Emperor Jingzong

Emperor Jingzong – Tang Dynasty

Emperor Jingzong was another ruler of China’s Tang Dynasty who reigned from 824 to 827. He was born with the name Li Zhan and was the eldest son of Emperor Muzong.

Emperor Jingzong’s Life before Reigning as the Emperor

Li Zhan was born in 809 and was the oldest son of Li You, the Prince of Sui. His mother was concubine Consort Wang who birthed him at the Eastern Palace. Interestingly, it was the palace of crown princes, yet Li You then wasn’t a crown prince.

In 821, when Emperor Xianzong died, Li You ascended the throne as Emperor Muzong. He designated a couple of his younger sons and brothers as imperial princes, where Li Zhan became Prince of Jing.

In the new year of 823, Emperor Muzong was enjoying a polo match until an accident occurred. One of the eunuchs present in the match fell from his horse and accidentally hit Muzong of Tang.

This accident sent a shock to the emperor, which later caused a stroke. He couldn’t rise or function properly, so officials in the empire suggested that he name a crown prince. Eventually, he responded by making Li Zhan the crown prince.

In 824, Muzong of Tang recovered from his accident, but unfortunately, he grew ill for some reason. He then ordered Li Zhan to serve as the regent while he was ill.

A couple of eunuchs requested that Empress Dowager Guo, Emperor Muzong’s mother, should declare herself regent. Despite this, she refused and said she didn’t wish to be like Wu Zetian.

That night, Muzong died, so Li Zhan ascended the throne as Emperor Jingzong.

The Reign of Emperor Jingzong

Jingzong of Tang became an emperor at just 15-years-old. His reign was short as well and was dominated by corrupt eunuchs who controlled the imperial Shence Army. Eventually, they overshadowed his and his younger brother’s, Emperor Wenzong, rule.

Basically, Jingzong of Tang wasn’t interested at all in ruling the empire. He gave into pleasure and lived excessively while eunuchs and officials were in control of real power over the Tang. One of the eunuchs was Wang Shoucheng, while one of the officials was Li Fengji.

During his rule, Emperor Jingzong greatly honored his grandmother, Empress Dowager Guo. She was given the title of Grand Empress Dowager while also honoring his mother as Empress Dowager.

The Mistakes of Emperor Jingzong

Right from the beginning of his rule, the Tang emperor was known for not being diligent and wasteful. During these times, his actions included some of the following:

Emperor Jingzong mindlessly awarded numerous eunuchs colored silk, official uniforms, multiple awards, and treasures. He spent most of his time on polo, games, feasting, and music. When musicians performed for him, he gave them lavish rewards for it.

The Tang emperor was often late when it came to imperial meetings, which had officials wait on him for hours. Although advisory officials told him off regarding his behavior and actions, the emperor rewarded them instead. However, it’s quite unclear if he took their advice and suggestions to heart.

When Yuchi Rui of the Long Prefecture handed a petition, the emperor agreed to it immediately. It stated that Mt. Niuxin was mystically linked to the Tang Empire’s divine protection. He even claimed that the structure of the mountain should be repaired.

There, Jingzong of Tang conscripted thousands of men to work and complete the construction. He commenced with the project despite it being dangerous and difficult.

It was said that the Dongchuan Circuit had all its strengths drained due to the construction.

Death of Emperor Jingzong

Meanwhile, there were also claims stating that Emperor Jingzong engaged and became close with polo players, eunuchs, and strong individuals. They would arm-wrestle with him, and he would reward them greatly.

However, Emperor Jingzong had impulsive moments, and if he became angry with them, he would usually exile these people. If not, the Tang emperor would seize their households or had them battered. Because of his actions, some claim that his attendants started fearing and resenting him.

In 827, it was said that Jingzong of Tang was out doing his leisurely activities. Once he was done, he returned to the imperial palace to drink with several people. These consisted of the eunuchs Tian Wucheng, Liu Keming, and Xu Wenduan. Polo players were also present, such as Shi Congkuan, Wang Jiaxian, and Yan Weizhi.

When the emperor left his seat for the latrine like he usually does, the candles in the area went out. There, the Tang emperor was murdered.

After the incident, Liu summoned the scholar Lu Sui to create a will for Jingzong. It stated that Muzong’s younger brother should be set as Prince of Jiang. This was Li Wu, and he would be in charge of the entire state.

It was an unfortunate event since Emperor Jingzong died at a very early age of 17 years.