Is “How exactly was Li Jiancheng killed in the Xuanwu Gate Incident?” true?
The Old Book of Tang, Biographies of the Twenty-Two Sons of Gaozu, records that Li Shimin personally shot and killed Li Jiancheng: 'Taizong then shot him, and Jiancheng fell dead at the sound of the bowstring.' Chapter 66 of the Sui and Tang Romance retains the plot of Li Shimin shooting Li Jiancheng but adds dramatic conflict, describing Li Jiancheng first 'firing three arrows in succession, but failing to hit the Prince of Qin,' then Li Shimin counterattacked 'with one arrow, which struck Jiancheng in the back,' and finally 'Changsun Wuji rushed forward like the wind and cut him down with a single stroke.' The novel softens the cruelty of Li Shimin directly killing his elder brother, adding elements of self-defense and a finishing blow by another person.
In the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the cause of Li Jiancheng's death: the novel adds drama of mutual shooting and a finishing blow on top of the official history.
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