Li Zhi was the third generation monarch in the Tang Dynasty, and he reigned for 33 years. Because of illness, in 655, after Wu Zetian became queen, she asked Wu Zetian to participate in government affairs, which was called "double saints". As for Tang Gaozong's role in history, he is generally regarded as a master of fatuity. Fan Wenlan said: "When Tang Gaozong faces North Korea, his ministers come down to play, and they won't judge. Only when the prime minister expresses his opinion can he be considered to have an idea. His weak character will inevitably encourage the decadent forces within the ruling class and lead the country from chaos to extinction. " This statement completely negates Tang Gaozong.
People who advocate fatuous opinions can't see anything in the wind, and the scripts of officials are often decided by Wu's descendants. From the fifth year of the reign of emperor xianqing, all political affairs were entrusted to the marquis of wu, whose power was equivalent to that of the emperor. But Wu Zetian soon gave orders, and even what Tang Gaozong wanted to do was controlled by her. Tang Gaozong was very dissatisfied. In the first year of Jiande, Wuhou often invited Taoist priests to enter the palace to practice "evil victory", which was persuaded by eunuch Wang Fusheng. The emperor was furious and asked Shangguan Yi, assistant minister of Xitai, to discuss the matter. Shangguan Yi said, "The queen's arrogance is too great for the sea. Please waste it. " Tang Gaozong ordered Shangguan Yi to draft an imperial edict to abolish the queen. Unexpectedly, Wu Hou's eyes and ears were all around Tang Gaozong, so he immediately reported the matter to Wu Hou, who immediately explained it to the emperor. Stupid and cowardly, afraid of the anger of the marquis of Wu. He said, "I didn't waste your thoughts. Shangguan Yi taught me. " So the marquis of Wu ordered Xu Jingzong to falsely accuse Shangguan Yi and his abandoned son Jong Li of rebellion and put them all to death. A large number of North Korean officials who had contact with Shangguan Yi were exiled or demoted. Since then, whenever Tang Gaozong went to court, Wu Hou sat behind the scenes, and all political events, big or small, participated in the trial. Whether you are promoted or not, life and death are decided by Wuhou. After that, Tang Gaozong was only a nominal emperor until he died in Luoyang Palace in the first year of Hongdao.
On the contrary, it is groundless to say that Tang Gaozong is ignorant. He said "fatuous", which was first seen in New Tang Book. The seventy-sixth volume of New Tang Book says: "He succeeded because he stole Fu Wei and avoided it without fear. The emperor fainted, so you can pinch it to make it special. " The same book, volume 105, The Biography of Empress Wu Tianshun also said: "The emperor listened in secret." The first volume of the same volume, Infinite Biography of Sun Chang, said: "The emperor is faint and leads the army." Ouyang Xiu said that the main argument of his fatuity was that Tang Gaozong was controlled by Wu Zetian, and he was demoted to Chu Suiliang and Sun Chang Wuji according to his own wishes. As a matter of fact, in The Biography of Chu Ci and Sui Liang, Sun Chang Wuji was killed shortly after Wu Zetian ascended the throne. Some experts believe that Wu Zetian has not yet taken the position of queen. How can she "steal Wei Fu" and demote Gu Ming's minister? In fact, it was none other than Tang Gaozong himself who demoted Chu Suiliang and Sun Chang. In the process of establishing Wu Zetian as queen, the two ministers resolutely opposed it. It was Tang Gaozong who wanted Wu Zetian to be queen, so he was Wu Zetian's staunchest supporter. Obviously, Chu Suiliang, Sun Chang Wuji and Tang Gaozong had a great conflict on the issue of Wuhou. Not only that, Sun Chang Wuji, as the prince's uncle, is full of domineering, and Chu Suiliang is also "rebellious". They regard themselves as elderly people, are committed to safeguarding vested interests, and only want to contribute to Tang Gaozong. They never put the emperor in the lofty position that the emperor should have. At this time, Tang Gaozong flew into a rage, and he was very dissatisfied with their performance. When Xu framed the two men, he did not send someone to investigate them carefully, but immediately cut off Wuji's official position and fief and placed them in a remote former state. Chu Suiliang, who died in exile, was also deprived of his official title. Both sons were executed in exile. It can be seen that it was Wu Zetian's will to kill Chu Suiliang and Sun Chang Wuji, but it was the emperor's will. In the whole process, there was no question that Tang Gaozong was controlled by Wu Zetian, and there was no question that Tang Gaozong was unaware of it.
Some people think that after Emperor Gaozong proclaimed himself emperor, the central government of the Tang Dynasty fought or made peace with Tubo, Turkic, North Korea and other countries. And make decisions in Tang Gaozong, such as discussing strategy and rewarding and punishing soldiers. It took seven years from Tang Gaozong's death to Wu Zetian's becoming emperor. Wu Zetian's strength is mainly concentrated in this period. Prior to this, Wu Zetian had limited power and could not influence government affairs.
During the first 14 years of Tang Gaozong's reign, his achievements mainly included: First, during the reign of Emperor Taizong, he continued to implement various systems and strengthened centralization. Second, in the early days of Tang Gaozong's rule, at least he was able to maintain his national strength, while his rule was slightly expanded. 3. During the reign of Tang Gaozong, the social economy was still developing upward. Tang Gaozong's political achievements are rarely recorded in the history books, which may be because Sun Chang Wuji, Chu Suiliang and other elders came to power at the beginning of his reign, while Wu Zetian, who is smart and talented, directly participated in the administration after becoming queen.
Others pointed out that Tang Gaozong didn't do anything stupid. He took part in politics before he ascended the throne and was praised by Emperor Taizong. At the beginning of his reign, he was also diligent in state affairs, facing North Korea every day and tirelessly. He can not only follow the major policies of Emperor Taizong, but also show his ability to govern the country. He attaches great importance to the construction of the legal system. He ordered Sun Chang Wuji and others. It was compiled into the Preface of the Wild Goose Pagoda, annotated one by one, and compiled into 30 volumes of the Law of Harmonious Society, which was promulgated and implemented worldwide. At the beginning of his reign, he encouraged his men to make suggestions and he could be a good coach himself. His rewards and punishments are clear, and he resolutely cracks down on corrupt criminals, leaving no regrets. Sui Liang was forced to buy the land of the translator in Zhongshu Province at a low price, so he was moved to the left and served as the secretariat of Zhongshu Province. He maintained national unity, invaded western Turkistan, and consolidated the rule of the Tang Dynasty in the western regions. His mistakes, such as tolerating and supporting Wu Zetian's cruel persecution of Wu Zetian and not taking a fair stand against Chu Suiliang and Wuji, do not represent his mistakes.
In the second year of last year, Gao Zong's dizziness became worse. He wanted to give the throne to the emperor, "let him know the politics of the country" and officially declared himself in the dynasty. Prime Minister Hao said, "Although there was a young master before, he was not allowed to visit the DPRK afterwards, so Du was in trouble." Your majesty can't take away the world of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, but it can't be passed on to future generations! Li, assistant minister of China, echoed Hao's opinion, so the emperor had to forget about it. If the emperor is not a fatuous king, then why did he do it? However, if he is a fatuous monarch, the history books describe him as a respected minister who asked people about their sufferings. This is the so-called "government as an eternal symbol of chastity heritage". How did this happen? Tang Gaozong's so-called "ignorance" is still a mystery, which puts us in a dilemma and cannot be satisfactorily explained.