Li Zhi had a cruel wife named Wu Zetian

Today, the editor of the History Encyclopedia will bring you Tang Gaozong Li Zhi, hoping to be helpful to everyone.
Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty and one of the most famous emperors in history. His fame was not due to his effective governance, but rather because he had a cruel wife named Wu Zetian. It is precisely because of the existence of Wu Zetian that seven of Li Zhi’s eight sons died tragically, with only one ending well, which is truly lamentable. Let’s take a look at the final outcome of Li Zhi’s 8 sons together
Eldest son Li Zhong. Li Zhong was the eldest son of Li Zhi and the eldest son of a commoner. His mother was a concubine of Li Zhi, and historical records referred to him as the “Liu Gong Ren”. Li Zhi had already given birth to Li Zhong when he was still the Crown Prince. In 652 AD, at the age of 9, Li Zhong was appointed as the crown prince. However, due to intense palace conflicts, after only 3 years as the crown prince, Li Zhong was deposed and sent to serve as an official in the local government. In 664 AD, Wu Zetian executed Li Zhong on charges of rebellion, but Li Zhong ultimately did not escape Wu Zetian’s persecution.
Second son Li Xiao. Li Xiao’s mother was also a concubine of Li Zhi, known in historical records as a “Zheng Gong Ren”. There are very few records in historical books about Li Xiao, only knowing that he died suddenly in the first year of the Linde era, and his sudden passing should also be closely related to Wu Zetian.
Third son Li Shangjin. Li Shangjin’s mother was a palace maid named Yang, who was initially appointed as the King of Qi. Later, due to Wu Zetian’s interference, she was released and served as a local official without participating in court affairs. In 690 AD, at the behest of Empress Wu Zetian, her nephew Wu Chengsi slandered Li Shangjin for plotting rebellion, and ultimately Li Shangjin was executed.
Fourth son Li Sujie. Li Sujie’s mother is Xiao Shufei. Due to her high status as a mother, she was given special care from a young age and was greatly favored by her father Li Zhi. However, due to palace conflicts, Li Sujie was never able to enter the political center, and after his mother Xiao Shufei was killed, Li Sujie was released and appointed as a local official, feeling depressed and unable to succeed. In 690 AD, Li Sujie was killed by someone sent by Empress Wu Zetian.
Five sons, Li Hong. Li Hong was the first son of Wu Zetian and the eldest son of Li Zhi. Li Hong was crowned as the Crown Prince at the age of 4, but in 675 AD, during their tour of Luoyang, Li Hong, Li Zhi, and Wu Zetian died suddenly. And his cause of death is also controversial, with most later generations believing that Li Hong was poisoned by his mother Wu Zetian.
Liu Zi Li Xian. Li Xian was the second son of Empress Wu Zetian and once taught Wang Bo, one of the Four Great Masters of the early Tang Dynasty. Li Xian is intelligent, hardworking and eager to learn, and Li Zhi has high expectations for him. After the death of his brother, Crown Prince Li Hong, Li Xian was appointed as the Crown Prince. In 679 AD, Wu Zetian requested Li Zhi to depose Crown Prince Li Xian on charges of rebellion and demoted him to commoner status. In 684 AD, under the instruction of Empress Wu Zetian, her confidant forced Li Xian to commit suicide.
Seven sons Li Xian. Li Xian was the third son of Wu Zetian and the seventh son of Li Zhi. Compared to his six older brothers, Li Xian is relatively lucky as he still sits on the throne of the emperor. It is quite tragic that Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, did not die at the hands of his mother, who was very cruel and self destructive. Instead, he died at the hands of his own woman, Empress Wei. In 710 AD, Empress Wei wanted to emulate Empress Wu Zetian and declared herself emperor, but secretly poisoned and killed Li Xian.
Ba Zi Li Dan. Li Dan was the fourth son of Empress Wu Zetian and also a knowledgeable and talented prince. In the early palace struggles, Li Dan was wise as a fool, not greedy for power and the throne, kept away from political turmoil, knew how to preserve himself, and ultimately avoided the cruel hands of Wu Zetian. In 710 AD, Li Longji and Princess Taiping launched a palace coup, killed Empress Wei, restored the Tang Dynasty, and ascended to the throne as emperor. In 716 AD, Li Dan passed away due to illness, becoming the only one among Li Zhi’s eight sons who did not die an untimely death.