Taizong Emperor of Tang China 唐太宗

Li Shimin (598 – 649)
Confident, liberal, and dynamic. A cunning thinker and a daring warrior, Li Shimin was renowned both for his scholarly qualities as well as his deadliness on the battlefield.

Having served his father as the recruiter for the clan, Li possessed a remarkable appreciation for talented individuals wherever he found them- even from his enemies. Perhaps its even more fitting to say: especially from among his enemies. Like his father, Li was both a lethal general but also merciful in victory, often pardoning remnants of whole enemy armies and enrolling them in his ranks. It's little surprising that upon his ascension as the Taizong Emperor his cabinet eventually consisted of many defeated ministers, and that a good portion of his best generals were former enemies -be they vagabond hooligans or Gokturk Princes who had faced him in battle.