Li Chengqi
Encyclopedia
Li Chengqi (679
– January 5, 742), known as Wu Chengqi during the reign of his grandmother Wu Zetian
and as Li Xian after 716, formally Emperor Rang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who served as crown prince
during the first reign of his father Emperor Ruizong
who yielded that position to his younger brother Li Longji
(Emperor Xuanzong) during Emperor Ruizong's second reign.
According to historical records, he was close to his younger brother Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong) and was never ambitious. Despite his never having been emperor, he was posthumously honored as an emperor by Emperor Xuanzong.
. He was the oldest son of Li Dan
, who was then the Prince of Yu, and Li Dan's wife Princess Liu
. Sometime after his birth, he was created the Prince of Yongping.
the Crown Prince
(as Emperor Zhongzong), but actual power was in the hands of Li Chengqi's grandmother Empress Wu
(later known as Wu Zetian), as empress dowager
and regent
. In 684, after Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with Li Chengqi's father Li Dan (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter held onto power even more firmly. After Emperor Ruizong's ascension, Li Chengqi was created crown prince, and his mother Princess Liu was created empress. In 688, when Empress Dowager Wu held a grand ceremony to offer sacrifices to the god of the Luo River (洛水, which flowed near the eastern capital Luoyang
), she had Emperor Ruizong and Li Chengqi offer sacrifices after her. She also had them offer sacrifices after her when she, in 689, offered sacrifices to the god of heaven, the past emperors of Tang Dynasty, her father Wu Shihuo
(武士彠), and the gods of the five elements.
Things appeared to change in 693, however, after Li Chengqi's mother Crown Princess Liu and Li Dan's concubine Consort Dou were killed by Wu Zetian based on false accusations by the lady in waiting
Wei Tuan'er (韋團兒). While Wu Zetian soon discovered that Wei Tuan'er's accusations were false (and executed her), Li Chengqi and his younger brothers were still reduced in their titles and were, along with their cousins Li Guangshun (李光順) the Prince of Yifeng, Li Shouli
the Prince of Yong, and Li Shouyi (李守義) the Prince of Yong'an (the sons of their uncle Li Xian (note different character), whom Empress Dowager Wu had forced to commit suicide in 684), held under house arrest in the palace. (In Li Chengqi's case, his title was reduced to Prince of Shouchun.)
, Cui Xuanwei
, Jing Hui
, Huan Yanfan
, and Yuan Shuji
. The former Emperor Zhongzong, whom Wu Zetian had recalled from exile in 698 and to whom Li Dan had subsequently yielded the crown prince position, was restored to the throne. He gave Li Chengqi's father Li Dan great honors and created Li Chengqi the greater title of Prince of Cai, but Li Chengqi declined this greater title and thereafter continued to be Prince of Shouchun.
Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly in 710—a death that traditional historians believed to be a murder carried out by his powerful wife Empress Wei
and daughter Li Guo'er
the Princess Anle. Empress Wei made Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao
the Prince of Wen, emperor (as Emperor Shang), but took power as empress dowager, and as part of a number of honors that she conferred on various persons to try to pacify them, Li Chengqi was created the greater title of Prince of Song. Less than a month later, however, a coup led by Li Chengqi's aunt Princess Taiping
and younger brother Li Longji
the Prince of Linzi killed Empress Dowager Wei and Princess Anle. Princess Taiping subsequently ordered Emperor Shang to yield the throne to Li Dan, who initially declined, but under persuasion by Li Chengqi and Li Longji, accepted.
Li Chengqi wept and begged to yield for several days, and after further persuasion by the chancellor Liu Youqiu
-- who had been part of Li Longji's coup plans—Emperor Ruizong agreed, and created Li Longji crown prince. Li Longji submitted a petition offering to yield to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong rejected it. Li Chengqi was subsequently made a senior advisor to Li Longji, the prefect of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an
, Shaanxi
), and nominal commandant at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
). Later that year, he was briefly made Shangshu Pushe (尚書僕射) -- one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), before he was further given the honorific title Sikong (司空), one of the Three Excellencies
.
