Tang Gaozong Li Zhi was called the ‘cowardly emperor’? The history encyclopedia editor brings relevant content to everyone. Interested friends, come and take a look.
Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty. After his father, Emperor Taizong of Tang, created the prosperity of the “Zhenguan Governance”, Li Zhi, who inherited his father’s legacy, was fortunate. Fortunately, he inherited his father’s glorious legacy; But at the same time, he was also unfortunate. Unfortunately, due to the outstanding achievements of Emperor Taizong of Tang, whether willing or not, Li Zhi could not escape the halo of his father, Emperor Taizong of Tang. In addition, Wu Zetian, the ruler of Tang after him, was the only female emperor in history. Li Zhi, sandwiched between the two, appeared less outstanding and even earned the title of “cowardly emperor”.
So, what kind of person was Li Zhi in history? Is it really as cowardly and incompetent as many people say?
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, had a total of fourteen sons. Among them, the three sons born to Empress Changsun were Crown Prince Li Chengqian, Fourth Prince Li Tai, and Ninth Prince Li Zhi, all of whom were legitimate sons. At that time, compared to the other two brothers, Li Zhi had no advantage. He was neither the eldest son nor as deeply loved by Emperor Taizong as Li Tai. Moreover, his kind and cowardly nature made him not stand out. So, how did the position of crown prince ultimately come into the hands of Li Zhi? All of this can be traced back to the rebellion of Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who was particularly favored by Emperor Taizong of Tang. Li Tai, who was already outstanding in ability and favored by the emperor, gradually developed ambitions and had been secretly competing with him. Afterwards, Li Chengqian was afraid of losing his position as crown prince, so he decided to take the lead and rebel against Li Yuanchang, Hou Junji, and others. However, he was not successful. After the defeat, Li Chengqian was directly demoted to a commoner, and the Crown Prince was thus deposed. However, Li Tai, who was most likely to become the next crown prince, also failed. When Emperor Taizong learned that Li Chengqian’s rebellion was the greatest, The reason is that after Li Tai, he was greatly disappointed with him, and in the end, after another suggestion from Changsun Wuji, the position of crown prince fell to Li Zhi.
In this fierce struggle for the throne, Li Zhi seemed like an observer, but the ultimate throne fell into his hands. Therefore, we cannot help but doubt him. In the eyes of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Zhi, who was somewhat cowardly but fortunately very kind, was really that simple? The fact proves that it is not. Li Zhi, who has always given people the impression of weakness and benevolence, is truly skilled in his methods. He is not without ambition and strength, but rather knows how to hide his shortcomings and endure. Li Zhi’s methods and city government have become more apparent after he ascended to the throne.
You should know that when Li Zhi ascended to the throne, the environment he was in was very unfavorable. He was supported by Changsun Wuji to ascend to power, and although Changsun Wuji was a minister, he almost controlled most of the political power in the court. In such a situation, when Li Zhi did not have the ability to regain power, he once again chose to hide on the surface and plan secretly, like a dormant beast waiting to attack at any time. In the fourth year of Yonghui (653), the outbreak of the “Fang Yiai Rebellion” event triggered the biggest political injustice of the early Tang Dynasty, involving many imperial relatives and nobles.
In this entire incident, Li Zhi took advantage of Changsun Wuji’s rebellion against Princess Gaoyang and Fang Yi’ai to eliminate the core figures of the descendants of the founding officials, dealt a severe blow to the power of the sects, and even took control of Li Daozong and others, directly gaining military power. With Changsun Wuji’s help, he successfully eliminated the Shu King Li Ke, who posed the greatest threat to his throne. Li Zhi’s planning with the help of this incident can be said to be like killing three birds with one stone, which also shows Li Zhi’s political means and mind.
Afterwards, the fact that Li Zhi abolished the Wang family and replaced the Wu family with the Wu family further proved that Li Zhi was not a cowardly emperor, and it was also a manifestation of his unwillingness to be manipulated by Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang. Wang represents not only the “mandate of the late emperor”, but also the powerful power of the aristocratic family behind her. Li Zhi broke through the power of the aristocratic family by appointing Wu Shi, who had strong personal strength but was born into a humble background, and took over the powerful officials and relatives in one fell swoop. He overthrew Changsun Wuji and other powerful families and clans, and took advantage of the vacancy in the court to arrange his confidants. Li Zhi gradually regained power step by step.
