A Fractured Dynasty: The Aftermath of Empress Wei’s Downfall

The Tang Dynasty in 710 CE stood at a crossroads. The recent coup against Empress Wei and her faction had left a power vacuum, with the teenage Emperor Shang (Li Chongmao) nominally on the throne. Yet true authority lay elsewhere—with Li Dan (Emperor Ruizong), the father of coup architect Li Longji, and his formidable sister, Princess Taiping. This was no orderly transition but a carefully staged political theater where a child emperor’s silent nod masked the ruthless machinations of Tang elites.

The Wei Clan’s reign had been marked by excess—Empress Wei’s poisoning of her husband Emperor Zhongzong and her attempt to replicate her mother-in-law Wu Zetian’s imperial ambitions. Their purge created an opportunity for Li Longji’s faction, but legitimacy remained contentious. Why should Li Dan, not the rightful heir Li Chongmao, ascend? The answer unfolded in the Taiji Palace through a choreographed abdication scene, where Princess Taiping physically lifted the boy from the dragon throne, declaring “the people’s hearts belong to the Prince of Xiang.”

The Puppetmaster and the Prince: Princess Taiping’s Gambit

Princess Taiping emerged as the kingmaker, wielding influence reminiscent of her mother Wu Zetian. Her declaration at the abdication ceremony wasn’t mere protocol—it was a calculated move to position herself as the dynasty’s power broker. As Li Dan took the throne (technically a “restoration,” having briefly ruled under Wu Zetian), the real drama shifted to the succession.

Li Longji’s military prowess during the anti-Wei coup made him the obvious heir, but tradition favored his elder brother Li Chengqi. The resolution came through an extraordinary act of renunciation—Li Chengqi’s voluntary withdrawal, citing his brother’s merits. Yet this seemingly smooth transition masked deeper tensions. In the provinces, dissenting voices arose, most notably from Li Chongfu, Zhongzong’s exiled eldest son, who saw himself as the legitimate heir.

The Failed Revolt: Li Chongfu’s Tragic Bid for Power

From his exile in Junzhou, Li Chongfu became a magnet for discontent. Officials like Zhang Lingjun and the disgraced Zheng Yin spun a compelling narrative: why should Li Dan, who hadn’t suffered under Wei, inherit instead of Zhongzong’s persecuted eldest son? Their plan to seize Luoyang—the historic eastern capital with its anti-Chang’an sentiment—revealed the Tang’s regional fractures.

The rebellion collapsed spectacularly. Luoyang’s gates remained shut, its garrisons unmoved by appeals to history. Li Chongfu’s desperate attempt to burn the city’s administrative offices ended with his drowning in the Yi River, while Zheng Yin’s cowardly capture contrasted sharply with Zhang Lingjun’s defiant execution. This failed uprising underscored a critical lesson: military success in Chang’an trumped bloodline claims from the periphery.

The Shadow of Wu Zetian: Emperor Ruizong’s Dilemma

Emperor Ruizong’s reign was haunted by his mother’s legacy. A reluctant ruler, he sought counsel from Taoist monk Sima Chengzhen, asking whether governing could mirror the Daoist ideal of wuwei (non-action). The philosophical exchange revealed Ruizong’s unsuitability for power—his inclination toward passivity created space for Princess Taiping’s faction to challenge Li Longji’s succession.

Court politics bifurcated into Taiping and Li Longji factions. Taiping’s campaign to promote alternative heirs—Li Chengqi or Li Shouli (grandson of Emperor Gaozong)—wasn’t mere meddling; it reflected persistent anxiety about imperial legitimacy post-Wu Zetian. When ministers like Song Jing suggested exiling Taiping to Luoyang, Ruizong’s refusal (“She’s my only sister!”) demonstrated both his weakness and the unique status of imperial women in Tang politics.

The Abdication That Shaped History

Ruizong’s solution was characteristically passive yet revolutionary: early abdication to Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong) in 712 CE. This unprecedented move—a living emperor voluntarily relinquishing power to avoid conflict—cemented the Tang’s recovery from the Wei interlude. The transition marked the end of an era where imperial women like Wu Zetian and Taiping could dominate court politics, paving the way for Xuanzong’s golden age.

Princess Taiping’s subsequent rebellion and forced suicide in 713 CE became the final act in this dynastic drama. Xuanzong’s purge of her faction eliminated the last challenge to his authority, allowing the flourishing of what historians would call the “High Tang”—a period of cultural brilliance made possible by this brutal consolidation of power.

Legacy of the Coup: From Chaos to Renaissance

The anti-Wei coup and its aftermath reveal the Tang Dynasty’s resilience. Within three years, the court navigated:
– A child emperor’s coerced abdication
– A provincial prince’s failed revolt
– A power struggle between princess and future emperor
– An unprecedented peaceful transfer between living rulers

Xuanzong’s 43-year reign would transform China, but its foundations lay in these bloody succession struggles. The events underscored a paradox: the Tang system could withstand coups and rebellions precisely because its institutions—from the examination system to the military—transcended individual rulers.

Modern parallels abound in how societies transition from collective trauma to renewal. Just as post-Wei Tang needed both Li Longji’s decisiveness and Ruizong’s self-abnegation, political recoveries often require contrasting leadership styles. The most enduring lesson may be Ruizong’s—that sometimes, the greatest act of governance is knowing when to step aside.