Chapter 16 The Hidden Pain of the Empire: The Death of Xuanwu (Part 2)

A beautiful sun hangs high in the middle sky of the Tang Empire. The Xuanwu Gate, covered with blood and dead bodies, is like a huge wound exposed in the midday sun. Li Shimin walked all the way to the palace, stepping on the blood that hadn't been wiped off in time. In the huge Taiji Palace, eunuchs and maids in shock can be seen busily shuttling back and forth everywhere.From time to time, they cast ambiguous and terrified glances at King Qin, then quickly lowered their heads and hurried past. In the empty Wude Hall, Gaozu Li Yuan was sitting on the imperial couch with his head down, with a dull expression, quietly waiting for Li Shimin's arrival.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yuan raised his head subconsciously, and found King Qin in armor standing in front of him impressively.After this sudden bloody coup, when the embarrassed father and son suddenly looked at each other, their eyes were filled with too many unspeakable things. Li Shimin hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.The old emperor beckoned and asked Li Shimin to kneel in front of him, then stretched out his trembling hands and stroked his neck, saying: "These days, I was almost misunderstood by people's words, and committed the "confusion of casting poles" (someone misrepresented that Zeng Shen murder, his mother believed) ah!"

Li Shimin cried bitterly and buried his face in his father's chest.Immediately afterwards, the King of Qin made a move that left countless descendants puzzled—"kneeling and sucking the breast". In fact, Li Shimin's breast-feeding action is not ridiculous, what is ridiculous is our various reactions to it. Because we are so rare. In fact, this was the smartest move Li Shimin could do under the circumstances that father and son brothers fought each other and caused a catastrophe.In other words, this is the most direct way for Li Shimin to awaken the affection between father and son in the first place, and it is also the most effective way for him to obtain his father's understanding to the greatest extent and make up for the huge rift between father and son.

How can I see it? Mr. Li Zongtong and Mr. Xia Deyi said in "Zi Zhi Tong Jian Jin Zhu": "Kneel and lick the breast to show the state of being a child." The meaning of this sentence is: Li Shimin made this "breast sucking" The purpose of this action is to evoke the memory of his father and reproduce the intimacy with his father when he was a "children". However, shouldn't the object of the child's breastfeeding be the mother?How could Li Shimin suck breast to his father Li Yuan?Unless Li Yuan played the role of a mother and breastfeeding a baby in his early years, Li Shimin's action still cannot be reasonably explained.

However, it seems even more sensational and unbelievable to say that Li Yuan really breastfeeding a baby. To our shock, the answer is exactly this. To be precise, it should be——Li Yuan once had a symbolic "ritual" of "feeding a baby" in his early years. According to the research of ancient folklore by relevant scholars, it is found that the appearance of a man (father) breastfeeding a baby is indeed a custom of "giving birth to a man" and "breasting a baby" among the surrounding ethnic minorities in the Tang Dynasty. For example, Fang Qianli of the Tang Dynasty recorded this custom of the Southern Liao people in "The History of Foreign Objects": "The Liao woman will go out immediately after giving birth, and the husband will lie down when he is tired, like a breast-feeding woman. "

There are also relevant records in Tang Yuchishu's "Southern Chu News", which shows that the Yue people also have this custom of "birthing a man": "In Yuesu, a wife or a child will bathe in the stream after three days, and return with a piece of rice. The son-in-law. The son-in-law embraces the fur and the young, sits on the couch, and is called the "birth man". It is so upside down!" According to Li Zongfang's "Qian Ji" written by Li Zongfang of the Qing Dynasty, the Miao people also have this custom: "When a woman gives birth, her husband must guard the house. She does not go beyond the door, and she will come out after the full moon. The mother will go in and out to farm, and provide food for her husband and baby. "

It can be seen that the ancient Liao, Yue, and Miao people all had the custom of women working normally after giving birth, while men stayed in bed to "confine" and breastfeed their babies symbolically. The leading role in nurturing, while strengthening the intimate bond between the child and the father. The concept of growing up by being nurtured by "parents' milk" can also be supported by folk proverbs in the Southern Dynasties.According to "Liang Shu Biography of Shixing Wang Xiaoxuan", the Shixing King Xiaoxuan of the Liang Dynasty had a virtuous government in the local area. Tianjian was called back to the court by Emperor Wu of Liang in the seventh year. The local people were reluctant to part with it. , the father of the people. Going to people is like water and fire. When will you come back and breastfeed me?" The people reflected here compare King Siheung to their father, and express their attachment to King Siheung with the words "feed me". It is a strong evidence that this custom also existed in ancient Han areas. (See Yan Aimin's Explanation of "The People of the World Kneel and Suck Their Breasts"——Also Talking about the Customs of Ancient Chinese "Breastmen")

