唐玄宗의 執權과 擊毬 (Sports Star, Li Lung-chi becomes Emperor)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 동국대학교 동국역사문화연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 동국사학 / 77호 / 335 ~ 370페이지
· 저자명 : 서영교, 김은정

초록

어린 시절 생명의 위협을 느끼고 살아가야 했던 이륭기(玄宗)가 어떻게 중국 역사에서 이름을 남긴 황제가 되었고, 무엇이 그의 파란만장한 운명을 주도하였을까.
693년 그가 7세일 때였다. 할머니 측천무후가 어머니를 죽이고 유기했다. 사라진 모친을 찾다가 그는 황실의 비극에 눈을 떴다. 당시는 조정의 많은 신하들이 밀고로 죽임을 당하는 공포정치 시대였고, 측천무후의 자손들도 예외가 아니었다. 황궁은 도살장이었다. 암울한 시대에 소년 이륭기는 격구에 몰입했다.
그가 20세가 되던 해(705)에 정변이 일어나 할머니 측천무후가 연금되고, 큰아버지인 중종이 복위했다. 하지만 위황후와 안락공주 그리고 무삼사가 권력을 농단했다. 707년 8월 위황후 일파가 이륭기의 아버지 상왕(예종)을 모함했고, 주변 사람들의 변호로 겨우 모면했다. 708년 4월 견제를 받은 이륭기와 그의 형제들은 지방으로 내려가야 했다.
역사 속에 변화는 언제나 예상치 못한 곳에서 생겨나고, 숨길 수 없는 흔적을 남긴다. 710년 1월 13일 황궁의 격구장에서 당-토번 시합이 벌어졌다. 몇 판의 시합이 벌어졌고, 토번이 모두 이겼다. 토번인들의 환호 속에서 황제와 선수들(仗內: 금군을 포함한 萬騎)은 수치심을 느꼈다. 4명의 선수가 교체되었고, 거기에는 막 상경한 이륭기가 들어 있었다. 그는 결정적인 시점에 탁월한 능력을 발휘했다. 좌우로 바람(風)과 번개(電)같이 질주하는 그의 속도에 토번 선수 10명 모두가 제압당했다. 그의 움직임과 동작은 사람들을 격동하게 했다.
이륭기는 도저히 이루어낼 수 없을 것 같았던 승리를 눈앞에서 구현한 영웅이 되었고, 그를 통해 사람들은 만족감을 얻었다. 이륭기는 황제에게 상금을 받았고, 그의 명망도 올라갔다. 무엇보다 경기를 목격한 북아금군 안의 만기(萬騎: 仗內)에게 그의 이름을 알리게 되었다.
710년 6월 2일 위황후가 황제를 독살하고 권력을 잡았다. 백부의 부재에 이륭기의 앞날도 어두워졌다. 하루가 지나 위황후 일파 사람들이 만기의 최고 지도부에 둥지를 틀었다. 6월 12일 만기의 중간 간부들이 이륭기를 찾았다. 위황후파 간부들이 군기를 잡기 위해 만기의 병사들을 자주 구타한다고 했다. 이륭기가 거사를 사주한 것이 아니라, 만기의 중간 간부들이 이륭기를 혁명 지도자로 선택했다. 이륭기도 성공이나 실패를 논하고 있을 여유가 없었다. 시간이 흐를수록 위황후파의 힘은 강해질 것이다. 지금 당장 존망을 걸고 싸우는 수밖에 없다.
6월 20일 밤 10시에 거사가 시작되었다. 만기의 갈복순 등이 칼을 들고 군영으로 들어가 위선ㆍ위파ㆍ고숭의 목을 벴다. 이륭기가 거사를 주도한다는 것을 인지한 만기의 병사들이 동의했기 때문에 그것이 가능했다.
갈복순은 좌만기(左萬騎)를 이끌고 가서 현덕문을, 이선부는 우만기(右萬騎)를 거느리고 백수문을 공격하여 문을 열고 들어가 능연각 앞에서 합류하였다. 12시 이륭기는 병사를 데리고 입궐했고, 내궁인 태극전에 근무하던 만기 병사들도 혁명군에 호응하였다. 위황후와 그 일파가 모두 사살되었다.
만기의 협조로 당륭정변은 성공했고, 1일 만에 그들은 이륭기의 휘하에 편입되었다. 궁내부의 무력을 장악한 그는 태자가 되어 조정의 실권자가 되었고, 712년 현종으로 즉위하여, 고모인 태평공주와 그 일파를 제거하고 개원(開元)의 시대를 열었다.

