In ancient times, four-wheeled carriages were not actually used; all were two-wheeled. In fact, during the Sui and Tang dynasties, horse-drawn carriages were rare, with ox-drawn carts being more common. The carriage compartments were much smaller than the props used in modern films and dramas, typically seating only one or two people. Since images cannot be included here, please refer to the author’s Weibo for photos of the "Tang Dynasty tri-colored ox cart exhibited at the Shaanxi History Museum" and the "Northern Qi pottery ox cart displayed at the Shanxi Museum."
The "blocking-the-carriage song" titled "Er Lang Wei" was directly copied from Dunhuang manuscripts. "Blocking the carriage" was a popular wedding custom in the Tang Dynasty (medieval period). Groups of idle troublemakers would lie in wait along the groom’s route to fetch his bride, stopping the wedding procession to demand food, drinks, and gifts while singing and dancing. Of course, some families arranged their own "blocking-the-carriage" events for festive atmosphere, with the blockers singing auspicious lyrics, typical of the "Er Lang Wei" series.
A brief explanation of "violating the night curfew." Chang’an City enforced a "night curfew," where, except for the three days of the Lantern Festival (when the "night release" allowed people to view lanterns), all city and ward gates were closed at sunset, prohibiting movement outside one’s residential ward. However, families with weddings or funerals could violate the curfew—"violating the night"—if they obtained prior approval from the authorities. Otherwise, since weddings were typically held at night, would marriages be banned?
Supreme Palace and Forbidden Garden: During the Zhenguan era, the later-famous "Daming Palace" had not yet been built. Emperor Li Shimin resided in the "Supreme Palace," the oldest and most formal imperial palace in Chang’an. The northern wall of the Supreme Palace was also the northern wall of Chang’an, with its northern gate being the famous Black Tortoise Gate. Beyond the gate, stretching north to the Wei River, lay the "Forbidden Garden," reserved for imperial hunting and farming. It housed royal retreats, Buddhist and Daoist temples, orchards, vegetable plots, and remnants of Han Dynasty palaces and residences, as well as garrisons like the "Northern Bureau Seven Camps," initially established for accompanying Emperor Li Shimin on hunts but later evolving into a true imperial guard.
The wives and daughters of Li Jian-cheng and Li Yuan-ji:
During the "Xuanwu Gate Incident," Li Shimin killed his elder brother Li Jian-cheng and younger brother Li Yuan-ji, along with all ten of their sons, then forced his father Li Yuan to abdicate as Supreme Emperor—a dark chapter he never denied. However, claims that "Li Shimin slaughtered his brothers’ entire families" are exaggerated. The epitaphs of Li Jian-cheng and his principal wife Zheng Guanyin were unearthed in recent years and can be found online. Zheng Guanyin, the Crown Princess during the WuDe Era, was cared for after the Xuanwu Gate Incident until her death at age 78 in the "third year of Gaozong’s Shangyuan era," inside Changle Gate. Her wake was held at the residence of her "fifth daughter, the Lady of Guide County." This confirms Li Jian-cheng had at least five daughters, with at least two surviving to marriageable age, including his second daughter, the Lady of Wenxi County, Li Wanshun, whose epitaph is also available online.Li Yuan-ji's wife, Yang Shi, is well-documented in historical records, so no further elaboration is needed. In recent years, the epitaphs of several of Li Yuan-ji's daughters have been unearthed. Combined with historical texts, it is known that Li Yuan-ji had at least six daughters, of whom at least five were married (their birth order is unclear). They were:
Princess Wen'an (married to Duan Yan, son of Duan Lun, with an extant epitaph),
Princess Guiren (married to the second son of the Duke of Changdao from the Jiang family of Tianshui, with an extant epitaph),
Princess Shouchun (married to Yang Yuzhi, son of Yang Shidao, as recorded in historical texts),
Princess Hejing (married to Xue Yuanchao, son of Xue Shou, mentioned in historical texts as well as her husband's biographical account and epitaph),
The sixth daughter, Princess Xinye (Li Ling, courtesy name Shuxuan, married to Pei Chonghui of Hedong, with an extant epitaph).
On the fifth day of the seventh month of the WuDe Era's fifth year (622), Hongyi Palace was constructed. Initially, Prince Qin resided in the Inheriting Heaven Hall within the palace. Gaozu, recognizing Prince Qin's merit in pacifying the realm, bestowed special honors upon him and had this separate palace built for his residence. By the seventh month of the ninth year (626), Gaozu, fond of the scenic beauty of Hongyi Palace's mountains and forests, moved there himself. In the fourth month of the third year of the Zhenguan Era (629), it was renamed Supreme Palace.
After the Tang dynasty's founding, Li Shimin and Li Yuan-ji both lived in the Supreme Palace for a time (Li Yuan-ji resided in the rear courtyard of Martial Virtue Hall). For adult princes to live in the palace was irregular, and later, the struggle for the Crown Prince's position complicated matters. Thus, in the fifth year of the WuDe Era (622), Li Shimin moved out of the palace city and took up residence in Hongyi Palace within the forbidden garden. Historical records do not mention Li Yuan-ji's situation, so the novel sets that Gaozu simultaneously constructed two palaces of identical regulations within the forbidden garden as princely residences for his second and fourth sons. Prince Qi's residence was named "Hongli Palace," located east of Hongyi Palace and closer to the Western Inner Garden.
After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, all the wealth and servants of Prince Qi's residence were awarded to Yuchi Jingde as a reward for his lifesaving service. The buildings were not demolished but were repurposed into a Buddhist temple, where the wives and daughters of Li Jian-cheng and Li Yuan-ji were relocated. It was renamed the "Temple of Common Vocation" (a malicious branding ploy).
To reiterate, the setting of Hongli Palace as the Temple of Common Vocation is fictional and unsupported by historical evidence. There is also no consensus on which "Temple of Common Vocation" Wu Zetian entered as a nun or its exact location.
Note: This book includes numerous historical artifact photos, reconstructions, and illustrative diagrams. As the publishing platform does not support image uploads, please visit the author's Weibo to view them. Search for the ID "Tang Chuan Daoyou Senlin Lu" on Sina Weibo for discussions and exchanges.
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