The Reign of Zhenguan

This film (drama)Also known as贞观之治，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2006Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating9.3(For reference only)。

In the year 620, the third year of the Tang Wude era, in July, the second son of Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Prince Li Shimin, was ordered by his father to march east to conquer Luoyang. Luoyang was the eastern capital of the previous Sui Dynasty and held significant importance in politics, military, and economy. The battle of Luoyang became the most crucial fight for the Tang Dynasty's unification of the Central Plains. After months of siege by Li Shimin's army, the forces within Luoyang were no longer able to resist the Tang troops. The leader of Luoyang, Wang Shichong, had no choice but to place his hopes on reinforcements. Dou Jiande from Hebei led hundreds of thousands of troops towards Luoyang to break the siege. Li Shimin ordered his brother, Qi Wang Li Yuanji, to hold the main camp while he personally commanded the troops to confront Dou Jiande's army. Utilizing the advantages of the terrain, Li Shimin defeated Dou Jiande’s forces with only a few thousand men and captured Dou Jiande himself. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Wang Shichong had to open the city gates and surrender. Li Shimin achieved a significant victory over the Tang's two most powerful enemies, and his accomplishments spread throughout the land. To acknowledge Li Shimin's merits, Li Yuan granted him the title of General of Heavenly Strategy and various privileges, elevating his status to almost that of the crown prince. The rapid expansion of Li Shimin’s power aroused envy from Li Yuanji and deep unease in Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. Li Yuanji's greed for power and status grew increasingly, as he appeared reckless but had secretly devised a grand conspiracy. He planned to first ally with the crown prince to take down his second brother Li Shimin, and then usurp the throne from the crown prince. Li Yuanji exploited Li Jiancheng's suspicions towards Li Shimin to create discord between them. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji openly suppressed Li Shimin while secretly cultivating their own power. As the conspiracy brewed step by step, Li Yuanji eventually devised a complete and specific action plan to eliminate Li Shimin. When the news reached Li Shimin, he conferred with his advisors and decided to strike first. At dawn the next day, Li Shimin seized Xuanwu Gate, cutting off communication between Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and the troops outside the city. A fierce battle ensued, during which Li Shimin personally killed his two brothers. This is known in history as the famous Xuanwu Gate Incident. Li Shimin became the crown prince as he wished and held significant power in the government. He did not purge the remnants of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji but instead recruited some capable talents to join him, including the renowned advisor Wei Zheng known for his integrity and uprightness. From then on, Li Shimin would find it difficult to escape harsh reprimands from Wei Zheng. In order to demonstrate his determination to reconcile the world, Li Shimin not only issued a decree to cease the investigation of the remnants of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji but also dispatched Wei Zheng as an envoy to Hebei to convey his intentions. In the year 626, the ninth year of Wude, on the eighth day of the eighth month, Li Yuan passed the imperial title of the Tang Dynasty to Crown Prince Li Shimin, becoming the retired emperor. On the twenty-eighth day of the eighth month of the ninth year of Wude, the Turks took advantage of the Tang Dynasty's political instability to invade the Central Plains, reaching the banks of the Weishui River in the Guanzhong area and threatening Chang'an. Li Shimin knew that with the current strength of the Tang, they could not confront the Turks, so he chose to appease them by paying tribute to exchange for peace in the Central Plains. After ascending the throne, Li Shimin profoundly felt the vast difference between governing and conquering. He changed the state name from "Wude" to "Zhenguan," signifying tolerance and benevolence, officially starting the era known as "The Reign of Zhenguan," which lasted over twenty years. To implement his new policies, Li Shimin began to eliminate some significant obstacles in his governance. One major issue was the various princely titles given for different reasons. When Li Yuan was the retired emperor, to win over people's hearts, he casually promoted various factions. Although some were nominal positions, they monopolized lands and resources and received generous salaries each year. Li Shimin's plan to reduce princely titles had not yet been publicly announced when it caused a tremendous uproar in the court and among the people. Reducing princely titles affected the direct interests of numerous nobles. Prince Li Xiaochang of Yian united with other opponents, intending to pressure Li Shimin with force under the pretext of clearing the court of corrupt officials. Li Shimin had already grasped their intentions and swiftly crushed their plot, using his authority to intimidate the officials in the court. A severe drought struck Guanzhong. To move the heavens, Li Shimin carried wood on his back and prayed for rain. However, his sincerity did not alleviate the drought. Left with no choice, Li Shimin allowed the suffering citizens to go beyond the borders to beg for food. Xuanzang also joined the ranks of refugees to begin his journey to the West to obtain scriptures. After several years of construction, the power of the Tang Dynasty had accumulated considerable strength. To resolve the border issues, Li Shimin decided to conquer the Turks. On August 19 of the third year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin appointed Minister of War Li Jing as the overall commander for the campaign against the Turks. At this time, serious internal disputes had arisen among the Turks, with two khans in opposition. A slight push from Li Jing’s army caused the Turkish forces to completely collapse. After pacifying the Turks, over twenty countries in the northwest came to pay their respects. At the suggestion of the King of Gaochang, Li Shimin was proclaimed "Heavenly Khan" by various nations. In a short time, various trade and diplomatic routes from the Central Plains to the Western Regions were opened, making Chang'an a true international metropolis. As the national strength continued to grow, Li Shimin could not help but start looking towards the future. A challenging question presented itself — whom to choose as his successor. Although the crown prince Li Chengqian was the eldest son and deemed trustworthy, he was unwilling to study, had an eccentric temperament, and was addicted to debauchery. The second son, Li Tai, was a scheming individual who gained Li Shimin’s favor with the assistance of several capable advisors. The court ministers also made their choices; some supported Li Chengqian, while others supported Li Tai. Only Changsun Wuji favored the weak and loyal Li Zhi, offering him substantial assistance. The highly favored consort Wu (later Empress Wu Zetian) had an unusual relationship with Li Zhi. She told Li Zhi that while both Li Chengqian and Li Tai were currently powerful, it might create a situation where both sides conflict, allowing them to reap the benefits. Li Chengqian increasingly felt the pressure from Li Shimin and Li Tai. Ultimately, under the compulsion of the situation and the incitement of others, he decided to kill his father and brother. His immature plan was thwarted before it could even be executed. Li Shimin, unwilling to harm his family, exiled Li Chengqian. With the efforts of Changsun Wuji and Consort Wu, Li Shimin did not name Li Tai as the crown prince but instead appointed Li Zhi as the crown prince. After more than ten years of arduous journey, Xuanzang returned to Chang'an after obtaining scriptures. With Li Shimin's support, Xuanzang launched China's first major foreign cultural translation project at Hongfu Temple. A rebellion occurred in the Northern Desert, and Li Shimin personally led a campaign. However, the harsh climate caused the Tang army to suffer heavily, and Li Shimin was never the same after this failed war. Li Shimin's health no longer permitted him to continue overseeing state affairs. He entrusted national governance to Li Zhi, but he still felt uneasy about Li Zhi shouldering all the responsibilities after his death. He entrusted Li Zhi to Changsun Wuji for assistance as the future emperor. With the passing of senior officials like Fang Xuanling and Li Jing, Li Shimin faced his final moments alone. On May 26, 649, the twenty-third year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Early Tang Dynasty passed away. Following this was the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty.