Zhu Chao accompanied me to watch short videos

At this time, the Central Plains was once again in a state of fragmentation, with warlords ruling over different parts of the Tang Dynasty, including Guanzhong, Hedong and other places.

Starting from 618 AD, the Tang army wiped out various warlords with Guanzhong as the center, and successively pacified separatist armed forces such as Xue Ju, Li Gui, Liu Wuzhou, Dou Jiande, and Wang Shichong, and unified China.

The one who contributed the most to the unification war in the early Tang Dynasty was Li Yuan's second son, Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin. However, according to the traditional patriarchal system, the eldest son, Li Jiancheng, was made the crown prince.

Unexpectedly, Li Jiancheng was very jealous of Li Shimin, and Li Shimin was also very dissatisfied with his brother, and the conflict between the brothers became increasingly serious.

In 626 AD, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killed Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince of Qi Li Yuanji, forced Li Yuan to abdicate, and ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.

In the early years of Emperor Taizong of Tang, natural disasters occurred frequently, and the people lived in hardship and were often harassed by DTZ. Li Shimin learned the lesson of the demise of the Sui Dynasty, practiced frugality, reduced taxes and levies, and rested and recuperated.

He made use of famous officials such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng, appointed people to the right posts, and accepted advice readily. He issued five edicts to seek talents, and increased the subjects of the imperial examinations, regardless of their family backgrounds, and only selected people based on their talents. A large number of talents for governing the country emerged in the Tang Dynasty.

While working hard on domestic affairs, the Tang Dynasty also won a series of victories in foreign wars. In 630 AD, the Tang Dynasty destroyed the DTZ and captured Jie Li Khan alive. The chieftains of the four barbarians gathered in Chang'an and respected Li Shimin as the Heavenly Khan.

The Tang Dynasty set up four governorates, Shun, You, Hua and Chang, to settle the Turkic surrendered people. In 634 AD, Tuyuhun surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. In 640 AD, the Tang Dynasty destroyed Gaochang State and established Anxi Protectorate. The influence of the Tang Dynasty reached Central Asia.

In 646 AD, the Xueyantuo Kingdom surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. In the same year, the Tang Dynasty established the Anbei Protectorate in the north of the desert and the Shanyu Protectorate in the south of the desert.

After Li Shimin's death, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi continued the Zhenguan Reign based on the legacy left by his father, developing the economy, promoting culture and education, and improving the imperial examination system. It was quite similar to the Zhenguan legacy and was later called the Yonghui Reign.

During his reign, Li Zhi conquered the Western Turks, Baekje, and Goguryeo, bringing the Tang Dynasty to its peak. However, Li Zhi suffered from rheumatism and often felt dizzy, so he had to rely on Empress Wu Meiniang to take care of government affairs.

Over time, the center of power in the Tang Dynasty shifted from Emperor Li Zhi to Empress Wu Meiniang.

In 683 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, passed away, and Li Xian, the third son of Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, succeeded to the throne, known as Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. Li Xian was a cowardly person who followed the advice of his wife, Empress Wei, and was deposed by Wu Zetian as Prince of Luling before he could even sit on the throne.

Li Xian's younger brother Li Dan succeeded to the throne and dared not rebel against his mother. The power of government fell completely into the hands of Empress Wu. Empress Wu ruled the country, honored Wu's ancestors, and promoted Wu's children. Auspicious signs appeared one after another in various places, as if to build momentum for a change of dynasty.

In 684 AD, Xu Jingye started a rebellion and issued the famous "An Edict to Punish Wu". Empress Wu issued a challenge: "Look at the prison today, who is the one who controls the world?"

Empress Wu dispatched 30 troops to suppress the rebellion, and Xu Jingye was defeated and killed. Empress Wu took the opportunity to purge a large number of civil and military officials who opposed the rebellion. Soon after, Li Zhen, the King of Yue, rebelled, and Empress Wu took the opportunity to purge the royal family and nobles of Li Tang, clearing the last obstacle for her to ascend the throne.

In 690 AD, the 67-year-old Empress Wu officially ascended the throne and changed the country's name to Zhou, becoming the only female emperor in Chinese history. Because of her hobby of luxury, she was later called Wu Zetian.

