Li Chengqi voluntarily abdicated the throne, ultimately achieving the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty

The Crown Prince, also known as the Crown Prince, is the successor to the throne of a dynasty. In Chinese history, many people, such as Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, fought for the position of Crown Prince by resorting to sibling violence. However, in the history of the Tang Dynasty, there was also a crown prince who voluntarily abdicated the throne, avoiding a palace coup and achieving the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. He left a thousand years of good reputation. So what’s going on here? The above questions will be revealed one by one by the editor of the History Encyclopedia in the following text.
The Crown Prince who voluntarily abdicated the throne is named Li Chengqi, also known as Li Xian. Li Chengqi was born into the royal family. His grandfather was Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, his grandmother was Empress Wu Zetian, his uncle was Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, and his father was Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan. According to the imperial succession system of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengqi was supposed to become emperor. He was born in 679 and was the eldest son of Emperor Ruizong of Tang. In the first year of Civilization, Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan, ascended the throne, and Li Chengqi, who was only 5 years old, was conferred the title of Crown Prince.
However, in the first year of the Tianshou reign, Wu Zetian, the mother of Emperor Ruizong of Tang, Li Dan, seized the emperor and conferred the title of heir to the throne on Li Dan. Crown Prince Li Chengqi was demoted to grandson and “went out of the palace on the same day as his younger brothers and established official positions. Later, Empress Wu Zetian appointed Li Xian as the Crown Prince, and Li Chengqi was completely reduced from the heir to the throne to an ordinary royal prince and was appointed as the Prince of Shouchun County. After Emperor Tang Zhongzong ascended the throne, there were numerous internal conflicts within Li Tang.
In the first year of Tang Long, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang died suddenly. Empress Wei wanted to emulate Wu Zetian and supported Li Chongmao, the youngest son of Li Xian, to ascend to the throne, and then took control of the court herself. In June of that year, Prince Li Dan’s third son, Prince Li Longji of Linzi County, joined forces with his aunt Princess Taiping to launch a palace coup, annihilating the Wei Hou clan, known as the “Tang Long Coup” in history. Afterwards, Prince Xiang Li Dan once again inherited the throne and became the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
After Li Dan ascended the throne, the issue of succession arose. Who should be appointed as the Crown Prince? According to the ritual system, Li Chengqi, as the eldest son, should be reinstated as the crown prince. However, in this coup, the third son of the emperor, Li Longji, played a crucial role, so Tang Ruizong was very conflicted and said, “At that time, he will build two reserves to become the eldest son of Chengqi, while Xuanzong has made contributions to pacifying the Wei family, but his intentions are uncertain for a long time. If the issue of heirs cannot be properly resolved, there will be future coups similar to the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
After Li Yuan ascended to the throne, he conferred the title of Crown Prince upon his eldest son Li Jiancheng. However, during the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the second son Li Shimin played a significant role in various battles and formed his own power group. Li Yuan did not properly solve this problem, which led to the Xuanwu Gate Incident later on. Just as Tang Ruizong hesitated, Li Chengqi took the initiative to step forward and offered to give up his position as Crown Prince.
Li Chengqi said, “Those who hold vice positions are the public treasures of the world. In times of peace, they will be the first to take the throne, and in times of national crisis, they will be rewarded for their achievements. If they fail to meet their expectations, it will be disappointing at home, and it will not be a blessing for the country. I dare to offer my life now.” Li Chengqi said, “I have been weeping and giving in for days, and my words are very sincere. At the same time, Li Longji also expressed humility and said, ‘As a legitimate leader, we will continue to resist and maintain our position.’. Finally, Emperor Tang Ruizong conferred the title of Crown Prince on Li Longji.
Li Longji was Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who created the most prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty in the early stage of his reign, known as the “Kaiyuan Prosperous Era” in history. This is directly related to Li Chengqi’s humility. After Li Longji ascended the throne, he had no suspicion of his elder brother and had a very close brotherly relationship. Li Chengqi was also very cautious and “never discussed current affairs or made friends with others, which was highly trusted by Emperor Xuanzong. In the 29th year of the Kaiyuan era, Li Chengqi passed away due to illness. Tang Xuanzong heard the news of the “loss of sound” and was very saddened. He posthumously conferred the title of “Emperor Rang” on his elder brother.
The Northern Song Dynasty literati Su Che once commented on this period of history, “Although it is difficult to abolish the long and establish the young, it is still difficult for sages to do so. Xian (referring to Li Chengqi) and the brothers of Emperor Xuanzong were at peace throughout their lives, without any words, and they were only one person from ancient to modern times