Do you know why Li Zhongrun got married to a ghost? Next, the editor of History Encyclopedia will explain it to you
Li Chongrun was the grandson of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, and was highly favored by his grandfather. He was crowned Crown Prince at an early age. He is the eldest son of Li Xian and holds a very prestigious status. In theory, with his grandfather doting on him and his status as a legitimate son, his future should be bright. However, this prince passed away at the age of 19. It’s a pity that he passed away prematurely during his prime, and when it comes to the cause of his death, it’s even more frustrating.
According to historical records, Li Chongrun was killed by his grandmother Wu Zetian’s cane, which shows that Wu Zetian’s heart was really tough. After his father Li Xian fell from the throne, he was also demoted and became a commoner. Although his identity and status were suppressed, at least his life was still alive. At this time, Wu Zetian did not further attack Li Chongrun.
But as a queen, Wu Zetian’s thoughts and methods were indeed extraordinary. One day, Li Chongrun, his sister Princess Yongtai, and the King of Wei gathered together to discuss the unauthorized handling of government affairs by Zhang Yizhi and his two brothers. As a result, trouble came out of their mouths, causing them to be killed. Originally, they said these words without coveting power, but ‘the speaker had no intention, the listener had intention’. After these words were discovered by those with ulterior motives, they were falsely accused of having improper thoughts about imperial power. Since ancient times, emperors have been suspicious, and Wu Zetian was extremely sensitive to this. Therefore, he could not threaten his power with anyone, whether it was his own son or grandson. In this way, Li Chongrun, who was in his youth, was executed with a cane, which was truly chilling!
Although the grandmother did not care for her grandson Li Chongrun, he had always been a favorite of his father Li Xian. After Li Xian was reinstated, he posthumously honored this poor son as Prince Yide. Speaking of which, it was a great pity that Li Chongrun died. At the age of 19, he did not even get married before his death. In order to comfort his deceased son, Li Xian arranged a ghost wedding for him and even moved his coffin to the Qianling Mausoleum, which shows Li Xian’s father son relationship with his son. At that time, Li Xian mentioned this matter to Pei Cui, the magistrate of the Imperial Academy. Coincidentally, Pei Cui’s daughter also passed away unmarried, so in the end, the remains of these two possible young men and women were buried together, and a ghost wedding ceremony was held for them. This ghost wedding also fulfilled the wishes of both parents.
There were also many ghost marriages in ancient times, but in most cases, only wealthy or influential families would arrange such marriages. Li Xian felt sorry for his son, so he arranged a ghost marriage, hoping that his son would have a wife to take care of him in the underworld. Regarding Li Chongrun’s ghost marriage, there are records in ancient literature, and archaeologists have also found sufficient evidence in reality. In 1971, archaeologists conducted excavation work on the tomb of Li Zhongrun and found two sets of skeletons lying in the main coffin. The scene at that time did raise questions about why there were two sets of bones here, as the Crown Prince was not married before his death. After investigation and appraisal, they found that this was indeed consistent with historical records, indicating that Li Chongrun’s ghost marriage was indeed true.
If Prince Yide had not been deliberately mistreated by his cruel grandmother, then many years later, Li Xian would surely have entrusted the great responsibility to his beloved son. He was born with great advantages, which can also become stepping stones on his growth path. If that’s the case, I’m afraid there won’t be any future events involving Li Longji, and history may be rewritten. Empress Wu didn’t let go of her own biological child for the sake of power, and she didn’t soften her heart towards her grandson, which was in line with her temperament. However, it was a pity for this falsely accused child.
In the eyes of ordinary people, perhaps ghost marriage is just a somewhat terrifying feudal custom, but it also reflects a certain class nature. Some ghost marriages are very cruel, allowing living people to be buried with them in the tomb. Underworld marriage has always been controversial. Although this phenomenon has basically disappeared in modern times, this custom is still frightening and a feudal scum that needs to be criticized.
