Li Tang's land, more than half is Li Shimin and his men. In the Xuanwu Gate incident, Li Shimin killed his brother and got the position of Prince, and later proclaimed himself emperor, becoming a prosperous and wise monarch with all kinds of glory. While enjoying this honor and glory, Emperor Taizong did not forget his old subordinates, but made a list of honors for the twenty-four heroes of Lingyange.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were countless civil servants and military commanders who followed Li's father and son, and countless heroes who died in battle. However, there are only 24 places in Lingyange. It can be said that no matter where you rank, it is already a great honor, which not only means that you have made a success, but also left a wealth that is hard to buy for future generations.
However, even if they are all meritorious deeds, they naturally have to have a ranking and emotional affinity. Therefore, the Twenty-Four Heroes of Lingyange are by no means equal. However, it is hard for many people to accept that Qin Qiong ranks 24th, and Weichi Gong, known as the goalkeeper, is far ahead of him.
The root causes can be roughly attributed to the following reasons: First, Qin Qiong made outstanding military achievements and was the founding hero of the Li and Tang Dynasties. But it is worth noting that many of these heroes in the Sui and Tang Dynasties were exaggerated by historical novels. Later historical novels, such as The Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties, greatly exaggerated Qin Qiong's parochialism, greatly increased his prestige among the people, and almost became a figure comparable to Guan Gong.
However, folk worship of ancient heroes does not mean that the worshiped people are really superior to contemporary historical figures. Among the 24 outstanding people in Lingyange, Qin Qiong's contribution may not be ranked last, but it may not be ranked first.
Secondly, the establishment of merit list is based on the size of merit, as the ancients said. However, this royal honor is bound to be influenced by political factors. Qin Qiong was older among the military commanders in the Tang Dynasty. After the political stability, he has gradually retired to the second line, and his influence is not as good as that of some powerful figures. At least, Qin Qiong was inferior to Weichi Gong at that time.
Third, a careful observation of the ranking of the twenty-four outstanding figures in Lingyange will reveal that in fact, Emperor Taizong is also selfish. Some top heroes were related to him, or participated in the change of Xuanwu Gate, or both. At this point, the most representative figure is Sun Chang Wuji. However, aside from this factor, the big ranking is still relatively fair.