The only emperor in Chinese history, Li Zunyan

Due to the establishment of the imperial examination system, for the country to send a lot of real talent and practical learning of civilian and military generals, Liao, Western Xia, Jin and other foreign countries have followed suit, there is an emperor in Chinese history, is the former Keju Yuan, he is the Western Xia Divine Emperor Li Zunyan (Xū).

Statue of Li Zunyan of the Western Xia Divine Sect

Li Zunyan (1163–1226), of the Dangxiang clan and the son of Li Yanzong, king of the State of Qi, was well read and talented from an early age, and was deeply appreciated by his father and Emperor Xiangzong of Western Xia.

In 1203 (the tenth year of the Western Xia Dynasty), he participated in the Western Xia Imperial Examination, won the first place in the imperial examination, and the point was Zhuangyuan, and on August 12, 1211 (the second year of the Western Xia Emperor's construction), he launched a palace coup, deposed Xiangzong of Western Xia, established himself as emperor, changed the yuan "Guangding", and became the only Emperor Zhuangyuan in Chinese history.

During Li Zunyan's reign, he did not exert his literary and military strategy, inherited the erroneous policy of Emperor Xiangzong of Western Xia, and sent troops to attack the Jin state, but repeated battles and defeats caused serious damage to the country's economy, people's grievances were rife, and the national strength continued to weaken.

In the autumn of 1216 (the sixth year of Guangding), the Mongol Genghis Khan sent troops to attack the Jin Kingdom, Li Zunyan took the opportunity to rely on the Mongols, sent troops to assist in the battle, the Mengxia joint operation, Lianke Several Passes, in the winter of the same year, Li Zunyan took advantage of the victory to send troops to besiege the Jinguo Dingxi City, due to heavy casualties and was defeated.

Since the Western Xia annexed mongolia, every time it sent troops to fight for the Mongols, it had to suffer heavy casualties, so the national strength was even weaker, so Li Zunyan's policy of annexing Mongolia to invade Jin was strongly opposed by the imperial court, and the crown prince Li Deren gave up the position of prince and became a monk, but was imprisoned by Li Zunyan. After the Mongol invasion of Huarazimo (a dynasty in ancient Central Asia), li Zunyan refused to send troops under pressure, so the Mongols prepared to send troops to destroy the Western Xia, and the Western Xia was in a period of internal and external troubles.

In December 1223 (the thirteenth year of the Western Xia Dynasty), Li Zunyan, under the military threat of the Mongols, abdicated in the face of imperial opposition, and passed the throne to his second son Li Dewang, as Emperor Taishang.

In May 1226 (the fourth year of the Western Xia Dynasty), the Mongol army captured the western cities of the Western Xia River, and Li Zunyan died of illness at the age of 64, with the title of "Emperor of English" and the temple name "Shenzong", and was buried in the northwest of Pingqiang Fort in present-day Helan Mountain, Ningxia.

Although Li Zunyan was an emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty, he could be said to have failed in his administration, and in the second year of his death, that is, in 1227, the Western Xia was destroyed by the Mongols and annihilated in the long river of history.