Taizong
relentlessly legalist expansionist emperor of china, born of a Han father in the lineage of Laozi the founder of Taoism and a mother from a subsidiary clan of Blue Turks, through a series of victories raised the chIna-s to their greatest glory.
A tall and powerful man, said to tower imperiously above his cowering fellow chIna-s, a rather impressive personality with a good knowledge of chIna scientific texts and artistic skill in calligraphy, instituted a system with the Taoism and bauddha dharma as the outer coat for the inner core of legalism centered on his persona.
Adopted Turkic customs such as as allowing chIna women to ride horses and letting his sons live in yurts on the palace-grounds and speaking with them in Turkic, despite his ministers’ advice to the contrary.
He clearly outlined his policy of sending the Han to settle all territory he conquered. Subdued rival turks, checked and allied with songtsen gampo the tibhoTa, sent spies (including Xuanzang) to India and attempted a failed invasion [MT].