With the unique power of women, she played a unique role in the patriarchal feudal society, assisted Li Shimin, and created a favorable political situation in the early Tang Dynasty.
The king is wise, the queen is virtuous, the ministers are upright, the civil and military affairs are prosperous, the society is harmonious and kind, and the people are tolerant.
The early Tang Dynasty ushered in the Zhenguan Reign, an ideal state that has haunted the dreams of later generations.
Li Shimin did not believe in Buddhism, but in order to pray for Empress Changsun, he issued an edict to repair 392 famous ancient temples across the country.
Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were married since they were young and had been together for more than ten years. Even at the critical moment of life and death in the last years of Emperor Wude's reign, they did not abandon each other.
Out of gratitude for her husband's sincere devotion to her, Empress Changsun tied poison around her waist, prepared to "not live alone if there is anything to hide."
There is no need for vows or confessions. The countless times of life and death together in times of danger have deepened the deep affection between Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun during their years of knowing each other and staying together.
No matter how the couple's identities change, it remains unchanged.
When Li Shimin faced Empress Changsun's last words, he was heartbroken and said to his courtiers, "Don't I know that the Empress's death is God's will and I have to give up my feelings? But I still can't control my sadness when I think of losing my virtuous wife and good assistant." The deep love between Li Shimin and Empress Changsun was already revealed.
When Empress Changsun was buried, Li Shimin "personally attended the funeral at night, expressing his deep sympathy for her" and even wrote the epitaph for her himself.
After Empress Changsun was buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum, Li Shimin could not stop missing her. In order to ease the pain of missing her, he built a pavilion in the palace to overlook his wife's tomb all day long, and also asked ministers to accompany him to mourn.
Although Li Shimin's behavior of commemorating his wife violated the traditional ethics, it was a true expression of the emperor's feelings.
In that era when filial piety was prioritized and husbands did not offer sacrifices to their wives, it was natural that Li Shimin would be ridiculed and mocked for his ostentatious longing for his wife.
As a feudal emperor, Li Shimin was well aware of this etiquette, but he did not shy away from building a pavilion to look at Zhaoling Mausoleum, and even took his ministers with him to reminisce.
It can only be that I love you too deeply and I can't control myself.
Although the pavilion was later demolished, Li Shimin's longing for his beloved wife did not stop. Instead, it became more and more intense and difficult to control. In one of his imperial edicts, he openly confided to his ministers his miserable situation after the demise of his wife, in which he was in a trance, forgot to eat, and could not sleep at night.
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