Chapter 8 Li Yuan has been lurking

Political marriages are popular within the Guanlong Group, and this practice has naturally continued to Li Yuan's generation. Li Yuan's father, Li Yan, married the daughter of Duguxin, a prominent Xianbei family, and Li Yuan also married the daughter of another prominent Xianbei family, Dou Yi, the governor of Sui Dingzhou. (According to "Wei Shu Guan Shi Zhi", "Dou Shi" is the "Hedou Ling Family" of Xianbei.) As we all know, this daughter of the Dou family who was later posthumously named Empress Taimu was the biological mother of Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin and Li Yuanji .

It is said that this daughter of the Dou family had "hair hanging down her neck, and she was as tall as her body at the age of three" ("Old Tang Book Biography of Concubines"). Such beautiful long hair is really rare, so it is naturally loved by everyone.Since Dou's mother was the eldest princess of Xiangyang (the fifth daughter of Yuwentai) and the elder sister of Emperor Wu Yuwenyong (yong) in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and Yuwenyong liked this beautiful little niece very much, so she was kept in the palace all the time. Treat it as your own. At that time, the Northern Zhou Dynasty had not yet unified the Central Plains, and was still in a "Three Kingdoms" situation with the Northern Qi in the Kanto and the Chen Dynasty in the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it had to rely on and marry the Eastern Turks in order to obtain political and military support.At that time, Yu Wenyong married the princess of East Turkic.But this kind of purely political marriage has no emotional basis, so Yu Wenyong doesn't dote on this Turkic queen, and treats her extremely coldly.

Perhaps it was because he was born in a famous family in Xianbei, coupled with his influence in the court, that Dou was extremely intelligent and had a very keen political mind since he was a child.It was on the matter of the Turkic queen that the young Dou deliberately found a time when no one was around, and solemnly expressed her political opinions to her emperor uncle.She said: "The surroundings are not quiet now, and the Turks are still strong. May my uncle restrain his feelings and comfort the queen more. This is how we care about the common people! As long as we really get the help of the Turks, Jiangnan and Kanto will not be troubled."

Yu Wenyong was very surprised, he didn't expect this niece to judge the political situation so maturely at such a young age!Surprised and delighted, Yu Wenyong immediately accepted the opinion of his little niece. When Dou's father, Dou Yi, heard about this incident, he happily said to his wife, "This girl is both talented and beautiful. Don't let others off easily. You should choose a good husband for her." I drew two peacocks on the screen of my house, and then held a "good son-in-law audition" to announce to the nobles in Chang'an City: If there is a person who wants to marry him, he will be given two arrows, and he must hit a peacock in each of the two arrows. , to be eligible to become the son-in-law of the Dou family.When the young men in Chang'an City heard that the famous long-haired beauty was about to choose a husband, they flocked to him immediately, but none of the dozens of handsome men could hit the target with both arrows.What happened next is self-evident.As soon as the heroic and handsome Li Yuan arrived, he snapped two arrows and hit one eye each.All the handsome guys were eclipsed, and Dou Yi and his wife beamed with smiles.It didn't take long before Li Yuan, the handsome guy with the arrow, married the long-haired beauty Dou Shi under the envious and jealous eyes of everyone.

This story of "chosen by the bird screen" has been spread in Chang'an since then, and it has become a good story in later generations, and has become synonymous with choosing a son-in-law and promising marriage. In the third year of the Elephant in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, that is, in 581 AD, Yang Jian usurped the Zhou Dynasty, established the Sui Dynasty, and slaughtered the young master Zhou Jingdi and the clan kings of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.Facing the catastrophe of the Yuwen royal family, Dou's grief and indignation were inexplicable, and she threw herself on the bed and cried bitterly, crying and saying, "I hate that I am not a man, and I cannot save the disaster of my uncle's family." Her mouth reprimanded in a low voice: "Don't talk nonsense, this will destroy the whole family!"

From this incident, we can see that Mrs. Dou has a kind of courage and bloodliness that is undeniable to a man.This may have something to do with the Xianbei blood flowing in her body. In the early years of Daye, Li Yuan successively served as the prefect of Xingyang, Loufan, Fufeng and other counties.During his tenure as the prefect of Fufeng, Li Yuan got several fine horses, but when he was so happy from ear to ear, Dou frowned.She told Li Yuan: "Your Majesty also likes flying eagles and horses, as you know, these horses must be sent to the palace and not kept for a long time, otherwise, once someone mentions them to your Majesty, they will definitely become a burden, please consider carefully. "

Li Yuan was very depressed when he heard that.He knew that his wife was right, but he couldn't bear to part with the few BMWs he just got, so he hesitated all the time.Unexpectedly, Yang Guang found out a few days later and punished him immediately, which made Li Yuan regret it.Later, Li Yuan learned his lesson and followed his wife's instructions honestly. He searched for good horses and falcons, and offered them to Yang Guang frequently. Finally, he won the emperor's favor and was promoted to General Youxiaowei in the twelfth year of Daye. However, when Li Yuan got this position, Dou had passed away three years ago, only forty-five years old.Li Yuan tearfully said to his sons: "If I had listened to your mother, I would have been in this position for a long time."

