The battle for the throne between Tang Taizong Li Shimin and his brother in the Tang Dynasty was equally exciting.

Because Tang Taizong Li Shimin's father, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's sons, there are only three sons who are qualified for the throne: King Qin, who is later Tang Taizong Li Shimin, Prince Li Jiancheng, and King Qi Li Yuanji, because the power of King Qin, which is later Tang Taizong Li Shimin, is relatively huge, so the crown prince Li Jiancheng and Qi King Li Yuanji joined forces to deal with the King of Qin, who was later Tang Taizong Li Shimin, and staged a battle for the throne and a family version of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

However, the ability of King Qin, who was later Tang Taizong Li Shimin, seemed to be stronger than that of Cao Cao of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period when the Romance of the Three Kingdoms occurred, so King Qin, who was later Tang Taizong Li Shimin, set up an ambush in the Xuanwu Gate of the "Xuanwu Gate Change", solved all the problems at once, and killed the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the king of Qi Li Yuanji together.

The Xuanwumen Rebellion was a bloody coup d'état launched by Li Shimin, the second son of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan, on the fourth day of the sixth month of the ninth year of Tang Gaozu Wude (July 2, 626 AD) near the north palace gate of the Da Nei Imperial Palace, Chang'an City, the capital of the Tang Dynasty (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). After Tang Gaozu ascended the throne, Li Jiancheng was named the crown prince, Li Shimin was the king of Qin, and Li Yuanji was the king of Qi. Among the three people, Li Shimin has the greatest credit. It was originally his idea for Jinyang to raise troops, and in the next few battles, he also made the most achievements. Li Jiancheng's military exploits were not as good as Li Shimin's, and it was only because he was the eldest son of Gaozu that he achieved the status of the crown prince. The crown prince himself knows that his prestige is not as good as Li Shimin. was jealous, so he united with his younger brother Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, and squeezed out Li Shimin together. After a long struggle, Li Shimin gradually gained the upper hand and took control of the situation, and finally Li Shimin killed his eldest brother Li Jiancheng, the crown prince, and Li Yuanji, the fourth brother of Qi, and was established as the new crown prince and succeeded to the emperor's throne.

May of the thirteenth year of the Great Cause (617 AD). Taiyuan stayed behind, and Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, raised troops in Jinyang. With the support of Li Shimin, after the occupation of Chang'an in November, Li Yuan supported Yang Yu, the grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui, as the emperor and changed the Yuan to Yining. That is, Emperor Gong of Sui. Li Yuan appointed himself as the prime minister. Enter the Tang Dynasty. May of the second year of Yining (618 AD). Li Yuan usurped the Sui Dynasty as emperor, named the country Tang, and appointed his eldest son Li Jiancheng as the crown prince. [3] According to the "Tang Entrepreneurship Living Note". The Taiyuan rebellion was Li Yuan's own idea. However, in the Book of Tang, it was said that the Taiyuan rebellion was Li Shimin's strategy, and Li Yuan promised him to make him the crown prince after the matter was completed. After the world was calmed, Li Shimin's fame grew, but Li Yuan hesitated. Li Jiancheng immediately united with Li Yuanji to squeeze out Li Shimin. [1] [4] Li Yuan's indecision also caused the government and Chinese decrees to conflict with each other, which hastened the military confrontation between the princes. According to the Zizhi Tongjian, the prince Jiancheng had a lazy temperament, liked to drink, was greedy for women, and loved hunting; Gaozu's fourth son, Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, was often at fault; neither of them was favored by Gaozu. The fame of the people's meritorious deeds is increasing, Gaozu often intends to let him replace Jiancheng as the prince, Jiancheng is uneasy, so he plots with Yuanji, and promises Yuanji to make him the crown prince after he ascends the throne, so Yuanji turned to the eldest brother Jiancheng, and served Jiancheng to the death, and they each established their own henchmen, formed a princeling, and squeezed out Li Shimin together. However, when Sima Guang was compiling the "Zizhi Tongjian", he doubted the authenticity of the historical materials about Jiancheng and Yuanji. Sima Guang believes that although Jiancheng and Yuanji are stubborn and stupid people, since they were killed by the people, the records about them are likely to be exaggerated and slandered by historians. Qin King Li Shimin's side was not to be outdone, as Li Shimin repeatedly made military exploits abroad, his prestige grew, Li Yuan successively named him Situ (one of the three dukes), Shang Shuling (equivalent to the prime minister), Zhongshu Ling (also equivalent to the prime minister), and even when there was no longer a seal, he created an unprecedented Tiance general to grant him, above the kings, and his position in the court was second only to Li Yuan and the crown prince, and he had many supporters; After the 20th century, many historians suspected that the rumors that Gaozu wanted to succeed Li Shimin and that he had planned to kill Li Shimin may have been created after Li Shimin took power, in order to legitimize his coup d'état and accession to the throne.

