#83 - Tang 2: The Incident at Xuanwu Gate

The Tang will achieve hegemony over the entirety of China’s heartlands, both North and South. But with external foes subdued, simmering tensions within the royal household will begin bubbling to the surface, culminating in a showdown that will decide the future of the Dynasty. Time Period Covered: 618-626 CE Major Historical Figures: Tang Dynasty: Li Yuan (Emperor Gaozu) Crowned Prince Li Jiancheng Prince Li Yuanji Prince Li Shimin Li Xiaogong, Prince of Zhao Guard Captain Yang Wen’gan General Yuchi Jingde Liang Dynasty: Xiao Xian (Emperor of Liang) Gokturk Khannate: Shibi Khan [d. 619] Illig Khan (alt. Xieli) Sources Cited: Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3 (1979). Zhao, Ying and Liu, Shu. Jiu Tangshu (The Old Book of Tang). (945)