The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Qin Shihuang swept across the six kingdoms and unified the country, standardized the wheel gauge and writing system, and established China's first unified feudal dynasty.

Emperor Taizong of Tang created the prosperous Tang Dynasty, promoted ethnic integration, and expanded China's influence to the whole world.

They are all great emperors in Chinese history, and they have created unparalleled achievements, but their endings are very different.

The Qin Dynasty fell apart in just a few decades under the rule of Qin Shihuang.

In contrast, the Tang Dynasty under the rule of Li Shimin ushered in the prosperous era of Zhenguan, which lasted for nearly three hundred years.

One of the important reasons for such a big difference is that Emperor Taizong of Tang had a virtuous wife, while Qin Shihuang did not.

Behind every successful man there is a successful woman. This sentence is particularly appropriate for Li Shimin.

This virtuous wife who had a profound influence on the Tang Dynasty was the famous Empress Changsun.

Empress Changsun can indeed be called a perfect queen. All the standards that a queen should have are fully embodied in her.

Although Empress Changsun's life was short, her deeds are still praised by people today, and she is called the greatest empress of all time.

"Empress Changsun was born in the first year of Emperor Wen of Sui's Renshou reign, and her ancestral home is Luoyang."

"Chang Sun's father, Chang Sun Sheng, was the General of the Right Guard, and her mother, Gao, was the daughter of the Prince of Le'an of Northern Qi."

"The Changsun clan was the head of the Northern Wei royal family, so they were given the surname Changsun during Emperor Xiaowen's reforms."

"As a royal family, the Changsun family has produced many talented people since the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty."

"Chang Sun's father, Chang Sun Sheng, was known for killing two birds with one stone, and he also made great achievements in military and diplomacy."

"Chang Sun Sheng handled the relationship between Sui and Turks for a long time, and once made plans to divide the Turks, which made a great contribution to the division of the Turks."

"The Turks are very awed by Changsun Sheng."

"When you hear the sound of his bow, you think it is thunderbolt; when you see him riding a horse, you think it is lightning."

"Therefore, Changsun Sheng's family was called the Thunderbolt Hall."

"Chang Sun is the daughter of a famous general from such an aristocratic family."

"Empress Changsun is Changsun Sheng's youngest daughter. The Changsun family is very concerned about the marriage of this youngest daughter."

"My uncle Changsun Chi admired the wise and generous wife of Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang at that time. When she was young, Dou persuaded her uncle, Emperor Wu of Zhou, Yuwen Yong, to treat the Turkic queen well for the sake of the overall situation of the Northern Zhou Dynasty."

"Chang Sun Chi believed that such an excellent woman as Dou would definitely raise outstanding children, so he persuaded Chang Sun Sheng to arrange a marriage between the young Chang Sun and the family of Duke Tang."

"However, soon after the engagement was made."

"Chang Sun Sheng passed away in the fifth year of Daye. Afterwards, Chang Sun's siblings and their mother were sent back to their uncle's home by their half-brother."

"Fortunately, Changsun's uncle Gao Shilian treated my sister and her two children very well."

"Changsun's elder brother, Changsun Wuji, and Li Shimin were childhood friends. Gao Shilian saw that Li Shimin was extraordinary and knew about Changsun's engagement when she was young."

"After the mourning period for Changsun's father was over, they began to facilitate this matter and betrothed Changsun to him."

"So in the ninth year of Daye, the 13-year-old Changsun married the -year-old Li Shimin at the tender age of ."

"From then on, I began a life of mutual love, trust, understanding and companionship with Li Shimin."

"Soon after, Emperor Yang of Sui launched the second war against Liao."

"Li Shimin's mother, Lady Dou, accompanied her husband, Li Yuan, who was a grain supervisor, on an expedition and unexpectedly fell ill in Zhuo County."

"Li Shimin, who was accompanying the army, took care of his mother day and night, but Dou unfortunately passed away in the ninth year of Daye."

"The next month, Yang Xuangan rebelled and conspired with the Minister of War to flee to Liaodong. Gao Shilian, who was on good terms with him, was demoted and exiled."

"On one side was her biological mother, and on the other was her uncle who was like a kind father to her. The newlyweds suffered a great blow."

"They comforted each other in adversity, supported and encouraged each other, and their relationship became more harmonious."

"In the twelfth year of Daye, Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, was promoted to General of the Right Guard."

"The following year, Emperor Yang Guang ordered Li Yuan to stay in Taiyuan, and Li Shimin and his wife Changsun followed their father to live in Taiyuan."