Li Yuan had many concubines in his later years, and gave birth to nearly twenty little princes such as Li Yuanying, King of Teng, and their mothers competed with the older princes to consolidate their position. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji both bent on serving the concubines, flattering, bribing, and giving gifts, all in order to win the emperor's favor. Some people also said that they had an affair with Zhang Jieyu and Concubine Yin De, and the palace was deep and mysterious, but there was no way to confirm this. At that time, the relatives of the prince's East Palace, the princes, the concubines' families and the harem concubines were rampant and domineering in Chang'an, but the competent authorities did not dare to investigate it. The people of the world lived in the Chengqian Palace, and Yuanji lived in the backyard of the Wude Palace, and there was no longer any restriction on the passage between their residences and the emperor's dormitory and the prince's east palace. The crown prince and the two kings of Qin and Qi entered and exited the emperor's bedroom, all riding horses, carrying knives and bows and miscellaneous items, and only saluted according to their families when they met each other. The orders issued by the crown prince, the teachings issued by the two kings of Qin and Qi and the edicts of the emperor were parallel, and the relevant departments did not know which orders to listen to, so they could only follow the order received. Li Shimin didn't want to please the concubines, so the concubines were very angry and vied with each other to praise Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji and slander Li Shimin. After Li Shimin pacified Wang Shichong, who was entrenched in Luoyang, Gaozu asked the concubine and a few others to go to Luoyang to select the palace maids of the Sui Dynasty and collect the treasures in the warehouse. The concubine and others privately asked Li Shimin for treasures and asked for officials for their relatives, and Li Shimin replied: "The treasures have been registered and reported to the imperial court, and the official position should be awarded to those who are virtuous, talented, and meritorious." He didn't agree to any of their requests, so the concubines hated him even more. Li Shimin allocated him dozens of hectares of land because of the meritorious service of Li Shentong, the king of Huai'an. Zhang Jieyu's father asked Gaozu for these fields through Zhang Jieyu, and Gaozu gave these fields to him in a handwritten edict, but Li Shentong refused to let the fields because of the decree of the king of Qin. Zhang Jieyu complained to Gaozu: "The land that Your Majesty gave to my father was taken away by the King of Qin and given to Li Shentong. Gaozu was angry because of this, and rebuked Li Shimin, saying, "Isn't my hand as good as your fatwa?" After a few days, Gaozu said to the left servant, Pei Lian, "This kid has been in charge of the army for a long time. Instigated by the scholars, he is no longer the son he used to be. Yin Defei's father, Yin Arat, was arrogant and domineering, and Du Ruhui, an official of the Qin Palace, passed by his door, and several of Yin Amo's servants dragged Du Ruhui off the horse, beat him and broke one of his fingers, and said: "Who are you, dare not get off the horse in front of my door!" Yin Arat, afraid that the people of the world would tell the emperor, let Yin Defei say to the emperor first: "The cronies of the King of Qin have bullied my family." Gao Zu angrily rebuked Li Shimin and said: "My concubines and concubines are all bullied by the people around you, let alone the common people!" Shimin repeatedly defended himself, but Gao Zu never believed him. Li Shimin served Gaozu in the palace every time. Face the concubines. Remembering that his mother, Empress Taimu, died early and failed to see Gaozu own the world, sometimes he couldn't help but sigh and cry, and Gaozu was very unhappy when he saw it. The concubines took the opportunity to secretly slander Li Shimin and said: "The world is fortunately safe and sound. Your Majesty is very old. Only for entertaining. And the King of Qin always sheds tears alone, which is actually hating us, Your Majesty as the ancient queen. Our mother and son will not be tolerated by the King of Qin, and will be killed to the death!"[18] Therefore, they wept at each other, and said: "The crown prince is benevolent and filial, and your majesty will entrust us to the crown prince, and we will definitely be preserved." Gao Zu was also very sad about this. Since then, Gaozu has dispelled the idea of changing the crown prince, and has gradually distanced himself from the people, but has become increasingly close to Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. The crown prince Zhongyun Wang Gui and the crown prince Xima Wei Zheng persuaded the prince and said: "King Qin's merits cover the world, and the inside and outside return to the heart, and His Royal Highness was only made the crown prince because of his old age, and he has no great merit to subdue the world." Now that Liu Heimin's troops are scattered and fled, there are less than 10,000 people left, and there is a lack of food and materials, if the army is used to advance, the momentum is like a devastating and decaying, His Royal Highness should personally attack to gain merit and fame, and take the opportunity to make friends with the heroes of Shandong, maybe he can keep his position. [20] The crown prince then asked Gaozu to lead his troops into the battle, and Gaozu agreed. On the seventh day of the 11th month of the 5th year of Wude (December 14, 622 AD), Gaozu ordered the crown prince Li Jiancheng to lead an army to defeat Liu Heimin, and the marshal of the march of Daxingtai and Shandong Province in Eastern Shaanxi Province, and the states south and north of the Yellow River were all disposed of, and he had the right to act randomly. Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, persuaded the crown prince Li Jiancheng to get rid of the Qin king Shimin as soon as possible, saying: "I should kill him with my own hands on behalf of my brother!"] Li Shimin followed Gaozu to Yuanji's mansion, and Yuanji ordered the protector Yuwenbao to ambush in the dormitory, preparing to assassinate Shimin. Li Jiancheng was quite benevolent and generous by nature, and hurriedly stopped him. Li Yuanji said angrily: "I'm thinking about my brother, what's the benefit to myself!" [Li Jiancheng recruited more than 2,000 brave men from Chang'an and other places without authorization to act as the guards of the East Palace, and let them be stationed at the Changlin Gate on the left and right sides of the East Palace, known as the Changlin Soldiers. Jiancheng also secretly asked Youyu Hou to reach Zhi, mobilized 300 brave and elite cavalry from Youzhou from Li Yi, the king of Yan, and placed them in various markets east of the East Palace, preparing to use them to supplement the low-level officers who served as guards in the East Palace, but they were denounced. Gaozu summoned Jiancheng, rebuked him, and exiled Dazhi to Shanzhou. Yang Wengan, the governor of Gyeongju, once served as a guard in the East Palace, and Jiancheng was close to him and treated him favorably, and privately asked him to recruit warriors and send them to Chang'an. Gaozu prepared to go to Renzhi Palace and ordered Jiancheng to stay in the capital, and Li Shimin accompanied him with Li Yuanji. Jiancheng let Li Yuanji take the opportunity to plot against Li Shimin, he said: "The big plan related to our safety will be decided this year!" Li Jiancheng also instructed Lang General Er Zhuhuan and Captain Qiao Gongshan to give armor to Yang Wengan. When the two came to Fengzhou, they reported that something had happened, and accused the prince of instructing Yang Wengan to raise troops, so that he could echo with him inside and outside. Another person from Ningzhou, Du Fengju, also went to Renzhi Palace to talk about the situation. Gaozu was furious, and under the pretext that there was something else, he summoned Jiancheng with a handwritten edict and asked him to go to Renzhi Palace. Li Jiancheng was scared and didn't dare to go. Xu Shimo, the prince's servant, persuaded him to occupy the capital and send troops to cause trouble, while Zhao Hongzhi, the chief secretary of the Zhan affairs, persuaded him to remove the prince's chariot and drive uniform, remove the entourage, and go to Gaozu to confess his guilt. On July 14, 624, Li Jiancheng decided to go to Renzhi Palace. Before he had completed the sixty-mile journey, Li Jiancheng left all his officials in the fortress fence left by Mao Hongbin in the Northern Wei Dynasty, led more than a dozen people to ride forward to see Gaozu, kowtowed to his father, confessed his guilt, and his body suddenly exerted force, and he fell out and almost fainted. Gaozu's anger still hasn't gone away. That night, Gaozu imprisoned him in a tent, gave him wheat and rice to satisfy his hunger, asked Chen Fu, the eunuch in the palace, to guard him, and sent Si Nongqing Yuwen Ying to summon Yang Wengan quickly. Yu Wenying came to Gyeongju and told Yang Wengan about the situation. Thereupon. Yang Wengan rebelled. Gaozu sent Qian Jiulong, the general of Zuo Wuwei, and Yang Shidao, the governor of Lingzhou, to attack Yang Wengan. On July 16, 624, Gaozu summoned Qin Li Shimin to discuss the matter. Li Shimin said: "Yang Wengan, this kid dares to do such an arrogant and rebellious act, thinking that his subordinates in the shogunate should have captured and killed him." If this is not the case, a general should be sent to fight him. Gaozu said, "It can't be like this. Yang Wen's work is related to the completion of the project, and I am afraid that there are many people who respond to him. You'd better go in person, and when you return, I will make you prince." I am not willing to follow the example of Emperor Wen of Sui to kill my own son, and then I will demote Li Jiancheng to the king of Shu. Shuzhong is weak in force, if he can serve you in the future, you should save his life, if he refuses to serve you. It's easy for you to capture him. "Gaozu was built in the mountains because of the Renzhi Palace. Fearing that the robbers would suddenly attack, he led the army as a guard overnight to drive out of the mountain from the south. When he walked dozens of miles, the officials belonging to the prince's East Palace arrived one after another, and Gaozu asked everyone to take thirty people as a team. Sent troops to surround and guard them. The next day. Gao Zucai returned to Renzhi Palace. After Li Shimin's departure. Li Yuanji and his concubines took turns to intercede for Li Jiancheng, and Feng Deyi tried to rescue Jiancheng in the foreign court. As a result, Gaozu changed his original intention. and asked Li Jiancheng to return to the capital to stay. Gaozu only blamed him for his fault for causing disharmony in the relationship between his brothers, and put the blame on the crown prince Zhongyun Wang Gui, Zuo Wei Wei and Tiance General Fu Bing Cao Shenjun Du Yan, and exiled them to Shanzhou together. At the beginning, after the pacification of Luoyang, Du Yan did not get promoted for a long time, and planned to seek to serve and complete. Fang Xuanling thought that Du Yan had a lot of cunning tricks, and was worried that he would instigate and guide the construction of the building, which would be more and more unfavorable to the people, so he made a proposal to Li Shimin and recommended Du Yan to serve in the Tiance General's Mansion. On July 21, 624, Yang Wengan captured Ningzhou, drove the plundering officials and people out of the city, and occupied Baijiabao. After the army of King Shimin of Qin came to Ningzhou, Yang Wengan's henchmen were all dispersed. On July 25, the fifth day of the seventh month, Yang Wengan was killed by his own men, and his head was transported to the capital. Li Shimin captured Yu Wenying and killed him.

