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How did Li Shimin become the Taizong emperor of the Tang dynasty?

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Taizong The Taizong emperor, detail of a portrait; in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

Li Shimin, later known as the Taizong emperor, ascended to the throne of the Tang dynasty following a violent power struggle with his brothers.12

As a prominent general and strategist, Li Shimin played a significant role in the early unification of the empire, which fostered intense rivalry with his elder brother, the crown prince Li Jiancheng. By 626, this factional strife reached a crisis point amid allegations that his brothers were plotting his murder.12

In response, Li Shimin executed a decisive military coup at the Xuanwu Gate, where he ambushed and killed Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji. Following this confrontation, he effectively forced his father, the Gaozu emperor, to abdicate the throne in his favor. Li Shimin then reigned as the second emperor of the Tang dynasty from 626 to 649.123