In order to secure her throne and win the hearts of the people, Wu Zetian suppressed the Guanlong nobles, promoted commoners and humble men, and opened up imperial examinations to promote scholars from humble families.

At the same time, Wu Zetian also used cruel officials, encouraged informing, purged potential opposition forces, and executed all these cruel officials after the situation stabilized.

However, Wu Zetian still faced a big problem: should she appoint a member of the Wu family or a member of the Li family as the heir? At that time, the nominal heir of the Wu Zhou Dynasty was Wu Zetian's youngest son Li Dan.

Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi and others encouraged Wu Zetian to depose Li Dan. At this time, Di Renjie reminded Wu Zetian that since ancient times, only sons have been heard of offering sacrifices to their parents, and no nephews have been heard of offering sacrifices to their aunts.

Soon after, the Yingzhou Rebellion broke out, and the Wu family members were sent to suppress the rebellion, but they were defeated. Wu Zetian saw that the Wu family was useless, so she fortunately brought Li Xian back and made him the crown prince.

In her later years, Wu Zetian indulged in luxury and pleasure, and favored the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong. In 705 AD, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi launched the Shenlong coup and supported Li Xian to restore the throne. The following year, Empress Wu Zetian passed away.

Li Xian did not learn the lesson from his first time as emperor. He was obedient to Empress Wei, listened to her words, followed the advice of his daughter Princess Anle, and excluded his younger brother Li Dan and his younger sister Princess Taiping.

Not long after, Li Xian died mysteriously. Empress Wei wanted to emulate Wu Zetian and establish a puppet emperor to rule the country from behind the scenes. Unexpectedly, Princess Taiping and Li Dan's son Li Longji jointly launched a coup, killing Empress Wei and Princess Anle, and supporting Li Dan to ascend the throne for the second time.

However, as soon as Li Dan ascended the throne, Princess Taiping and Crown Prince Li Longji turned against each other. Li Dan abdicated the throne to Li Longji, who killed Princess Taiping in 713 AD. The series of palace coups finally came to a temporary end here.

After accumulation during the Zhenguan, Yonghui and Wuzhou dynasties, by the Kaiyuan period of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji, the Tang Dynasty had entered its heyday and became one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world at that time.

Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, was one of the largest cities in the world at the time, with merchants and envoys from more than 60 countries conducting economic and cultural exchanges with the Tang Dynasty.

However, behind the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, there were a series of crises. The military system that had been implemented since the Northern Dynasties had been on the verge of collapse after hundreds of years of development, with corrupt soldiers, disbanded troops, and a lack of morale.

The generals on the border held their own troops, but Li Longji indulged in pleasure and neglected government affairs. An Lushan, the governor of Pinglu, rose to prominence by currying favor with Li Longji and Yang Guifei, and concurrently served as the governor of Fanyang and Hedong.

In 755 AD, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out. An Lushan started a rebellion. Due to the long period of peace in the Tang Dynasty, the prefectures and counties along the way had no power to resist the rebels. In just a few months, Luoyang and Chang'an were both lost, and Li Longji fled in a hurry.

The once powerful Tang Dynasty vanished into thin air. The An-Shi Rebellion lasted for seven years and caused great damage to the social economy. The Tang Dynasty declined, the feudal lords ruled North China, the eunuchs' power expanded, and the rise of Tubo and Uighur posed a great threat to the Tang Dynasty's borders.

However, the central government of the Tang Dynasty still existed, barely maintaining its rule, and continued to rule for more than 100 years in the midst of turmoil.

So why did the Tang Dynasty have such vitality? In addition to the fact that the prestige of the Tang emperor still existed and all forces needed to respect the emperor in name, the more fundamental reason was that apart from the separatist regimes in the north, the central government of the Tang Dynasty could still collect taxes from the affiliated areas of Jiangnan.

The economic foundation for maintaining the rule was guaranteed. It was not until the Huang Chao Rebellion swept across the country that the death knell of the Tang Dynasty was sounded. In 878 AD, the Huang Chao Uprising broke out, sounding the death knell of the Tang Dynasty.

