Wu Zetian was the only orthodox female emperor in Chinese history, starting with Emperor Gaozong's participation in imperial politics, and finally became emperor in 690 AD through two sons, Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong. On the way to Wu Zetian's claim to emperor, a large number of Li and Tang clans became her souls under the sword because of their opposition to Wu Zetian's claim to be emperor. So by the time Wu Zetian became emperor, who was left of Li Yuan and Li Shimin's sons? This article will take a look at it with you.
1. The son of Li Yuan, the ancestor of Tang Gaozu
Li Yuan is one of the emperors with more sons in Chinese history, he has a total of 22 sons, of which the sixth son Li Yuanjing is born to him as an empress, that is to say, Li Yuan was declared emperor from the age of 52 to his death at the age of 70, with a total of 17 sons in between.
Among all Li Yuan's sons, the third son Li Xuanba, the fifth son Li Zhiyun, the eighth son Li Yuanheng, and the ninth son Li Yuanfang died early, and the rest grew up. Among these people:
The eldest son, Li Jiancheng, was once the first crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, and was killed by Li Shimin during the Xuanwu Gate Change, and all five of his sons were also killed.
Lee Jiancheng
The second son was Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who ascended the throne after the change of Xuanwu Gate and died in the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649 AD).
The fourth son, Li Yuanji, was canonized by Li Yuan as the King of Qi, and was killed together with the crown prince Jiancheng during the Xuanwu Gate Change, and all five of his sons were also killed, and Yuanji's lineage was also extinct.
The sixth son Li Yuanjing was made King of Jing by Li Shimin in the tenth year of Zhenguan, and after Emperor Gaozong of Tang Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he was made Situ, and in the fourth year of Yonghui (653), Li Yuanjing was involved in the Fang widow's conspiracy and was killed together with his son Li Ze, but Li Yuanjing did not have an heir, and his grandson Li Yi was made the Prince of Jing after Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was restored in 705, but Li died soon after.
The seventh son, Li Yuanchang, was made King of Han during the Zhenguan period, and in the sixteenth year of Zhenguan (642), Li Yuanchang, together with Du He, Zhao Jie, and Li Anjian, suggested that the crown prince Li Chengqian mutinied, and after the incident was exposed, he was given by Li Shimin and died at home at the age of 25. Li Yuanchang had a son, but he was only 6 years old at the time, and was sent to Xingshan Temple to become a monk, and died at the age of 17 due to his frailty and illness, so Li Yuanchang's lineage was also extinct.
Li Yuan
The tenth son, Li Yuanli, was created King of Xu during the reign of Zhenguan, and after Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, he was made Situ, along with the imperial lieutenant Changsun Wuji and Sikong Li Wei as the third duke. He died in 672 at the age of 54. Li Yuanli was relatively low-key, and his grandson Li Huang served as the heir King of Xu during the Shenlong period and died in the Kaiyuan year. When Wu Zetian ascended the throne, he did not embarrass them excessively.
The eleventh son, Li Yuanjia, was made King of Han during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of his reign (688 AD), Li Yuanjia was falsely accused of participating in the Rebellion of Li Zhen, the King of Yue, and committed suicide at the age of seventy. However, Li Yuanjia did not die, and his grandson Li Shuxuan inherited the title of King of Han.
His twelfth son, Li Yuanze, was created King of Peng during the reign of Zhenguan, and died in 651 at the age of 31, while Li Yuan had no sons and succeeded Li Xuan, son of Li Yuanzhuo the Prince of Huo.
The thirteenth son Li Yuanyi was created King of Zheng during the Zhenguan period, and died in 673 at the age of 53, Li Yuanyi's line was basically unharmed by Wu Zetian, and his fourth grandson Li Yijian served as a left servant and prince during the reign of Emperor Muzong of Tang.
The fourteenth son, Li Yuanzhuo, was created King of Huo during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of his reign (688), Li Yuanzhuo was involved in the rebellion of Li Zhen the King of Yue, and was exiled to Qianzhou, passing through Chen Cang and dying. His young descendants were exiled to Lingnan, but Wu Zetian left him behind and did not kill them all.
The fifteenth son, Li Feng, was created Prince of Yu during the reign of Zhenguan and died in Luoyang in 675 at the age of 53.
The sixteenth son, Li Yuanqing, was created King of Dao during the Zhenguan period and died in 664 at the age of 42.
The seventeenth son, Li Yuanyu, was created King of Deng during the Zhenguan reign and died in 665 at the age of 42.
The eighteenth son Li Yuanming was made the Prince of Zhengguan during the Zhenguan period, and in 689, the year before Wu Zetian became emperor, Li Yuanming was framed by the cool official Qiu Shenwei and was killed, but Li Yuanming was not exterminated by Wu Zetian, and his title passed down for several generations.
The nineteenth son, Li Lingkui, was made King of Lu during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of his reign (688 AD), he joined forces with Li Zhen the King of Yue to rebel against Wu Zetian, was arrested and exiled to Zhenzhou, and committed suicide on the way at the age of 63.
