I recently stayed up several nights in a row to finally finish watching the 82-episode TV series "The Long Song of Zhenguan." I don't know whether Li Shimin made the Tang Dynasty, or whether the Tang Dynasty made Li Shimin. When people talk about the Tang Dynasty, perhaps the first person they think of isn't its founder, Li Yuan, but its pioneer, Li Shimin. Thus, a person and a dynasty are naturally linked together by later generations.
The Tang Dynasty was a glorious period in history, a splendid period in culture, and a powerful period in politics. It was as towering as Mount Tai and as vast as the ocean. No one can see it clearly or explain it fully; everything is but a drop in the ocean. Li Shimin seized the throne through the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and his father became the Retired Emperor. It was someone who had almost never been the crown prince who became the emperor. It was someone who, in the midst of "struggle," put the crown prince to death, who established the Tang Empire, which is praised by later generations. This was thanks to the contributions of the former generals of the Qin family, as well as his magnanimity and courage.
The struggles of one generation passed, but the struggles of another generation arose. After Li Shimin became emperor, he appointed his eldest son, Li Chengqian (son of Empress Zhangsun and nephew of Zhangsun Wuji), as crown prince. His other sons were: Li Ke, Prince of Shu (grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui and son of Consort Yang); Li Tai, Prince of Wei (second son of Empress Zhangsun); Li You, Prince of Qi; and Li Zhi, Prince of Jin (third son of Empress Zhangsun). Crown Prince Li Chengqian was weak; Li Ke, Prince of Shu, was courageous and competitive; Li Tai, Prince of Wei, was learned but overly shrewd; Li You, Prince of Qi, possessed only reckless courage; and Li Zhi, Prince of Jin, devoted himself to Buddhism. All these princes harbored ambitions to rule the world, but each expressed them differently. Initially, it was Li Ke, Prince of Shu, who used his competitiveness to challenge the weak Crown Prince Li Chengqian. Li Ke later found himself at a disadvantage, while Li Tai, Prince of Wei, steadily pressured the Crown Prince. Li Tai gained the upper hand, but at this time, the Crown Prince's power remained firmly established. After Crown Prince Li Chengqian ruined his own destiny, Prince Qi, Li You, rebelled and was imprisoned and executed. Prince Shu, Li Ke, and Prince Wei, Li Tai, were locked in a bitter power struggle, their relationship turning into irreconcilable conflict. Prince Wei, Li Tai, was implicated in the Crown Prince's downfall and imprisoned. At this point, Prince Shu, Li Ke, seemed to have won, but fate is unpredictable. Prince Jin, Li Zhi, who had always kept a low profile, spending his days at home practicing Buddhism, was promoted by Li Shimin and moved into the Eastern Palace. Four years after Li Shimin's death, Li Zhi
, now the emperor, may have instructed Changsun Wuji to execute Prince Shu, Li Ke. This may not have been solely due to threats, but perhaps also partly due to his sister-in-law's influence. Prince Jin, Li Zhi, won this contest because of his inaction. For Prince Jin, this inaction was wise. He understood the principle that non-contention is contention; contention in this contest would be an exposure and a drain on one's strength. Only by concealing one's abilities and waiting for the right moment could one succeed. Li Zhi learned this lesson from his father's Xuanwu Gate Incident, because upholding virtue while in a weak position is a process of gaining popular support. With popular support, the weak can become strong. For Li Zhi, who harbored great ambitions, what was needed was patience and the opportunity that came with waiting. He refrained from contention, and thus succeeded.
Prince Li Ke of Shu never truly grasped or practiced this principle. As a viewer, I admire Li Ke as a historical figure, a fondness akin to Mao Zedong calling him a "heroic figure," and even regret that Li Shimin didn't choose him as crown prince. As a prince, he resembled his father, Li Shimin, in personality. He possessed the courage of the valiant general Jieli, capable of venturing alone into the grasslands; he had the strategy for procuring provisions quickly; and he had a wise and loyal teacher, Cen Wenben. If he had understood the principle of "contention without contention," he might have ultimately triumphed. However, his competitiveness, his illegitimate birth, and his lineage (his maternal grandfather being Emperor Yang of Sui) made him a tragic figure. When his teacher, whose heart lay with Liu Bei while serving Cao Cao, purged his political enemies, Li Ke should have learned the principle of "not fighting is fighting" from the Prince of Jin. Instead, he misunderstood his teacher's betrayal and remained competitive in the struggle. Even after learning that his teacher had eliminated his political enemies, the King of Wei and the Crown Prince, and that the Prince of Jin had entered the Eastern Palace while he himself resembled Xiang Yu, he still gambled everything.
A person's fate is often determined by their own character, decided by unexpected coincidences. Imagine if he had initially aspired to be a pillar of the state, and if he had married in the desert, perhaps he could have had a peaceful end? However, Li Ke was Li Ke. He was neither as weak as the Crown Prince, nor as cunning as the King of Wei, nor as wise as the Prince of Jin. Thus, he met his own end.
Finally, I understood that Li Ke's temperament was incompatible with the principle of "not fighting is fighting." And so, history, because of human nature, took a more reasonable turn. The story of the fox and the two bears that Zheng Renji's daughter told Li Ke ultimately remained just a story. Li Zhi became emperor, Wu Zetian became emperor, while Li Ke and the other princes turned to dust.
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