Do you really know the story of Empress Changsun? Today, the history encyclopedia editor brings you a brand new interpretation~
Almost all of China’s history was created and written by men. In that feudal dynasty and patriarchal era, how many women were able to gain the favor of historians and leave their own historical evaluations for future generations to understand?
However, there was such a woman who deeply loved Li Shimin, and historians spared no effort in writing and praising her. She was also a model of virtuous and virtuous future generations. She was a great queen: Empress Changsun!
The historical book praises it as: ‘Great is the eldest grandson, he is virtuous and respectful of etiquette and law, and his mother is He Wei.’
Empress Changsun, the younger sister of Changsun Wuji, was a servant of Guanyin with the small character “Guanyin”. Her name is not recorded in historical records. At the age of 13, she married Li Shimin as the queen and later became the crown princess. Li Shimin ascended the throne only 13 days ago and was officially crowned as the empress!
Empress Changsun was virtuous, virtuous, and virtuous, with a reverence for etiquette and law. She was Li Shimin’s beloved concubine, Liangzuo, the protector of the central ministers, and a benchmark for empresses in later generations! In short, he is a woman who can be described as perfect!
1： As a wife, she deeply loved and doted on Li Shimin! When Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng seized the throne, the dispute over Li Yuan’s harem became Li Shimin’s weakness, and Empress Changsun personally contacted him to pave the way.
During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he accompanied Li Shimin throughout the entire journey, accompanying him through life and death!
2： Without exercising power and causing chaos in politics, Li Shimin repeatedly spoke to Empress Changsun about major events in the court. Empress Changsun only closed her eyes, remained silent, and did not express any attitude, only saying: Military and military affairs, natural court ministers, how to ask the harem? If Your Majesty insists on asking, I can only remain silent and have not heard anything you have done!
3： Defending the central ministers, Wei Zheng spoke bluntly and angered Li Shimin. Li Shimin threatened to kill Wei Zheng, and Empress Changsun used ancient metaphors to repeatedly defend the central ministers in the court! Moreover, it has left behind the eternal reputation of “court dress and advice”!
4： After several persuasions to prevent his relatives from being promoted to executives, Li Shimin attempted to appoint Changsun Wuji as prime minister, but was all dissuaded by him, avoiding the monopoly of power by external relatives!
5： Knowing books and reasoning, Empress Changsun privately selected the “good deeds of ancient ladies” and wrote the book “Women’s Rules”. His calligraphy was also a masterpiece at that time! His poetry has also been passed down through generations!
6： The “Old Book of Tang” records: “She is particularly frugal in nature. Whatever she serves in the imperial court, she only gives it away.” Empress Changsun is diligent and frugal, leading by example. As the mother of a country, she does not indulge in extravagance or waste at all. Can be a model for future empresses!
In the year 636 AD, in the sixth month of the tenth year of the Zhenguan reign, Empress Changsun, a virtuous queen, passed away due to illness and was buried in the Zhaoling Mausoleum at the age of 36. She was posthumously named Empress Wende Sheng. However, such a perfect wife, a virtuous queen, also passed away at a young age. She mourned the heavens and envied her beauty!
Li Shimin’s love for the empress is also a famous story in Tang history. Although it is controversial, it shows Li Shimin’s love for the empress!
After the death of Empress Changsun, Li Shimin built a hut on the boardwalk outside the Yuan Palace and ordered palace people to live in it, serving the empress like a living person. This example of providing for the deceased as if they were alive is extremely rare and almost pioneered by Emperor Taizong.
A layered temple was also built in the palace, overlooking the Zhaoling Mausoleum all day long.
We can imagine that after the death of Empress Changsun, Li Shimin looked up at the temple alone, unwilling to leave for a long time, occasionally sighing slightly, and tears often in his eyes. And what she longed for was the Zhaoling Mausoleum, the place where he buried the person he loved the most in his life! How desolate and sad this is! Heaven and man are separated, separated by life and death!
Such a great and virtuous woman, a generation of wise women, should not be forgotten by history! We have reason to believe that in his later years, Li Shimin became incompetent, and a large part of him came from the rebellious words of Wei Zheng outside and the virtuous assistants of Empress Changsun inside.
Perhaps without her, the glorious pearl of the Zhenguan era in history would have lost its luster!