Of course, when Li Shimin was born, it was impossible for Li Yuan to really lie in bed for "confinement" like those Liao, Yue, and Miao people, but there should be no doubt that he once held the "breasting" ceremony symbolically. of. Therefore, after the bloody coup d'état of murdering brothers and slaying brothers and subverting ethics, it was not only reasonable, but also very necessary for Li Shimin to "kneel and suck his breasts" in time.This should be the most repairing "emotional glue" for the nearly broken father-son relationship at that time.

At this point, the change of Xuanwu Gate has basically come to an end, but the blood of the Li Tang royal family has not been shed enough. Because to cut the weeds, the roots must also be removed. Although the crown prince and King Qi have been eliminated, their ten sons are still there.For Li Shimin, this means that the remaining political dissident forces are still there, and a potential revenge force is still there.The problem is not that these ten young and young nephews will rise up to avenge their father when they grow up, but no one can guarantee that in the future, no one with ulterior motives will use their hatred to target them Use the banner to make waves.Therefore, since the bloody coup d'état of killing brothers, brothers, and forcing fathers has come to this point, Li Shimin can only push it further to the inevitable logical end point-nephew slaughter according to its own inertia.

It can only be so, there is no other choice. To say cruel, this may be a kind of cruelty.However, this is the rule of the game of power struggle.Within such rules, everyone is an involuntary pawn.You may choose what role to play, but you can never change the inherent rules of the role.In the cage defined by history and the conditions of the times, you can only adapt and use the rules to the maximum extent, but you are absolutely powerless to change the rules.In other words, you can play well within the rules, but you can't overflow the rules.Furthermore, if what happened in the ninth year of Wude was the change of Kunming Lake instead of the change of Xuanwu Gate, and if Li Jiancheng won this peak duel instead of Li Shimin, then after killing King Qin, would Li Jiancheng submit to King Qin? Where are the sons wielding butcher knives?

The answer is yes. Under the overturned nest, how can there be any eggs? Therefore, once history chooses the change of Xuanwu Gate, once the god of destiny falls in love with Li Shimin, then the prince and the ten sons of King Qi are doomed to escape. On the afternoon of June 4th, when two teams of flying cavalry from Prince Qin's Mansion were ordered to rush into the East Palace and Prince Qi's Mansion, the golden branches and jade leaves of the Li Tang royal family immediately wailed in fear and despair.Before the ten young or young princes could get rid of the great grief of losing their father, the god of death had stretched out his cold white claws and grabbed them easily. History books do not record their ages.Perhaps this is a good thing for future generations of readers, because people can avoid some kind of tenderness in their hearts. But the history books recorded their names. In the yellowed history books, they are just a small string of featureless symbols, two or three lines of words that are easy to ignore. Li Jiancheng's five sons are: Li Chengdao, King of Anlu, Li Chengde, King of Hedong, Li Chengxun, King of Wu'an, Li Chengming, King of Runan, and Li Chengyi, King of Julu.Li Yuanji's five sons are: Li Chengye, King of Liangjun, Li Chengluan, King of Yuyang, Li Chengju, King of Pu'an, Li Chengyu, King of Jiangxia, and Li Chengdu, King of Yiyang. That's all they left in history. Although their ages are unknown, we know that Li Jiancheng was 38 years old when he died, and Li Yuanji was 24 years old when he died, so it is conceivable how old their sons will be.The largest one is estimated to be only a weak crown year, and the youngest is probably only a toddler. We don't know what they have done in their short lives, what kind of temperament and hobbies they have, what kind of joys and sorrows they have, except that they have a common memorial day; What unforgettable memories, and what beautiful dreams they have for the future... We have no way of knowing all of this. The only thing we can imagine is that when the gleaming ghost knife slammed down on their slender necks involuntarily, their still clear eyes must be filled with endless terror and confusion.The blade flashed, ten bright blood splashed, and then the ten heads with wide-open pupils fell to the ground, like some flowers that were about to bloom, unexpectedly withered from the spring branches and shriveled into mud . Where is their grandfather Li Yuan at such a tragic moment? In the afternoon of this day, when a tragic wail erupted from the sky above the East Palace and Prince Qi's Mansion at the same time, did the old emperor hear it?Did the old emperor see this group of grandsons who were dragged to the execution ground with disheveled clothes and tears all over their faces yesterday? We can imagine that even if Li Yuan hid himself in the deepest corner of the deep palace, even if he covered his ears hard and closed his eyes tightly, the scene of the ten grandchildren's blood splattering and their heads falling to the ground would still be the same. Persistence appeared in front of his eyes, and the shrill screams would also mercilessly penetrate into his ears and fall on his old heart that was already overwhelmed. It is the most painful thing in the world for a white-haired person to send a black-haired person. What's more, this white-haired man was the unique ruler of this empire yesterday, with the supreme authority of life and death in his hands.What's more, these black-haired people were still the aristocrats of the empire yesterday, with the blood of the most noble royal family in the world flowing through their bodies. But overnight, it all seemed like a lifetime away.This supreme ruler can no longer even control his own destiny, and these nobles and nobles have not only been killed, but have all been expelled from the imperial status. This kind of loss and contrast is especially difficult for people to face, especially for people to be unable to bear... At this moment, Li Yuan was sitting on the royal couch that still belonged to him in the Taiji Palace, his eyes were sad and blurred, his face was old and tired.There was nothing he could do about what was going on.He didn't even know that the imperial couch under him could sit for a few more days, so what else could he do? Perhaps the thing he regrets most is not seeing these two sons and ten grandchildren for the last time. Perhaps, in the hearts of these children and grandchildren, this is also their greatest regret when they passed away in a hurry? If your entangled ghosts are destined to wander and wander in the Taiji Palace, then come and see me for the last time. Regardless of whether you are covered in blood or in a terrifying ghostly state, I invite you to fall into a dream... Rather than making me toss and turn, sleepless at night, it is better to come to my side, express your deepest resentment and unwillingness, and pour out your endless pain and distress. Finally, may your souls rest in peace. I'm already old, and it won't take long before I'll be with you in the past.After a hundred years, I hope God will show mercy and allow our souls to be reunited forever in a happy and peaceful place, a place where there is no dispute, no conspiracy, no killing, and no death. Is there a heaven after death? Nobody knows. The only thing the people of Chang'an know at this moment is that until the East Palace and Prince Qi's Mansion have been uprooted, there seems to be no sign of the end of this killing. After killing the prince and the sons of the king of Qi, the generals of the king of Qin wanted to kill more than a hundred of their cronies and lose their property.Yuchi Jingde strongly objected, saying: "There are only two culprits in all crimes! Now that they have been punished, we can't expand the scope of attack. This will not make people feel at ease." Li Shimin adopted his opinion, so the massacre was suspended. On the same day, Li Yuan issued an edict to amnesty the world, and said: "Crimes of rebellion will only end with Jiancheng and Yuanji, and the rest of the party members will not be held accountable; all government affairs will be judged by the King of Qin!" On June 5, Feng Li and Xie Shufang voluntarily surrendered, but Xue Wanche is still at large.Li Shimin continued to publicize his lenient policy, and Xue Wanche returned to Chang'an.Li Shimin said: "These people are loyal to their masters, and they are righteous men!" So they were acquitted and released. On June 7th, Li Yuan officially conferred Li Shimin as crown prince, and issued an edict to reiterate: "From today on, all military, political and other government affairs, big or small, will be decided by the prince before the report will be made." Li Shimin succeeded. Not only did he turn the world around in one fell swoop with unparalleled wisdom, courage, and courage, he eliminated political enemies and achieved a successful coup