Li Sujie

Li Sujie

Li Sujie (李素節) (646 [The "Book of Tang" indicated that Li Sujie was five when he was created the Prince of Yong in 651, so if that is correct, he was born in 646. However, the "Book of Tang" also indicated that he was 42 when he died in 690, which would make him born in 648. See "Book of Tang", vol. 86 [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan10.htm] . The same ages were given in the "New Book of Tang", vol. 81 [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan13.htm] .] -June 24, 690 [ [http://www.sinica.edu.tw/ftms-bin/kiwi1/luso.sh?lstype=2&dyna=%AD%F0&king=%AAZ%A6Z&reign=%B8%FC%AA%EC&yy=1&ycanzi=&mm=5&dd=13&dcanzi= 兩千年中西曆轉換 ] ] ), formally the Prince of Xu (許王), was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong, born of his one-time favorite Consort Xiao. After Consort Xiao (along with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang were deposed and executed due to the machinations of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Li Sujie was under the watchful eyes of Empress Wu, and was several times demoted on accusations of misbehavior. In 690, with Empress Wu serving as empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, she began to massacre Tang imperial clan members in preparation of seizing the throne her self, and she summoned Li Sujie and his older brother Li Shangjin (李上金) to the then-capital Luoyang. When they arrived near Luoyang, Empress Dowager Wu had him strangled, while Li Shangjin committed suicide.

Before Consort Xiao's death

Li Sujie was born in 646, when his father Li Zhi was crown prince under his grandfather Emperor Taizong. He was Li Zhi's fourth son, and he was born of Li Zhi's then-favorite concubine, Consort Xiao. After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Li Zhi succeeded him (as Emperor Gaozong), and in 651 created Li Sujie the Prince of Yong and gave him titularly the important post of prefect of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). It was said that Li Sujie could recite 500-word ancient poems, and was studious in studying under the scholar Xu Qidan (徐齊聃). He was said to be much loved by Emperor Gaozong. When he grew older, he was made the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi).

Meanwhile, Li Sujie's mother Consort Xiao was locked in a fierce romantic battle, allied with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wang against Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). In 655, Consort Wu accused Empress Wang and her mother Lady Liu of engaging in witchcraft, and in response, Emperor Gaozong deposed and imprisoned not only Empress Wang, but also Consort Xiao, replacing Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Soon thereafter, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were executed on the new Empress Wu's orders.

After Consort Xiao's death

After Consort Xiao's death, Li Sujie drew Empress Wu's suspicions because he was born of Consort Xiao. In 657, Li Sujie's title was changed to the lesser title of Prince of Xun, and around the same time, he was demoted from Qian Prefecture to the less important Shen Prefecture (申州, roughly modern Xinyang, Henan). Early in Emperor Gaozong's "Qianfeng" era (666-668), by Empress Wu's instigation, Emperor Gaozong further issued an edict that stated, "Because Sujie is chronically ill, he is not required to attend imperial gatherings at the capital," even though, in reality, Li Sujie was not ill, and effectively, the edict barred Li Sujie from the capital Chang'an. Saddened that he was not allowed to see his father, Li Sujie wrote an essay entitled, "Commentary on Faithfulness and Filial Piety" (忠孝論, which was already no longer extant during the Five Dynasties period). His cashier Zhang Jianzhi secretly submitted the essay to Emperor Gaozong. After Empress Wu read it, it drew her ire, and she falsely accused Li Sujie of corruption. In 676, Li Sujie was demoted to the title of Prince of Poyang, exiled to Yuan Prefecture (袁州, roughly modern Yichun, Jiangxi), and put under house arrest.

In 681, Empress Wu submitted a petition for Li Sujie and his older brother Li Shangjin the Prince of Qi to be forgiven their crimes. (Li Shangjin had been previously accused of similar offenses as Li Sujie's and was similarly put under house arrest.) Emperor Gaozong made Li Sujie the prefect of Yue Prefecture (岳州, roughly modern Yueyang, Hunan), but still disallowed him and Li Shangjin to visit the capital.

Death

Around the new year 684, Emperor Gaozong died and was succeeded by Empress Wu's third son Li Xiǎn (as Emperor Zhongzong), but Empress Wu took on actual regent powers as empress dowager, and later in 684, when Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of disobeying her, she deposed him and replaced him with her fourth son Li Dan (as Emperor Ruizong), but held even firmer grip on power thereafter. In spring 684, she created Li Sujie the greater title of Prince of Ge and soon thereafter changed his title to Prince of Xu, making him the prefect of Jiang Prefecture (絳州, part of modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).

