Recently, many people have been talking about something, which is that some ancient emperors are still very interesting. Many people say that some emperors are wise and some emperors are incompetent, but some emperors are also difficult to distinguish. Today, let’s talk about Li Xian. Is he a wise or incompetent emperor? This question is also quite interesting. Let’s analyze and uncover it together to see what’s going on!
I don’t think Li Xian is a wise ruler, but he can’t be considered a foolish ruler either. Li Xian was the most cowardly emperor in ancient China. He inherited the throne twice and played the role of a puppet. In the first half of his life, he was oppressed by his mother Wu Zetian, and in the second half, he was oppressed by his wife Empress Wei. However, considering that Li Xian did many good things that benefited the country and the people after ascending to the throne, even if Li Xian cannot be considered a wise ruler, he is not considered a foolish ruler.
1. The Tragedy of Li Xian’s First Half Life
Li Xian was the third son of Empress Wu Zetian. Her eldest son, Li Hongying, passed away at a young age, and her second son, Li Xian, was forced to death by Empress Wu Zetian. After the deaths of her two brothers, Li Xian was appointed as the crown prince by Empress Wu Zetian. Li Xian’s personality is tolerant and flexible, and he never dares to disobey Wu Zetian’s orders, which is why he was able to narrowly save his life.
After the death of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, Li Xiancheng became the fourth emperor of the Tang Dynasty. When Li Xiangang first ascended the throne, all the affairs of the court were decided by Empress Wu Zetian, and Li Xian was just a tool for announcing imperial edicts. Later, Li Xian wanted to use his relatives to balance Wu Zetian, which aroused Wu Zetian’s suspicion. In a fit of anger, Wu Zetian deposed Li Xian and placed him under house arrest in the south.
2. The Tragedy of Li Xian’s Second Half of Life
After being placed under house arrest, Li Xian often felt anxious and even considered suicide. It was only with the careful care of Empress Wei that he managed to persevere. Later, Di Renjie advised Wu Zetian to pass on the throne to her son, and Wu Zetian finally brought Li Xian to the capital. In her later years, Wu Zetian’s ministers supported Li Xian to launch a coup, overthrowing Wu Zetian’s rule, and Li Xian became emperor for the second time.
After ascending to the throne, Li Xian was once again controlled by Empress Wei. Empress Wei and Princess Anle almost sidelined Li Xian, and as long as it was something decided by the two of them, Li Xian dared not oppose it. Li Xian served as emperor twice in his life, but both times he was a puppet emperor. He is also the only person in Chinese history who succeeded to the throne twice and served as a puppet emperor both times. Later, Li Xian threatened the interests of Empress Wei and was poisoned to death by her in the palace.
3. Li Xian’s Achievements
Although Li Xian is a cowardly person, he is not an incompetent person. Li Xian’s personality is similar to Li Zhi’s, and they both belong to emperors with weak character and strong abilities. After Li Xian succeeded to the throne for the second time, he restored the old system of the Tang Dynasty, changed the situation of cruel officials in power during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, and created conditions for the recovery of the Tang Dynasty’s economy.
From the death of Empress Wu Zetian to the death of Li Xian, the Tang Dynasty did not experience any major turmoil except for the issue of Empress Wei’s authoritarianism. During the reign of Li Xian, the people of the Tang Dynasty were able to live and work in peace and contentment, and the Tang Dynasty’s external exchanges were also very frequent. Princess Jincheng was married to Tubo and married during the reign of Li Xian.
4. Overall evaluation
A person’s cowardice does not mean they lack ability. Li Xian is a cowardly emperor, but not an incompetent emperor. If Li Xian could be as wise and decisive as his grandfather, then he would definitely be a wise ruler. However, due to being controlled by his mother in the first half of his life and his wife in the second half, Li Xian was destined to be unable to be included in the ranks of a wise monarch and could only be considered an “ordinary” emperor.
