page_title: Emperor Ruizong of Tang
section_title: As retired emperor under princess Taiping's shadow
hierarchical_section_title: Emperor Ruizong of Tang / As retired emperor under princess Taiping's shadow
caption_attribution_description: 中文: 位于陕西省渭南市蒲城县西北 English: Qiaoling Mausoleum, Pucheng County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province
context_page_description: Emperor Ruizong of Tang, personal name Li Dan, also known at times during his life as Li Xulun, Li Lun, Wu Lun, and Wu Dan, was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty. He was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong and the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu. He was wholly a figurehead during his first reign when he was controlled by his mother, and he was the titular and Puppet ruler of the Tang Empire from 684 to 690. He during his second reign after his mother's death, significant power was exercised by his sister Princess Taiping.
  In February 684, Li Dan's mother Empress Wu demoted his older brother Emperor Zhongzong who had attempted to rule free of his mother and named him emperor. Emperor Ruizong, however, was a puppet under control of his mother and had no real power. From then onwards, the Tang Dynasty existed only in name and Empress Dowager Wu ruled China for over six years as acting emperor, and then, In October 690 Emperor Ruizong ceded the imperial throne to his mother, who installed herself as empress regnant – the only woman in Chinese history ever to rule as empress regnant.
context_section_description: Meanwhile, Princess Taiping continued to be highly influential in governmental matters management through Emperor Ruizong, and most Government officials and chancellors were her associates. (Of the seven chancellors at the time, five – Dou Huaizhen, Xiao Zhizhong, Cen Xi, Cui Shi, and Lu Xiangxian – were made chancellors at her recommendation, although Lu was not considered a member of her party.) Liu Youqiu and the general Zhang Wei (張暐), with Emperor Xuanzong's approval, planned to mobilize the imperial guards to kill several of those chancellors—Dou, Cui, and Cen. However, after Zhang told the plan to the imperial censor Deng Guangbin (鄧光賓), the news was leaked. Liu was arrested, and initially set to be executed. Emperor Xuanzong interceded on his behalf with Emperor Ruizong, and Liu, Zhang, and Deng were spared but exiled.
  Later in 712, Emperor Ruizong decreed that Emperor Xuanzong lead a group of soldiers to examine the northern border. However, the group of conscripted soldiers was disbanded in spring 713, and the plan was never carried out.
  By summer 713, it was said that Princesses Taiping, Dou, Cen, Xiao, Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin (李晉) the Prince of Xinxing (a grandson of Li Deliang (李德良), a cousin of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu), Li You (李猷), Jia Yingfu (賈膺福), Tang Jun (唐晙); the generals Chang Yuankai (常元楷), Li Ci (李慈), and Li Qin (李欽); and the monk Huifan, were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison the gastrodia elata that Emperor Xuanzong routinely took as an aphrodisiac. When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei Zhigu, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju (王琚), Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan (李範) the Prince of Qi, Li Ye (李業) the Prince of Xue, Guo Yuanzhen, along with a number of his associates—the general Wang Maozhong (王毛仲), the officials Jiang Jiao (姜皎) and Li Lingwen (李令問), his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi (王守一), the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude (李守德)—and decided to act first. On 29 July, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou fled into a canyon and committed suicide by hanging. Xue Ji was forced to commit suicide.  When Emperor Ruizong heard about this, he quickly ascended the tower at Chengtian Gate (承天門) to ascertain what was happening. Guo reported to him Emperor Xuanzong's intentions, and Emperor Ruizong felt compelled to affirm Emperor Xuanzong's actions in an edict. The next day, Emperor Ruizong issued an edict transferring all authorities to Emperor Xuanzong and moved to a secondary palace, Baifu Hall (百福殿). Meanwhile, Princess Taiping, hearing what happened to her associates, fled into a temple in the mountains, only appearing three days later. Emperor Xuanzong ordered her to commit suicide at home, and put to death her sons and associates, except for Xue Chongjian. It was said that when Emperor Ruizong was at Baifu Hall, the only person who attended to him regularly was Emperor Xuanzong's daughter Princess Shouchun.
  In 716, Emperor Ruizong died at Baifu Hall. He was enshrined into the imperial temple, along with Emperor Xuanzong's mother Consort Dou, who was posthumously honored an empress. Emperor Xuanzong had his daughter Princess Wan'an become a Taoist nun to seek blessings for Emperor Ruizong.
caption: Qiaoling (橋陵), the tomb of Emperor Ruizong, in Pucheng County, Shaanxi
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