Queen Wang once shared weal and woe with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, why was she deposed by him

When it comes to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Yang Guifei must have immediately jumped into your mind. If you have a little more understanding, you can also know that before Yang Yuhuan, Emperor Xuanzong had another favored concubine, Empress Wu Huifei. However, relatively few people have paid attention to it. In fact, in the early years, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had a former wife named Queen Wang of the Wang family (hereinafter referred to as Queen Wang) who shared his joys and sorrows with him. However, later on, she was personally deposed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Below, the history encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s take a look together!
There is actually controversy regarding the introduction of the family background of Empress Li Longji, the founder of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.
Emperor Xuanzong deposed the Wang family, a native of Xiagui in Tongzhou, and was the governor of Jizhou during the Liang Dynasty, after Shen Nian. (Old Book of Tang)
The Empress Dowager was not particularly prominent, but she was a good match for Li Longji as the queen at that time. When she married Li Longji, it was when Li Longji became the King of Linzi. What period is this?
When Li Longji was born, his father Li Dan was sitting on the throne as a puppet emperor of his grandmother Wu Zetian. At the age of two, Li Longji was granted the title of King of Chu as a prince, and at the age of four, he was adopted by Wu Zetian as the heir to his late uncle Li Hong. In 690 AD, Emperor Ruizong Li Dan was deposed and moved to the Eastern Palace. And in 693 AD, Li Longji was also demoted to the position of Prince of Linzi as a grandson. The King of Chu is a prince, while the King of Linzi is of a lower rank and is a county king.
After 693 AD, Li Longji spent a period of darkness.
That year, his birth mother Dou Fei was falsely accused of witchcraft, and Wu Zetian secretly executed her; His father, Prince Li Dan, was almost considered to have ulterior motives and was almost forced to confess and killed. For nearly seven years thereafter, Li Longji and his brothers were imprisoned in the palace until they returned to the cabinet after 699 AD.
As the empress dowager who was appointed as the legitimate consort of Li Longji in 693, Li Longji’s life was not smooth, so she naturally had a hard time. However, since we are already husband and wife, our natural destiny is interconnected. Unlike other couples who share weal and woe, Queen Wang not only accompanies and tolerates, but also participates in her husband’s career.
After the Shenlong Coup, Wu Zetian abdicated in favor of Li Xian, the uncle of Li Longji, also known as Tang Zhongzong. After Tang Zhongzong ascended to the throne, due to his cowardice, the political power gradually fell into the hands of Wei Hou’s party. After the death of Emperor Tang Zhongzong, Empress Wei effectively imitated the posture of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and was killed by Princess Taiping and Li Longji. During this period, Queen Wang, as a virtuous wife, often participated in it and assisted her husband Li Longji in coming up with cost-effective solutions.
When he was the king of Linzi, he appointed the empress as his consort. The general rebelled, conspired in advance, and supported the cause. (Old Book of Tang)
The emperor was appointed as the Prince of Linzi and appointed as his consort. Clear the internal difficulties and plan ahead. (New Book of Tang)
Having such a clear record largely demonstrates that Queen Wang not only managed Li Longji’s backyard well, but also had a wife who could provide him with a lot of help in the previous dynasty.
Finally, after clearing the power of Empress Wei and taking over the throne from his father Tang Ruizong, Li Longji officially ascended to the throne as Emperor, known as Tang Xuanzong. The queen Wang, who accompanied him through all the ups and downs, was officially conferred the title of empress.
At the beginning of Li Longji’s reign, he faced threats and pressure from his aunt, Princess Taiping. Empress Wang remained steadfast in standing behind her husband, supporting him in resisting the power of Princess Taiping. Her brother, Wang Shouyi, was also a major contributor to the “congenital coup”. After the Xiantian Coup, Li Longji truly secured the throne and changed his reign to “Kaiyuan”, symbolizing his determination to once again create the great cause of the Tang Dynasty.
Watching her husband sit firmly on the throne, Queen Wang naturally felt happy in her heart, as years of hard work finally paid off. She just didn’t expect that there was an abyss waiting for her ahead.
After stabilizing the court situation, Li Longji’s harem gradually became more colorful. Zhao Lifei, Huangfu Deyi, Liu Huafei, Wu Huifei, and so on, competed with each other in Li Longji’s harem one after another. Especially Empress Wu Huifei, who was raised in the palace from a young age, was well behaved and good at pleasing others. Li Longji loved her very much. After Empress Wu Huifei entered the palace, Zhao Lifei and other concubines lost their favor, not to mention Queen Wang whose years were gradually fading away.
Of course, besides the passing of time, Queen Wang also has the biggest weakness. She has been married to Li Longji for many years, but has never been able to have a legitimate son, not even a princess. And other concubines gave birth to princes and princesses one after another, not to mention Empress Wu Hui, who was deeply favored by the emperor. With her four sons and three daughters in her hands, she posed a significant threat to the Queen.
After my elder brother guarded for a long time, he had no children and was often afraid of being deposed. He used talismans to describe things that he disliked… When something happened, I personally investigated it and found it to be true. (Old Book of Tang)
It is precisely because of this incident that Queen Wang had to resort to unconventional tactics and was caught with a handle.
Queen Wang, who has been childless for many years, feels deeply threatened by Empress Wu Huifei and others, and her position as queen is on the verge of collapse. Her older brother was also very anxious and worried, so they rushed to seek medical attention and brought in a monk wearing a thunderbolt wood, claiming that wearing it would enable the Queen to give birth to a noble son early.
I don’t know if anyone is plotting behind this matter, but soon Tang Xuanzong found out about it and sent someone to search. Ah, sure enough, the stolen goods were obtained. The palace is very averse to these matters of talismans, and coupled with Tang Xuanzong’s early intention of abolishing the empress, this matter is a good excuse to give directly to Tang Xuanzong. Queen Wang was deposed and even sacrificed her brother’s life.
Not long after being deposed, Empress Wang passed away. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang buried her with a first-class ceremony and did not restore her title as empress until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.