In the early tang dynasty, there was a situation of the tang dynasty, during the reign of Tang Xuanzong, the Anshi Rebellion broke out, the Tang Dynasty went into decline, and in the last years of the Tang Dynasty, there was a eunuch rebellion, which was more serious than the Han and Ming dynasties.
Starting from Li Fuguo, who claimed to be the "old slave who oppressed the emperor", and then the eunuchs Ju Wenzhen and Wang Shoucheng, who forced the emperor to kill the emperor, as well as the eunuch Qiu Shiliang, who had experienced six generations of emperors, and others, in the fifth year of Kaicheng (840), Tang Wenzong Li Ang was seriously ill, and the eunuch general Qiu Shiliang deposed the crown prince Li Chengmei, and established Li Yan as the emperor's brother-in-law, Tang Wenzong died, and Li Yan ascended the throne as Tang Wuzong.
Tang Wuzong Li Yan was the fifth son of Tang Muzong Li Heng, Tang Jingzong Li Zhan and Tang Wenzong Li Ang's half-brother, in the early days of the reign, under the manipulation of Qiu Shiliang and others, put political opponents to death, in the same year, Tang Wenzong's burial ceremony, Qiu Shiliang killed the privy councillor Liu Hongyi and others, the eunuch dictatorship, which made the emperor very distressed, and relied on the chancellor Li Deyu, weakened the power of the eunuchs, relieved Qiu Shiliang of military power, and soon after Qiu Shiliang died.
There is never a shortage of princes in the imperial family, there is a competition for princes, there are threats from eunuchs, there are many contradictions in all parties, Tang Muzong, Tang Jingzong, Tang Wenzong are not long-lived emperors, in such a situation, Tang Xianzong Li Chun's thirteenth son, Tang Muzong's half-brother Li Chen behaved foolishly from an early age, often ridiculed by other princes.
Tang Wuzong was Li Chen's nephew, but because Li Chen was demented, Tang Wuzong often teased Li Chen and used Li Chen as his own punching bag, Li Chen did not resist, it was a stupid look, Huichang six years (846), 32-year-old Tang Wuzong died of taking Dan medicine, and did not establish a prince before his death.
At this time, the eunuch Ma Yuanzhen was quite powerful and wanted to emulate Qiu Shiliang in controlling the imperial government, so he selected a prince from the imperial family who was easy to control, so he installed the "fool" Li Chen as a puppet emperor, that is, Tang Xuanzong. However, Li Chen, who became emperor, was no longer the foolish look, saying: The courtiers who helped him all pulled the heavenly prison, which made Ma Yuanzhen very frightened, but it was too late.
During Li Chen's reign, he was diligent in political affairs, improved social problems, belittled Li Deyu, ended the niu-Li party dispute, suppressed the power of eunuchs, cracked down on lawless magnates and foreign relatives, regained the lost land after the anshi rebellion, the people became more and more prosperous, and the precarious Tang Dynasty appeared to return to the light, and historians called this period "the rule of the great middle".
In addition, what is important is that Li Chen is good at receiving advice, to the same extent as Tang Taizong, Tang Taizong during his reign got a loyal minister Wei Zheng who dared to speak out and advise, and Li Chen received Wei Zheng's fifth grandson Wei Mo during his reign, and often sighed: "Wei Mo has the style of his ancestors (Wei Zheng), and his heart is extremely heavy on him." From this, it can also be learned that Li Chen wants to restore the prosperity of the Tang Taizong period.