Someone advised Gaozu that "the reason why the Turks repeatedly invaded the Guanzhong region was because our population and wealth were concentrated in Chang'an. If Chang'an is burned and the capital is not here, then the invasion of the Hu people will naturally subside. Gaozu thought it was reasonable, so he sent the Zhongshu servant Lang Yu Wenshi and crossed Zhongnan Mountain to Fanzhou and Dengzhou to inspect the places where they could stay, and prepared to move the capital there. The crown prince Li Jiancheng, the king of Qi, Li Yuanji, and Pei Lin all agreed with this strategy, and although Xiao Yu and the others knew that it should not be so, they did not dare to discourage it. King Shimin of Qin stepped forward and admonished: "The situation of ethnic minorities in the north causing trouble to the Central Plains has existed since ancient times. Your Majesty, with the heroic strength of the Shengming, founded a new dynasty, stabilized Zhongxia, had a million elite soldiers, and was invincible, how could you hastily move the capital to avoid them because there were Hu people disturbing the border, so that the subjects of the whole country would feel humiliated and let future generations laugh at him? If it doesn't succeed by then, it's not too late to move the capital. [37] Gaozu said, "Well said. Li Jiancheng said: "Fan Xu planned to lead 100,000 soldiers and horses to gallop among the Huns, but failed, King Qin's words should not be similar to Fan Xu's!" Li Shimin said: "The situations faced are different, and the methods of using troops are also different. What is there to praise about that kid in Fan! In no more than ten years, I will definitely be able to calm down the Mobei region, and I am not talking out of thin air!" Therefore, Gaozu no longer moved the capital. Li Jiancheng and his concubines jointly framed Li Shimin, saying: "Although the Turks have repeatedly caused trouble on the frontier, as long as they get money, they will retreat." In the name of resisting the Turks, the king of Qin actually planned to take over the military power and accomplish his conspiracy to usurp the throne!" Gaozu set up a hunting field in the south of the capital, and the crown prince Li Jiancheng, the king of Qin, Li Shimin, and the king of Qi, Li Yuanji, all went with him, and Gaozu ordered his three sons to ride horses and hunt to compete for victory. Li Jiancheng gave the horse to Li Shimin and said: "This horse runs very fast and can cross a stream a few zhang wide." The second brother is good at riding horses, so let's try it on it. Li Shimin rode this horse to chase the wild deer, the horse suddenly jumped up, Li Shimin jumped up, jumped a few steps away to stand firm, after the horse stood up, Li Shimin rode on the horse again, this happened three times in a row. Li Shimin turned back to Yu Wenshi and said, "He plans to harm me with the help of this horse." But people's life and death are determined by their own fate, can they hurt me?" [Hearing this, Jiancheng took the opportunity to instigate the concubine who had an affair with him to frame Li Shimin in Gaozu's ear: "The King of Qin claimed that God had given me an order, and he was about to make me the master of the world, how could he die in vain!" Gaozu was furious, first summoned Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, and then summoned Li Shimin, reproaching him: "Whoever is the Son of Heaven, God will naturally give him an order, not what human intelligence can seek. Why are you so eager to seek the throne!" Li Shimin took off the crown. Prostrate to the ground. Asking to hand him over to law enforcement for questioning to prove that he had not said such disobedient words, Gaozu was still angry. When someone said that the Turks were coming to invade, Gao Zu changed his angry face and instead exhorted Li Shimin. Let him wear the crown. Fasten your belt. Consult with him on how to deal with the Turks. On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the seventh year of Wude (September 9, 624 AD), Gaozu issued an edict ordering Li Shimin and Li Yuanji to lead troops and horses from Fengzhou to defend against the Turks and make a trip for them in Lanchi. Whenever there is an enemy situation. Gaozu always ordered Li Shimin to go to the crusade against the enemy, but after the war subsided, Gaozu's suspicion of Shimin became more and more serious.