d'etat, but he also eliminated the political turmoil that might arise after violent seizure of power with his superb political skills and pacifying and lenient policies, and thus successfully Sitting on the crown prince he dreamed of. Just in the blink of an eye, the history of the Tang Empire suddenly opened a new page. This brand-new page is so grand and splendid that the dark red bloodstains in front of the Xuanwu Gate will soon be covered by the spewing light of the new era.However, June 4th in the ninth year of Wude was destined to be a wound that could never heal in Li Shimin's life, and it was also destined to become a pain that could never be dispelled in the memory of Li Tang Dynasty.If the entire Zhenguan great cause created by Li Shimin later is a monument that shines through the ages, then its base is undoubtedly a tomb with luxuriant grass. There are three words written on it - Xuanwu Gate. It is not only Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji who are buried inside, nor are their ten young sons, but also the soul of another Li Shimin. Maybe we have to look back to the Zhenguan period to see how the bloody incident in the ninth year of Wude deeply entangled Li Shimin's life. "A husband who violates propriety and righteousness is not tolerated by heaven and earth; if he abandons his father and flees from the king, both men and gods will be angry!... I used to be my son, but now I am an enemy of the country... I was born as a thief and minister, and died as a rebellious ghost...I am ashamed of the emperor's heaven." , I am ashamed of the future land, and I am so sorry!" ("Old Tang Book · Shu Ren You Biography") In the rainy spring of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, when the news came that the fifth son of Qi Wang Li You had rebelled in Qizhou, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin angrily wrote down this edict condemning Li You.At the end of the book, Li Shimin burst into tears, overwhelmed with grief. In addition to feeling heartbroken for Qi Wang Liyou's rebellious behavior, will the scene of the Nine Years of Wude flash through Li Shimin's mind?When his trembling pen wrote such words as "violating etiquette and righteousness", "abandoning the father and fleeing the king", "the heaven and the earth will not tolerate", "the wrath of man and god", will there be a long-hidden feeling in his heart? What about shame and guilt?And the exclamation of "ashamed to the emperor, ashamed to the earth", besides feeling ashamed for Li You, does it also contain a certain degree of self-condemnation?And the tears that flowed down my cheeks were not only for Qi Wang Li You alone? Coincidentally.Qi Wang Li You had just been put to death, and in April of this year, another case of rebellion against Prince Li Chengqian broke out.After the crown prince's defeat, the fourth son Wei Wang Li Tai's conspiracy to seize the heirloom was involved.Li Shimin, who was inexplicably sad and indignant, said in his publicly promulgated imperial edict: "I heard that things related to childbirth are nothing more than heaven and earth; love and respect are extremely important, and nothing is more important than monarchs and relatives... Chengqian suffers from foot disease), latently has the hope of succeeding the ancestors, and is obsessed with the principles of filial piety. My ambition is to be fair, and righteousness is unbiased... The two obediences are dethroned. It is not only a model for the world, but also a model for generations." ("" "Old Tang Book·Pu Wangtai Biography") Then he said to his courtiers: "If I stand up to the throne, the position of the prince can be managed. Since now, the prince has lost his way and the vassal king is watching. Both will be abandoned. Pass it on to all descendants, Forever the law of the future!" (Volume 197) After that, Prince Li Chengqian was abolished as a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou; Wei Wang Li Tai was demoted to Shunyang King and moved to Junzhou. When this tragedy of fratricide and fratricide almost happened again in front of Li Shimin, the astonishing similarity of history would definitely shock him greatly.In a sense, because he was worried about being plotted by Li Tai, Li Chengqian, who "specially seeks a way to secure himself with the courtiers", is Li Jiancheng in the past, while Li Tai, the king of Wei, who "has the intention of seizing the throne" is no different from the old man. Qin Wang Li Shimin. Therefore, at this time, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty issued such a warning to the later generations of the Li Tang royal family-don't think that "the position of prince can be obtained through management".The subtext is: everyone must have a "principle of filial piety" of "love and respect for the monarch and relatives", and no one should try to take what happened on June 4, the ninth year of Wude as an example to follow.Moreover, Li Shimin has repeatedly emphasized that from now on, no matter whether it is "the prince who has lost his way" or the vassal king coveting the position of prince, he will be demoted; All descendants will always be the posthumous law." However, the norms and rules that Tang Taizong Li Shimin solemnly asked his descendants to follow were actually the things that he himself completely subverted back then. Although times have changed and different roles lead to differences in behavior and values, when Li Shimin dealt with the case of Li Chengqian and Li Tai, he must have the moral shadow left over from the nine years of Wude in his heart.The more severe and painful the condemnation of the sons, and the more respected and emphasized the "principle of filial piety" of "love and respect the monarch", the more it shows that Li Shimin never really got rid of the huge influence of the Xuanwumen incident in his life. As scholars have said: "The most difficult struggle in Xuanwu Gate in Tang Taizong's life was definitely not a pleasant memory for him to boast of later generations... The unpleasant past between Li Shimin and his father...how could it be Get rid of Li Shimin's wounded heart?" (Hu Ji and Hu Le, "A Trial Analysis of the Background and Inside Story of the Xuanwumen Incident") Perhaps, when we look at Zhenguan from this perspective, we will find that in the process of Li Shimin creating this great achievement, there may have been some unspeakable potential forces participating and promoting. What is this power? Perhaps, we can call it an inner self-salvation. The less bright the method of seizing the throne, the greater Li Shimin's determination to create a bright world for the world; the deeper the Xuanwumen incident caused Li Shimin's hidden pain, the stronger his motivation to create Zhenguan; The heavier the sense of guilt for forcing his father and nephew Tu, the stronger his desire to seek moral relief from the deeds that benefit the common people of the country.