Princess Taiping, who had already been powerful during Emperor Zhongzong's reign and grew even more powerful after Emperor Ruizong's return to the throne, had initially acquiesced to Li Longji's ascension as crown prince, believing that given his youth (25 at that time) he would be easy to control. However, she soon found him to be strong-willed and difficult to control, and she secretly considered finding some way to replace him with Li Chengqi or Li Shouli (who also could potentially have a legitimate claim to be crown prince given that he was the oldest son of Li Xian's wife). In 711, under the suggestion of the chancellors Song Jing
and Yao Yuanzhi
, who supported Li Longji and wanted to eliminate doubt in people's minds about who would succeed Emperor Ruizong, Emperor Ruizong made Li Chengqi the prefect of Tong Prefecture (同州, roughly modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
) and Li Shouli the prefect of Bin Prefecture (豳州, roughly modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
), while sending Princess Taiping and her husband Wu Youji
the Duke of Chu to Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
). However, after Princess Taiping found out and objected, the plan was cancelled, and Song and Yao were demoted out of the capital Chang'an
. Later in 711, Emperor Ruizong created a daughter of Li Chengqi the Princess Jinshan and offered to marry her to the khan
of Eastern Tujue, Ashina Mochuo, or Ashina Mochuo's son Ashina Yangwozhi (阿史那楊我支) (although Princess Jinshan would ultimately not be married to either). Soon thereafter, Li Chengqi resigned the honorific title of Sikong and again served as Li Longji's advisor. In turn, Li Longji offered to yield the crown prince position to Li Chengqi, an offer that Emperor Ruizong again declined. In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, although Emperor Ruizong continued to retain actual power, as Taishang Huang
(retired emperor).
). Li Chengqi was praised for being humble and careful, and Emperor Xuanzong was therefore respectful and trusting of him. Nevertheless, the officials were concerned that Li Chengqi, Li Shouli, and Li Chengyi (who was also older than Emperor Xuanzong) would become centers of conspiracies, and therefore requested that they be sent out of the capital to be prefects. In 714, Emperor Xuanzong agreed and sent the three princes out of the capital, and Li Chengqi became the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
). He instructed them to only be concerned about the general policies of the prefectural governments, and to entrust the implementation to the secretaries general and the military advisors. Meanwhile, the princes offered the mansions that they (and Emperor Xuanzong) had previously lived in the Xingqing District (興慶坊) of Chang'an to be the location of a new palace for Emperor Xuanzong, and Emperor Xuanzong accepted and converted the mansions into Xingqing Palace (興慶宮). He built new mansions for the princes near the palace.
In 716, because Emperor Xuanzong's mother Consort Dou had been posthumously honored Empress Zhaocheng, Li Chengqi and Li Chengyi, in order to observe naming taboo
, changed their names—Li Chengqi to Li Xian (note different character than his uncle) and Li Chengyi to Li Hui (李撝).
In 719, Li Xian's title was changed to Prince of Ning. Around that time, there was an incident in which Emperor Xuanzong, while on a skyway overseeing the palace, saw a guard who did not finish his meal but instead dumped some of the food in a hole. Angry that the guard was wasting food, he ordered that the guard be battered to death. None of Emperor Xuanzong's attendants dared to speak. However, Li Xian, who was present, calmly stated to Emperor Xuanzong:
Emperor Xuanzong agreed and stated, "If not for you, big brother, I would have killed excessively." He ordered the guard released. Later that day, at a feast, Emperor Xuanzong, in gladness, took off his belt, made of red jade, and awarded it to Li Xian, along with his own horse.
In 721, Li Xian became the minister of rites, a post that he served in until 726, when he again took on the honorific title Kaifu Yitong Sansi. In 733, he was again Taiwei. As the years went by, Emperor Xuanzong's brothers died one by one, with only Li Xian still remaining, and it was said that Emperor Xuanzong valued him even more. Whenever there were tributes submitted by the prefectures and the vassal states, he would always send some of the tributes to Li Xian.
Li Xian died near the new year 742. Emperor Xuanzong greatly mourned him, and, pointing out that Li Xian was initially the proper imperial heir, posthumously honored Li Xian as Emperor Rang and buried him with honors due an emperor. He also posthumously honored Li Xian's wife Princess Yuan as Empress Gong.
679
Year 679 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 679 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Deaths :* Æthelthryth, wife of King Ecgfrith of...
– January 5, 742), known as Wu Chengqi during the reign of his grandmother Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
and as Li Xian after 716, formally Emperor Rang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
who served as crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
during the first reign of his father Emperor Ruizong
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
who yielded that position to his younger brother Li Longji
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
(Emperor Xuanzong) during Emperor Ruizong's second reign.
