Under the sky, it is not the land of kings, the frontier of the land, or the ministers of kings. “This sentence is enough to demonstrate the nobility and supreme power of emperors. How many people have distanced themselves from their families for the sake of the dragon throne, and how many people have blood stained their hands for the sake of the dragon throne, becoming kings and defeating bandits? Those with” lofty ideals and aspirations “in their hearts will not miss the opportunity to sit on the dragon throne, which represents the supreme power and status.
Therefore, there is a saying that goes’ the most ruthless imperial family ‘. Fathers are always wary of their sons taking over Laozi’s position, while sons are cautious and afraid of their fathers deposing them at any time. The distrust and eternal suspicion between father and son are all for the sake of that dragon throne. One of the emperors, who had been the Crown Prince for 26 years, suffered a stroke and was paralyzed in bed. Upon learning of his father’s passing, he immediately stood up and ascended to the throne. Who was he? Interested readers and history encyclopedia editors, let’s take a look together!
Assist father wholeheartedly
After the An Lushan Rebellion, the once prosperous Tang Dynasty began to decline. Emperors after Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty tried their best to rectify the situation, but the Tang Dynasty was like an elderly man in his twilight years, hiding hidden “hidden diseases” everywhere. In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, there was a situation of regional separatism, and the country was in turmoil. There was a crown prince who was fortunate enough to witness the strife and criticism among courtiers and gradually grew up, and he was Li Song.
Li Song was the eldest son of Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi. Since ancient times, it has been customary to establish a legitimate position and position. At the age of 19, Li Song naturally became the crown prince, enjoying a “noble” status below one person and above ten thousand people. However, at the same time, there were also some “heart wrenching” things. His father’s strong attitude of cutting off the fiefdom forced him to protect his father.
The Jingyuan Rebellion forced Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, out of Chang’an. As the Crown Prince, Li Song had the responsibility and obligation to protect his father’s safety. He led the way and fought for more than forty days, and under his encouragement, he finally achieved victory in the defense battle. It can be said that he has no hesitation in assisting his father and has put in his utmost effort, making him a very qualified prince.
Being deeply implicated is like walking on thin ice
However, when everything was moving in a positive direction, Li Song was deeply implicated due to his mother-in-law’s misconduct. Li Song’s mother-in-law was Princess Chang of Gao State, and according to seniority, she was his aunt. Her personal life was not well behaved, and she even practiced the art of disliking victory, which made Tang Dezong Li Shi extremely angry. He had nowhere to vent his anger and could only seek criticism and warning from Crown Prince Li Song.
Li Song became an innocent scapegoat and could only silently endure it. In order to show his attitude and determination, he promptly requested a divorce from the Crown Princess. However, at this time, Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, had already had the idea of deposing the Crown Prince and replacing him with Prince Shu, Li Yi. Even if there were a thousand good things, it could not be offset by one mistake. A mistake that had nothing to do with him was completely denied by his father, and Li Song’s life began to tread on thin ice.
However, Prince Shu Li Yi was not a fellow brother of Li Song. According to seniority, he was the son of his uncle and had a cousin relationship. It was heartbreaking and disappointing for his father to appoint someone else’s child as the crown prince, but Li Song still behaved obediently and without any resentment. He was cautious and meticulous in his actions, no wonder he was praised as “kind, filial, generous, and benevolent”.
Success comes from adversity and prosperity
Fortunately, the old minister Li Bi gave an example from the perspective of the emperor to illustrate the powerful relationship and persuaded Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, to abandon the idea of deposing the crown prince in order to avoid chaos in the world. Only then did Li Song’s position as the crown prince not be deposed. Although the position of crown prince was preserved, the shadow left in his heart could not be eliminated. Li Song lived every day with great fear and became the crown prince with caution for more than 20 years.
Perhaps due to excessive pressure and the aging of his body, in 804 AD, at the age of 43, Li Song suffered a stroke and was paralyzed in bed. His father, Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, was very concerned when he heard about it and sought treatment from many famous doctors, but there was no improvement. At this time, Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, also entered his twilight years and saw that the Crown Prince was seriously ill and had suffered a considerable blow. He felt heartbroken and sad, and passed away the following year.
Unexpectedly, when Li Song learned of his father’s passing, he miraculously stood up and successfully ascended to the throne as emperor. Previously, the emperor and the crown prince were both seriously ill, and the court was already restless. Li Song recovered without taking any medicine and settled the court, which was filled with wind and rain. He also considered whether he had succeeded to the throne with great success, but it was too late. He had been the crown prince for 26 years.
Yongzhen Neichan died mysteriously
After Li Song ascended the throne, he became known as Emperor Shunzong of Tang. If his peaceful submission to his father was just a facade, he had already had his own small plan. After 26 years of hiding as the Crown Prince, he had secretly cultivated his own small power group, with Wang Shuwen, Wang Ji, Liu Yuxi, and Liu Zongyuan, commonly known as “Two Princes Liu Liu,” being the core figures of this group.
After Li Song ascended to the throne, he made bold efforts to reuse group figures and began implementing the “Yongzhen Reform”, a series of measures aimed at better consolidating his position. However, his preparations for this series of operations were too hasty. He was eager for quick success and instant benefits, and his stance was not firm. When the reform aimed at eunuchs and shook their power, his position began to be precarious.
It should be noted that during the mid Tang Dynasty, eunuchs were always in a relatively “awkward” situation in the emperor’s mind. They were determined to suppress eunuchs and constantly proposed measures that eunuchs should not interfere in politics. However, at critical moments, eunuchs repeatedly saved the emperor’s life. Emperor Dezong of Tang, Li Shi, is the best example. After experiencing several disturbances, he appointed trusted eunuchs as the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, which once again nurtured the eunuchs’ momentum.
So, when the eunuch’s “cake” was moved by Li Xuan, they united to make Li Chun, the eldest son of Li Xuan, the Prince of Guangling, the crown prince and renamed him Li Chun, forcing Li Xuan to abdicate. This is the famous “Yongzhen Neichan” in history. Li Xuan’s throne ended hastily after sitting for eight months, becoming the Grand Emperor.
The following year, Emperor Taishang Li Song was declared seriously ill by his son and died mysteriously the next day at the age of 45. Although historical records state that Li Song passed away due to illness, more people speculate that he was killed by his son in collusion with eunuchs. Of course, these are only suspicions based on clues in historical materials, and the truth of the event can only be gradually verified.
Summary
Li Songyi lived for 45 years, served as the crown prince for 26 years, and held the position of emperor for eight months. He only held the position of Grand Emperor for five months. It must be said that he was a short-lived emperor who did not have the fortune to accept such a high position. He kept it hidden for more than 20 years and ultimately declined to a good end. It can be seen that not everyone can sit in the position of emperor.
However, as a senior crown prince, Li Song also gained an excellent reputation in dealing with the dual awkward relationship between the emperor and the crown prince, father and son: “Having held the throne for twenty years, the world has been blessed with yin. He cherished his illness and practiced his power, but was able to pass on political integrity and control his fortune. He was truly virtuous!” This is the best evaluation of him in historical books.
