When it comes to the beauties of the Tang Dynasty, the first thing that comes to mind is Yang Guifei. After all, she was one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient times, with the appearance of sinking fish and falling geese. However, according to historical records, the first beauty of the Tang Dynasty was Princess Anle. She was the daughter of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian and Empress Wei, and also the granddaughter of Empress Wu Zetian. Her name was Li Hou’er.
Princess Anle’s reputation in history is not good at all. According to historical records, she also wanted to be an empress like Empress Wu Zetian, so she teamed up with her mother Wei Hou to poison Tang Zhongzong Li Xian. Her heart was as poisonous as a snake or scorpion. Below, the history encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s take a look together!
When Li Hou’er was born, her father Li Xianzheng was exiled by Empress Wu Zetian, and her mother gave birth to her on the way. Due to the difficult conditions, she could only be wrapped in clothes, so she took the name Hou’er,
Li Hou’er was the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, and Empress Wei, so she was deeply loved by them. She was accustomed to it since childhood, which led to Li Hou’er’s arrogant and domineering personality as she grew up.
Wu Zetian served as emperor for a period of time, and she also had a plan to pass on her throne to the Li family of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, she recalled her son Li Xian and Li Hou’er to the imperial palace.
Li Shuo’er, known for her intelligence and cleverness, was deeply loved by Empress Wu Zetian, who named her Princess Anle. Empress Wu’s original intention was simple, just like her name, to wish her granddaughter peace and happiness. However, Li Shuo’er was influenced by Empress Wu and strengthened her pursuit of power.
Li Hou’er had two marriages. Her first husband was Wu Chongxun, and they had children before getting married. In the end, they had no choice but to get married. Before her first husband died, Li Hou’er began to have an affair with the next husband. After her first husband died, she immediately married the next husband.
Li Hou’er also likes to compare himself with others, and is building a palace that is comparable in size to the imperial palace. She asked her father Li Xian for Kunming Lake, and Li Xian said, ‘The late emperor never gave it to anyone.’. So Li Hou’er angrily went to great lengths to dig the Dingkun Pool, which was no worse than Kunming Pool.
Li Hou’er’s pursuit of power became even more insane, relying on her status as the legitimate daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, and Empress Wei, and demanding that Emperor Zhongzong appoint her as the eldest daughter of the emperor, without considering the sons of the Li family at all. Li Hou’er opened his own mansion to receive guests and engaged in the buying and selling of official positions. Li Xian did not stop him, and what was even more outrageous was that Li Hou’er wrote his own edict, covering up its contents and only allowing his father Li Xian to stamp it, while Li Xian only smiled and stamped it.
When Li Xian was seriously ill, Li Hou’er and his mother began to install trusted aides in the court to control the government. Later, Li Xian suddenly died suddenly. It is said that Empress Wei and Li Hou’er poisoned Li Xian just like Wu Zetian did.
However, the ending of Li Hou’er was also tragic. After the death of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, although Empress Wei had interspersed her own people with the main positions in the court, she was still subjected to a coup by Li Longji, who had taken the lead, and Princess Taiping. When the army rushed into the palace, Li Hou’er, who didn’t know whether to live or die, was still dressing up in front of the mirror. At last, she heard that the rebels were approaching and hurriedly fled. Eventually, she was chased and had her head chopped off, hanging high on the city wall. Her mother, Wei Hou, also died in the chaos. A generation of beauties ended like this.