According to historical records, he was close to his younger brother Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong) and was never ambitious. Despite his never having been emperor, he was posthumously honored as an emperor by Emperor Xuanzong.
Background
Li Chengqi was born in 679, during the reign of his grandfather Emperor GaozongEmperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
. He was the oldest son of Li Dan
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
, who was then the Prince of Yu, and Li Dan's wife Princess Liu
Empress Liu (Ruizong)
Empress Liu , formally Empress Sumingshunsheng or Empress Suming in short, was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Ruizong.- Background :It is not known when the future Empress Liu was born...
. Sometime after his birth, he was created the Prince of Yongping.
During Emperor Zhongzong's and Emperor Ruizong's first reigns
Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by Li Chengqi's uncle Li ZheEmperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
(as Emperor Zhongzong), but actual power was in the hands of Li Chengqi's grandmother Empress Wu
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
(later known as Wu Zetian), as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. In 684, after Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with Li Chengqi's father Li Dan (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter held onto power even more firmly. After Emperor Ruizong's ascension, Li Chengqi was created crown prince, and his mother Princess Liu was created empress. In 688, when Empress Dowager Wu held a grand ceremony to offer sacrifices to the god of the Luo River (洛水, which flowed near the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
), she had Emperor Ruizong and Li Chengqi offer sacrifices after her. She also had them offer sacrifices after her when she, in 689, offered sacrifices to the god of heaven, the past emperors of Tang Dynasty, her father Wu Shihuo
Wu Shihuo
Wǔ Shìhuò , was the father of Wu Zetian, the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant. Posthumously honored with the title of King Zhongxiao, Wu was the son of Wu Hua and became a timber merchant. He was also known as the Duke of Ying and King of Wei serving as army...
(武士彠), and the gods of the five elements.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 690, Empress Dowager Wu had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her, establishing a new Zhou Dynasty as its "emperor" and interrupting Tang Dynasty. Emperor Ruizong was reduced to crown prince, while Li Chengqi was reduced to the title of "imperial grandson" (皇孫). For a while, Li Chengqi and his younger brothers were allowed to establish residences outside the palace, and Li Chengqi was given a staff. As Wu Zetian changed Li Dan's surname to Wu, Li Chengqi also carried the surname of Wu during Wu Zetian's reign.Things appeared to change in 693, however, after Li Chengqi's mother Crown Princess Liu and Li Dan's concubine Consort Dou were killed by Wu Zetian based on false accusations by the lady in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
Wei Tuan'er (韋團兒). While Wu Zetian soon discovered that Wei Tuan'er's accusations were false (and executed her), Li Chengqi and his younger brothers were still reduced in their titles and were, along with their cousins Li Guangshun (李光順) the Prince of Yifeng, Li Shouli
Li Shouli
Lĭ Shǒulĭ was the second son of Li Xián who also known as Crown Prince Zhanghuai of Tang. Born Li Guangren during the Chuigong era of his youngest uncle Emperor Ruizong of Tang's reign when his grandmother Wu Zetian held the real power, he was renamed Shouli and given the title Crown Prince Xima...
the Prince of Yong, and Li Shouyi (李守義) the Prince of Yong'an (the sons of their uncle Li Xian (note different character), whom Empress Dowager Wu had forced to commit suicide in 684), held under house arrest in the palace. (In Li Chengqi's case, his title was reduced to Prince of Shouchun.)
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign and Emperor Shang's reign
Wu Zetian was overthrown in 705 in a coup led by the officials Zhang JianzhiZhang Jianzhi
Zhang Jianzhi , courtesy name Mengjiang , formally Prince Wenzhen of Hanyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong...
, Cui Xuanwei
Cui Xuanwei
Cui Xuanwei , né Cui Ye , formally Prince Wenxian of Boling , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong...
, Jing Hui
Jing Hui
JIng Hui , courtesy name Zhongye , formally Prince Sumin of Pingyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong...
, Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan , courtesy name Shize , formally Prince Zhonglie of Fuyang , briefly known during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang as Wei Yanfan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong...
, and Yuan Shuji
Yuan Shuji
Yuan Shuji , formally Prince Zhenlie of Nanyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong...