The Dou family could neither see Li Yuan becoming the great general of the Sui Dynasty, nor did they see Li Yuan becoming the founding king of the Tang Dynasty.This cannot but be said to be a great regret. After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Qin Wang Li Shimin was often saddened by this. (Volume 190: "Every time the people of the world attend banquets in the palace, to the concubines, Empress Sitaimu dies early, and she will not see the world, or she will cry.") As we said earlier, the Dou family, who was born in a prominent family in Xianbei, had exceptionally precocious political wisdom since he was a child. When the Northern Zhou Dynasty perished, he showed the blood of "hating non-men". After marrying Li Yuan, he became an indispensable adviser in Li Yuan's political career. and think tank.So we have every reason to believe that Dou was indeed a rare and outstanding political woman at that time.If he hadn't died early, the Dou family should have been able to play a considerable role and influence on the political stage of the early Tang Dynasty.

However, although the Dou family did not have a direct impact on the history of the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the influence of this Xianbei mother must not be underestimated during the growth of the three Li brothers. In addition to the education and influence of the political family provided by Li Yuan, the three Li brothers should also get the necessary political enlightenment and cultivate corresponding political ambitions from Dou's precepts and deeds. Obtain a shrewd and powerful character gene from heredity.So we can also say that although Dou died early, her influence has already been implanted in the bodies of the three Li brothers through the above-mentioned various methods, which not only laid the groundwork for them to fight on the battlefield in the future and fight for world hegemony, but also finally laid the groundwork for them. The birth of Li Shimin, the first emperor through the ages, laid the groundwork.

At the beginning of the ninth year of Daye (613 A.D.), Li Yuan was transferred back to the court to serve as Wei Wei Shaoqing from the post of local prefect.At that time, Yang Guang launched the second Korean War, and Li Yuan rushed to Huaiyuan Town to supervise the transportation of food, grass and military supplies.Immediately after Yang Xuangan's rebellion broke out, Li Yuan was urgently transferred back to Honghua (now Qingyang City, Gansu) as a left-behind, and presided over the military affairs of the thirteen counties west of Tongguan. Obviously, from the middle of the great cause, Li Yuan has become one of the confidants of Sui Yang Emperor Yang Guangshen, so he can continue to obtain various important positions from the local to the central.It was during this process that Li Yuan's political and military capabilities were honed in depth, and his ambition to become the world's champion continued to expand.It is said in history that it "has experienced both at home and abroad, has always cultivated kindness, and is a hero, with many money attached".In other words, Li Yuan has been consciously cultivating his own cadre team and establishing his own power group in the past few years, making full preparations for seizing the world in the future.