"Without the guidance of her mother-in-law or the help of her sisters-in-law, Changsun, who was only about seventeen years old, naturally took on the role of the head wife of the Duke of Tang's mansion."

"With the trust and support of her father-in-law Li Yuan and the love and tolerance of her husband Li Shimin, Changsun spent a happy time in Taiyuan."

"When Changsun funded the construction of Xuanzhong Temple near Taiyuan and listened to the sound of the bell in the temple."

"The reputation of the Li Tang family and the benevolence of the Changsun family also spread with the sound of the Rensa bell, and peacefully took root in the hearts of the people of Taiyuan County."

Su Shi: Empress Changsun, a perfect woman, even Wu Zetian could not surpass her.

The Zhenguan Reign was at its peak. In addition to Emperor Taizong of Tang relying on a large number of advisers and generals, it was also inseparable from the assistance of his virtuous and gentle wife, Empress Zhangsun.

Empress Changsun was born into a prominent aristocratic family. She married Li Shimin at the age of thirteen and was deeply loved by her husband and parents-in-law.

During Li Shimin's early years of wars, she followed her husband closely.

Later, she became the queen who ruled the country and had an extremely noble status. She was recognized by later generations as the most virtuous queen in history.

Among all the empresses in the Tang Dynasty, Empress Changsun was not the most powerful nor the most famous, but she had the best reputation.

Empress Changsun was well-educated, virtuous, wise and generous.

Since Empress Changsun was the empress, her greatest contribution to Emperor Taizong of Tang's Zhenguan Reign should be to stabilize the harem.

The later history of the Tang Dynasty proved that if the harem is not managed well, the court cannot be managed well.

During the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the harem was managed in an orderly manner by Empress Zhangsun.

Therefore, she provided a very safe rear base for Emperor Taizong of Tang to devote all his efforts to managing the world and governing the country.

Emperor Taizong of Tang often came to Empress Changsun to discuss matters, but Empress Changsun's attitude was not to discuss or give any opinions.

He only asked about big things and didn't answer small things, and the emperor had to explain things over and over again.

Often, she would not answer whatever Emperor Taizong of Tang asked her. This had two advantages.

First, Emperor Taizong of Tang should continue to consider whether to seek the Empress's opinion on this matter.

Second, when Emperor Taizong of Tang reconsidered this matter, he gave the matter a new consideration.

During the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong of Tang ruled the country and Empress Zhangsun was in charge of the harem.

Empress Changsun grew up in a family of officials and received orthodox education since childhood.

This shaped her character of being well-educated, virtuous and gentle.

This innate virtuous character enabled her to always put the overall situation first and maintain peace in the harem.

He was also able to handle affairs rationally and was never willing to use his special status to interfere in state affairs.

The cautious attitude shown by Empress Changsun in dealing with the issue of Zhangsun Wuji became a story passed down from generation to generation.

The rational spirit she possessed was also in line with the rational administration of the Zhenguan period.

The rationality of Empress Changsun was not only reflected in her treatment of the Changsun family, but also in her attitude towards the court's loyal ministers.

Empress Changsun won unanimous praise from concubines in the harem and court ministers for her unique personal charm.

Although Empress Changsun was unable to accompany Emperor Taizong of Tang and experience the prosperous Zhenguan period together.

But both during her lifetime and after her death, she had a profound influence on Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

"At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the people were filled with resentment due to the tyranny of the government. Anti-Sui forces rose up in various places, and many heroes fought against each other."

"In the 13th year of Daye, the Li family raised the banner of rebellion and soon emerged as a powerful force."

"In November of the same year, he entered Chang'an and first enthroned Yang You, the Prince of Dai, as the Emperor of Sui, and changed the reign title of that year to Yining."

"On the 22nd of the same month, Li Shimin was named Duke of Qin, and the following year he was renamed Duke of Zhao. Changsun followed her husband Li Shimin and was named Lady of Qin and Lady of Zhao."

"In the second year of Yining, Li Yuan ascended the throne and named the country Tang, changing the era name to Wude."

"On the seventh day of the sixth month, Li Shimin was conferred the title of Prince of Qin, and Changsun was also conferred the title of Princess of Qin."

"At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the world was not at peace, and the Li Tang sphere of influence was still small."

"As the commander-in-chief, Li Shimin was often away on military campaigns, but the birth of their children during that time brought a lot of joy to the couple."

"While Changsun is concerned about her husband, she also tries her best to relieve him of his worries."