. The former Emperor Zhongzong, whom Wu Zetian had recalled from exile in 698 and to whom Li Dan had subsequently yielded the crown prince position, was restored to the throne. He gave Li Chengqi's father Li Dan great honors and created Li Chengqi the greater title of Prince of Cai, but Li Chengqi declined this greater title and thereafter continued to be Prince of Shouchun.
Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly in 710—a death that traditional historians believed to be a murder carried out by his powerful wife Empress Wei
Empress Wei (Zhongzong)
Empress Wei was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice, and during his second reign, she tried to emulate the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and seize power...
and daughter Li Guo'er
Princess Anle
Princess Anle , personal name Li Guo'er , was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhongzong and his wife Empress Wei who was greatly favored by her parents and therefore grew very powerful and corrupt during her father's second...
the Princess Anle. Empress Wei made Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao
Emperor Shang of Tang
Emperor Shang , also known as Emperor Shao , personal name Li Chongmao , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 710....
the Prince of Wen, emperor (as Emperor Shang), but took power as empress dowager, and as part of a number of honors that she conferred on various persons to try to pacify them, Li Chengqi was created the greater title of Prince of Song. Less than a month later, however, a coup led by Li Chengqi's aunt Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong and was powerful during the reigns of her mother and her elder brothers Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong , particularly...
and younger brother Li Longji
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Linzi killed Empress Dowager Wei and Princess Anle. Princess Taiping subsequently ordered Emperor Shang to yield the throne to Li Dan, who initially declined, but under persuasion by Li Chengqi and Li Longji, accepted.
During Emperor Ruizong's second reign
Emperor Ruizong was immediately faced with the issue of whom to make crown prince—as Li Chengqi, as the oldest son overall and the oldest son of his wife, was the appropriate heir under Confucian principles of succession, but Li Longji had been the one whose accomplishments had allowed him to retake the throne. He hesitated. Li Chengqi declined consideration to be crown prince—stating to his father:Li Chengqi wept and begged to yield for several days, and after further persuasion by the chancellor Liu Youqiu
Liu Youqiu
Liu Youqiu , formally Duke Wenxian of Xu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong.- Background :...
-- who had been part of Li Longji's coup plans—Emperor Ruizong agreed, and created Li Longji crown prince. Li Longji submitted a petition offering to yield to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong rejected it. Li Chengqi was subsequently made a senior advisor to Li Longji, the prefect of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), and nominal commandant at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). Later that year, he was briefly made Shangshu Pushe (尚書僕射) -- one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), before he was further given the honorific title Sikong (司空), one of the Three Excellencies
Three Excellencies
The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China...
.
Princess Taiping, who had already been powerful during Emperor Zhongzong's reign and grew even more powerful after Emperor Ruizong's return to the throne, had initially acquiesced to Li Longji's ascension as crown prince, believing that given his youth (25 at that time) he would be easy to control. However, she soon found him to be strong-willed and difficult to control, and she secretly considered finding some way to replace him with Li Chengqi or Li Shouli (who also could potentially have a legitimate claim to be crown prince given that he was the oldest son of Li Xian's wife). In 711, under the suggestion of the chancellors Song Jing
Song Jing
Song Jing , formally Duke Wenzhen of Guangping , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as the chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong...
and Yao Yuanzhi
Yao Chong
Yao Chong , né Yao Yuanchong , known 700s-713 by the courtesy name of Yuanzhi , formally Duke Wenxian of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor under four sovereigns—Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong,...
, who supported Li Longji and wanted to eliminate doubt in people's minds about who would succeed Emperor Ruizong, Emperor Ruizong made Li Chengqi the prefect of Tong Prefecture (同州, roughly modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
) and Li Shouli the prefect of Bin Prefecture (豳州, roughly modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), while sending Princess Taiping and her husband Wu Youji
Wu Youji
Wu Youji , formally Prince Zhongjian of Ding , was an imperial prince of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty and an official of Tang Dynasty. He is best known as the second husband of Wu Zetian's powerful daughter Princess Taiping....
