Many people are not quite sure about the relationship between Li Longji and Princess Taiping. Princess Taiping is the daughter of Empress Wu Zetian, and Li Longji is her grandson. Therefore, regardless of seniority, Princess Taiping or Li Longji should be called Princess Taiping Auntie. But in the end, Li Longji killed his aunt. Why was that? It was also because Princess Taiping wanted to rebel. At that time, the Tang Dynasty had finally ended the An Lushan Rebellion, and of course, Li Longji would not let Princess Taiping do so.
Li Longji’s murder of Princess Taiping is the final grand play of the Tang Dynasty’s feud since the Xuanwu Gate coup in the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty, and it is a concluding act. After this great drama, the situation of internal strife and fighting among the Tang royal family for power and to ascend to the throne came to an end.
From this perspective, if Li Longji wants to push this scene to a climax and put an end to the grievances of the Tang Palace, he cannot help but kill Princess Taiping.
In fact, when Zhang Jianzhi and other ministers supported Crown Prince Li Xian and seized the throne of Empress Wu Zetian, Li Xian could have ended the feud in the Tang Palace. Who knew that this person, who had been constantly manipulated by Wu Zetian, would be so cowardly. When he was weak, he gave hope to four women. These four women are: Empress Wei, Princess Anle, Princess Taiping, and Shangguan Wan’er.
Shangguan Wan’er could continue to serve as Li Xian’s’ internal minister ‘, just like during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian.
Empress Wei can emulate Empress Wu Zetian and sideline the cowardly Li Xian, who holds power in the court.
Although Princess Anle is just a princess, she believes that since women can become emperors, she can naturally become the “Empress Dowager” and inherit the throne of Li Xian in the future.
Princess Taiping has an older qualification. She is the eldest princess and had power during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. Naturally, she is unwilling to give up this power.
These four women all began to bravely advance towards their goals.
Firstly, Li Xian trusted Shangguan Wan’er and entrusted her with political affairs. Then Queen Wei and Princess Anle seized power. Then Shangguan Wan’er refused and brought Wu Sansi into the palace to balance Empress Wei and Princess Anle. However, Wu Sansi cleared out the group of ministers who supported Li Xian in the court for his own purposes. Then Li Zhongjun, the crown prince of Li Xian, couldn’t see it and led his army to kill Wu Sansi, preparing to kill Shangguan Wan’er. But under the instigation of Shangguan Wan’er, Li Xian killed his own Crown Prince Li Chongjun. Then Empress Wei and Princess Anle accelerated their seizure of power, poisoned Li Xian, and prepared to ascend to the throne. Then Shangguan Wan’er joined forces with Princess Taiping to support Li Xian’s other son, Li Chongmao, and prevent Empress Wei from ascending to the throne. Then Queen Wei and the courtiers united and prepared to forcibly ascend to the throne.
Throughout the entire process of mutual fighting, Li Longji watched coldly, constantly searching for an opportunity to insert his foot. But he is outside of power and has been unable to find a suitable opportunity. After Empress Wei and Princess Anle poisoned Li Xian, he knew the opportunity had come and without hesitation led his army to kill Empress Wei and Princess Anle, and also executed Shangguan Wan’er. Take the throne and stuff it under the buttocks of his father Li Dan.
So, out of four women, he solved three at once, leaving only the last one, Princess Taiping.
Princess Taiping obviously did not see Li Longji’s goal. After Li Dan became emperor, she still held onto power and continued to compete for it.
I don’t know if Princess Taiping has her own life goals. Do you want to emulate Empress Wu Zetian and become a queen, or is it due to the inertia of having power. If she wants to be the empress, but she has many brainless ways, it can be said that she hasn’t even learned a whole bit from Wu Zetian. If she only wants to maintain power, then his confrontation with the Crown Prince is undoubtedly self destructive. And she always underestimated the intelligence of Li Dan and Li Longji, two men. When Princess Taiping kept attacking Li Longji, trying to incite Li Dan and persuade courtiers to depose Li Longji as Crown Prince, Li Longji remained weak and retreated.
It’s completely different from killing Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and Shangguan Wan’er. Because he knew that Princess Taiping could incite everyone to depose him, but if he launched a coup, it would be a great betrayal. So he could only show weakness, show weakness in front of Li Dan, and convey the message to Li Dan.
Obviously, Li Dan received the message from Li Longji. After his death, the person with the temple name “Rui” made an important choice and decisively passed the throne to Li Longji.
After Li Longji ascended to the throne, he could confidently take action against Princess Taiping. Why? Because he is now the emperor, if Princess Taiping opposes him again, it would be rebellion!
As a result, Princess Taiping still hasn’t figured out this point and is still preparing to attack Li Longji. Li Longji acted without hesitation and killed Princess Taiping, putting a satisfactory end to the grievances of the Tang Palace.
