These three are Li Shimin's sons. According to the "eldest son inheritance system", only these three people are eligible to be made a prince. Unless all three people are dead, other concubines are not qualified.
Li Shimin's eldest son, Li Chenggan, is the heir to Li Shimin, who is most in line with the patriarchal clan system. Therefore, as early as when Li Shimin was the king of Qin, Li Chenggan, who was still in infancy, was named King Hengshan.
In addition, the name "Chenggan" is also very interesting. On the surface, Li Chenggan was named after being born in the Chenggan Hall of Taiji Palace. But literally it means to inherit Gan Kun, whose name was given by Gao Zu Li Yuan himself, so it is of great significance. After all, the prince at that time was Li.
According to my analysis, Tang Gaozu's move is probably just to inspire Li Shimin and give Li Shimin a hope so that he can fight harder for him. Because of three years of martial arts, Tang Gaozu is far from unifying the world and making enemies on all sides. Li Shimin is a "trump card" in Tang Gaozu's hands, which should certainly be encouraged.
A similar situation can refer to Judy's difficult situation in the Ming Dynasty. At that time, his second son, Zhu Xiao, was brave and good at fighting. Rubbing Zhu's back, he said, "Shizi is in poor health, so you have to work hard." Zhu took the lead and finally succeeded in rebellion. Zhu Wei played an important role.
But when Judy became emperor, he immediately broke his word and made his eldest son Zhu Gaochi a prince. Tang Gaozu may be thinking the same thing as Judy.
In a word, Li Chenggan was born with a golden key. In the seventh year of Wude, he was ordered to go to court to be king. This campaign also solved another strong enemy of the Tang Dynasty, Dou Jiande, the so-called "World War I destroyed the two countries". At the height of the war, Li Yuan made Li Chenggan king of Zhongshan. Ancient governors were all named after countries in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Although Sun Yat-sen is not the Seven Heroes of the Warring States, he is also a very powerful country, which almost beat Zhao out of the water. It is still unknown who would win if Zhao Wuling and Wang were not riding and shooting. Therefore, Li Chenggan was named King of Zhongshan, which should also be a measure taken by Li Yuan to motivate Li Shimin.
In the ninth year of Wude, Li Shimin initiated the change of Xuanwu Gate. When the warlord Li and Li Yuanji met, Li Yuan was forced to meditate and became emperor, Emperor Taizong. Immediately after Li Shimin acceded to the throne, Li Chenggan, who was only eight years old, was made a prince, which was in line with the patriarchal clan system and Li Shimin's last wish, because before that, Li Shimin deliberately taught Li Chenggan that Li Chenggan was "spiritual" and "extremely sensitive".
However, the depth of love is responsibility. Li Shimin wanted Li Chenggan to be a perfect person, but he forgot that Li Chenggan was born in a rich family and grew up in the palace. He has never experienced setbacks and dangers in his life, and he can't do everything almost perfectly like Li Shimin himself. As a result, Li Chenggan, who was getting older, gradually rebelled.
The conflict between father and son broke out because a man named Xin Changle was Toy Boy of Li Chenggan. Li Shimin couldn't stand his son's behavior, so he sent someone to kill him. Li Chenggan is very sad. He not only erected a monument to his son's grave at home, but also did not appear in court for several months in a rage, and his father and son almost turned against each other.
But Li Shimin doesn't want to abolish Li Chenggan. He appointed Wei Zhi, who was seriously ill at that time, as the surname of the Prince, trying to keep the crown prince of Li Chenggan. Because Li Chenggan's actions made many ministers dissatisfied, some even proposed to change the crown prince.
At that time, he was dying and said he was incompetent, but he said that as long as you have breath, you can keep my prince.
However, a few months later, Wei Zhi died and Li Chenggan's backer fell. Because of disagreement with his father, Li Chenggan began to worry that his prince would be taken away by his younger brother Lee Tae, so he decided to take risks and tried to imitate Li Shimin as a disciple of Xuanwu Gate and assassinate Lee Tae, but failed.
After the assassination
Unfortunately, Li Shimin's fifth son, Li You, rebelled, was defeated and captured, and was later executed. But it involves a man named Ji Cheng, who is not only Li You's man, but also Li Chenggan's assassin, who was ordered by Li Chenggan to assassinate Li Chenggan's teacher Yu Zhining.
After Chenggan Ji Cheng was captured, in order to survive, he wrote to report the rebellion of Prince Li Chenggan. Li Shimin sent someone to check it out, and it happened.
In ancient times, rebellion was the greatest sin, and there was no one. Anyone involved in this case will be sentenced to the lightest suicide. Although Li Shimin wanted to keep this son very much, the ministers refused to agree. Finally, the two sides compromised and Li Chenggan was abolished as Shu Ren. In the second year, in the eighteenth year of Zhenguan, Li Chenggan died of remorse and depression.
After the death of Li Chenggan, there was no prince in the Tang Dynasty. The urgent task is to establish a new prince. At this time, there were two sons, Lee Tae and Li Zhi, and Li Shimin had to choose one of them.
Li Shimin's favorite son is Lee Tae, and Li Taihou is older than Li Zhi. Supposedly, Lee Tae is the most promising prince, but the final result is not him, but Li Zhi. The reason for this is a strange thing.
Lee Tae is Li Shimin's fourth son and second son. He is one year younger than his eldest brother Li Chenggan and was born in Wude for three years.
Lee Tae is brilliant, loves literature and is good at calligraphy. Li Shimin likes him very much. In the early Tang Dynasty, the old system was implemented, and all governors had to go to fiefs when they grew up, so they could not stay in the capital. However, because Lee Tae was favored by Li Shimin, he was granted the privilege of "no official".
