Incident At Xuanwu Gate
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The Xuanwu Gate Incident was a
palace coup A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
for the throne of the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
on 2 July of 626, when Prince
Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder ...
(Prince of Qin) and his followers assassinated his brothers Crown Prince
Li Jiancheng Li Jiancheng (; 589 – July 2, 626, formally Crown Prince Yin (, literally, "the hidden crown prince"), nickname Vaishravana (; Sanskrit: Vaiśravaṇa), was the first crown prince of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the oldest son of the foun ...
and Prince
Li Yuanji Li Yuanji ( Chinese: 李元吉, Pinyin: Lǐ Yuánjí) (603 – 2 July 626), formally Prince La of Chao (巢剌王), more commonly known by the title of Prince of Qi (齊王), nickname Sanhu (三胡), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Tang dy ...
(Prince of Qi). Li Shimin, the second son of Emperor Gaozu, was in an intense rivalry with his brothers. He took control and set up an ambush at Xuanwu Gate, the northern gate leading to the Palace City within the imperial capital
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
. There, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were murdered by Li Shimin and his men. Within three days after the coup, Li Shimin was installed as the crown prince. About two months later, Emperor Gaozu abdicated and passed the throne to Li Shimin, who would become known as Emperor Taizong.


Background

After the founding of the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
by Emperor Gaozu, the Emperor's eldest son,
Li Jiancheng Li Jiancheng (; 589 – July 2, 626, formally Crown Prince Yin (, literally, "the hidden crown prince"), nickname Vaishravana (; Sanskrit: Vaiśravaṇa), was the first crown prince of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the oldest son of the foun ...
, was established as the heir apparent, but he was often overshadowed by his younger brother
Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder ...
. For instance, Li Shimin was instrumental in defeating several of Tang's major rivals.. He had led the attack on
Dou Jiande Dou Jiande (; 573 – 3 August 621) was a Chinese rebel leader who led the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese Sui dynasty. Generally considered the kindest and most able of the agraria ...
and
Wang Shichong Wang Shichong (; 567– August 621), courtesy name Xingman (行滿), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Sui dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state ...
, whom he defeated in battle, which gained him prestige among his contemporaries. Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng was stationed along the northern frontier to guard it against the Tujue, which left him unable to build up a similar reputation.. Eventually, Emperor Gaozu elevated Li Shimin's position above all other nobles. He placed Li Shimin in charge of the civil and military administration of the eastern plain, with
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
as its headquarters. There, Li Shimin established himself and appointed about fifty civil and military officials, which made it possible for him to challenge the heir apparent's pre-eminence.. In 621 AD, he established the College of Literary Studies comprising a staff of eighteen scholars, who served as his advisors on state affairs. This may have insinuated in Li Jiancheng's mind that Li Shimin could harbor ambition to ascend to the throne himself. Henceforth, Li Jiancheng attempted to undermine Li Shimin by getting his staff members removed and reassigned to other posts. Prince Li Shimin found himself unable to gain support in the capital
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
or inside the imperial palaces, as he was often away on military expeditions. He mostly relied on Luoyang where he could successfully build strong support among military and civil officials. In Chang'an, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was increasing his power by recruiting more than two thousand men to serve in the Changlin troops, which he stationed at the East Palace near the Changlin Gate. He was allied with his second younger brother Prince
Li Yuanji Li Yuanji ( Chinese: 李元吉, Pinyin: Lǐ Yuánjí) (603 – 2 July 626), formally Prince La of Chao (巢剌王), more commonly known by the title of Prince of Qi (齊王), nickname Sanhu (三胡), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Tang dy ...