"As the Princess of Qin, Changsun is still filial to Li Yuan and is deeply recognized by the Emperor and the Eunuch."

"Li Yuan promoted Concubine Changsun's biological son Li Tai to the title of Prince of Wei in the name of adopting his prematurely deceased legitimate son Li Xuanba."

"Li Shimin, the King of Qin, conquered all directions and successively defeated Xue Ju and his sons and others."

"In the fourth year of Wude, he was conferred the title of General of Heavenly Strategy, a position above that of princes."

"At this time, Qin Wang Li Shimin held several positions, and his prestige and power were almost as high as that of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. His achievements were so great that he inevitably aroused suspicion from the emperor."

"After pacifying Luoyang, Li Shimin rejected the imperial concubine and others who came with unreasonable requests."

"The Qin prince's subordinates have had many conflicts with the harem's relatives, and the Qin palace has offended the harem many times."

"On the contrary, the Crown Prince Qi Wang and the concubines in the harem often interacted with each other and often joined forces to slander Li Shimin in front of Li Yuan."

"Seeing her husband, who had fought many bloody battles abroad, become estranged from the emperor and envied by the crown prince and the king of Qi, the princess of Qin stepped in to ease the conflict."

"Changsun often came in and out of the palace, was filial to Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, and interacted with the concubines in the harem."

"To make up for the rift between my husband and the emperor, and to help my husband in the harem."

"With the full support of all the ministers, Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan finally did not have the heart to kill Li Shimin."

"The concerted efforts of Qin Wangfei Changsun and others have won precious preparation time for the Qin Palace's desperate counterattack."

"Just like countless struggles for imperial power in history, the brothers turned against each other and finally broke up."

"In the second year of Wude, Li Yuan had already frozen the King of Qin because of the Liu Wenjing incident."

"Because of the constant wars both at home and abroad, the court must rely on the military prowess of the King of Qin."

"When the war became tense, Li Shimin had to be used again and again."

"After the incident was resolved, the suspicion towards Li Shimin, whose military exploits became more and more prominent, grew even greater."

"At the end of the Wude period, the emperor's suspicion grew, the crown prince and the prince of Qi became increasingly pressing, and Li Shimin's situation became even more difficult."

"In the seventh year of Wude, after both the Qin Palace and the Crown Prince Qi Wang were defeated, the fight between the two sides became fierce."

"In July of the same year, the Turks invaded the border again. The situation was critical. The Crown Prince, the King of Qi and most of the ministers agreed to move the capital."

"Only Li Shimin made a direct appeal, saying that the threat from the barbarians was not a big deal and requested to go on an expedition to attack the Turks."

"Li Yuan followed his request, but the crown prince and the concubines took the opportunity to slander Li Shimin and accuse him of plotting to seize military power and usurp the throne."

"Afterwards, Li Yuan went hunting in the south of the city, and the crown prince gave a fierce Hu horse to the King of Qin in an attempt to throw the King of Qin to death."

"The King of Qin was unharmed after training his horse, and the Crown Prince took the opportunity to have the concubines in the harem falsely claim that it was God's will to frame the King of Qin."

"Li Yuan was furious, but due to the unrest on the border, he needed Li Shimin, a military genius, so he had to put the matter aside."

"If one plan fails, another one will do. The prince held a banquet in the East Palace and tried to poison Li Shimin with wine, but it failed."

"He and the King of Qi also planned to assassinate Li Shimin at Kunming Lake. Someone learned of the plot and informed Li Shimin of it."

"After a series of events, the conflict between the Qin Palace and the Eastern Palace continued to intensify, but Qin's wife Changsun did not give up trying to mend the rift."

"However, faced with the injustice and setbacks suffered by her husband and his subordinates, Changsun became increasingly aware of the urgency of escaping the predicament."

"At this time, Qin Wang's wife Changsun did not back down. She stood behind her husband without hesitation and gave her husband unreserved support together with her brother Changsun Wuji and other officials in Qin Wang's palace, such as Fang Xuanling."

Liu Rushi: Emperor Taizong of Tang had loyal ministers to assist him outside and a virtuous empress to assist him inside, so the world was at peace.

Empress Changsun was posthumously named Empress Wende after her death, and was later called the virtuous empress of all time.

The word "virtue" was the recognition of her during the Tang Dynasty.

The word "virtuous" is the praise that later generations gave her.

As the empress of Emperor Taizong, her actions can be regarded as that of a wise empress throughout history.

