Liu Wenjing
Encyclopedia
Liu Wenjing (568–619), courtesy name Zhaoren (肇仁), formally the Duke of Lu (魯公), was an important official and one-time chancellor of Tang Dynasty
. He initially served as an official of Sui Dynasty
and was one of the driving forces in persuading the general Li Yuan
to rebel against Emperor Yang of Sui
. He eventually assisted Li Yuan in founding Tang Dynasty
as its Emperor Gaozu, but was not as honored as Pei Ji and became resentful. He engaged witches, apparently to try to wish for divine favors, and when this was discovered, Emperor Gaozu executed him.
, Jiangsu
), but later moved to the Chang'an
region. His grandfather Liu Yi (劉懿) was a provincial governor during Northern Zhou
. His father Liu Shao (劉韶) served in the army of the succeeding Sui Dynasty
and died in battle. As a result of this and the posthumous honors that Liu Shao received, Liu Wenjing received a governmental rank, and late in the reign of Emperor Yang
, he was the county magistrate at the important city of Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), where he became friendly with another official, Pei Ji, who was the head of the household at Emperor Yang's secondary palace at Jinyang.
the Duke of Tang was put in charge of Taiyuan
(i.e., Jinyang) in 616, Liu saw that Li Yuan had great ambitions and therefore befriended him, but was even more impressed with Li Yuan's son Li Shimin
, privately comparing Li Shimin to Emperor Gao of Han and Cao Cao
when talking with Pei. In 617, when Li Mi rose in open rebellion near the eastern capital Luoyang
, claiming the title of Duke of Wei, Liu, who was related to Li Mi by marriage, was briefly arrested and jailed on Emperor Yang's orders. When Li Shimin visited him in jail, he pointed out to Li Shimin the disturbed state that Sui was in and encouraged him to consider rebellion. Li Shimin agreed and began to plan for rebellion, but was initially hesitant to inform Li Yuan. As Li Yuan trusted Pei greatly, Liu devised the plot of having his associate Gao Binlian (高斌廉) gamble with Pei and intentionally lose to him, gradually endearing himself to Pei, and then inform him of the plot. Liu also personally persuaded Pei, pointing out to him that Pei, who had earlier permitted Li Yuan to have sexual relations with ladies in waiting
at the Jinyang Palace, was violating serious regulations, and that in any case, Emperor Yang was already suspicious of Li Yuan because there had been prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li. Pei agreed, and he persuaded Li Yuan of the wisdom of rebelling. Li Yuan then had Liu forge an edict from Emperor Yang stating that all men in the surrounding commanderies from age 20 to 50 were all to be conscripted for a campaign against Goguryeo
-- against which Emperor Yang had earlier launched three largely disastrous campaigns -- to arouse the despair of the people in the commanderies.
As Li Yuan prepared rebellion in spring 617, his deputies Wang Wei (王威) and Gao Junya (高君雅) began to be suspicious of him. Liu devised a plot where he entered the hall where Li Yuan, Wang, and Gao were sitting with his associate Liu Zhenghui (劉政會) and had Liu Zhenghui falsely accuse Wang and Gao of collaborating with Eastern Tujue. Li Yuan, feigning surprise, had Wang and Gao arrested. When Eastern Tujue soon attacked, the people believed the accusation that Wang and Gao were collaborating with Eastern Tujue, and Li Yuan used this excuse to execute them.
Li Yuan declared rebellion in fall 617, and Liu Wenjing suggested that he, who was still ostensibly claiming to be loyal to Sui but wanting to support Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You
the Prince of Dai, then at Chang'an, as emperor, should change his banners from the regular Sui banners to distance himself from Emperor Yang, while seeking an alliance with Eastern Tujue for support. Li Yuan agreed, and sent Liu to Eastern Tujue to meet with the Shibi Khan
Ashina Duojishi. When Ashina Duojishi asked him what Li Yuan's intention was, Liu responded:
Ashina Duojishi was pleased, and while he was not wholeheartedly willing to support Li Yuan, he nevertheless sent his general Kangqiaoli (康鞘利) with 2,000 men to accompany Liu back south, as Li Yuan had already marched south toward Chang'an, and he also gave Li Yuan 1,000 horses. Li Yuan, who wanted Tujue horses more than Tujue soldiers, was pleased and praised Liu for his skills at diplomacy. Subsequently, after Li Yuan decided to bypass Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
) and directly cross the Yellow River
and attack Chang'an, he sent Liu with his son Li Jiancheng
to Tong Pass to defend against an attack from Qutu Tong (屈突通), the Sui general defending Hedong. Qutu did indeed attack to try to prevent Li Yuan's advance, and while Liu initially suffered losses against Qutu's subordinate Sang Xianhe (桑顯和), he was ultimately able to defeat Sang and further capture Qutu. Once Li Yuan captured Chang'an in winter 617 and declared Yang You emperor (as Emperor Gong) but retained power as regent
, Liu was created the Duke of Lu.