After Li Shimin, the king of Qin, Li Jiancheng, the crown prince, and Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, formed a disagreement, they thought that Luoyang's terrain was superior and convenient, and they were worried that something would happen one day, and they planned to leave the capital to protect this place, so they let Shangshu Wen Daya of the Ministry of Industry of Xingtai guard Luoyang, and sent Zhang Liang, the general of the Qin Wangfu, to lead more than 1,000 people including his cronies Wang Bao to Luoyang, secretly befriending the heroes east of Kunshan, waiting for the situation to change, and taking out a large amount of gold and silver silk for them to use. Yuan Ji accused Zhang Liang of plotting wrong, and Zhang Liang was handed over to the judge for inspection and verification. Zhang Liang didn't say a word from beginning to end, and the imperial court released him and let him return to Luoyang. Li Jiancheng summoned Li Shimin at night, drank with him, and secretly poisoned him in the wine. Li Shimin suddenly had a heartache and vomited several liters of blood, and Li Shentong, the king of Huai'an, helped him back to the West Palace. Gaozu came to the West Palace, inquired about Shimin's condition, and issued an edict to Li Jiancheng: "The King of Qin has always been not good at drinking, and from now on, you can no longer drink with him at night." Therefore, Gaozu said to Li Shimin: "First of all, you put forward the strategy of opposing the Sui, destroying the enemy, and pacifying the sea, all of which are your credits." I was going to make you the crown prince, but you resolutely refused. Moreover, Li Jiancheng is the oldest, and it has been a long time since he was made the crown prince, and I can't bear to take away his crown prince. I see that your brothers seem incompatible, and that if you live together in the capital, there will certainly be strife, and I should send you back to Xingtai and stay in Luoyang, and the vast area east of Shaanzhou will be under your control. I also want you to set up the banner of the Son of Heaven, such as the story of King Liang Xiao of the Han Dynasty. Li Shimin wept and excused himself on the grounds that he was unwilling to stay away from his father's knees. Gao Zu said: "The world is one family, the east and the west are two places, the distance is very close, as long as I miss you, you can leave to go, you don't have to worry and sorrow." When Li Shimin was about to leave, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji discussed together: "If the king of Qin arrives in Luoyang and has land and army, we can no longer control him." It's better to keep him in Chang'an, so that he is just a puppet, and it will be easy to catch him. So, they secretly asked several people to play Gaozu in a sealed recital, saying: "The people around the King of Qin were all overjoyed when they learned that the King of Qin was going to Luoyang. Looking at King Qin's intentions, I'm afraid he won't return to Chang'an. They also instructed Gaozu's favored officials to persuade Gaozu on the merits of the Qin king's stay, and Gaozu changed his mind, and the matter of the Qin king's trip to Luoyang was put on hold halfway. Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji and the concubines of the harem kept framing Shimin to Gaozu day and night, and Gaozu believed it and prepared to punish Li Shimin. Chen Shuda admonished: "The King of Qin has made great contributions to the world, and he cannot be deposed. Besides, he has a strong temperament, if he is humiliated and belittled, I am afraid that he will not be able to withstand the sorrow and anger in his heart, and once he is infected with an unpredictable disease, will His Majesty regret it!" Therefore, Gao Zu did not punish Li Shimin. Yuan Ji secretly asked to kill Li Shimin, the king of Qin, and Gaozu said: "He has made the merit of pacifying the world, but the fact of his crime is not obvious, what is the excuse to use?" Li Yuanji said: "When the king of Qin had just pacified Luoyang, the eastern capital, he waited and watched the situation, refused to return, and distributed money and silk silk in order to establish personal kindness, and went against His Majesty's edict, what is it if it is not a rebellion! He should only be killed quickly, why worry about not finding an excuse!" Gaozu did not agree.