In 690, Empress Dowager Wu was poised to take the throne herself as "emperor," and was carrying out massacres of Tang imperial clan members and others whom she perceived to be threats, using a number of secret police officers to carry out tortures and executions. Her powerful nephew Wu Chengsi instructed one of the secret police officers, Zhou Xing (周興), to falsely accuse Li Sujie and Li Shangjin of treason. She ordered them to report to Luoyang, which she had made capital. Li Sujie was heading to Luoyang from his then-post Shu Prefecture (舒州, roughly modern Anqing, Anhui), when he heard family members mourning a person's death crying bitterly, and he made the comment, "Dying of illness is fortunate and difficult to get. Why do they cry?" As he was in Luoyang's vicinity, Empress Dowager Wu ordered that he be strangled. (Li Shangjin committed suicide.) Empress Dowager Wu also killed nine of Li Sujie's sons, but four youngest sons were spared and imprisoned at Lei Prefecture (雷州, roughly modern Zhanjiang, Guangdong). After her death in 705, Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne, and Li Sujie was posthumously honored the Prince of Xu and reburied with honor near Emperor Gaozong's (and Empress Wu's) tomb. His son Li Guan (李瓘) was created the Prince of Xu to succeed him, and later, during the reign of Li Sujie's nephew Emperor Xuanzong, two other sons, Li Lin (李琳) and Li Qiu (李璆) were created princes as well.

Notes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Consort Xiao — Spouse Emperor Gaozong of Tang Issue Li Sujie, Prince of Xu Princess Yiyang Princess Gao an Died 655 Chang an, Tang Dynasty Consort Xiao, imperial consort rank Shufei (蕭淑妃, personal name unknown) (died 655?[1]) …   Wikipedia

  • Consort Xiao (Gaozong) — Consort Xiao, imperial consort rank Shufei (蕭淑妃, personal name unknown) (d. 655? [The timing of Empress Wang s and Consort Xiao s deaths was not clearly indicated in the Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang . The Zizhi Tongjian placed their… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Gaozong of Tang — (zh cp|c=唐高宗|p=Táng Gāozōng) (July 21, 628 [ [http://www.sinica.edu.tw/ftms bin/kiwi1/luso.sh?lstype=2 dyna=%AD%F0 king=%A4%D3%A9v reign=%ADs%C6%5B yy=2 ycanzi= mm=6 dd= dcanzi=%A9%B0%B1G 兩千年中西曆轉換 ] ] December 27, 683 [… …   Wikipedia

  • Zhang Jianzhi — (張柬之) (625Zhang s birth year of 625 is based on his biographies in the Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang , both of which indicated that he was 81 at the time of his death in 706. However, the New Book of Tang also indicated that he was in his …   Wikipedia

  • Wu Chengsi — (Chinese: 武承嗣; Pinyin: Wǔ Chéngsì) (d. July 22, 698 [ [http://www.sinica.edu.tw/ftms bin/kiwi1/luso.sh?lstype=2 dyna=%AD%F0 king=%AAZ%A6Z reign=%B8t%BE%E4 yy=1 ycanzi= mm=8 dd= dcanzi=%A5%B3%A6%A6 兩千年中西曆轉換 ] ] ), formally Prince Xuan of Wei (魏宣王) …   Wikipedia

  • Wu Zetian — This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wu. Wu Zetian Empress Regnant of the Zhou Dynasty Empress of Zhou Dynasty …   Wikipedia

  • Zhou Xing (Tang Dynasty) — Zhou Xing (周興) (d. 691? [All traditional historical sources stated that Zhou Xing was killed by his enemies on the way to exile, implying that the death was in the same year as his exile, but did not conclusively establish the date as such.] )… …   Wikipedia

  • 646 — yearbox in?= cp=6th century c=7th century cf=8th century yp1=643 yp2=644 yp3=645 year=646 ya1=647 ya2=648 ya3=649 dp3=610s dp2=620s dp1=630s d=640s dn1=650s dn2=660s dn3=670s NOTOC Events* An edict of the Taika Reforms is promulgated in Japan. *… …   Wikipedia

  • 690 — NOTOC EventsBy PlaceAsia* Wu Zetian s Zhou Dynasty begins in China (she was China s first and only female emperor, ruling on her own accord). * The approximate date of the earliest known blindfold chess, played by Sa id bin Jubair.… …   Wikipedia

  • Claudia Stef — Claudia Stef, née Iovan (born 25 February 1978 in Craiova, Romania) is a Romanian race walker. Stef holds the world indoor record for 3000 metres track walk with 11:40.33 minutes, achieved in January 1999 in Bucharest. [1] Contents 1 Achievements …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”