the Duke of Chu to Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). However, after Princess Taiping found out and objected, the plan was cancelled, and Song and Yao were demoted out of the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. Later in 711, Emperor Ruizong created a daughter of Li Chengqi the Princess Jinshan and offered to marry her to the khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of Eastern Tujue, Ashina Mochuo, or Ashina Mochuo's son Ashina Yangwozhi (阿史那楊我支) (although Princess Jinshan would ultimately not be married to either). Soon thereafter, Li Chengqi resigned the honorific title of Sikong and again served as Li Longji's advisor. In turn, Li Longji offered to yield the crown prince position to Li Chengqi, an offer that Emperor Ruizong again declined. In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, although Emperor Ruizong continued to retain actual power, as Taishang Huang
Taishang Huang
Retired Emperor, Grand Emperor, or Emperor Emeritus is a title occasionally used throughout East Asian feudal regimes for former emperors who had abdicated voluntarily to their sons. This title appeared in the history of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam...
(retired emperor).
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
In 713, Emperor Xuanzong, believing that Princess Taiping was about to, along with officials and generals loyal to her, start a coup to overthrow him, acted first, killing officials and generals close to her and then forcing her to commit suicide. Thereafter, Emperor Ruizong transferred full imperial authorities to Emperor Xuanzong, who subsequently conferred on Li Chengqi the honorific titles Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司) and Taiwei (太尉) (also one of the Three Excellencies). It was said that thereafter, Emperor Xuanzong tried to show his love toward his brothers—Li Chengqi, Li Chengyi (李成義) the Prince of Shen, Li Fan (李範) the Prince of Qi, Li Ye (李業) the Prince of Xue—as well as his cousin Li Shouli, who was raised with them, established rooms for them inside the palace to allow them to stay overnight whenever they wished. Emperor Xuanzong and the five princes often spent time together in various activities—discussing Confucian classics, writing poetry, drinking, gambling, gaming, hunting, and playing music (and Li Chengqi, in particular, was known for playing the fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
). Li Chengqi was praised for being humble and careful, and Emperor Xuanzong was therefore respectful and trusting of him. Nevertheless, the officials were concerned that Li Chengqi, Li Shouli, and Li Chengyi (who was also older than Emperor Xuanzong) would become centers of conspiracies, and therefore requested that they be sent out of the capital to be prefects. In 714, Emperor Xuanzong agreed and sent the three princes out of the capital, and Li Chengqi became the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). He instructed them to only be concerned about the general policies of the prefectural governments, and to entrust the implementation to the secretaries general and the military advisors. Meanwhile, the princes offered the mansions that they (and Emperor Xuanzong) had previously lived in the Xingqing District (興慶坊) of Chang'an to be the location of a new palace for Emperor Xuanzong, and Emperor Xuanzong accepted and converted the mansions into Xingqing Palace (興慶宮). He built new mansions for the princes near the palace.
In 716, because Emperor Xuanzong's mother Consort Dou had been posthumously honored Empress Zhaocheng, Li Chengqi and Li Chengyi, in order to observe naming taboo
Naming taboo
Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere.-Kinds of naming taboo:...
, changed their names—Li Chengqi to Li Xian (note different character than his uncle) and Li Chengyi to Li Hui (李撝).
In 719, Li Xian's title was changed to Prince of Ning. Around that time, there was an incident in which Emperor Xuanzong, while on a skyway overseeing the palace, saw a guard who did not finish his meal but instead dumped some of the food in a hole. Angry that the guard was wasting food, he ordered that the guard be battered to death. None of Emperor Xuanzong's attendants dared to speak. However, Li Xian, who was present, calmly stated to Emperor Xuanzong:
Emperor Xuanzong agreed and stated, "If not for you, big brother, I would have killed excessively." He ordered the guard released. Later that day, at a feast, Emperor Xuanzong, in gladness, took off his belt, made of red jade, and awarded it to Li Xian, along with his own horse.
In 721, Li Xian became the minister of rites, a post that he served in until 726, when he again took on the honorific title Kaifu Yitong Sansi. In 733, he was again Taiwei. As the years went by, Emperor Xuanzong's brothers died one by one, with only Li Xian still remaining, and it was said that Emperor Xuanzong valued him even more. Whenever there were tributes submitted by the prefectures and the vassal states, he would always send some of the tributes to Li Xian.
Li Xian died near the new year 742. Emperor Xuanzong greatly mourned him, and, pointing out that Li Xian was initially the proper imperial heir, posthumously honored Li Xian as Emperor Rang and buried him with honors due an emperor. He also posthumously honored Li Xian's wife Princess Yuan as Empress Gong.