In the fourth year of Wude (621), Li Shimin reformed the currency system, abolished the "five baht money" and issued the "Kaiyuan Tongbao". Because of Li Shimin's meritorious service, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty specially rewarded him with three "coin-casting furnaces", which meant that he had the power to issue currency throughout the country. The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace could only rely on the court's funds to operate. One of the reasons for the reform of the currency system was the lack of coins since Zhenyuan and Yuanhe, which led to the use of silk for many payments. Li Shimin did not mention the specific details and purpose of the reform.
Li Shimin reformed the military system during the Zhenguan period. He changed the original military headquarters into the Zhechong headquarters, and a total of 634 Zhechong headquarters were set up in the country. The main responsibility of the prefecture soldiers was to guard the capital and the border fortress. In the Tang Dynasty's government military system, the target of conscription was still relatively wealthy farmers. To deploy troops, one needed an imperial edict signed by the Emperor and a tiger talisman issued by the Ministry of War. In order to prevent local generals from abusing their power, the Tang Dynasty also formulated a policy of disbanding soldiers. The prefectural soldier system had played a role in expanding the army and enriching the armed forces during times of frequent war. However, as the number of wars decreased, the drawbacks of the prefectural soldier system gradually appeared. The reform of the military system was part of Li Shimin's plan to strengthen the military system of the Tang Dynasty, which improved the combat effectiveness of the Tang army, played an important role in expanding the country and maintaining domestic stability.
Li Shimin and Li Chengqian were father and son during the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin was Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Chengqian was his eldest son. Li Shimin had placed great expectations on Li Chengqian and began to cultivate his talent and education when he was young. Li Chengqian had shown outstanding talent when he was young and was conferred the title of Crown Prince. He was also given special attention and love by his father. However, as time passed, Li Chengqian's behavior gradually became absurd and unruly. He indulged his interests and energy, liked hunting, and enjoyed a luxurious life. This caused Li Shimin to lose confidence in him and eventually abolished his position as Crown Prince. Li Chengqian even tried to launch a rebellion but failed. As for their specific ending and subsequent developments, the information given so far was not enough to give a clear answer.
The reason why Li Shi Min was able to win every battle was not only because of his military commanding ability, but also because he had a powerful trump card army. This army had a total of 3,500 people, but in the process of Li Shi Min unifying the world, they had almost never been defeated. Li Shi Min's ability and the strength of this army complemented each other, allowing him to sweep across the world.
There were many reasons for Li Shimin to enfeoffment. First of all, Li Shimin believed that the enfeoffment system could strengthen the control of the vassals and make the emperor's restrictions on the vassals stronger. Secondly, the enfeoffment system could reduce the emperor's land and people, thereby reducing the emperor's responsibility and the possibility of mistakes. In addition, Li Shimin was also encouraged and influenced by some ministers. They supported the enfeoffment system and persuaded Li Shimin to take this measure. However, Li Shimin later abandoned the enfeoffment system because he realized that this system could lead to the separation of military towns and civil wars. In general, there were many reasons for Li Shimin's enfeoffment, including the control of the vassals, the reduction of the emperor's responsibility, and the influence of the ministers.
Li Shimin was described as a loyal king, handsome, and extraordinary. The great poet Du Fu also praised his image. Other than being handsome, he was also very powerful. However, there was no clear description or photo to confirm his appearance. Therefore, it was impossible to determine whether Li Shiming was handsome or not.
Li Shi Min doted on Li Chengqian very much. Li Shiming's love for Li Chengqian had exceeded the normal limits, and even shocked the officials in the court. Li Shi Min ordered Li Tai to move to Martial Virtue Hall, which made the ministers feel uneasy. However, whether Li Shimin's special love for Li Chengqian was purely because he was a father's preference for his son, or because of Yuan Xiangshi's criticism, we cannot be sure. However, Li Shiming's love had spoiled Li Chengqian to a certain extent, which might have a certain negative impact on his growth. In general, Li Shimin was good to Li Chengqian, but whether he was overly fond of him required further observation and analysis.
Li Ke was indeed favored by Li Shimin. Li Ke was very outstanding in both civil and martial arts, and was regarded as the best among the princes. Not only was he talented, but he was also skilled in archery and horse riding. Li Ke had a calm and introverted personality. After being impeached, he began to strictly restrain himself. He no longer had a record of being impeached for making mistakes. He had received the teachings of Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, and other great teachers, so his talent was evident. In addition, when Li Ke was young, he had fought against the Turks and made great contributions, forcing the Turkic army to retreat single-handedly. When Li Shimin was young, he had gone to the enemy's territory many times to investigate the situation. He thought that Li Ke was very similar to him and intended to pass the Tang Empire to him. Therefore, Li Ke was favored by Li Shimin.