In the history of China, the Tang Dynasty is one of the most powerful countries in the world. It has many contacts with Asian and European countries and is very famous. A total of 21 emperors emerged from the Tang Dynasty, including Ming emperors like Tang Taizong and faint emperors like Tang Muzong. The contrast is very obvious. However, in the Tang Dynasty, there was an emperor who "pretended to be a pig and eat a tiger". He played a fool and deceived everyone and eventually became a generation of Mingjun.
Tang Xuanzong Li Chen, is the sixteenth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and Tang Muzong is half brother of the same father. Because he was born to Tang Xianzong and a court lady, he was not seen in the palace. Facing the embarrassing royal family struggle, the weak Li Chen chose to pretend to be mad and stupid. Although he would be ridiculed and bullied by everyone, he might be the most important thing. Therefore, in the eyes of the royal family, civil and military officials, he was a fool, and he was a fool for 36 years.
Li Chen has always remained taciturn when gathering with relatives of the royal family, making everyone think that he is a fool. There are often royal brothers and brothers who "bet" with him. Who can Ask him to speak, and he will get a sum of money and have fun. Among the many emperor brothers, Tang Wuzong Li Yan likes to bully him, and once ordered the eunuch to tie him into meat dumplings and throw them into the pit. When Li Chen was discovered and rescued, he still seemed to know nothing, too tolerant.
After the death of Tang Muzong, his three nephews, Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong, and Tang Wuzong, became emperors successively, but each one died young. At this time, Ma Yuanzhi, the eunuch in power, looked at Li Chen, thinking that he was stupid and easier to control, so he established him as emperor.
When Li Chen became the throne, he was just 37 years old this year. A miraculous thing happened. The silly prince had disappeared before, and he was replaced by a scheming and wise emperor. Only then did people realize that he was not stupid at all, it was patience to bear the humiliation and keep a low profile.
Regarding the issue of eunuchs in power, Li Chen adopted a policy of suppression, and he was not grateful for supporting him in power. Because he knows that only by holding power in his hands can he keep his life and status, and besides, he also wants to display his talents and become a great king.
Because of admiring Tang Taizong, Li Chen has always imitated his reform method and worked hard to govern. During his reign, he reduced taxes, focused on talent selection, and regained large tracts of land occupied by Tubo in the Tang Dynasty. Under his governance, the economic decline of the Tang Dynasty was restored and it began to prosper again.
Historians have a high evaluation of Li Chen and believe that he and Emperor Wenwen of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty are at the same level. This period is called "the rule of the great ". It seems that everyone likes to compare him to Tang Taizong, called "Little Taizong".
It is a pity that every emperor cannot avoid being vulgar. He has a heart to pursue immortality, and Li Chen is no exception. After his middle age, he often took the elixir of imperial physician Li Yuanbo. The side effects of the pill made his body completely collapsed. He could not go to court once a month, and died when he was 50 years old.
As an emperor, Li Chen knows how to judge the situation and endure humiliation, and finally became a generation of emperors, but it is a pity that he died because of the pill.