The staff and officials of the Qin Palace's staff were all worried, frightened, and at a loss. Xingtai Gonglang Zhongfang Xuanling compared with Sun Wuji, the eldest of the Ministry Lang, said: "Now the grudge has been caused, once the disaster is secret. It's just that the Qin Wangfu is out of control, and in fact, the survival of the society has become a problem. It is better to persuade the King of Qin to take actions similar to those of Zhou Pingding's Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai, so as to stabilize the royal family and the country. The existential cardinal, the critical situation is now!" Wuji said: "I have had this idea for a long time, but I dare not say it. What you are saying now is exactly what I want. Please let me tell King Qin on your behalf. So, the eldest grandson Wuji entered Li Shimin's bedroom and told Li Shimin. Li Shimin summoned Fang Xuanling to discuss the matter, and Fang Xuanling said: "The king has covered the world and should inherit the emperor's great cause." Now the king fears a crisis. It is the heavens that are helping the king. I hope the king won't be confused. And so. Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, a subordinate official of the Qin Palace, jointly persuaded Li Shimin to kill Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, because the Qin palace had many brave generals, and they planned to lure them for their own use, so they secretly presented a cart of gold and silver artifacts to Chi Gong, the second deputy guard of the left, and wrote a letter to induce him: "I hope to get your favor." In order to deepen the friendship between us. Wei Chigong excused himself and said: "I am a small person who weaves tents for households and uses broken urns as windows. encountered the situation of endless wars and exiles in the last years of the Sui Dynasty. For a long time, he fell into the situation of resisting the imperial court, and his crimes were extremely heinous, and he died innocently. The king of Qin gave me the grace of regeneration. Now that I have registered as an official in the Qin Palace, I should only repay the King of Qin with death. I have not made meritorious contributions to His Highness, and I dare not accept such a rich reward from His Highness out of thin air. If I have a private relationship with His Highness, I will have two hearts for the King of Qin, and I will be a villain who forgets his righteousness, so what is the use of His Highness wanting such a person!" Li Jiancheng was furious and cut off contact with him. Wei Chigong told Li Shimin about this, and Li Shimin said: "Ming Gong's loyalty to me is as solid as the mountains, even if the gold he gave you is piled up to the Big Dipper, I know that Ming Gong's loyalty will not waver." What is there to be suspicious of what he gives you, and you will receive what he gives! Besides, is it not a good plan to learn about his schemes, or else evil will befall you. Soon after, Li Yuanji instructed the warriors to assassinate Wei Chi Gong at night, and when Wei Chi Gong learned of the news, he opened the doors and lay down in peace, and the assassins repeatedly came to his courtyard, but did not dare to enter the house after all. Therefore, Li Yuanji framed Wei Chigong to Gaozu, put him in a special prison ordered by the edict for interrogation and punishment, and prepared to kill him, but Li Shimin was spared because of Li Shimin's repeated requests to save his life. Li Yuanji framed Cheng Zhijie, the commander of the Zuo Yi Ma Army, and Gaozu exiled him as the assassin of Connecticut. Cheng Zhijie said to Li Shimin: "The king's assistant ministers are about to run out, how can the king himself last long! I swear not to leave the capital, and I hope that the king will make a plan as soon as possible." Li Yuanji used gold and silver silk to lure Duan Zhixuan, the second protector on the right, but Duan Zhixuan refused to obey. Li Jiancheng said to Li Yuanji: "Among the wise and resourceful figures in the Qin Palace, the only ones to be feared are Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji framed the two of them to Gaozu and caused them to be expelled. Li Shimin's henchmen were the only eldest grandson Wuji who remained in the palace of King Qin, and he and his uncle Gao Shilian in Yongzhou Zhizhong, Hou Junji, the general of the right waiting car, Hou Junji, and Wei Chigong, persuaded Shimin to kill Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji day and night, but Li Shimin hesitated. In addition, Li Shimin may have also asked Li Jing, the governor of Lingzhou, and Li Tao, the head of the marching army.

On the first day of the sixth month of the ninth year of Wude (June 29, 626 AD), the Tai Bai Star appeared in the noon position directly south of the sky during the daytime, according to the ancients, this is a symbol of "changing the sky", a precursor to the outbreak of revolution or a change of power, representing that something big is about to happen. When the Turkic Yu Shushu led tens of thousands of cavalry to garrison south of the Yellow River, broke into the border fortress of the Great Wall, and surrounded Wucheng, the crown prince Li Jiancheng recommended Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, to replace Li Shimin, the king of Qin, to supervise the northern expedition of all troops and horses to resist the Turkic invasion. Gaozu listened to his suggestion and ordered Yuanji to lead Li Yi, the general of the Right Wuwei, Zhang Jin, the general of Tianji, and others to rescue Wucheng] Li Yuanji took the opportunity to ask for Wei Chigong, Cheng Zhijie, Duan Zhixuan, and Qin Qiong, the right commander of the Qin Palace, to go with him to review and select the elite soldiers under the Qin King's account to strengthen the strength of his army. Wang