First, she is good at housework.

Before the uprising, Li Yuan had just been the garrison commander of Taiyuan for less than a year.

As for their prestige in Taiyuan, the people of Taiyuan have no idea what this family is like.

In less than a year, the Li family gained the support of the people of Taiyuan, and Empress Changsun played a crucial role in this.

Li Shimin's mother died early, Li Yuan did not take another wife, and the brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were not in Taiyuan.

At that time, Empress Zhangsun was actually the one who managed the rear quarters of the Li family.

Under such circumstances, Empress Changsun not only made many friends but also donated money to renovate the temple.

The reputation of the Li family and the benevolence of Empress Changsun also spread among the people of Taiyuan along with the sound of the temple bells.

With the sound of the bell, Li Shimin also began his journey to Jinyang to raise an army. Empress Changsun not only had to manage the Qin Palace herself, but also had to ensure that she did not hinder her husband and was filial to Li Yuan.

During this period, Empress Changsun's ability to manage the household provided great support for Li Shimin's conquests.

Her actions of taking care of her parents fully demonstrate the moral character of an ordinary woman.

Second, a good helper on the road to dominance.

Empress Changsun was a good household manager and also a good helper to Li Shimin in his career.

Li Shimin fought wars everywhere and saw his achievements growing greater and his prestige growing higher day by day.

Li Yuan was unhappy, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was unhappy, and Li Yuan's favorite concubine in the harem was also unhappy.

This was the problem Li Shimin encountered during the Wude period: his father was suspicious, his brother was hostile, and the favorite concubine in the palace also disliked him.

During this period, Li Shimin worked hard every day to seize territory outside, but he suffered more and more internally.

Seeing that the conflict was getting worse day by day, Empress Changsun silently stood up at this time.

She often entered the palace to pay her respects to Li Yuan, and frequently went in and out of the harem to make friends with the concubines.

On the one hand, she was busy easing the relationship between Li Yuan and Li Shimin, father and son, and on the other hand, she was looking for support for her husband in the harem.

Thanks to Empress Changsun's efforts, Li Yuan ultimately did not take any major action against Li Shimin.

However, the relentless pressure from Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince of Qi Li Yuanji almost led to Li Shimin's death several times.

The lives of the officers and soldiers in the Prince of Qin's Palace became more and more difficult, and many of them even began to leave Li Shimin.

The long-accumulated contradictions finally broke out, and the Xuanwu Gate Incident occurred.

Empress Changsun expressed her support for Li Shimin through her actions, which was also a choice of sharing life and death.

Empress Changsun's help to Li Shimin did not shock people, but rather it was a silent and effective way of helping others.

It is in this silent and imperceptible manner that it takes root and sprouts like a seed, becoming inconspicuous at first.

When it happened, I suddenly felt that the power brought by this seed could not be ignored.

The silent help and the final statement at the moment of life and death turned this power into reality.

Third, a good wife who supports you in your career.

Empress Changsun not only helped Li Shimin on his road to dominance, but also had a profound influence on Li Shimin's career.

Li Shimin was an emperor with ease, which was closely related to Wei Zheng, Fang Mou and Du Duan, as well as a series of court officials.

Wei Zheng’s advice did not always lead to a successful outcome.

No matter how tolerant Li Shimin is, he is still a human being and will get angry after a long time.

Princess Changle was particularly loved by Li Shimin, who betrothed her to Changsun Wuji's son Changsun Chong.

With such a marriage, and the fact that the daughter was the empress's legitimate daughter, Li Shimin wanted to prepare more dowry for her.

No one else had any objection to this matter, except Wei Zheng, who opposed Li Shimin on the grounds that it was against etiquette.

So Li Shimin returned to the harem angrily, told Empress Changsun about the incident, and prepared to severely punish Wei Zheng.

After hearing this, Empress Changsun first comforted Li Shimin and then praised Wei Zheng greatly.

She also gave Wei Zheng many rewards and hinted that Wei Zheng should do the same when persuading Cambodia in the future and that he could ask her for help if anything went wrong.

The support of Empress Changsun also provided great help to Wei Zheng's subsequent persuasion.

Indirectly helped Li Shimin in governing the country and made Li Shimin run on the right path.

After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he even promoted Zhangsun Wuji to prime minister.

However, not long after, under the persuasion of Empress Changsun, Changsun Wuji voluntarily gave up this position.

Empress Changsun also persuaded Li Shimin by citing the example of the Han Dynasty's external relatives interfering in state affairs.