However, Yang Guang is not blind. Although Li Yuan was very cautious, his behavior still aroused the suspicion and vigilance of the Great Sui emperor.Once when Yang Guang was in the palace, he deliberately sent an order to Li Yuan to go to see him.Li Yuan refused to go away because of his illness, Yang Guang suddenly became very suspicious.At that time, one of Li Yuan's nieces, Mrs. Wang, was Yang Guang's concubine. Yang Guang asked her, "Why didn't your uncle come here?" Mrs. Wang replied that Li Yuan was very ill.Yang Guang took a deep look at Wang, and asked, "Will you die of illness?" This sentence soon reached Li Yuan's ears, and Li Yuan was terrified.The emperor's meaning couldn't be more obvious - he wants Li Yuan to die! This is a very dangerous signal.If the emperor issues an imperial edict at any time, Li Yuan may lose his wealth and even lose his head. what to do?Should we simply rebel, or just sit and wait? Li Yuan knew that although the Sui Dynasty was full of wars and chaos, it was far from falling apart and collapsing.Therefore, it is definitely not the time to raise troops at this time.Yang Xuangan is a lesson from the past! what to do?Li Yuan fell into painful thought. However, Li Yuan didn't suffer for a long time.Having been in the political arena of the Sui Empire for so many years, he still has the wisdom to adapt.The last solution he came up with was - self-defilement.There is no better way to save life than self-defilement. So from the autumn of the ninth year of Daye, for more than a year, Li Yuan indulged in sex all day long, and took bribes wantonly, for fear that others would not know that he had degenerated—from a shrewd and capable court official to a debauched and rich man. The mediocre minister and the stupid official are gone. The news of Li Yuan's "fallen" soon fell into the ears of the emperor through the court's intelligence network. Yang Guang smiled, his heart that had been hanging for a long time was finally let go.How much ambition and ability does a middle-aged man who is alcoholic, indulgent, greedy, and lustful still have to covet the world and compete in the Central Plains? So Yang Guang especially likes his cousin Li Yuan who looks like this now. In April of the eleventh year of Daye (AD 615), Li Yuan, who had finally regained the trust of the emperor, was appointed as the envoy of Shanxi and Hedong (approximately present-day Shanxi Province), responsible for suppressing local rebellions.In Longmen (now Hejin County, Shanxi Province), Li Yuan took the lead and led only a few cavalry to defeat thousands of people led by Wu Duan'er, the leader of the people.At the end of the twelfth year of Daye (AD 616), Li Yuan was finally promoted to stay in Taiyuan after serving as General You Xiaowei and Taiyuan Dao Comfort Ambassador. Taiyuan (the county government is in Jinyang, which is now Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province) is an important military town for defending the Turks on the northern border of the empire.The task entrusted to Li Yuan by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was to let him guard this place, be responsible for clearing up the rebellion in the surrounding areas, and defend the Turks together with Mayi (now Shuo County, Shanxi) prefect Wang Rengong. But for Li Yuan, who is ambitious, this Taiyuan County will undoubtedly become the most ideal base for him to start his great career as an emperor.Because it is not only an important military town with sufficient supplies and a prominent strategic position, but also the birthplace of Tang Yao, the sage king of the Five Emperors period, which coincides with Li Yuan's title of Duke Tang. I have already "privately enjoyed this trip and thought it was a gift from God". ("Datang Entrepreneurship Daily Note") The so-called "gift from heaven" means that the time is ripe for rebelling against the Sui Dynasty and raising troops to fight for world hegemony. For this day, Li Yuan has been waiting for several years. As early as the beginning of the ninth day of Daye, when Li Yuan went to Huaiyuan to supervise the transportation of military supplies, when he passed through Zhuojun, he had a secret talk with his close friend in court and China, Yu Wenshi, a close minister of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty, about "current affairs".Yuwen Shiji was the son and son-in-law of Yu Wenshu, an important minister of the Sui Dynasty, and was at the political center of the Sui Empire.Therefore, the secret conversation between Li Yuan and him is of great significance.There is no record in the history books about the content of this meeting, but we can get a glimpse of it from a sentence Li Yuan said to Pei Ji in the early years of Wude—Gaozu laughed and said to Pei Ji: "It has been six or seven years since this person talked to me about world affairs. Well, the public generations are all behind!" ("Old Tang Book · Yuwen Shiji Biography") As we all know, Pei Ji was the founding father of the Tang Dynasty and the number one hero of the Jinyang Shouyi. Even he was ranked behind Yuwen Shihe. It can be seen that the "world affairs" that Li Yuan talked with Yuwen Shiji in the ninth year of Daye was actually "Ask for the top of the world" matter. Not long after Yang Xuangan's rebellion broke out, Li Yuan was transferred to Honghua to stay behind, so he pressed his intention to raise troops and waited and watched the situation change.His wife and elder brother Dou Kangli persuaded him to join the army, saying: "Yang Xuangan has already taken the lead! Li's name should be prophesied, and he should take advantage of the situation to raise righteousness. This is God's will." But Li Yuan refused because the time was not yet ripe. Li Yuan deeply understands the truth that the first rafters to come out die first. Sure enough, Yang Xuangan was defeated and died after only two months. In the eleventh year of the great cause, Li Yuan went to Shanxi to fight against the rebellion. His deputy commander and friend, Xia Houduan, who was good at watching the sky, persuaded him again: "The golden and jade bed shakes, and this emperor's seat is uneasy... The world is in chaos. Ming Gong. But the Lord is aware of the situation, and he has a lot of guessing and tolerance. Don't let the Li, the strong be punished first. Since Jin Cai is dead, isn't Ming Gong the next? If you plan early, you will be blessed by heaven; otherwise, you will be punished!" ("Old Tang Book · Xiahou Duan Biography") What Xia Houduan said, "Don't avoid all Li, the strong will be punished first", refers to the political ballad "Tao Li Zhang" that has been spread all over the world. Li Jincai of the Great General was killed because of Emperor Sui Yang's suspicion. It should be said that Xia Houduan's analysis is still very pertinent.At that time, Li Yuan was really in a bad situation. Although he successfully concealed his feelings through "self-defilement", Yang Guang's suspicion of him still existed, and if he was not careful, he would repeat the mistakes of Li Jincai. But Li Yuan still endured it, because he thought that his strength was far from enough to wipe out the heroes and overthrow the Sui Dynasty society. Therefore, he still needs to hibernate and forbear. The time finally came to the thirteenth year of Daye (AD 617). Standing at the head of Jinyang City, Li Yuan looked at the yellow clouds thousands of miles away and the wild geese blowing by the north wind. A heroic feeling of clarifying the universe and who else is it suddenly surged in his chest. He seemed to see the destiny waving to him from afar.Li Yuan said to his second son Li Shimin with great emotion: "Tang Gu my country, Taiyuan is its land. Now we can get this place, it is definitely the grace and gift of God. If you give and don't take, disaster will happen!" The Great Tang Dragon, which had been dormant in the dark abyss for many years, finally raised its head slowly.Over the vast and vast sky of Taiyuan, a thunderstorm rolled faintly.