. They had the support of Emperor Gaozu's consorts, who often interceded with court affairs on behalf of the two princes. There were allegations that was raising troops for Li Jiancheng, who was left in charge of the capital while Emperor Gaozu was away in his summer palace, to stage a coup for the throne. Whether Li Jiancheng was actually involved is still disputed among historians. Yang Wengan was the regional commander of
Qingzhou Qingzhou () Wade–Giles: Tsing-chou, sometimes written as Ching-chow-fu, formerly Yidu County (Yitu) (), is a county-level city, which is located in the west of the prefecture-level city of Weifang, in the central part of Shandong Province, Chin ...
in Gansu and a former guard of Li Jiancheng at the East Palace. The alleged plot was disclosed to the authorities, so Li Jiancheng was summoned from Chang'an and Yang Wengan was summoned from his garrison post. Li Jiancheng went to seek forgiveness against the advice of a subordinate to seize the throne. In contrast, Yang Wengan raised his troops and rebelled in the sixth month of 624 AD.. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin to put down the rebellion, but Yang Wengan's own subordinates killed him after the imperial forces arrived at the scene.. Emperor Gaozu initially offered Li Shimin the position of heir apparent in light of Yang Wengan's rebellion. However, Li Jiancheng's supporters, Li Yuanji, the palace ladies, and Minister
Feng Deyi Feng Lun (; 568 – 18 July 627), courtesy name Deyi (), better known as Feng Deyi, formally Duke Miao of Mi, was a Chinese official of the Sui and Tang dynasties who served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Empero ...
interceded to clear Li Jiancheng from the affair. Thus, Emperor Gaozu allowed Li Jiancheng to remain the heir apparent, but exiled some of Li Jiancheng's advisors and at least one member of Li Shimin's staff. There are many questions with this rebellion, including why Yang Wengan rebelled, whether Li Jiancheng actually intended to rebel, what happened between Yang Wengan and Yuwen Ying (an emissary sent by the Emperor to Yang before the rebellion), why Yuwen Ying joined the rebel army, whether Li Shimin influenced some of the events or people involved, why Li Shimin's subordinate
Du Yan Du Yan (died 8 November 628), courtesy name Zhili, posthumously known as Duke Xiang of Anji, was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. His more famous nephew, Du Ruhui, was also a ...
was one of those who were exiled, and why the emperor did not install Li Shimin as the new heir as was promised. Some texts state that, prior to the coup, Li Shimin survived a poisoning attempt by his two brothers.. According to the ''
Jiu Tangshu The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingd ...
'', it happened prior to 626 AD, while the ''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'' dates it to the sixth lunar month of 626 AD, placing it within three days of the coup. states that the latter interpretation is most probably the one to be incorrect, since the poisoning had rendered Li Shimin seriously ill. It is still disputed when or whether this poisoning actually happened. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji successfully plotted the dismissal of
Fang Xuanling Fang Qiao (579 – 18 August 648), courtesy name Xuanling, better known as Fang Xuanling (), posthumously known as Duke Wenzhao of Liang, was a Chinese statesman and writer who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dyna ...
and
Du Ruhui Du Ruhui (585 – 6 May 630), courtesy name Keming, posthumously known as Duke Cheng of Lai, was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dynasty. He and his colleague, Fang Xuanling, were often descr ...
, who were Li Shimin's principal advisors, from service.
Yuchi Jingde Yuchi Gong () or Yuchi Rong () (585 – 25 December 658), courtesy name Jingde (), also known by his posthumous name Duke Zhongwu of E, was a Chinese military general who lived in the early Tang dynasty. Yuchi Jingde and another general Qin Sh ...
, who was a general of Li Shimin, escaped an assassination attempt ordered by the two princes, but he was later slandered by the two princes at court and came near execution if it had not been for Li Shimin's intercession. By 626 AD, Li Shimin became increasingly worried by his brothers' successful machinations in turning Emperor Gaozu against him and in removing his staff members.


Events leading to the incident

In early 626 AD, the Tujue attacked the frontier of the
Tang empire The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and T ...
. At Li Jiancheng's recommendation, Li Yuanji was commissioned for a military campaign against these hostile forces, thus Li Shimin's best generals and crack troops were transferred to Li Yuanji. Thereafter, Li Shimin received word from his men that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had taken preparations to assassinate him when he would see off Li Yuanji as was the custom during the onset of a military campaign.. Li Shimin decided to take action and planned to dispose of his two brothers at the advice of his subordinates, especially
Zhangsun Wuji Zhangsun Wuji (; died 659), courtesy name Fuji (), formally the Duke of Zhao, was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor in the early Tang dynasty. He was Empress Zhangsun's brother, which made him a brother-in-law of Emperor Taizong ( ...
, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Yuchi Jingde, and
Hou Junji Hou Junji (died April 29, 643) was a Chinese general and official who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. He is best known for leading the Tang military campaigns against the Gaochang and Tuyuhun ki ...
. Li Shimin sent Zhangsun Wuji to recall Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were Li Shimin's two most important advisors, to help plan the course of action.. After being summoned in secrecy, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui disguised themselves as
Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
priests and traveled to Li Shimin's camp to discuss the strategy. Li Shimin also bribed
Chang He Chang He (586 – 16 June 653), Courtesy name Dalai, formally the Count of Wushui (武水伯), was a Tang dynasty general and official. He was the head of the Xuanwu Gate's guard during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, playing an important role in it. ...
, who was the military commander guarding the Xuanwu Gate, into following his orders. Few years prior, Chang He had been an officer under Li Shimin, but he was eventually reassigned to a key position at the Xuanwu Gate in 624 AD. Li Shimin submitted a message to his father, Emperor Gaozu, accusing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji of having illicit affairs with several consorts of the emperor. After receiving the message, Emperor Gaozu summoned Li Shimin to come for an audience the following morning. The emperor also requested for his personal advisors Pei Ji,
Xiao Yu Xiao Yu (575 – 19 July 648), courtesy name Shiwen, posthumously known as Duke Zhenbian of Song, was an imperial prince of the Western Liang dynasty who later became an official under the Sui and Tang dynasties. He served as a chancellor dur ...
,
Chen Shuda Chen Shuda (572–635), courtesy name Zicong, formally Duke Zhong of Jiang, was an imperial prince of the Chen dynasty, who, after the destruction of Chen, served as an official under the Sui and Tang dynasties, becoming a chancellor during the ...
,
Feng Lun Feng Lun (; 568 – 18 July 627), courtesy name Deyi (), better known as Feng Deyi, formally Duke Miao of Mi, was a Chinese official of the Sui and Tang dynasties who served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Empero ...
, and
Yan Shigu Yan Shigu () (581–645), formal name Yan Zhou (), but went by the courtesy name of Shigu, was a famous Chinese historian, linguist, politician, and writer of the Tang dynasty. Biography Yan was born in Wannian (, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). Hi ...
to come. Consort Zhang learned of Li Shimin's accusations and informed Li Jiancheng.. Li Jiancheng summoned Li Yuanji to deliberate together on how to deal with the difficult situation.. Li Yuanji opted to not attend the imperial court that morning, but to excuse themselves due to "illness" to prepare the troops and observe the situation.. However, Li Jiancheng said that the troops were already prepared and wanted to leave for the Palace City to hear first-hand what was amiss. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji left at dawn to consult Emperor Gaozu personally, while Li Shimin and his followers had taken control over the Xuanwu Gate.


Coup d'état

On the dawn of 2 July of 626, Li Shimin and his followers arrived at the Xuanwu Gate, where they awaited the arrival of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Chang He, a military officer stationed at Xuanwu Gate, led his troops in support of Li Shimin on the day of the coup. As stated by , in the morning, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji probably left from the East Palace through its northern gate and traveled westwards through the Forbidden Park towards the Xuanwu Gate, while Li Shimin probably left from the Hongyi Palace and traveled southwards through the Forbidden Park towards the Xuanwu Gate. As Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji approached the Linhu Hall, they began to realize that a coup was about to unfold and immediately retreated eastward.. Li Shimin rode towards his brothers and hailed them. Here upon, Li Yuanji attempted to draw his bow to shoot his arrows at Li Shimin, but he did not manage to draw it. Li Shimin shot his arrows at Li Jiancheng and killed him. Yuchi Jingde and seventy horsemen caught up with Li Yuanji and shot at him, causing Li Yuanji to fall from his horse. Li Shimin's horse fled into the woods and became entangled with tree branches, which led to Li Shimin falling off his horse too and being unable to get up. Li Yuanji quickly grabbed Li Shimin's bow and tried to strangle his brother with it. However, Yuchi Jingde arrived and shouted at Li Yuanji, so Li Yuanji fled on foot to Wude Hall. Yuchi Jingde overtook Li Yuanji and killed him with his arrows. Following the deaths of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, while Li Shimin's forces held Xuanwu Gate under their control, fighting broke out between the two armed factions. When Yuchi Jingde arrived with the heads of the two princes, their retainers quickly dispersed with their troops.