Many concubines in the harem hope that their families will become more and more powerful.

It is rare in history that Empress Changsun was able to achieve this under the background of putting family first.

On the one hand, we can see here the virtue of Empress Changsun and her help to Li Shimin in governing the country.

On the other hand, it also shows her intelligence. The interference of foreign relatives in government affairs is harmful to the country, and the families whose foreign relatives interfere in government affairs will not have a good ending.

What Empress Changsun did was undoubtedly a form of restraint and protection for her family.

Empress Changsun not only disciplined her family members, but also set strict requirements for herself.

Li Shimin sometimes talked with Empress Changsun and often talked about national affairs.

Whenever state affairs were mentioned, Empress Chang Sun would immediately shut up and refuse to talk about them, saying that women should not interfere in government affairs.

Empress Changsun was undoubtedly a good queen, and a good queen who could truly help Li Shimin.

This is also the reason why the Tang Dynasty recognized her benevolence and later generations talked about her virtue.

She deserves the reputation of being a wise queen throughout the ages.

"In the ninth year of Wude, Venus once again appeared in the noon position in the south of the sky during the day."

"When Li Yuan told Li Shimin the secret report that 'the King of Qin should own the world', Li Shimin, who was at the critical moment of life and death, made up his mind."

"In the early morning of June 4, Li Shimin led 800 soldiers from the Qin Palace to set up an ambush at Xuanwu Gate."

"Changsun, who usually stood behind her husband, unexpectedly appeared beside her husband and calmly encouraged the soldiers."

"The soldiers were all grateful for the personal encouragement from the Princess of Qin, and they became more courageous and fearless."

"The wife's fearless commitment to her husband, Li Shimin, in life and death, inspired her husband even more."

"The Xuanwu Gate Incident ended with the complete victory of the King of Qin. Three days later, Li Shimin was made the Crown Prince, and Changsun became the Crown Princess."

"Soon after, Li Shimin ascended the throne and named Changsun as empress."

"Empress Changsun loved reading books and illustrated biography. She would read even when she was dressing up. This continued even after she became empress."

"She often discusses history and present affairs with her husband and expresses her unique opinions, which is of great benefit to her husband and the government."

"Tang Taizong always loved Empress Zhangsun, and after ascending the throne, he often showed favor to the Zhangsun family beyond the rules."

"Empress Changsun was always awake and persuaded her brother to give up the throne."

"With Li Shimin's permission, Zhangsun Wuji was able to step down from the position of prime minister with a high salary and an idle position."

"Empress Changsun also used her influence on her husband to protect the virtuous people in the court and correct her husband's mistakes."

"On the one hand, Empress Changsun admired those loyal ministers who dared to speak out, and on the other hand, she constantly reminded Li Shimin to be benevolent."

"She played a unique role in the male-dominated feudal society with her unique female strength, assisting her husband the emperor and creating a favorable political situation in the early Tang Dynasty."

"The emperor was wise, the people were virtuous, the ministers were upright, the civil and military achievements were great, and the early Tang Dynasty ushered in the ideal state of Zhenguan Reign that has haunted the dreams of later generations."

"In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Empress Zhangsun accompanied Li Shimin on his summer vacation and fell seriously ill."

"The crown prince requested amnesty and the ordination of people. Emperor Taizong, who was worried about his wife's health, immediately agreed, but was firmly opposed by Empress Zhangsun."

"Tang Taizong had no choice but to invite a monk from Puguang Temple to the palace to pray for his wife. Perhaps it was due to the emperor's sincerity that Empress Changsun recovered from her illness."

"In the ninth year of Zhenguan, Crown Prince Li Chengqian married Su, but the joy was followed by sadness."

"The subsequent death of her biological mother, Lady Zhao, and the death of Emperor Taizong Li Yuan dealt another heavy blow to Empress Changsun and Li Shimin."

"The grief of the double mourning period triggered the qi disease that Empress Changsun had suffered from in her early years and often recurred."

"The following year, the disease worsened and no medicine was effective."

"In the early years, Li Shimin went to Taiyuan and Empress Zhangsun fell ill."

"He personally went to Shibi Temple to pay respect to the Zen master and made a wish for his wife, so Taizong decided to seek help from Buddhism again."

"In the tenth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin issued an edict to repair 392 famous ancient temples throughout the country to pray for the queen."

"Although Taizong hoped that the blessings of Buddhism would bring good luck to his wife again, luck did not favor him again."

