Emperor Zhongzong - The First Reign

Emperor Zhongzong – The First Reign – Tang Dynasty

Emperor Zhongzong ruled the Tang Dynasty briefly in 684, then ruled again from 705 to 710. He was also called Wu Xian or Li Zhe at times.

During the first period, the 4th emperor of Tang didn’t exactly rule China. Instead, the entire government was in the hands and controlled by Empress Dowager Wu Zetian, his mother.

At some point during the first part of his rule, Zhongzong of Tang was eventually overthrown. This was due to the empress’ imperial power, which she used readily after he opposed her.

Before the First Rule in the Tang Dynasty

In 681, Emperor Gaozong had fallen ill. This was after he consumed pills created by alchemists of the court. From there, he had his son, Li Zhe, exercise imperial powers to continue handling the empire.

In 682, his second wife gave birth to LI Chongzhao, which pleased Emperor Gaozong. This was when he created the unprecedented title, “Deputy Crown Prince”, for Li Chongzhao.

Later in the same year, Emperor Gaozong took residence at Luoyang due to famine that ravaged the Guanzhong area. He left Li Zhe in charge of the Chang’an area. This was while being assisted by the following chancellors: Pei Yan, Liu Rengui, and Xue Yuanchao.

It was said that Li Zhe usually spent hours on his pastime and hobbies while was in charge of the area. Because of this, Xue frequently advised the head about spending his time in such a manner. Upon hearing about his actions, Emperor Gaozong rewarded Xue and had him summoned to Luoyang.

When Emperor Gaozong fell ill in 683, he had Li Zhe summoned to Luoyang. Li Chongrun was then given the task of watching over Chang’an together with Liu.

After arriving in Luoyang, Emperor Gaozong transferred the imperial powers to Li Zhe, then died soon after. This was the time he officially took the throne and the name Emperor Zhongzong. However, full power and control were under Empress Wu, who then became regent and empress dowager.

Emperor Zhongzong’s Reign – The First Rule

Zhongzong of Tang reigned two times in the Tang Dynasty. The first rule only lasted for six weeks, whereas the second lasted for five years. His wife, Empress Wei, dominated his first reign, where she appointed family members to important official posts.

The Reign Under Empress Dowager Wu: Regency & Dethronement

In the spring of 684, Emperor Zhongzong made his wife, the Empress Consort Wei. He even wanted to assign Wei Xuanzhen Shizhong, his father-in-law, as head of the government’s examination bureau. It was a position specific for chancellors.

Interestingly, the 4th emperor of Tang also wanted to assign the son of his wet nurse, a dynasty official of the 5th rank. However, Pei Yan – a chancellor serving the Tang Dynasty – resisted these commissions.

In fear of the decisions made by Zhongzong of Tang, Pei decided to inform Empress Dowager Wu about it. In just a couple of months after his enthronement, Emperor Zhongzong was issued an edict. It deposed him and reduced his title to Prince of Luling.

The Dethronement of Emperor Zhongzong

Because of going against Empress Dowager Wu, the emperor was charged with treason as well. He then went into seclusion for the next 21 years while his brother, Ruizong, ruled China with Empress Dowager Wu.

Zhongzong of Tang in Exile

After removing the 4th Emperor of Tang’s title, Empress Dowager Wu eventually ordered his exile, along with his family. They were sent to the Fang Prefecture, which is in today’s Shiyan, Hubei. After, they were taken to the Jun Prefecture, which is also in Shiyan.

Zhongzong of Tang was then held under house arrest. He lived in the house where his uncle Li Tai stayed after deposing in 643.

While he was in exile, the Tang emperor constantly lived in fear because of Empress Dowager Wu. She had shown her willingness to dispose of her children without any remorse.

In 684, she successfully forced Li Xian to commit suicide, while rumors claimed she poisoned Li Hong in 675.

With that, every time imperial messengers arrived from the empire’s capital, Luoyang, Emperor Zhongzong would consider killing himself. This was due to his anxiety and fear that the messengers were ordered to kill him and the like.

A Symbol of Resistance

While the emperor was in exile, those who plotted against the empress dowager utilized him as their symbol of resistance. An example would be when Li Jingye went against her in 684. He was the Duke of Ying during that time.

During this moment, he announced that he wanted to restore Li Zhe as emperor. Other instances of rebellion included the incident in 687 with Yang Chucheng. Another one was with Li Yin, the Duke of Poyang, who was Gaozong’s cousin.

In 690, Empress Dowager Wu was able to have Emperor Ruizong surrender the throne to her. From there, she ascended the throne as empress regnant, but for a new empire, the Zhou Dynasty. Doing this greatly interrupted the Tang.

She then made Ruizong the crown prince with the title Huangsi. Initially, she didn’t change the status of Zhongtong of Tang during her rule.

She continued her reign until her death in 705. There, the 4th emperor of Tang, Zhongzong, ruled the empire for the second time.