영어초록

Emperor Hsüan Tsung(Li Lung-chi: 李隆基) of the Tang Dynasty had to be constantly monitored and even felt threatened with his life as a child. Then how did he become an emperor and what led to his fate. His grandmother, Empress Wu, was a sociopath who killed many people.
The Imperial Palace was the garden of death. When he was 7 years old. Grandmother Empress Wu killed his mother. No found a dead body. Although he was young, he recognized the truth while looking for his mother, and woke up to the tragedy of the family. Before he was born, his uncle Li Hung(李弘) was poisoned by his grandmother, and another uncle Li Hsien(李賢) was killed. When he was 15 years old, his cousins Li Ch’ung-jun(懿德太子) and Princess Yung T’ai(永泰公主) were beaten to death while criticizing their grandmother. At that time, it was an era of horror politics in which many of the court’s officials lost their lives. Here, the sons and children born by the grandmother herself were no exception.
As a child, he was hooked on polo. He gained his freedom when riding a horse and playing polo with brothers. He forgot to go back to the palace because of Polo’s charm. This made him a master of polo.
Big changes in history always come from unexpected places and leave an indelible mark. On 13 January 710, the palace’s polo stadium, where Emperor Zhongzong hosted a dinner for the Tibetan mission.
The Tibetan leader said there was an excellent polo player among his men and suggested playing against the emperor’s guard(萬騎). Li Lungchi also attended the company dinner.
There were several rounds of matches between the emperor’s players and the Tibetan players, and the Tibetan side won all. The emperor’s face was not good enough. In the cheers of the Tibetans, the defeated players felt shame.
The emperor replaced the players. Li Lung-chi came out as a relief hitter. When the game resumed, he showed outstanding ability at a crucial point. He galloped left and right like the wind and lightning.
His movements and swing, which overpowered all Tibetan players at speed, seem to have thrilled people.
He had the speed, control, and concentration that 10 Tibetan players couldn’t keep up with, and his final goal-determining ability seems to have attracted people’s attention. The loud cheers of the people who grew louder as he hit the goal and the final climax of the shout rang out as he scored. China has won.
It became a fuel for the emperor guards, who had been defeated in the beginning and had lost their morale. Li Lung-chi became a hero who realized a victory that people seemed impossible to achieve in reality.
People were satisfied through him.
On that day, he received silk as a prize money from his uncle, the emperor. His reputation has gone up. Above all, his name was announced to the emperor’s guards who witnessed his match. This is the most important fact considering the T’ang-lung coup(唐隆政變) that will take place in six months.
Shortly after gaining fame as a sports star, he began to have close contact with middlemen of the emperor’s guard. Li Lung-chi was a man with everything. He was born with a beautiful appearance, a strong body, and royal lineage. He also had a passion as a polo player that no one could overcome. He generously gave funds and food to the emperor’s guards through his deputy Wang Mao Zhong(王毛仲).
On June 2, 710, Empress Wei poisoned the emperor(中宗). Li Lungchi’s future has darkened. The Empress came to power and if time goes by in this state, Li Lung-chi and his family are in danger. The emperor’s guards were also grim. One day after the emperor’s death, the empress took over the leadership of the guards.
On June 12, at the crossroads of choice, they met Li Lung-chi. The Empress’s officials often beat up guards to catch military discipline. It is said that this is a golden Time for the coup to succeed when there are many complaints from the guards against the Empress Wei faction.
Li Lung-chi did not order him, but the guards chose him.
Li Lung-chi also could not afford to discuss success or failure. The Empress Wei took control of everything in the court. As time goes by, her strength will grow stronger. He have no choice but to fight for his lives right now.
On June 20th, at 10 p.m., a big event took place. An imperial guard supporting Lee Rung-ki entered the military camp and killed the officials of the Empress Wei. They gathered the soldiers and revealed that the Empress had poisoned the emperor. Recognizing that Li Lung-chi was leading the coup, all the warriors agreed, and soldiers guarding the northern gate(玄武門) of the imperial palace fell into his hands. It was possible because the soldiers respected him as Sports star A bodyguard destroyed two doors of the royal palace and went inside.
They joined in front of Neungyeongak and took control of the palace. Li Lung-chi, who was waiting outside the northern gate, heard a shout at 12 p.m. and led the soldiers into the palace, and all the guards inside the palace(太極殿 宿衛 萬騎) heard the sound and joined the revolutionary army. Empress Wei, Princess An-rak, the princess’s husband, Mu Yeon-soo, and the female bodyguard Haru were shot dead.
Without much resistance, Li Lung-chi succeeded in a coup, and soon after, the emperor’s guard(萬騎) was incorporated under him.
Taking control of the force inside the palace, he became the crown prince and the real ruler of the court, ascended to the throne in 712, and opened the era of K’ai-yüan(開元治).

참고자료

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