what crime he had committed until he died, and became a victim of Li Shimin's superstition. In the 21st year of Zhenguan (647 A.D.), Li Shimin suffered from a stroke and was paralyzed in bed.After being diagnosed and treated by the imperial doctor, the disease recovered slightly after half a year, and he could go to court once every three days.If you continue to treat while raising, maybe you will recover gradually.However, at this time, he was obsessed with the golden stone elixir refined by the alchemists, hoping that he would live forever.He first took the elixir made by domestic alchemists, but it didn't work, so he thought that the domestic alchemists' Taoism skills were shallow, and then sent people to visit foreign experts.

In the 22nd year of Zhenguan (648 A.D.), the minister Wang Xuance captured an Indian monk named Naluoer Sapo in a foreign war.In order to cater to the emperor's psychology of begging for immortality, Wang Xuance dedicated this foreign monk to Li Shimin.The Indian monk boasted that he was 200 years old and specialized in the art of immortality. He vowed that if he took the elixir he made, he would live forever, and he could even ascend to the heavenly palace in broad daylight to become a fairy. Li Shimin was really moved by the nonsense of Naluoer Sapo, so he arranged a luxurious post for the Indian monk, every meal was sumptuous food, a large group of servants served him every day, and his life was no less than that of an emperor.Seeing that Li Shimin believed in him deeply, this guy made a big show of prescribing a series of weird medicine names, and Li Shimin ordered the world to collect strange medicines and stones according to this prescription, regardless of any price and all sacrifices, as long as he can get it. The medicine in the Indian monk's prescription has to be obtained even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire.

A year later, when the medicine was prepared, Li Shimin was very happy, and took all the medicine without hesitation, and died of poisoning due to bleeding from seven orifices.He was only fifty-two years old at this time. Li Shiming was the first emperor in Chinese history who was poisoned to death by the "elixir of longevity". Several emperors also died of taking elixir, following in his footsteps.