Chapter 49: Competition for a Job
The early years of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang said with a sigh, "So, the most important thing is to have military power in your hands." It must be real military power, not just nominal power. Otherwise, these guards are nominally directly under Li Yuan, but they are more loyal to Li Shimin in their hearts. "However, this picture of the guards fighting side by side with the Qin army is really a bit absurd."

It is absurd and ridiculous that the emperor's personal army and the personal army of the person who launched the coup were actually together.

"Li Shimin's infiltration into the army is too deep. The Xuanwu Gate Incident was not a matter of one day or one night." Xiao He said. No matter why Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and no matter what his original plan was before Taibai Jingtian, there is one thing that cannot be changed - that is his infiltration and control over all parties.

Perhaps Li Shimin himself did not intend to launch such a coup at this time, but it is irrefutable that he had already begun to arrange and infiltrate various aspects. There were only a few people and troops named in the sky, but to complete such a coup that first controlled the emperor and then killed the crown prince and the king of Qi without any mistakes, the number of people hidden behind it must be several times more than those directly pointed out.

Liu Bang nodded. "If you want to stage a coup, it is not enough to rely on the surrender of middle and upper-level generals. Li Shimin wants the guards to support him, so the officers at the grassroots level must also be willing to surrender to him."

In order to achieve this, in addition to the military foundation laid by Li Shimin through years of leading troops in battles, he must have had long-term connections with these grassroots generals.

Liu Bang couldn't help but ask: "So, how did Li Yuan become the emperor?"

My core strength has become a sieve!
Han Dynasty, the fourth year of Yuanshou.

Liu Che shook his head: "It's not just the army that has been infiltrated, it's clear that the entire city of Chang'an has become a sieve."

Gao Shilian ran to release the prisoners and headed straight for Fanglin Gate. It seemed that no one tried to stop him. After all, he shot three arrows into the sky, which was worthy of the emperor's salary.

Ming Dynasty, Hongwu Years.

Zhu Bo almost wanted to roll his eyes: "So the history books show that Emperor Taizong of Tang was not completely at the end of his rope and was forced to fight back. He was still prepared."

Zhu Gang sighed, "No matter what, Emperor Gaozu of Tang was still the founding emperor, and Crown Prince Yin had been the crown prince for several years and had legal support. If Emperor Taizong of Tang's power had really been greatly dismantled at that time, he would never have been able to achieve the Xuanwu Gate Incident." Although the Xuanwu Gate Incident happened so quickly and without any waves, this is what makes it so scary.

The fact that the time was compressed to the shortest possible time and the venue was limited to the palace actually demonstrates Emperor Taizong of Tang's control over the area at that time.

[After Yuchi Jingde arrived before Li Yuan, he asked Li Yuan for his personal edict, ordering all troops to obey Li Shimin's orders and command. Li Yuan readily agreed.

As a result, all the troops, including the troops of the Second Palace who were fighting with the imperial guards and Qin's palace soldiers, accepted Li Shimin's dispatch.

After taking care of the most important things, it is time to complete the finishing touches.

The descendants of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were all convicted and killed, and their clan members were expelled. However, the officials of the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Qi's Palace, including Feng Li, Xue Wanche, Xie Shufang and others who had previously led troops to attack Xuanwu Gate, were all found not guilty and were not held accountable.

On the seventh day, Li Yuan issued an edict, appointing Li Shimin as the crown prince, and all military and national affairs, no matter how big or small, were handed over to Li Shimin to handle.

At this point, the Xuanwu Gate Incident was basically over. 】

Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng was very impressed with the entire process of this palace coup: "All goals were achieved at the lowest cost. The scope of the battle, personnel, time and other aspects were all within controllable range. The plan was perfect and the strategy was thorough. Emperor Taizong of Tang did everything a coup could do."

This coup d'état can actually be listed as one of Li Shimin's classic battles, just like the previous Battle of Baibi and Hulao Pass in Luoyang.

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang also clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Clean, neat, swift and resolute, this is Li Shimin's usual style!" Just like when he was fighting, he would first lay the groundwork secretly, accumulate strength, and then find the right time to strike in one blow, and without affecting too many people, so it would be easier to make a final judgment at that time.

In particular, the officials of the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Qi's Palace have now been pardoned by Li Shimin and will probably be employed as usual. This will make them work even more bravely, and they can also use their reputation of being tolerant, generous and cherishing talents to offset the stain of the coup.