Hui, who held the position of the official in charge of timekeeping in the prince's East Palace, had been bought by Li Shimin, the king of Qin, and became Li Shimin's eyeliner in the East Palace, and he quietly told Li Shimin: "The prince said to King Qi: 'Now, you have obtained the brave generals and elite soldiers of the King of Qin, and you have tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. I will make a trip for you with the King of Qin in the Kunming Pool, and let the warriors kill the King of Qin in the tent. When he played his father, he said that he died of a violent illness, and his father should not believe it. I should let people speak up and force my father to hand over the affairs of the state to me. Wei Chigong and the others have already fallen into your hands, they should all be killed, who dares to disobey!'" Li Shimin told the words of the official surnamed Wang to Changsun Wuji and others, and Changsun Wuji and others advised Li Shimin to strike first. Li Shimin sighed: "Cannibalism is a great crime throughout the ages. Of course, I know that disaster is coming, but I plan to take action against them after the disaster has happened, isn't that also okay!" Wei Chigong said: "As human nature. Who is willing to die! Now everyone swears to serve the king. This is God-granted. Disaster was about to happen, but the king remained calm and unfazed. Even if the king looks down on himself, how can he be worthy of the temple and the shrine! If the king refuses to adopt my proposal. I'm ready to flee into the wilderness and meadows. Can't stay with the king. Surrender to the slaughter of others!" The eldest grandson Wuji said: "If the king refuses to listen to Wei Chigong's proposition, the matter will definitely fail. Wei Chigong and the others will definitely not follow the king anymore, and I should follow them out of the king. I can't serve the king anymore!" Li Shimin said: "I can't completely give up my opinions, so let's think about it again." Wei Chigong said: "It is unwise for the king to hesitate in handling matters now, and it is not resolute to be unable to make a decision in the face of danger." Besides, the more than 800 warriors that the king usually raises, all of whom were outside, have now entered the palace, they are wearing armor and holding weapons, and the situation of the uprising has been formed, how can the king be able to stop it!" Li Shimin asked the staff of the Qin Palace, and everyone said: "The King of Qi is vicious and perverse, and he is unwilling to serve his brother after all. Recently, I heard that the protector Xue Shi once said to King Qi: "The name of the king can be combined to become a Tang character, and the king will dominate the Tang Dynasty after all." The King of Qi said happily, "As long as the King of Qin can be removed, it will be easy to seize the position of the crown prince of the East Palace." Before he succeeded in plotting a rebellion with the crown prince, he already had the intention of seizing the crown prince's throne. If these two people get their wish, I am afraid that the world will no longer belong to the Tang Dynasty. With the great power of the king, it is as easy to capture these two people as it is to pick up the grass and mustard on the ground, how can he forget the major affairs of the state and society in order to abide by the discipline of the horseman!" Li Shimin still did not make a decision, and everyone asked again: "What kind of person does the king think Shun is?" Li Shimin replied: "It is a saint." They said: "If Emperor Shun had not escaped the poisonous hands of his father and younger brother who had filled in the soil on the well when he was dredging the well, he would have turned into mud in the well; if he had not escaped the poisonous hands of his father and younger brother who set fire to the granary when he was decorating the granary, he would have turned into ashes on the granary, how could he still have his own blessings spread all over the world and the law passed on to future generations! Therefore, Emperor Shun endured it when he was beaten by his father with a small stick, and fled when he was beaten with a big stick, probably because Emperor Shun had a big thing in mind. Li Shimin ordered people to tell fortunes to fortune divination, and it happened that Zhang Gongjin, a staff member of the Qin Palace, came in from outside, so he snatched the turtle shell of divination and threw it on the ground, saying: "Divination is for deciding difficult things, and now there is no problem in things, what else is divination! If the result of divination is unlucky, can we stop the action?" So he made a plan of action. Li Shimin ordered the eldest grandson Wuji to secretly recall Fang Xuanling and others, but Fang Xuanling and others did not agree to return to the Qin Palace, saying: "Your Majesty's edict does not allow us to serve the king anymore. If we go to see the king in private now, we will definitely die for it, so we dare not accept the king's decree!" Li Shimin was angry and said to Wei Chigong: "Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui are going to betray me!" He took off his saber and handed it to Wei Chigong and said: "Duke Ming went to inspect the situation, if they really didn't mean to come back, you can cut off their heads and come back to see me." Wei Chigong went and together with the eldest grandson Wuji, he clearly told Fang Xuanling and the others that "the king has decided on the plan of action, and all the Ming princes should go to the Qin Wangfu to discuss major matters as soon as possible." The four of us couldn't walk together on the street. So he ordered Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui to put on Taoist clothes and enter the Qin Palace, while Wei Chigong also came to the Qin Palace.

