Emperor Ruizong - His First Rule in the Tang Dynasty

Emperor Ruizong – His First Rule in the Tang Dynasty – Tang Dynasty

Emperor Ruizong was born as Li Dan, though he was also known as Li Xulun during his lifetime. He was sometimes called Wu Lun, Li Lun, or Wu Dan and was the 5th and 9th Tang Dynasty emperor. Ruizong of Tang was Emperor Gaozong’s 8th son and 4th son of the emperor’s second wife, Empress Wu.

He was just a figurehead during his first rule since his mother controlled everything. So, Ruizong of Tang was simply the puppet and titular ruler of the Tang from 684 to 690.

Ruizong ruled the second time after his mother’s death, yet Princess Taiping, his sister, exercised significant power.

Before His Rule as the Tang Dynasty Emperor

Emperor Ruizong was born Li Xulun in 662 and was Emperor Gaozong’s youngest son. His mother was the emperor’s second wife, Empress Wu, who was eventually known as Wu Zetian.

Later that year, he was named the Prince of Yin. In 664, he nominally became the commandant at the Ji Prefecture and Chanyu Protectorate General.

There were claims stating that Ruizong had great humility and love for his siblings as he was growing. Plus, he was known for being talented in calligraphy.

In 666, the title he held was changed to Prince of Yu, while in 669, he became the Prince of Ji. During this moment, they changed his name from Xulun to Lun.

In 675, his title was altered to the Prince of Xian. However, in 678, they returned it to the Prince of Yu, then his name was changed to Li Dan. During this year, he was made the prefect of Luo Prefecture, which included the eastern capital of Luoyang.

The Death of Emperor Gaozong

Ruizong’s father, Emperor Gaozong, died in 683. He was succeeded by the crown prince Li Zhe, who was Ruizong’s older brother. Despite ruling, Empress Wu still continued holding power as the regent and empress dowager.

In 684, she noticed that Emperor Zhongzong started showing signs of independence. So before he could do anything further, she deposed him and replaced him with Ruizong as emperor. However, she wielded a firmer and stricter power during this time.

She had Emperor Ruizong live in a different palace and was prohibited from meeting with imperial officials. Moreover, he was also prevented from giving any input on stately affairs, despite being the Tang Dynasty emperor.

The wife of Ruizong of Tang, Princess Liu, was made the empress while her son, Li Chengqi, became crown prince.

First Reign – Controlled by Empress Dowager Wu

After Ruizong took the throne as the Tang Dynasty emperor, Empress Wu began renaming governmental banners and offices. She somehow disliked the Chang’an capital, so she elevated the status of Luoyang. The latter then became co-equaled with Chang’an.

At the suggestion of her nephew, Wu Chengsi, she had an ancestral temple built for five generations of her ancestors. Plus, she posthumously had the current Tang Dynasty emperor make these people princes.

In 684, the Duke of Jingye began a rebellion against the empress at the Yang Prefecture. He sought the restoration of the Tang Dynasty emperor Zhongzong, but in retaliation, he had the generals suppress the rebellion.

She even accused chancellor Pei Yan of undermining her authority, thus, had him executed for treason. In addition, the empress demoted all those officials and generals who spoke in defense of Pei. Some of them were later executed as well.

The Imperial Authority of Empress Dowager Wu

In 868, the empress created a group of secret police officials who carried out interrogations and torture. These were specifically for people who were suspected of opposing her reign.

During this time, Ruizong of Tang entirely stayed out of political issues. Yet in 687, when the empress believed that Liu Yizhi turned against her, he started intervening. Liu was a part of Emperor Ruizong’s staff who served when he was still a prince.

She accused Liu of corruption and had him arrested. From there, Ruizong wrote a petition to spare Liu’s life, but instead, the empress ordered him to commit suicide.

Rebellion against the Empress Dowager

In 688, the princes assumed that Empress Dowager Wu was lying when she wanted to summon them. Her excuse was for a ceremony worshipping the God of Luo River.

They assumed that her true plot was to summon them to Luoyang then have them executed. So, the princes considered a rebellion, where one was initiated by Li Zhen of Yue Province. He was Ruizong’s uncle and was assisted by his son, Li Chong – the Prince of Langye.

Unfortunately, the two were quickly defeated. And during this moment, the empress carried out a purge of senior imperial Li clan members. These included Emperor Ruizong’s grand-uncles, namely Li Yuanjia and Li Lingkui.

The Empress Regnant

In 690, the empress received numerous petitions to take the throne, and one came from Ruizong of Tang himself. Of course, she accepted the offer and took the title empress regnant.

From there, she established the new Zhou Empire, which interrupted the Tang Dynasty. The empress demoted Ruizong to crown prince, changing his name back to Lun.