His twentieth son, Li Yuanxiang, was created King of Jiang during the Zhenguan reign and died in 680 at the age of 55.
The twenty-first son, Li Yuanxiao, was made Prince of Secret during the reign of Zhenguan and died in office in 678.
His twenty-second son, Li Yuanying, was created King of Teng during the Zhenguan period, and the famous Tengwang Pavilion was built by him, and he died in 684 at the age of 56.
Among Li Yuan's 22 sons, except for those who died early in a coup d'état, only the eleventh son Li Yuanjia, the fourteenth son Li Yuanzhuo, and the nineteenth son Li Lingkui joined forces with Li Zhen the Prince of Yue to rebel, and were killed or committed suicide.
2. Son of Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin
Li Shimin is also relatively capable of giving birth, he has a total of 14 sons, in addition to 20 daughters, Li Shimin's sons did not end well, almost did not end well, including those who opposed Wu Zetian's killing.
The eldest son, Li Chenggan, was made crown prince after Li Shimin declared himself emperor, and Zhenguan was beheaded according to the law after the defeat of the rebellion in the seventeenth year, but Li Shimin could not bear to execute him and exiled him to Qianzhou instead, and Zhenguan died in Qianzhou in the eighteenth year (644) at the age of 26.
Li Chenggan
The second son, Li Kuan, died early.
The third son, Li Ke, was successively made King of Han, King of Shu, and King of Wu during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of Yonghui (653), he was involved in the rebellion case of Fang's widow, and was killed by the imperial lieutenant Changsun Wuji at the age of 34.
The fourth son, Li Tai, was the second son of Li Shimin, who was made King of Wei during the Zhenguan period, and was suspected of seizing the throne, and was disqualified from the throne by Li Shimin, and Emperor Gaozong died in the third year (652) at the age of 32.
The fifth son, Li You, was made King of Qi during the reign of Zhenguan, and in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), he raised troops to rebel, was defeated and captured, deposed as a commoner, and died in the province of Neishu.
The sixth son, Li Su, was successively named King of Liang and King of Shu during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of Yonghui (653), he was consecuted because of Li Ke, the King of Wu, and his brother, deposed as a commoner, and exiled to Bazhou; Soon after, he was renamed King of Fuling. In the second year of Qianfeng (667), he died in exile.
The seventh son, Li Yun, was created King of Jiang during the Zhenguan period, and in 674 was falsely accused of rebellion by Zhang Junche, who joined the army of Jiguan and committed suicide at home.
The eighth son, Li Zhen, was made the Prince of Yue during the Zhenguan period, and in the fourth year of the reign (688), Li Zhen raised troops against Wu Zetian's reign, but was soon pacified by Wu Zetian, Li Zhenbing committed suicide, and the names of Li Zhen's father and son in the imperial family were also cut off by Wu Zetian and changed to the surname Yu.
The ninth son was Emperor Gaozong of Tang Li Zhi, and it was under his indulgence that Wu Zetian began to participate in imperial politics, and in the later years of Li Zhi's reign, he handed over the imperial government to Wu Zetian for physical reasons, and died in 684 at the age of 56.
The tenth son, Li Shen, was created King of Ji during the reign of Zhenguan, but was exiled to Lingbiao because of his involvement in a case involving Li Zhen the Prince of Yue against Wu Zetian's rule, and died in Puzhou on the way. The five sons were killed at the same time, and the family was exiled to Lingnan.
The eleventh son Li Hao and the twelfth son Li Jian died early.
His thirteenth son, Li Fu, was created King of Zhao during the Zhenguan reign and died in Liangzhou in 670 at the age of 34.
The fourteenth son Li Ming was created the Prince of Cao during the Zhenguan period, and in the first year of Yonglong (680), he was involved in the rebellion of Li Xian, the crown prince of Zhanghuai, and was demoted to the title of Prince of Lingling Commandery and exiled to Qianzhou. In the first year of Yongchun (682), at the behest of Empress Wu, he was forced to die by Xie You, the governor of Qianzhou.
Brief summary:
Taken together, among the sons of Li Yuan and Li Shimin, except for those who were killed in coup d'état and died early, the vast majority of those who grew up still got a good end, and the main ones who opposed Wu Zetian's claim to emperor were Li Zhen (Li Shimin's son), Li Yuanjia the King of Han, Li Yuanzhuo the King of Huo, Li Lingkui the King of Lu (the son of Tang Gaozu and Li Zhen's uncle), Li Yuanjia's son Li Shu the Duke of Huangguo, Li Yuanjia's son Li Xu the King of Jiangdu, Li Lingkui's son Li Li the Prince of Fanyang, Li Rong, the Duke of Dongguan, and Li Zhen's son Li Chong, the king of Langya. In addition, Li Ming was involved in the rebellion of Li Xian, the crown prince of Zhang Huai, and was forced to kill by Wu Zetian.