Li Shimin also allowed Lee Tae to build a literature museum in his residence to attract a bachelor's degree. Lee Tae spent three years compiling The Book of Parentheses, which is a very famous book and occupies a high position in geography.
Like Li Chenggan, in order to inspire Li Shimin, Li Taigang was named Wang Wei shortly after his birth. At the age of 9, Li Shimin, who became emperor, made Lee Tae King of Yue, with 22 fiefs. In contrast, Li Ke, who is also the King of Yue, has only 20 states. After ten years of observation, sixteen-year-old Lee Tae was named Wang Wei.
Li Shimin's love for Lee Tae is reflected in all aspects. Many times, he even surpassed the etiquette system and was on an equal footing with Prince Li Chenggan. Although Li Shimin was persuaded by Wei Zhi to admit that he had forgotten his personal interests, he did not show any restraint.
This endless indulgence gradually made Li Taihou have the ambition to seize the throne, and the hope of being able to ascend the throne in the future made him lose his mind.
Li Cheng
After the rebellion was abolished, Lee Tae took it for granted that he would become a prince. But he also knew that the reason why Li Shimin delayed making a decision was that he was worried about his brother. In order to dispel Li Shimin's doubts, Lee Tae decided to show Li Shimin what he had done, but he went too far.
Lee Tae said to Li Shimin, if I succeed to the throne in the future, then when I die, I will kill all my sons and pass the throne to my brother Li Zhi.
Lee Tae's nickname is Bluebird. As he said these words, a bluebird flew into Li Shimin's arms. Li Shimin thought it was an act of God and promised Lee Tae on the spot.
But Chu Suiliang, assistant minister of Huangmen, objected. He said, how could this happen? If you want the king to be a prince, please kill Li Zhi, the king of Jin, or you will definitely kill Li Zhi after the succession.
History has proved that Chu Suiliang's statement is correct. After Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi inherited his younger brother Zhao Kuangyin's throne, he also said that he would pass it on to his younger brother Zhao Tingmei in the future, but he killed Zhao Tingmei only a few years after he ascended the throne and finally passed it on to his son.
Li Shimin went to consult Sun Chang Wuji again. Sun Chang's viewpoint of Wuji is similar to that of Chu Suiliang. In order to save the lives of three sons at the same time (Li Chenggan was not dead at this time), he finally decided to make Li a prince.
When Lee Tae heard this, he went to Li Zhi and said, "You have a good relationship with Hanwang, but you once participated in the Prince's Rebellion. Not afraid of being reported? Li Zhi timid, hearing this, afraid, has been sad.
Li Shimin found Li Zhi look abnormal. After repeated inquiries, Li Zhi conveyed Lee Tae's words to Li Shimin. Li Shimin understands that if Li Tai is really made a prince, then I'm afraid the other two sons will be killed in the future, while Li Zhi is kind-hearted and kind-hearted. If Li Zhi succeeds to the throne in the future, he can save the lives of his three sons. So, in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin made Li Zhi a prince.
Li Zhi is the ninth and third son of Li Shimin. When he was born, Li Shimin had become an emperor, so he was named King of Jin at the age of three.
Li Zhi can't compare with Li Chenggan in political talent and Lee Tae in literary talent, but he is kind and has good relations with many brothers.
Of course, the so-called Li Zhi's talent shortage is also relative. Compared with most emperors in history, Li Zhi was probably an upper-middle class. After being made a prince, Li Shimin specially asked Li Zhi to participate in the court proceedings. Li Zhi handled it well and was praised many times. From Li Shimin's point of view, Li Zhi can be praised in public, and surely Li Zhi is not much difference.
In order to help Li Zhi, Li Shimin also directed and performed a big play. The Book of the New Tang Dynasty records that one day after the early Tang Dynasty, Liu Fang, Wuji, Li _ and Li Zhi had a meeting. Then, began to talk about Li Chenggan, Li _ and others' rebellion. The more they talked, the more excited they became, and even "jumped on the bed and drew their swords and stabbed themselves."
When everyone saw it, they quickly stepped forward to dissuade them. "As long as you don't commit suicide, we will listen to everything you say." He said, "I want to make Li a prince." Ministers quickly said, "China!" Li Shimin immediately said to Li Zhi, "Your uncle (Sun Chang Wuji) has helped you so much. Why don't you thank him?"
Judging from historical records, this incident is likely to be a show. But in any case, Li Shimin succeeded in making Li Zhili a prince.
Since Li Zhi was made a prince, in order to prevent the two brothers from competing for the storage space again, the other two Di Zi must be disposed of.
Although Li Chenggan, the eldest son, was abolished as Shu Ren, he still moved to Guizhou and died soon. While Li Taihou was reduced from Wang Wei to Donglai County King and left Chang 'an.
However, Li Shimin still missed Lee Tae. Four years later, he renamed him King Pu.
In the twenty-third year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin died, and Li Zhi succeeded Tang Gaozong as a child.
Three years later, Lee Tae and Li Zhi buried their brother in the highest standard.
To sum up, the reason why Li Shimin passed the throne to the relatively mediocre Li Zhi was also a helpless move. Li Chenggan's political ability was higher than that of Li Zhi, but he was abolished because of rebellion; Lee Tae's literary talent is higher than Li Zhi's, but he is ambitious. Li Shimin was worried that he might be bad for his brothers in the future, so he had to give up what he wanted reluctantly. In this way, only Li Zhi is left in Di Zi. Although Li Zhi is not as good as his two brothers, he is more generous and kind, which is the only way for Li Shimin to save his son.