Aftermath

Emperor Gaozu was sailing on a lake inside the Palace City during the time of the coup according to the ''Jiu Tangshu'' and ''Zizhi Tongjian''. suggests that the emperor was alarmed by the impending crisis and therefore withdrew himself from the situation. He also suggests that the emperor surrounded himself with senior officials who were friendly to Li Shimin, because the emperor possibly realized that Li Shimin was the cause of the unfolding events and had better military connections that provided the advantage. The officials with the emperor were Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, Feng Lun, Yan Shigu, Dou Dan, and
Yuwen Shiji Yuwen Shiji (died 11 November 642( 观十六年,十月,丙申,殿中监郢纵公宇文士及卒。) ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol.196), courtesy name Renren, formally Duke Zong of Ying, was a Chinese statesman and politician of the Sui and ...
. During the ongoing battle, according to the ''Jiu Tangshu'' and ''Zizhi Tongjian'', Li Shimin sent Yuchi Jingde fully armed into the Palace City to announce the news of the situation to Emperor Gaozu.. Emperor Gaozu asked who was disturbing the peace and why he came, whereupon Yuchi Jingde replied that the Prince of Qin had taken arms to execute the heir apparent and the Prince of Qi who were disturbing the peace and, apprehensive that his majesty would be alarmed, sent him to stand guard.. The sources agree that Emperor Gaozu was satisfied by Yuchi Jingde's answer. The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' adds that Emperor Gaozu asked his officials what ought to be done as he had not anticipated the events. As described in the text, two of them completely exonerated Li Shimin and spoke highly meritoriously of him, said that the killings of the two princely brothers served as a punishment, and recommended Emperor Gaozu to appoint him as the heir apparent. Even though Li Shimin came out victorious, he still needed a positive appraisal for his conduct from the emperor to prevent further internal conflict. At Yuchi Jingde's advice, Emperor Gaozu issued an imperial edict ordering the remaining forces to stop their resistance and submit to Li Shimin. In the end, Li Shimin had taken full control over the Tang government. Within three days, Emperor Gaozu named Li Shimin as the heir apparent. On the 9th day of the 8th month, he abdicated in favor for Li Shimin. He became a
Taishang Huang In Chinese history, a Taishang Huang or Taishang Huangdi is an honorific and institution of a retired emperor. The former emperor had, at least in name, abdicated in favor of someone else. Although no longer the reigning sovereign, there are ins ...
, which is a retired emperor, and only sometimes appeared in public to attend ceremonial functions at court. In 632 AD,
Ma Zhou Ma Zhou (601–648), courtesy name Binwang, formally the Duke of Gaotang (), was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. He was initially a commoner and a guest of the general Cha ...
charged that the retired Emperor Gaozu had settled in the Da'an Palace, which he considered an inhospitable place as it was built on low-lying lands at Chang'an that were plagued by dampness and heat during the summer. According to Ma Zhou, ever since Emperor Taizong moved to the countryside during the summers, the retired emperor was left behind in Chang'an to suffer in the summer heat. When Emperor Taizong did invite his father, he would always decline the invitation to spend the summer together. Ma Zhou also charged that Emperor Taizong had not visited his father for a long time even though they lived nearby each other. Ever since the bloody palace coup, it seemed that father and son drifted apart to such an extent that their relationship never healed. In 634 AD, Emperor Taizong launched the construction of the
Daming Palace The Daming Palace was the imperial palace complex of the Tang dynasty, located in its capital Chang'an. It served as the imperial residence of the Tang emperors for more than 220 years. Today, it is designated as a national heritage site of Chi ...
. He ordered the construction of the new summer palace as a residence for his father,. but the retired emperor grew ill and never witnessed the palace's completion before his death in the 5th month of 635.


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Bibliography

* * * * * {{Tang Dynasty topics 620s conflicts Battles involving the Tang dynasty Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Asia Military history of Xi'an 7th century in China Military coups in China 626 Emperor Taizong of Tang 1st-millennium coups d'état Familicides Military history of the Tang dynasty