, Jiangsu
) led by the general Yuwen Huaji
. When the news arrived at Chang'an, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty
as its Emperor Gaozu. He made Liu Wenjing Nayan (納言), the head of the examination bureau of the government, considered one of the posts for a chancellor. He also had Liu and Pei Ji revised the Sui laws, although he rejected Liu's suggestion to distance himself a bit more from his officials in order to show authority, opting often to dine with his officials at the same table.
Meanwhile, the newly established Tang was under threat from another rebel ruler, Xue Ju
the Emperor of Qin. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin against Xue, with Liu and Yin Kaishan (殷開山) as his deputies. On the way, however, Li Shimin became ill, and he transferred the command to Liu, while instructing Liu not to directly engage Xue but to wear him out. Instead, Liu, confident that he had a larger army than Xue, listened to Yin, who believed that Xue should be engaged. Xue, however, defeated him at Qianshui Plain (淺水原, in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
), killing some 50% to 60% of Tang soldiers. Li Shimin was forced to withdraw back to Chang'an, and Liu and Yin were removed from their posts. Later that year, however, after Xue Ju's death, Liu participated in Li Shimin's campaign that defeated Xue Ju's son and successor Xue Rengao
, and his title was restored, but he was not again made a chancellor, but only as Li Shimin's assistant.
Meanwhile, there were unusual bad omens happening in the Liu household, and Liu Wenqi (劉文起) engaged witches to try to dispel the evil spirits. One of Liu Wenjing's concubines, who had lost favor, had her brother report this to Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu arrested Liu Wenjing and had Pei and Xiao Yu
interrogate him. Liu Wenjing stated:
Emperor Gaozu was displeased and believed that Liu Wenjing was planning treason. Li Gang (李綱) and Xiao both spoke on Liu's behalf, as did Li Shimin, but Pei warned Emperor Gaozu that Liu was talented but reckless and might cause trouble in the future. Emperor Gaozu, who trusted Pei, hesitated but eventually agreed, and he executed both Liu Wenjing and Liu Wenqi and confiscated their wealth. After Li Shimin became emperor in 626 (as Emperor Taizong), he restored Liu Wenjing's titles posthumously in 628 and allowed his son Liu Shuyi (劉樹義) to inherit the title of Duke of Lu, promising to eventually give him a princess as his wife. However, Liu Shuyi was still resentful over his father's execution, and he plotted a rebellion with his brother Liu Shuyi (劉樹藝, note different character). The plot was discovered, and they were executed.
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. He initially served as an official of Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and was one of the driving forces in persuading the general Li Yuan
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
to rebel against Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
. He eventually assisted Li Yuan in founding Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
as its Emperor Gaozu, but was not as honored as Pei Ji and became resentful. He engaged witches, apparently to try to wish for divine favors, and when this was discovered, Emperor Gaozu executed him.
Background
According to Liu Wenjing himself, his ancestors were from Pengcheng (彭城, in modern XuzhouXuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), but later moved to the Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
region. His grandfather Liu Yi (劉懿) was a provincial governor during Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
. His father Liu Shao (劉韶) served in the army of the succeeding Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and died in battle. As a result of this and the posthumous honors that Liu Shao received, Liu Wenjing received a governmental rank, and late in the reign of Emperor Yang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
, he was the county magistrate at the important city of Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), where he became friendly with another official, Pei Ji, who was the head of the household at Emperor Yang's secondary palace at Jinyang.
