On the historical picture, the power game never stops, the wrestling between the emperor and the courtiers, like a wonderful drama, staging a symphony of desire, ambition and betrayal, on the magnificent stage of the Tang Dynasty, a political storm caused by a sentence of anger, pushing the young emperor Li Xian to the abyss of fate, and also giving the power-leaning government and opposition Wu Zetian a higher opportunity
The Tang Dynasty prime minister system gave the prime ministers a pivotal political position, they were not only the emperor's assistants, but also the mainstay of national governance, and it was this power structure that laid the groundwork for future political turmoil
As the son of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, but failed to inherit his father's eloquence, more indecisive and naïve, perhaps in the shadow of his long-term mother Wu Zetian, Li Xian is powerless to control power, the only female emperor in Chinese history, with extraordinary political wisdom and extraordinary courage, her desire for power, like a raging fire,
At the beginning of Li Xian's ascension to the throne, Pei Yan was appointed as the Zhongshu Order, Pei Yan is not an idle person, he is well versed in the way of officialdom, and also understands the importance of standing in line in the power struggle, Pei Yan's loyalty is not absolute, he is more like a shrewd chess player, on the power chessboard, looking for the most advantageous position for himself
The contradiction between Li Xian and Pei Yan stems from a seemingly ordinary official appointment, Li Xian wanted to promote his father-in-law Wei Xuanzhen, but this move was opposed by Pei Yan, Wei Xuanzhen was promoted too quickly, which would upset the balance of power in the court and threaten his own interests
In the face of Pei Yan's opposition, the anger in Li Xian's heart was ignited, perhaps because he was young and vigorous, or because he broke out after being suppressed for a long time, Li Xian blurted out: "What if I give the country to Wei Xuanzhen!" This sentence, like thunder, exploded above the court, and also sounded the alarm for Li Xian's fate
When Pei Yan heard this, he secretly rejoiced in his heart, he was waiting for the opportunity to finally come, Li Xian's angry words undoubtedly committed a political taboo, giving him a handle to attack, and in order to seek greater power, Pei Yan decided to take a risk and report Li Xian's "rebellion" to Wu Zetian
After Wu Zetian learned of this, her heart was already happy, she has been looking for an opportunity to pull Li Xian off the horse, and take power herself, Li Xian's angry words undoubtedly gave her an excellent excuse, Wu Zetian acted quickly, united the forces of the DPRK and China, and launched a surprise attack on Li Xian
In the face of Wu Zetian's menacing palace, Li Xian seemed unprepared and had no power to fight back, he tried to explain, it was just an angry sentence, not sincere, any explanation seemed pale and powerless, Li Xian was forced to abdicate and was placed under house arrest in the deep palace, which was also like a bubble.
After Li Xian was deposed, Wu Zetian successfully ascended the throne and became the only female emperor in Chinese history, she governed the country with an iron fist, and created the prosperous era of Wu Zhou
The wheel of history is rolling forward, Li Xian, Wu Zetian, Pei Yan, these once powerful figures on the stage of power, eventually became historical passers-by, it is a game of power, but also a game of human nature, in the face of the temptation of power, loyalty, friendship, and family affection are all vulnerable
We have to ask, is power really so important? For the sake of power, can you do whatever it takes, can you sacrifice everything? Perhaps, it is not to indulge in power games, but to know how to use power to achieve great things
History is a mirror, but also a warning to the future, power still exists, but we should understand that power is a responsibility, not a tool to satisfy selfish desires, only with the people in our hearts, can we win real respect and support
It is worth our deep thought, and it is also worth our vigilance, on the road of pursuing power, please do not forget your original intention, do not lose yourself
During Wu Zetian's reign, she implemented a series of reform measures, such as developing agriculture, building water conservancy, and attaching importance to the imperial examination, which further enhanced the national strength of the Tang Dynasty
Wu Zetian's reign was not all smooth sailing, and in order to consolidate her rule, she took some tougher measures, such as reusing cool officials and suppressing the opposition, which also laid hidden dangers for her rule
In the face of internal and external pressure, Wu Zetian finally chose to compromise and pass the throne to Li Xian, while he retreated to the second line and became the "Holy Mother of God"
After Li Xian was reinstated, he changed his name to Tang Zhongzong, he did not learn the previous lesson, he was still indecisive, he was the queen of Wei, and wanted to emulate Wu Zetian,
Empress Wei is different from Wu Zetian, she lacks political experience, and she lacks political skills, what she does is more to satisfy personal desires, rather than for the country and the people, Empress Wei and her daughter Princess An Le conspired to poison Tang Zhongzong in an attempt to usurp the throne
Empress Wei's conspiracy did not succeed, that is, later Tang Xuanzong killed Empress Wei and her henchmen, and supported his father Li Dan as the emperor, for Tang Ruizong
After Tang Ruizong ascended the throne, he knew that his ability was limited, so he handed over the power of the court to Li Longji, who worked hard to create the most glorious "Kaiyuan Dynasty" of the Tang Dynasty
Looking back on this period of history, we can see that power is like a double-edged sword, which can be used to benefit the people and satisfy selfish desires
It is never an eye, but a means, how to use power, depends on the mentality and pattern of the person in power, only with the world in mind, can you become a real king
From Li Xian's angry words, to Wu Zetian's accession to the throne, and then to the fall of Empress Wei, this series of events is like a drama on the stage of history, deducing the change of power, the complexity of human nature and the inevitability of history
The long river of history has rolled forward, leaving countless stories and profound revelations, and it is always the goal of people to pursue, but how to use power correctly is an eternal problem
It is not about power itself, only with good intentions can power be turned into power for the benefit of the people, and can it leave a strong mark in the long river of history