Wu Wang Li Ke was appreciated by Taizong for his outstanding talents, and he really wanted to make him the prince. Therefore, during Gaozong's Yongwei period, he was slandered by Changsun Wuji and sentenced to death by Gaozong.
Reference
Li Ke, the third son of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, his mother was the daughter of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty.
Wang Ke of Yulin, the first king of Changsha, entered the Han Dynasty. In the second year of Zhenguan, he moved to Shu and shared the title with the two kings of Yue and Yan. In the country of Bu, he was the governor of Qizhou for a long time. The emperor said to Zuo: "Don't I want to see him often?" However, we have already decided to make a screen outside. After I am a hundred years old, my brothers will not have to worry about danger or death. "In the tenth year, the king of Wu was changed to the king of Wu, and he moved to the same title with the six kings of Wei, Qi, Shu, Jiang, Yue and Ji. He was granted the governorship of Anzhou. The emperor gave a letter saying: "You are the most prosperous relative. I encourage you to love the royal family and rule it with righteousness. Things should be controlled by etiquette. On the outside, we are kings and ministers, but on the inside, we are father and son. Now I have to leave you at my knees. I will not leave behind your treasures, but leave you with your words. How can I think of this! "Sitting with the nurse Bosai, he dismissed the governor and cut off three hundred households. Gaozong ascended the throne and paid homage to Sikong and the governor of Liangzhou. Ke was good at riding and shooting, and had literary and military talents. His mother, the daughter of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, was a local relative and looked high on the throne. At the beginning, the emperor regarded the King of Jin as the crown prince, and wanted to establish Ke, but the eldest grandson Wuji insisted on fighting. The emperor said: "How can I think that I am not my nephew?" Moreover, my son Yingguo is like me. If I protect my uncle, I don’t know. "Wuji said: "The king of Jin is kind and a good ruler who keeps the text. If he is not sure about his move, he will be defeated. How about retaining the throne? "The emperor stopped. So Wuji always hated him. In Yonghui, Fang Yi loved to rebel, so he punished Ke in order to destroy the world. Before his execution, he shouted: "There is a spirit in the country, Wuji and the clan will be destroyed! "The four sons, Ren, Wei, Kun, and Xuan, lived together in Lingbiao. In the fifth year of Xianqing's reign, he pursued Wang Yulin and built a temple. Hejian Wang Xiaogong and Sun Rong were the heirs of Yulin County Marquis. At the beginning of Shenlong, he presented Sikong and prepared gifts. Reburied.
Taizong often called him a talented man and wanted to establish him as the prince, but he was opposed by the minister Changsun Wuji (the brother of Queen Wende) who saw his nephew Cheng. Qian and Li Tai were both finished and wanted to establish another nephew, Li Zhi, the ninth son of Taizong. Later, after Wuji assisted Li Zhi, he used the excuse of "rebellion" to kill Li Ke "to defeat the public and bring injustice to the country." Among Li Shimin's sons, Li Ke had the highest prestige among ministers and people, but he died in an unjust prison.
From the fact that Taizong gave King Wu Ke a letter after he made Li Zhi the prince, we can see that he was still the king before Taizong's death. He was very ambitious, so Emperor Taizong wrote a warning: "I use the presence of the king to herald the common people, and to rectify all nations. You live in a prosperous place, where you can rest on the screen, think about the way of bridges and catwalks, and be good at the virtues of harmony and peace. Use righteousness to control things, use etiquette to control the heart, and do not be careless if you have three kinds of winds and ten mistakes. In this way, the rock will be consolidated and the city will be protected forever. On the outside, there is the loyalty of the king and his ministers, but on the inside there is the filial piety of the father and his son. It is advisable to encourage oneself and make progress with each passing day. You are lying on your knees, why are you so sad? If I want to leave your treasures behind, I may become arrogant and extravagant. Therefore, this admonishment is regarded as a court instruction. "If Wu Wang Ke is a person who is too responsible, Taizong does not need to take such pains to warn him.
There is one more thing that must be mentioned.
Li Ke cannot be the leader. The main reason for the emperor was that he was the grandson of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, people were worried that the brutal Sui Dynasty would come back. Therefore, no matter how talented he was in civil and military affairs and how good he was in riding and shooting, it was impossible for him to become the emperor at that time.
As for him becoming Sikong in the future, I think it is a political trick of Li Zhi and Changsun Wuji to choose the biggest brother above the emperor to reward people. How can Li Zhi be incompetent? He knows his. The third brother is the biggest obstacle to him becoming emperor. Only with him can he rest easy. Changsun Wuji is not disloyal or treacherous. It's just that he conquered the country with Li Shimin in the southern and northern expeditions. Of course, he will not give it up. The throne was given to the grandson of Emperor Sui Yang, King Wu Li Ke.