The An Lushan Rebellion occurred during the Tang Dynasty and was a turning point in the Tang Dynasty’s rise and fall. Many people are not familiar with it, so let’s follow the history encyclopedia editor to appreciate it together.
During the feudal dynasty period, due to the high concentration of imperial power, there were several dynastic changes under the management of the family. The decline of one dynasty required the emergence of another stronger dynasty to lead the people towards a more prosperous living environment.
The emergence of the Tang Dynasty brought the economic development of the feudal period to a climax, but even such a huge empire was quite dramatic. During the Tang Dynasty, there were always serious cases of usurpation in the selection of heirs, perhaps due to the misalignment of the upper and lower beams. But why is it that Li Longji is still alive, and the succession of Crown Prince Li Heng seems legitimate, but not a coup to seize the throne?
Since the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, there have been abnormal changes in power within the royal family, such as Emperor Taizong Li Shimin personally killing his own brother before forcing Li Yuan to abdicate early. During the reign of Li Shimin, there were conflicts among the heirs. First, Crown Prince Li Chengqian rebelled, and later several powerful heirs engaged in open and covert struggles to seize the throne. It was the most vulnerable Li Zhi who took over the baton of imperial power.
Li Zhi may seem weak, but he had a falling out with Li Shimin’s talented Empress Wu Zetian. In order to become a queen, Wu Zetian also cleared the obstacles in her path, including her children. Crown Prince Li Hong died suddenly for no apparent reason, Li Xian was also deposed by Empress Wu Zetian, Li Xian served as emperor for several months before being ousted by Empress Wu Zetian, and Li Dan became a stepping stone for Empress Wu Zetian’s accession to the throne.
In Wu Zetian’s later years, a war broke out between the Wu family and the Li family. Princess Taiping and Li Longji joined forces to support Li Dan as emperor. But then came the power struggle between Li Longji and Princess Taiping. Li Longji followed the trend of the world and ascended to the throne ahead of schedule.
The path of inheriting drama during the Tang Dynasty did not end here, but underwent a reversal during the reign of Li Longji. Although Li Longji established the rule of Kaiyuan, he was also the one who caused the An Lushan Rebellion. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the economy of the Tang Dynasty plummeted, and during the reign of Li Longji, a shocking record was set of killing three kings in one day. Before the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, the succession crisis in the Tang Dynasty had never been quelled, and since Li Longji succeeded to the throne, a new type of succession phenomenon has emerged.
The succession of imperial power and the struggle for the throne in the Tang Dynasty royal family have never stopped. If we consider this from the perspective of family ties, it may be too cruel. However, for the subjects of the world, who is the highest ruler, they do not care about them. What they care more about is what the highest ruler can bring them and whether their immediate interests can be protected.
At the beginning of the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, in order to balance the relationship between the Crown Prince and Li Shimin, even wanted to divide the world into two parts. If this thing really became a reality, the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty would not have occurred, and it would have caused the people who had just experienced the hardships of war to once again fall into a state of displacement.
The power struggle between royal families ultimately results in the unarmed people paying for it. How unfortunate the people are! No matter how the Li Tang royal family fought internally, it did not affect the development of the royal family. Therefore, for the people, they do not care what the surname of the world is. What they care more about is whether the leader can make them live a happy life.
Before the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty’s military system collapsed, so the powerful Tang Dynasty could no longer restrain the feudal lords. However, Li Longji did not learn his lesson and instead raised the power in the hands of An Lushan, allowing him to grow step by step to threaten imperial power.
Li Longji favored Yang Guifei, which led to Yang Guozhong becoming the new prime minister. After An Lushan rose up, the situation was unstoppable, and Li Longji was forced to flee with Yang Guifei and her family. When they arrived at Mawei Slope, the soldiers stood still and demanded that Li Longji execute Yang Guozhong and Yang Guifei.
In fact, up to this point, Yang Guifei and Yang Guozhong were just venting points for the soldiers’ mistakes in Li Longji’s governance. What they were truly dissatisfied with was Li Longji himself. It can be said that Li Longji squandered all his credit value with one hand. At that time, soldiers and the people urgently hoped for a king who could dare to take responsibility to appear in their hearts.
Li Longji fled from Chang’an to Shu with his noble consort and family. On the one hand, this was because An Lushan’s army was unstoppable, and on the other hand, in Li Longji’s mind, he hoped to find peace in a corner of Shu, far away from the Central Plains, and continue to enjoy himself. Because Li Longji’s actions completely angered the people and generals, and because Li Longji chose to flee to Shu, it meant that he did not want to suppress the rebellion, he just wanted to settle in a corner. Since Li Longji abandoned the people, the people will inevitably abandon him as well.
Summary: In this situation, a stronger representative can quell the grievances in the hearts of the people, and Li Heng appears to oversee the overall situation. Li Longji also knew the trend of the times, so he pretended to pass on the throne to Li Heng. At this time, Li Heng gained the recognition of the people and became a responsible representative of the Li Tang royal family. Therefore, even though Li Longji was still in power, Li Heng’s accession to the throne was an inevitable choice in history.