Participation in Li Yuan's rebellion
When the general Li YuanEmperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
the Duke of Tang was put in charge of Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
(i.e., Jinyang) in 616, Liu saw that Li Yuan had great ambitions and therefore befriended him, but was even more impressed with Li Yuan's son Li Shimin
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
, privately comparing Li Shimin to Emperor Gao of Han and Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
when talking with Pei. In 617, when Li Mi rose in open rebellion near the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, claiming the title of Duke of Wei, Liu, who was related to Li Mi by marriage, was briefly arrested and jailed on Emperor Yang's orders. When Li Shimin visited him in jail, he pointed out to Li Shimin the disturbed state that Sui was in and encouraged him to consider rebellion. Li Shimin agreed and began to plan for rebellion, but was initially hesitant to inform Li Yuan. As Li Yuan trusted Pei greatly, Liu devised the plot of having his associate Gao Binlian (高斌廉) gamble with Pei and intentionally lose to him, gradually endearing himself to Pei, and then inform him of the plot. Liu also personally persuaded Pei, pointing out to him that Pei, who had earlier permitted Li Yuan to have sexual relations with ladies in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
at the Jinyang Palace, was violating serious regulations, and that in any case, Emperor Yang was already suspicious of Li Yuan because there had been prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li. Pei agreed, and he persuaded Li Yuan of the wisdom of rebelling. Li Yuan then had Liu forge an edict from Emperor Yang stating that all men in the surrounding commanderies from age 20 to 50 were all to be conscripted for a campaign against Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
-- against which Emperor Yang had earlier launched three largely disastrous campaigns -- to arouse the despair of the people in the commanderies.
As Li Yuan prepared rebellion in spring 617, his deputies Wang Wei (王威) and Gao Junya (高君雅) began to be suspicious of him. Liu devised a plot where he entered the hall where Li Yuan, Wang, and Gao were sitting with his associate Liu Zhenghui (劉政會) and had Liu Zhenghui falsely accuse Wang and Gao of collaborating with Eastern Tujue. Li Yuan, feigning surprise, had Wang and Gao arrested. When Eastern Tujue soon attacked, the people believed the accusation that Wang and Gao were collaborating with Eastern Tujue, and Li Yuan used this excuse to execute them.
Li Yuan declared rebellion in fall 617, and Liu Wenjing suggested that he, who was still ostensibly claiming to be loyal to Sui but wanting to support Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You
Emperor Gong of Sui
Emperor Gong of Sui , personal name Yang You , was an emperor of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Traditionally, he was considered the last emperor of the dynasty because he was the one who formally yielded the throne to the founding emperor to the succeeding Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Tang ,...
the Prince of Dai, then at Chang'an, as emperor, should change his banners from the regular Sui banners to distance himself from Emperor Yang, while seeking an alliance with Eastern Tujue for support. Li Yuan agreed, and sent Liu to Eastern Tujue to meet with the Shibi Khan
Shibi Khan
Shibi Khagan , 611 - 619 AD, succeeded Qimin Khan as the ninth khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate...
Ashina Duojishi. When Ashina Duojishi asked him what Li Yuan's intention was, Liu responded:
- The emperor [i.e., Emperor Yang's father Emperor WenEmperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
] deposed his proper heir [i.e., Emperor Yang's older brother Yang YongYang YongEmperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
] and gave the throne to this current emperor, and this led to the current troubles. The Duke of Tang is an honored relative of the imperial clan, and he did not dare to sit by watching for the state to fail, and therefore he rose in righteousness, wanting to depose the improper emperor. He is willing to enter the capital with the soldiers of you, Great Khan. If you do so, the people and the land will belong to the Duke of Tang, but the money, silk, gold, and treasures will be yours, Great Khan.
Ashina Duojishi was pleased, and while he was not wholeheartedly willing to support Li Yuan, he nevertheless sent his general Kangqiaoli (康鞘利) with 2,000 men to accompany Liu back south, as Li Yuan had already marched south toward Chang'an, and he also gave Li Yuan 1,000 horses. Li Yuan, who wanted Tujue horses more than Tujue soldiers, was pleased and praised Liu for his skills at diplomacy. Subsequently, after Li Yuan decided to bypass Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) and directly cross the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and attack Chang'an, he sent Liu with his son Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng , formally Crown Prince Yin , nickname Pishamen , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor Emperor Gaozu and therefore was designated crown prince after the founding of the dynasty in 618...
to Tong Pass to defend against an attack from Qutu Tong (屈突通), the Sui general defending Hedong. Qutu did indeed attack to try to prevent Li Yuan's advance, and while Liu initially suffered losses against Qutu's subordinate Sang Xianhe (桑顯和), he was ultimately able to defeat Sang and further capture Qutu. Once Li Yuan captured Chang'an in winter 617 and declared Yang You emperor (as Emperor Gong) but retained power as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, Liu was created the Duke of Lu.
