Tang Taizong's Rule of Governance

Author: Liu Houbin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features:
1. Li Shimin, born into a noble family of mixed Hu-Han descent, was the son of Li Yuan, who claimed to be a descendant of Li Hao, the Duke of Liang during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In reality, it is likely that Li Yuan manipulated his lineage. The Tang Dynasty may have been the descendant of Li Chugu ba, the Governor of Hongnong in Northern Wei, who was likely an ethnic minority in the north. His descendants intermarried with the Han Chinese, and by the time of Li Hu, they were already of mixed Hu-Han heritage. Li Hu was Li Yuan's grandfather, one of the Eight Pillars of State in Western Wei, and was posthumously honored as Duke of Tang in the early Zhou Dynasty. Li Yuan inherited the title of Duke of Tang, and his mother, the Lady Solo, was the daughter of Solo Xin, one of the Eight Pillars of State, who was also the mother of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou and Empress Solo of Sui. Lady Solo and Dou Shi (also known as Heduoling Shi) were of Hu descent. Therefore, Li Shimin, born into such a mixed Hu-Han family, had distinct Hu features: thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, slightly curled mustache, strong facial features, a nimble physique, and a handsome yet brave appearance. Dou Shi had four sons: the eldest, Li Jiancheng; the third, Li Yuanba, who died young; the fourth, Li Yuanji; and Li Shimin, the second son, who was born on the 18th day of the 12th month in Wugong in the Sui Dynasty (598). Historical records state that when he was born, two dragons played outside the gate of the mansion for three days before departing. Four years after his birth, a scholar who claimed to be skilled in face-reading met Li Yuan and exclaimed, "You are a person of great fortune, and you have a noble son." When he saw Li Yuan's four-year-old son, he further remarked, "This child has the posture of a dragon and phoenix and the countenance of the sun and moon. By the time he is near twenty, he will surely bring peace and prosperity to the people." These words were extraordinary and startled the usually reserved Li Yuan. The scholar may have anticipated that Li Yuan would harbor murderous intent, so he vanished mysteriously after speaking. However, Li Yuan chose to name his son "Shimin," meaning "to benefit the world and bring peace to the people." Li Shimin did not disappoint his name. From a young age, he showed great intelligence, deep thought, and the ability to act decisively in emergencies. In his daily life, he was not (unconcerned with trivial matters), and his mannerisms exuded an extraordinary aura. In the 11th year of the Daye era (615), Emperor Yang of Sui was besieged by the Turks at Yanmen (now Daixian County, Shanxi). The siege of the Son of Heaven was a grave matter, and the empire's forces rushed to his aid. At that time, Yun Dingxing, the general in charge of the garrison, had a young man step forward. Though an ordinary soldier, he possessed a youthful heroism. With calm demeanor, he said to Yun Dingxing, "If we are to rescue the emperor, we must do so with great fanfare." "Hmm? What do you mean by that?" "Let me explain. Shibi Khan has mobilized his entire army to besiege our emperor. He must be relying on the fact that we have no time to respond. If we show a large military presence, with banners stretching for dozens of miles and drums and gongs echoing at night, we will surely take the Turks by surprise. They will think that our forces from all directions have already arrived, and in fear, they will likely withdraw. Otherwise, with our outnumbered forces, even if we fight with all our might, we may still be overwhelmed." Yun Dingxing was not an arrogant leader, and after a moment's thought, he saw the wisdom in his words. Indeed, the imperial forces advanced with great fanfare, and when scouts from the Turks discovered them near Guo County (southwest of Daixian County, Shanxi), they quickly reported to Shibi Khan, "The Sui army is here!" The Turks, feeling uneasy, hastily withdrew. The young man who had given this brilliant suggestion to Yun Dingxing was none other than the eighteen-year-old Li Shimin. Young Li Shimin first...