Prince Zhanghuai
Li Xian | |
---|---|
Crown Prince Zhanghuai | |
Tang Dynasty | |
Reign | 675-680 |
Predecessor | Li Hong |
Successor | Emperor Zhongzong of Tang |
Prince of Yong 雍王 | |
Reign | 673-675 |
Prince of Pei 沛王 | |
Reign | 662-673 |
Prince of Lu 潞王 | |
Reign | 655-662 |
Born | 29 January 655 |
Died | 13 March 684 | (aged 29)
Spouse | Lady Fang (Princess of Yong) Lady Zhang (Liangdi) |
Issue | Li Guangshun, Prince of Lu Li Shouli Li Shouyi, Prince of Bi Princess Changshun |
Father | Emperor Gaozong of Tang |
Mother | Wu Zetian |
Li Xian (
In 706, his younger brother Emperor Zhongzong provided Li Xian with an honorable burial by interring his remains at the Qianling Mausoleum.
Background
Li Xian was born on 29 January 655, as the sixth son of Emperor Gaozong and the second son of his then-favorite concubine Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). There were, however, persistent rumors inside the palace that he was not actually born of Consort Wu but of her older sister Wu Shun (who was later created the Lady of Han).
In 655, the same year that his mother Consort Wu displaced Emperor Gaozong's first wife
It was said that his behavior was elegant, even in his youth, and, according to a comment that Emperor Gaozong made to the
Around this time, the princes were apparently often engaged in cockfighting. Wang Bo wrote a playful piece entitled the Declaration Against the Prince of Zhou's Cock (檄周王雞文) (the Prince of Zhou was Li Xian's brother Li Xiǎn (note different tone), later named Li Zhe), which, however, when Emperor Gaozong read it, caused Emperor Gaozong to be angry, as he believed this would cause discord between his sons, and therefore expelled Wang from the Pei mansion.
In 672, Li Xian's title was changed to Prince of Yong, and he was given the titles of commandant at Liang Prefecture (涼州, roughly modern Wuwei, Gansu), but continued to also serve as general and prefect of Yong Prefecture. His name was also changed to Li De. In 674, his name was changed back to Li Xian.
As crown prince
In 675, Li Xian's older brother
Meanwhile, Li Xian's relationship with Empress Wu began to deteriorate, as Li Xian had heard the rumors that he was actually the son of Lady of Han, and had become fearful. Empress Wu, detecting this, had her literary staff write two works entitled, Good Examples for Shaoyang (少陽正範, "Shaoyang" being an oblique term for a crown prince) and Biographies of Filial Sons (孝子傳) and gave them to Li Xian, and further wrote a number of letters rebuking Li Xian, making him more fearful. At the same time, Empress Wu relieved his duties as head of many government decisions and changed all of Li Xian's previous policies. Further, when the sorcerer Ming Chongyan (明崇儼), who was well-trusted by Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu, was assassinated in 679, Empress Wu suspected Li Xian—as Ming had been known to repeatedly make comments to Empress Wu that included, "The Crown Prince cannot bear the responsibilities of state. The Prince of Ying [(i.e., Li Xian's younger brother Li Zhe, later Emperor Zhongzong] has an appearance most similar to Emperor Taizong ([Emperor Gaozong's father])," and "The Prince of Xiang [(i.e., Li Xian's younger brother Li Dan, later Emperor Ruizong)] has the most honorable appearance."
Meanwhile, Li Xian was also known for his liking of music and women. (Some historians, pointing to oblique references that he was "particularly close" to a number of male servants, also believe that he liked
After removal
In 683, Li Xian was moved from Chang'an to Ba Prefecture (巴州, roughly modern Bazhong, Sichuan). In 684, after Emperor Gaozong's death, Li Zhe initially took the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong), but soon was deposed himself due to signs of disobedience to Empress Wu (now empress dowager), and Li Dan became emperor instead (as Emperor Ruizong), although Empress Dowager Wu retained all powers as regent. In spring 684, she sent the general Qiu Shenji to Ba Prefecture with the order of, "Examine the house of Li Xian the former crown prince to prevent external attacks." However, she hinted to him that he should have Li Xian killed. When he got to Ba Prefecture, he placed Li Xian into a small room and forced him to commit suicide. When news of Li Xian's death arrived at Luoyang, Empress Wu publicly blamed Qiu and demoted him to the post of prefect of Die Prefecture (疊州, roughly modern Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu), while publicly mourning Li Xian and posthumously creating him the title of Prince of Yong. (Qiu was soon recalled to Luoyang to again be general.) After Empress Wu's death in 705 and the restoration of Emperor Zhongzong to the throne, Emperor Zhongzong had Li Xian's casket returned to Chang'an, to be buried near the tomb of Emperor Gaozong. After Emperor Ruizong became emperor again in 710, he had Li Xian's crown prince title restored.
Ancestry
16. Li Bing, Duke Ren of Tang | ||||||||||||||||
8. Wu Shiyue, Duke Ding of Ying | ||||||||||||||||
13. Lady Zhao | ||||||||||||||||
3. Empress Wu Zetian | ||||||||||||||||
28.Yang Shao | ||||||||||||||||
14. Yang Da | ||||||||||||||||
7. Lady Yang | ||||||||||||||||
Family
Wife
Princess Fang of Yong→Crown Princess→commoner→Princess of Yong (again)→Princess Dowager of Bin→Crown Princess Jing(posthumous)
Concubine
Consort Zhang
Issue
- Li Guangshun(李光顺), Prince of Le'an, later emigrated to Yifeng and killed. Posthumously honored Prince of Ju
- Li Shouli(李守礼), born Li Guangren(李光仁), born by Consort Zhang. He would be created Prince of Bin and treated as son of an emperor when his cousin Emperor Xuanzong was reigning
- Li Shouyi(李守义), Prince of Qianwei, later emigrated to Guiyang and died there. Posthumously honored Prince of Bi
- Lady Changxin(长信郡主), she was demoted to xianzhu (literally mistress of prefecture), and her later fate was unknown
None of the sons was born by Princess Fang. Whether Princess Fang mothered Lady Changxin was also unknown.
Notes
- ^ Volume 202 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Li was made crown prince on the wuyin day of the 6th month of the 2nd year of the Shangyuan era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 3 Jul 675 on the Gregorian calendar. [(上元二年)六月,戊寅,立雍王贤为皇太子...]
- ^ Volume 202 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Li was deposed on the jiazi day of the 8th month of the 1st year of the Yonglong era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 20 Sep 680 on the Gregorian calendar. [(永隆元年八月)甲子,废太子贤为庶人...]
References
- Old Book of Tang, vol. 86.
- New Book of Tang, vol. 81.
- Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 200, 202, 203.