Huang Chao's troops fought in a mobile manner, covering the north and south, and dealt a heavy blow to the ruling foundation of the Tang Dynasty. In 881 AD, they finally entered Chang'an, and Emperor Xizong of Tang fled in panic. The imperial army killed the noble families of the Li Tang clan.

Although Huang Chao was eventually defeated, the Tang Dynasty was in name only. Warlords in various places fought against each other and the Tang emperor was like a puppet. In 907 AD, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Ai of Tang to abdicate, and the Tang Dynasty fell.

[Monks who did not follow the usual path in history]

In Chinese history, monks are a profession that produces many talents. They can make the emperor give up the throne and become a monk, have scandals with princesses, and even monks become emperors. In this video, let's take stock of the monks who have taken unusual paths in history.

The first is Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, who was the longest reigning emperor in the entire Northern and Southern Dynasties and one of the most cultured emperors. Xiao Yan and his three sons, Xiao Tong, Xiao Gang, and Xiao Yi, are collectively known as the Four Xiaos, and their status in the history of Chinese literature is pivotal.

In addition to his high level of education, Xiao Yan was also a devout Buddhist. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, political turmoil and war continued, but under Xiao Yan's governance, the Southern Dynasties enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity.

At that time, the Northern Wei Dynasty was unable to move south due to internal turmoil, and the pressure on the Southern Liang Dynasty was greatly reduced. Emperor Xiao Yan was happy to be idle and even became a monk. The country could not be without a ruler for a day, so all the ministers raised 100 million yuan to ask Xiao Yan to return to secular life.

This farce was repeated four times, and Xiao Yan never tired of it. In his later years, Xiao Yan only ate one vegetarian meal a day to show his piety. In fact, Xiao Yan's behavior was not isolated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Chen Shubao, the last emperor of the Southern Chen Dynasty, also became a monk, and the ministers paid money to redeem him.

However, indulging in praying to gods and Buddhas did not bring blessings. In 549 AD, Xiao Yan starved to death in Taicheng during the Hou Jing Rebellion at the age of 86.

The second is Bian Ji, a disciple of the famous Master Xuanzang. He was handsome and heroic. After Xuanzang returned from his journey to the West, he assisted Xuanzang in translating Buddhist scriptures and compiling the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.

Xuanzang had many disciples, among whom Bian Ji was the most famous. However, there are very few records about his life. The reason is that Bian Ji was involved in a royal civil strife and had an affair with Princess Gaoyang, the beloved daughter of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

According to legend, Princess Gaoyang had an affair with Bian Ji, which angered Emperor Taizong of Tang and he had Bian Ji beheaded. Princess Gaoyang bore a grudge against him and later rebelled with her husband Fang Yiai and others during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. After the rebellion failed, she was stabbed to death.

Modern historians have been arguing over whether Princess Gaoyang had an affair with Bian Ji. Princess Gaoyang's husband Fang Yiai was the second son of Fang Xuanling. After Fang Xuanling's death, his eldest son Fang Yizhi inherited his father's title.

Princess Gaoyang was dissatisfied and asked Emperor Taizong to grant the title to Fang Yiai, but Emperor Taizong refused. Later, the censor accidentally discovered that Bian Ji had hidden Princess Gaoyang's jade pillow and concluded that the two had an affair. After the incident, Bian Ji was executed by Emperor Taizong.

This period of history is complicated and confusing, and is only recorded in the New Book of Tang, but not in the Old Book of Tang. Moreover, there are contradictions between the two historical books. Whether the princess had an affair with a monk is a secret matter in the boudoir, and outsiders have no way of knowing.

It is probably questionable whether Princess Gaoyang knew Bian Ji, but through word of mouth among historians, such a handsome and elegant monk was thus tied to Princess Gaoyang.

The third one is Peng Yingyu who appeared in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber". In history, he was the leader of the Yellow Turban Army of Qi. His real name was Peng Yi, also known as Monk Peng. He was sent to a temple as soon as he was born and officially became a monk at the age of 10.

However, Peng Yingyu did not settle down as a monk. Instead, he joined the White Lotus Sect and secretly carried out anti-Yuan activities. He spread the doctrine of Maitreya's coming to the world and changing the world by curing the illnesses of the surrounding people, and attracted many followers.