During Emperor Gaozu's reign
In spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern YangzhouYangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
. When the news arrived at Chang'an, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
as its Emperor Gaozu. He made Liu Wenjing Nayan (納言), the head of the examination bureau of the government, considered one of the posts for a chancellor. He also had Liu and Pei Ji revised the Sui laws, although he rejected Liu's suggestion to distance himself a bit more from his officials in order to show authority, opting often to dine with his officials at the same table.
Meanwhile, the newly established Tang was under threat from another rebel ruler, Xue Ju
Xue Ju
Xue Ju , formally Emperor Wu , was the founding emperor of a short-lived state of Qin at the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty, whose state was eventually destroyed by Tang Dynasty...
the Emperor of Qin. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin against Xue, with Liu and Yin Kaishan (殷開山) as his deputies. On the way, however, Li Shimin became ill, and he transferred the command to Liu, while instructing Liu not to directly engage Xue but to wear him out. Instead, Liu, confident that he had a larger army than Xue, listened to Yin, who believed that Xue should be engaged. Xue, however, defeated him at Qianshui Plain (淺水原, in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), killing some 50% to 60% of Tang soldiers. Li Shimin was forced to withdraw back to Chang'an, and Liu and Yin were removed from their posts. Later that year, however, after Xue Ju's death, Liu participated in Li Shimin's campaign that defeated Xue Ju's son and successor Xue Rengao
Xue Rengao
Xue Rengao , also known as Xue Renguo , was an emperor of the short-lived state of Qin, established by his father Xue Ju at the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
, and his title was restored, but he was not again made a chancellor, but only as Li Shimin's assistant.
Death
Meanwhile, while Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji were initially friends, by this point they had developed an enmity, as Liu believed that he had greater contributions to Tang's establishment, and yet was not as trusted or honored as Pei. They had many disagreements, and each time they disagreed, Liu would insult Pei, and their friendship was broken. At one point, Liu Wenjing was so angry at Pei that, after he drank with his younger brother Liu Wenqi (劉文起), he drew his sword and hit a pillar with it, proclaiming, "One day, I will cut off Pei Ji's head!"Meanwhile, there were unusual bad omens happening in the Liu household, and Liu Wenqi (劉文起) engaged witches to try to dispel the evil spirits. One of Liu Wenjing's concubines, who had lost favor, had her brother report this to Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu arrested Liu Wenjing and had Pei and Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu , courtesy name Shiwen , formally Duke Zhenbian of Song , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty who later became an official for Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor at times during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang.-...
interrogate him. Liu Wenjing stated:
- When we rose at Taiyuan, I was the military attache, roughly carrying the same rank as the secretary [i.e., Pei]. Now Pei is Pushe [(僕射, i.e., the deputy head of the executive bureau and a chancelor)] and has a luxurious home, but my rank and bestowments were no greater than anyone else's. I have to march east and west, leaving my mother at the capital without even a place to hide herself from the weather. Of course I am disappointed, and I spoke only in frustration after I drank.
Emperor Gaozu was displeased and believed that Liu Wenjing was planning treason. Li Gang (李綱) and Xiao both spoke on Liu's behalf, as did Li Shimin, but Pei warned Emperor Gaozu that Liu was talented but reckless and might cause trouble in the future. Emperor Gaozu, who trusted Pei, hesitated but eventually agreed, and he executed both Liu Wenjing and Liu Wenqi and confiscated their wealth. After Li Shimin became emperor in 626 (as Emperor Taizong), he restored Liu Wenjing's titles posthumously in 628 and allowed his son Liu Shuyi (劉樹義) to inherit the title of Duke of Lu, promising to eventually give him a princess as his wife. However, Liu Shuyi was still resentful over his father's execution, and he plotted a rebellion with his brother Liu Shuyi (劉樹藝, note different character). The plot was discovered, and they were executed.