A live-streamed Chinese language lesson under the sky—the ancients were taken aback.

Before discussing destruction, we must first ask: How did the Tang Dynasty come about?

How could a dynasty be so confident, so flamboyant, and so unguarded in embracing the world?

Although the Kaiyuan era of prosperity was reached under the rule of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, we all know that the confidence and arrogance of the Tang Dynasty had little to do with him.

Let us return to the beginning, to that pivotal moment that gave birth to the spirit of the Tang Dynasty, and look at a key figure: Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin.

[He's here! Emperor Taizong!]

[Heavenly Khan! We've finally gotten to Li Shimin!]

The Reign of Zhenguan: One of the periods in Chinese history closest to an ideal state.

……

"But to understand the confidence of the Tang Dynasty, we cannot only look at the Tang Dynasty; we must look back four hundred years."

A map of China appears on the screen, with arrows of different colors colliding violently on the northern land.

"Starting from the Yongjia Rebellion at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, the land of China experienced an unprecedented and devastating collapse."

The Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, and Qiang peoples established regimes in the north in rapid succession, creating a chaotic era of bloodshed and countless corpses.

But chaotic times are also a crucible. The fierce bravery of the nomadic peoples and the institutional systems of the Han people were not destroyed in hundreds of years of warfare, but rather forged.

The image freezes on a name: Guanlong Group.

"At the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, a group of military officers stationed in the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi and the Longshan Mountains of Gansu rose up."

They transcended the distinction between Han and non-Han peoples, forming a powerful and cohesive elite class based on their military achievements.

The Eight Pillars of State and the Twelve Great Generals of the Western Wei Dynasty were their representatives. The Yang family of Yang Jian and the Li family of Li Yuan both came from this group.

This is the first gene of the Tang Dynasty's confidence: it did not grow from a purely agrarian civilization, but rather carried a strong mixed character of grassland and Central Plains.

They didn't see the Hu people as completely different aliens, because they themselves had the blood of fusion flowing in their veins.

This vision of a "nation-wide" world transcended the traditional Han-centric distinction between Han and non-Han peoples from the very beginning.

[Guanlong Group! Mr. Chen Yinque's core concept]

[The Eight Pillars of the Western Wei Dynasty: Yuwen Tai, Li Hu, Dugu Xin... all formidable figures]

Li Hu was Li Yuan's grandfather, and the Li family itself was a core member of the Guanlong Group.

……

The scene shifts to the Sui Dynasty, showing the rolling waves of the Grand Canal and the continuous flames of war during Emperor Yang of Sui's three campaigns against Goguryeo.

"The Sui Dynasty was a short-lived but magnificent dynasty. It completed the unification of the north and south, established the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the imperial examination system, built the Grand Canal, and expanded the empire's framework to an unprecedented extent."

However, Emperor Yang of Sui's eagerness for quick success and instant benefits overstretched the people's resources, leading to widespread chaos.

Eighteen rebel kings and sixty-four bandit groups emerged, and the newly unified empire once again faced the danger of division.

At this very moment, an eighteen-year-old youth raised an army in Taiyuan, stepping into the heart of history.

The image shows a silhouette of Li Shimin riding a horse and cracking his whip, with the iron torrent of the Xuanjia Army behind him.

"Li Shimin's historical achievements are not merely those of a prince who could fight battles; from the very beginning, he was one of the actual founders of the new empire."

His achievements can be viewed from three dimensions: conquering the world, taking control of the world, and governing the world.

First, in conquering the world, he was the absolute core of the war for unification.

The scene switches to Hulao Pass.

Li Shimin personally led 3,500 Xuanjia soldiers, charging into the enemy ranks in front of Dou Jiande's army of 100,000.

The camera slows down, freezing the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves in mid-air.

"In the Battle of Hulao Pass, Li Shimin personally led 3,500 Xuanjia soldiers and defeated Dou Jiande's 100,000-strong army in one fell swoop, lifting the siege of Luoyang and capturing two kings in one battle."

This military miracle made him a general at the age of twenty-two, and his fame spread throughout the world.

But more importantly, his conquests were not just about killing.

Whenever he pacified a region, he would recruit its elite generals and talents.

Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong—heroes from different camps and even different ethnic groups—were all taken under his command, treated with utmost sincerity, and shared life and death with him.

This magnanimity, transcending personal grudges and prioritizing talent above all else, later became the defining characteristic of the Tang Dynasty's personnel system.

[Three thousand five hundred against one hundred thousand: Li Shimin's military strategy was truly a case of overwhelming force.]

[General Tian Ce, not yet twenty years old, established his own government and appointed officials, ranking above all princes and dukes.]

Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong later became door gods, their images pasted on the doors of countless households—their influence was unparalleled.

……

"Second, to seize the world, the Xuanwu Gate Incident and the reconstruction of the imperial throne."

The screen darkened, and in the shadows of the palace gate, a figure drew a bowstring taut. With a twang of the bowstring, the scene shifted to the dragon throne in the Taiji Hall.

The young emperor sat there, his gaze calm and dignified, exuding an air of authority without anger.

"This is an unavoidable chapter for Emperor Taizong of Tang: the struggle between brothers and the bloodshed at the palace gates are a cruel manifestation of the logic of power."

However, from a macro-historical perspective, after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin did not simply purge his political enemies.

After he ascended the throne, he heavily relied on Wei Zheng, who had been a former advisor to his brother Li Jiancheng.

This sends a signal to the whole world: the past is the past. As long as you are strong, talented, virtuous, and willing to serve this new empire, I dare to use you.

This is a tremendous and awe-inspiring political confidence.

He was not afraid of people discussing his usurpation of the throne, because he was confident that he could prove he deserved the position by building an unprecedentedly powerful empire.

Wei Zheng was a former official of Li Jiancheng and had even advised Li Jiancheng to kill Li Shimin.

Not only did Li Shimin not kill him, but he also made him curse him to his face. This kind of self-confidence was the foundation of the Zhenguan Era.

"The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers; its greatness lies in its tolerance." This saying is easy to say, but incredibly difficult to put into practice.

……

"Third, governing the country, laying the institutional foundation for the Reign of Zhenguan."

The reign title Zhenguan itself became a standard by which later generations measured the achievements of emperors, and Li Shimin did several things that were ahead of his time.

The screen displays a diagram of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, with the Secretariat's power to reject proposals highlighted.

"He established the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and made it truly effective."

He divided the power of the prime minister among the three departments: the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Ministry of Personnel. The Chancellery had the power to reject imperial edicts.

This is tantamount to creating a legitimate opposition within the imperial power.

For a military emperor who personally conquered the world to willingly put power into the cage of authority requires not only wisdom, but also immense self-control and confidence.

He revised the Zhenguan Code, completing the systematization of the legal code.

This legal code simplified complex matters, reduced harsh penalties, and exercised extreme caution in sentencing to the death penalty. It laid the foundation for the Tang Code's fundamental principle of "standardizing all matters according to rites" and became a model for the legal system throughout East Asia.

The scene shifts to the imperial examination hall, where the newly appointed scholars file out, their young faces radiating pride and the exhilaration of riding swiftly on horseback.

"He reactivated and vigorously promoted the imperial examination system. When Li Shimin saw the newly appointed Jinshi candidates coming out in a line, his words, 'The heroes of the world are now in my grasp,' were full of statesman's pride."

Behind this statement lies his absolute confidence that he can use the nation's institutional channels to transform the world's smartest and most ambitious people into builders of the empire, rather than its subversives.