In 1338, Peng Yingyu rebelled in Yuanzhou and nominated his eldest disciple Zhou Ziwang as his leader. He gathered more than 5000 people, but was ultimately defeated under the suppression of the Yuan army. Zhou Ziwang was killed, and Peng Yingyu fled to Huaixi to continue planning to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty.

Peng Yingyu recruited many disciples in Huaixi to accumulate strength for the next uprising. In 1351, Liu Futong and Han Shantong rebelled, marking the beginning of the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

Peng Yingyu nominated Xu Shouhui as the leader to gather people for rebellion. The Yuan army quickly collapsed. In just a few months, Xu Shouhui established the Xu Song regime thousands of miles away, proclaimed himself emperor, and became one of the most powerful rebel leaders at that time.

However, Xu Shouhui was called the emperor, but his real power was extremely limited. Peng Yingyu believed that Xu Shouhui had the appearance of an emperor, so he promoted him as a mascot. The Xu Song regime was full of intrigue and struggle for power. After the Yuan army gained a firm foothold, it launched a counterattack against the Xu Song regime.

In 1353, Peng Yingyu was besieged by the Yuan army in Ruizhou and was eventually killed in battle. Seven years later, Xu Shouhui was killed by Chen Youliang, and the Xu Song regime was destroyed.

The fourth is Daoyan, whose real name is Yao Guangxiao. He was known as the Prime Minister in Black. He was born in the late Yuan Dynasty and became a monk at the age of 12. In the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, being a monk was a very promising career. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and Peng Yingyu, the leader of the Red Turban Army of Qi Emperor, were both monks.

Yao Guangxiao and they were all born in the same era, but he made his debut relatively late. While his peers were stirring up trouble, he was still learning Yin-Yang magic, military tactics, and the Five Elements from the Taoist Xi Yingzhen.

A fortune teller once told Daoyan that he would become a person like Liu Bingzhong. Liu Bingzhong assisted Kublai Khan in building his career, so who would Daoyan assist?

In 1382, Empress Ma died, and the kings went to Beijing to mourn. Zhu Yuanzhang asked his sons to select monks to bring back to chant sutras and pray for Empress Ma. Daoyan immediately chose Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, Prince of Yan Zhu Di, and said to him, "I want to give you a white hat."

Zhu Di, who was 24 years old at the time, was frightened, but he could not suppress his curiosity, so he took him back to Beiping to see what this old monk was up to.

Although Daoyan was a monk, he was well-versed in all kinds of knowledge, including military tactics. Whenever Zhu Di had no advisers, he would go to Daoyan for advice.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's later years, the power of the princes became too strong to be eliminated. After the death of the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Yan Zhu Di had become the most powerful prince at that time. This was naturally inseparable from Daoyan's behind-the-scenes advice to the Prince of Yan.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne and was eager to get rid of the Prince of Yan. Daoyan had been inciting the Prince of Yan to rebel. After Emperor Jianwen reduced the power of the princes, Zhu Di finally couldn't stand it anymore and secretly prepared to start a rebellion.

In 1399, Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, challenged Emperor Jianwen in the name of clearing the court and calming the internal troubles. As a military advisor, Daoyan always gave advice to Prince of Yan. When Prince of Yan went out to fight, Daoyan stayed in Beiping to ensure the safety of the rear area.

However, it was still very difficult for the Prince of Yan to rebel. Three years later, the Prince of Yan and the imperial court were still fighting over Shandong. At this time, Daoyan woke up the Prince of Yan and told him that Nanjing was not well guarded and the Yan army could attack Nanjing directly. History took a turn at this moment and Emperor Jianwen was caught off guard.

In the Battle of Lingbi, the imperial army was completely annihilated, and the states along the way surrendered one after another. In 1402 AD, the Yan army arrived at the gates of Nanjing, and Emperor Jianwen disappeared in a sea of ​​fire, and Zhu Di ascended the throne.

Daoyan fulfilled his lifelong wish, restored his original name Yao Guangxiao, refused all rewards from Zhu Di, and continued to advise Zhu Di behind the scenes, and was called the Prime Minister in Black. In 1418 AD, Yao Guangxiao died of illness at the age of 83.