On the third day of the sixth month (July 1, 626 AD), the star Platinum again appeared during the day, at noon directly south of the sky. Fu Yi secretly played: "Venus appeared on the division of Qin, which is a sign that the King of Qin should have the world. Gaozu showed Fu Yi's secret music to King Shimin of Qin. So in this way, Li Shimin took the opportunity to secretly play his father, accusing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji of adultery with the concubines in the harem, and said: "Erchen is not sorry for the imperial brother and the imperial brother at all, but now they plan to kill Erchen, which is like avenging Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande." Now that I am about to die unjustly, I will leave my father forever, and my soul will return to Huangquan, if I see Wang Shichong and other thieves, I will be ashamed!" Gao Zu looked at Li Shimin, surprised, and replied: "I will interrogate this matter tomorrow, and you should come to see me as soon as possible." Zhang Jieyu secretly learned the gist of Li Shimin's secret performance, and hurriedly told Li Jiancheng. Li Jiancheng summoned Li Yuanji to discuss the matter, and Li Yuanji said: "We should take care of the soldiers in the East Palace and the Qi Palace, and pretend that they are sick and do not go to the court, so as to observe the situation." Li Jiancheng said: "The army in the palace is already very well guarded, and my brother and I should enter the court to see and inquire about the news in person." So the two decided to enter the Ouchi Palace first to force Gaozu to make a statement. Unexpectedly, Chang He, the chief of the Praetorian Guard at the Xuanwu Gate at the north gate of the palace, was originally a close confidant of the prince, but was rebelled by Li Shimin, so the palace guards had fallen to the King of Qin, but Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji didn't know, and thought that the palace was still their own people.

On the fourth Gengshen day of the first month of June (July 2, 626 AD), Li Shimin led the eldest grandson Wuji, Wei Chigong, Hou Junji, Zhang Gongjin, Liu Shili, Gongsun Wuda, Dugu Yanyun, Du Junxuan, Zheng Rentai, Li Mengwei (one said to be the eldest grandson Wuji, Wei Chigong, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yu Wenshiji, Gao Shilian, Hou Junji, Cheng Zhijie, Qin Qiong, Duan Zhixuan, Qu Tutong, Zhang Shigui) and others into the court, and laid an ambush at Xuanwu Gate. [91-92] Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, who did not know the details, also entered the court together and rode to Xuanwu Gate. At this time, Gao Zu had already summoned Pei Lian, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, Feng Deyi, Pei Ju and others to prepare to inspect this matter. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji came to the Linhu Palace, noticed the change, and immediately turned the horse's head, preparing to return to the East Palace and the Qi Palace. Li Shimin followed behind and called them, Li Yuanji was weak-hearted, and first opened his bow and shot at Li Shimin, but because he was in a hurry, he didn't pull the bow full two or three times in a row, and the arrow didn't hit. Li Shimin shot at Li Jiancheng with a bow and shot him to death. Wei Chigong led seventy cavalry men to arrive one after another, and the soldiers around him shot Li Yuanji with arrows, and Li Yuanji fell off his horse. But at this moment, Li Shimin's mount was frightened, and he ran into the woods next to the Xuanwu Gate with Li Shimin, and Li Shimin was caught by the branches in the forest, fell off his horse, fell to the ground, and couldn't get up for a while. Li Yuanji quickly arrived, grabbed the bow, and was about to strangle Li Shimin, but at this moment, Wei Chi Gong jumped on his horse and shouted loudly to stop him. Li Yuanji knew that he was not an opponent, so he hurriedly let go of Li Shimin and wanted to run into the Wude Hall to seek protection from his father, but Wei Chigong quickly caught up with him and shot him to death with an arrow. Feng Li, a subordinate of the crown prince Li Jiancheng and the general of the Yiwei chariot cavalry, learned that Jiancheng had died, and sighed: "Can you receive favor during the prince's lifetime and escape the disaster as soon as the prince dies!" So, he and the deputy protector Xue Wanche and Qu Zhifu left chariot Xie Shufang led 2,000 elite soldiers and horses from the East Palace and the Qi Palace, and galloped to Xuanwu Gate, preparing to avenge the prince and the King of Qi. Zhang Gong was so strong that he closed the gate alone, blocking Feng Li and the others, and Feng Li and the others could not enter. Yunlu general Jing Junhong was in charge of the Su Guard Army and was stationed at Xuanwu Gate. He stood up and prepared to go into battle, but those close to him stopped him and said, "The matter is not clear, so let's observe the development of the situation slowly, and wait until the forces are gathered and form an array before going to war." Jing Junhong didn't listen, so he and Zhonglang general Lu Shiheng shouted loudly and rushed towards the enemy formation, and all of them were killed. The soldiers guarding the Xuanwu Gate fought hard with Xue Wanche and others, which lasted for a long time, Xue Wanche beat drums and shouted, preparing to attack the Qin Palace, and the soldiers were greatly frightened. At this time, Wei Chi Gong carried the heads of Jiancheng and Yuanji to Xue Wanche and others, and the people of the East Palace and the Qi Palace's Mansion lost their fighting spirit and quickly dispersed, while Xue Wanche and dozens of cavalry fled into Zhongnan Mountain. After Feng Li killed Jing Junhong, he said to his subordinates: "This can also repay His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a little." So he threw away his weapon and fled. At this point, the coup ended with the victory of Li Shimin, the king of Qin. (To be continued......)