"Li Yuan was the emperor who founded the Tang Dynasty after all. His reaction speed and mentality are truly incomparable to ordinary people." Speaking of Li Shimin, Li Yuan is also a very important part.

Although it was a coup and Li Yuan was quite frightened, in the end the father and son were probably able to complete a transfer of power that at least looked decent, which was good.

[The Xuanwu Gate Incident was the product of conflicts and struggles among various forces in the early Tang Dynasty. Since there was no way to achieve a result through ordinary means, it eventually led to a bloody battle.

But it must be said that this coup was a perfect one. For Li Shimin, the losses in all aspects were minimized, and the peace was brief and swift. For irrelevant personnel, the coup was confined to the palace and did not harm the people.

But the Xuanwu Gate Incident still had its disadvantages, which was related to its nature - no matter what its process was, it was ultimately a bloody coup, and this was the core that could not be changed in any way.

This coup d'état led by Li Shimin as Emperor Taizong of Tang had a profound impact on the entire Tang Dynasty.

This influence did not set an example for the Tang Dynasty royal family to stage a coup - if there is an influence, this only accounts for a very small part. After all, the Tang Dynasty royal family did not need the case of Li Shimin. There were already enough cases in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui Dynasty before the Tang Dynasty, including coups for the throne, struggles launched by those in power for "posthumous affairs", and so on.

Even without Li Shimin, if they wanted to stage a coup, the Li Tang royal family would have enough examples to inspire them. 】

Zhenguan three years.

His Majesty Li II felt something was not right: "Wait, what's the implication? Are there many coups in my Tang Dynasty?" Otherwise, why would you say that my Xuanwu Gate Incident was not completely a reference for those who wanted to stage a coup?
Of course I am very happy. I cannot be considered the source of "inspiration" for future generations to stage a coup, but this situation is not right!
The expressions of the ministers in Zhenguan period were subtle, but they all looked as if they were watching the situation from the inside out, and they were not going to speak on such matters for the time being.

[The greatest impact that Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate brought to the Tang Dynasty was that even if you came to power through a bloody coup, even if you did not take the formal route, even if you killed a bunch of people, you can still leave a good name in history and be recorded in history through your brilliant achievements and excellent governance.

So what if you got promoted illegally? As long as your achievements are good enough, those problems won't matter!
Such inspiration was something that the emperors of the Northern and Southern Dynasties could not do, because they left behind a bad reputation. This also made many people believe that those who came to power illegally would not have a good reputation. But Li Shimin broke this "law"!
This gave the royal family of the Tang Dynasty a glimmer of hope. Although they may not have the ability of Li Shimin, this did not prevent them from joining the coup d'état, hoping to win the throne and fame with a small investment. During the Tang Dynasty, there were more than a dozen successful and unsuccessful coups!
The participants were also diverse, including the emperor, empress, princes, princesses, the empress dowager... anyone who could be involved, took part.

In short, the Xuanwu Gate Incident in the ninth year of Wude left a significant mark in the entire history of China, and the royal family members of the Tang Dynasty also enthusiastically participated in this "competitive job" mechanism.

This also became an important part of the brilliant glory of the entire Tang Dynasty for hundreds of years. 】

The sound of the sky curtain seemed to have a hint of teasing, and the background music also became a little cheerful.

Perhaps the emperors and ministers of other dynasties could happily watch the joke, but the emperors of the Tang Dynasty could not experience this kind of joyful feeling. People’s joys and sorrows were not connected, and they only felt devastated.

Especially the emperors of the early Tang Dynasty.

Zhenguan three years.

Li Shimin's most ominous premonition came true. He silently watched the rapidly changing scenes of the Tang Dynasty on the sky. Figures in luxurious clothing changed rapidly, one after another... Was this a warning from God to him?
Although he had indeed created unprecedented achievements and brought glory to the Tang Dynasty, was the incident at Xuanwu Gate like a thorn in the flesh that could never be eliminated?

Every minister present was pale and dazed. Not to mention going forward to comfort the emperor at this time, they themselves could not escape from such a terrible future.

In terms of their loyalty and respect for the emperor and their love for the Tang Dynasty, such a future is absolutely unacceptable to them. Even if the scope of future coups can be controlled like the Xuanwu Gate, it still cannot reduce the impact on the court. Every coup, whether successful or not, will inevitably bring huge shocks to the upper structure of the Tang Dynasty. How can the world be governed if the political situation is not fair?

Considering the future of themselves and their families, the ministers present here can be regarded as the top power holders in the Tang Dynasty. Their families are also well-off. In such a position, they will definitely not be able to escape from the coup in the future of the Tang Dynasty! Unless they have already declined.

A silent and eerie atmosphere spread in the hall.

It was Li Shimin who spoke first, breaking the unusual silence: "My Lords, let's first discuss how to ensure a smooth transition of government for the Tang Dynasty."

The eighth year of Wude.

"Ha!" Li Yuanji sneered. He felt that this was the best thing he had heard since Tianmu talked about Emperor Taizong of Tang. "Even if you win the throne, so what? Hahahahahahaha - your descendants killing each other, your brothers killing each other, it's all your own fault. You set a good example for them -" He laughed so hard that he could hardly breathe.

Although Li Jiancheng did not say anything, the mockery in his eyes was clear.

Looking at his eldest son and fourth son who were full of sarcasm, and then at his second son who was silent and didn't know what he was thinking, Li Yuan felt a headache.

Regardless of the fights between these sons, and not mentioning that he was persecuted at Xuanwu Gate, aren't Erlang's descendants the descendants of Li Yuan? It's also his descendants who are plotting a coup!
Moreover, he could fully imagine what kind of image the Tang Dynasty would have in the history books of later generations if such a thing really happened, and what kind of image he would have in it...

Li Yuan thought, since he didn't want such a thing to happen, and he really wanted a Tang Taizong, Erlang's succession was inevitable, so the best way was to prevent the Xuanwu Gate Incident from happening! Let the abnormal ascension to the throne become a normal ascension to the throne.

Sui Dynasty, the 18th year of Kaihuang.

"The initiator of the palace coups in the Tang Dynasty..." Yang Jian murmured. This initiator was indeed the initiator, but he was not the initiator of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Instead, he was the initiator of dozens of palace coups throughout the entire Tang Dynasty.

This leading role is truly shocking.

Although there were indeed countless examples from the previous Northern and Southern Dynasties as reasons for this, Li Shimin created a completely new and excellent case.

Dugu Jialuo agreed, and she also saw the far-reaching influence of Li Shimin: "A coup can affect the entire Tang Dynasty. Of course, there are reasons why ambitious people use it to make profits and justify their reputations, but what it reflects is that Li Shimin's influence on the entire Tang Dynasty is really terrifying."

To put it bluntly, if an emperor does not have enough influence, no matter how earth-shattering his actions are, the impression of him will remain the same for several generations. But Li Shimin was able to last throughout the Tang Dynasty, so he was able to influence more than just the Xuanwu Gate Incident. His ideas, style, preferences, policies, and military affairs were all included.

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

After watching the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Liu Bang, who thought that nothing had happened, was hit by this point and became alert again: "More than a dozen coups? How many emperors can there be in the entire Tang Dynasty? Could it be that every emperor can have a turn?" The frequency of the coups was too astonishing. In the history before the Han Dynasty, there had never been such a dynasty - especially, such a dynasty had a lifespan of hundreds of years.

Liu Bang stroked his beard and glanced at Lu Zhi imperceptibly, but saw that her expression was calm and it was unclear what she was thinking, so he looked away.

It's no wonder he wanted to see Lü Zhi. In fact, the Tang Dynasty not only had frequent coups, but also had too many participants! The emperor emeritus - in the Tang Dynasty, it was probably created by Li Yuan. Fortunately, his emperor emeritus did not cause trouble; the empress dowager, queen, and princess - this is a bit surprising.

For a moment, he suddenly felt sympathy for the upright emperors of the Tang Dynasty. It was not easy for them to have such a hard time. Their parents, wives, and children could all do this...

Unlike Liu Bang, many ministers present were actually more concerned about the wide-ranging impact of Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident, and the resulting influence of the key emperor of the founding period on the entire dynasty.

Since Li Shimin personally had such a profound impact on the Tang Dynasty, what about the Han Dynasty?

The current emperor will probably have a profound impact on the Han Dynasty. There is no doubt about that. The key is what kind of profound impact it will have.

Many people looked at each other quietly - what is His Majesty's style? ... He is mean and ungrateful, accepting things when they are useful and throwing away things when they are useless...

So will all the big men become like this in the future? !

(End of this chapter)