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The Shadow of Succession After Emperor Gaozu of Tang ascended the throne, he appointed his eldest son, Li Jiancheng, as Crown Prince; his second son, Li Shimin, as the Prince of Qin; and his fourth son, Li Yuanji, as the Prince of Qi. While this arrangement followed traditional primogeniture, it created a fundamental conflict.…
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Securing the West and the North Upon ascending the throne, Emperor Gaozu of Tang found himself ruling a fragmented empire. Numerous warlords had declared themselves emperors, and true sovereignty required their subjugation. The immediate threat in the west was Xue Ju, the self-proclaimed emperor of Jincheng (modern Lanzhou). Although Xue Ju died of illness,…
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In Journey to the West, Wei Zheng embodies a dual identity. He is neither fully mortal nor purely divine but a liminal figure ensuring cosmic order—a reminder that even human affairs are threads in the tapestry of heavenly design.