"In the tenth year of Zhenguan, Empress Zhangsun passed away in the Lizheng Hall of Taiji Palace at the age of thirty-six."

"The Emperor Taizong was deeply saddened and, in compliance with the Empress's last wish, he built a mountain to build a mausoleum, which became Zhaoling."

"Looking back on Empress Changsun's life, she and Emperor Taizong had been married since they were young and had supported each other for 23 years."

Yang Guifei: Empress Changsun can be called the perfect queen. All the standards that a queen should have are fully embodied in her.

Since Empress Changsun took charge of the harem, the period was the most harmonious in the harem, and everyone in the harem admired her.

She advised the emperor to treat all concubines in the harem equally and regard the children born by other concubines as his own.

Not only did she care for sick concubines, she also gave them her own medicine. Her virtue was regarded as a model at the time.

It was a blessing for Emperor Taizong and the harem to have such a empress who was both virtuous and talented.

Emperor Taizong was often so angry with his ministers that he came to the empress to complain. Every time this happened, Empress Zhangsun would patiently listen to Emperor Taizong's dissatisfaction and then slowly guide him through it.

It was not a didactic exhortation, but rather he considered the issue from Emperor Taizong's perspective and then helped him solve his problems.

Not only that, Empress Changsun also had a principle.

That means never interfering in internal affairs, strictly observing the duties of a queen, and not overstepping the mark in the slightest.

The relationship between Empress Changsun and Emperor Taizong was more like that of a pair of close friends than that of husband and wife.

Empress Changsun was always able to understand Emperor Taizong's thoughts, and Emperor Taizong would also listen to her advice.

However, such a virtuous queen died after only living for more than 30 years. Before her death, she left five last words to Emperor Taizong.

The first sentence is, I hope the emperor will invite Lord Fang back.

This one is about state affairs. At that time, Fang Xuanling was demoted and the prime minister was dismissed and returned home.

However, Fang Xuanling worked diligently throughout his life and followed Emperor Taizong from the time he started his army. He was one of the greatest contributors to the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Empress Changsun said these words before her death, which shows that she cared about the country.

She hoped that after she passed away, there would be wise ministers like Fang Xuanling to continue to assist her husband.

The second sentence is that you should not treat the eldest grandson’s family too well.

Empress Changsun was well aware of the disasters caused by foreign relatives such as Lü Zhi and Huo Guang in the Han Dynasty, and that they all ended up with their entire clans being exterminated.

For the long-term benefit of the Tang Dynasty and her family, she hoped that the Changsun family could be more ordinary and not get excessive power because she was the queen.

The third sentence is to bury the deceased simply and not to bury too many extra things.

Empress Changsun was very frugal during her lifetime and did not like extravagance. She often taught the crown prince to do the same.

Empress Chang Sun believed that people should do something for the people while they are alive, and should not let the people be implicated after their death.

We should not build a large-scale mausoleum for her and force the masses to work.

Nor were valuables allowed to be buried with the dead to reduce the burden on the people.

All that is needed is an extremely simple funeral, with everyday items being used as burial objects.

The fourth sentence: Be close to wise ministers, stay away from treacherous and flattering people, listen to advice, stop slander, reduce labor, and stop hunting.

This is a piece of advice from Emperor Taizong of Tang on how to govern a country. It is admirable for a woman to have such insight and vision.

In particular, she suggested that her husband reduce labor so that the people could live a stable and prosperous life.

In the Tang Dynasty, ordinary politicians did not have such foresight.

The fifth sentence is to prevent her children who are living outside from returning to Chang'an because of her death, so as to avoid excessive grief.

This shows how detached Empress Changsun was. It is natural for a mother to care for and love her children.

But she herself was leaving and she didn't want the children outside Chang'an to make the journey alone.

Avoiding children from traveling too long and suffering from excessive sadness is a mother's last will.

Judging from her will, what Empress Changsun asked for was either for Emperor Taizong and her children or for the people.

She didn't want to cause trouble to the people after her death, so she asked for a simple funeral.

I didn’t want my children to be sad, so I didn’t let them attend the funeral.

And because he cared about Li Shimin's kingdom, he gave such earnest instructions.

Emperor Taizong was fortunate to have such an intelligent wife who was devoted to him wholeheartedly.

Even after Empress Changsun's death many years later, Emperor Taizong still missed her and often gazed at her mausoleum in the distance.

Although Empress Changsun's life was short, her deeds are still praised by people today, and she is called the greatest empress of all time. (End of this chapter)