The Rise of a Doomed Prince

In the complex political landscape of 7th-century Tang China, few figures embody the tension between imperial ambition and filial duty more dramatically than Li Hong, the ill-fated crown prince caught between his powerful mother Empress Wu Zetian and the weakening authority of his father Emperor Gaozong. Born in 652 CE as the fifth son of Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian (then a concubine), Li Hong’s very name carried prophetic weight—derived from Daoist scripture as an incarnation of the deified Laozi. His birth proved instrumental in his mother’s meteoric rise, providing crucial legitimacy during her controversial ascent from concubine to empress in 655 CE.

The young prince became crown prince at age four following his mother’s installation as empress, entering an intensive imperial education program blending Confucian classics with literary studies. Contemporary records describe a sensitive, intellectually gifted child who reportedly wept upon reading historical accounts of regicide in the Spring and Autumn Annals—an early indication of the compassionate temperament that would later define his brief life. By age eight, he began participating in governance through the traditional practice of “supervising the state” (jian guo), a remarkable seven times before his untimely death.

The Making of a Confucian Prince

Li Hong’s education reflected the dual influences of his parents’ contrasting personalities. From his father Emperor Gaozong—known for his literary inclinations and bouts of debilitating illness—he inherited a love of scholarship and fragile health. From his formidable mother, he absorbed political awareness and administrative skills, though crucially not her ruthless pragmatism. The Tang court observed with interest as the prince developed into a classic Confucian ruler-in-training:

– Literary Accomplishments: Compiled the Yaoshan Jade Inscription poetry collection
– Administrative Experience: Handled petitions and memorials during his father’s illnesses
– Humanitarian Reputation: Successfully petitioned for tax relief during droughts in 671 CE

Yet beneath this promising exterior lurked vulnerabilities. The prince suffered from tuberculosis (then called laozhai), a chronic condition that frequently confined him to bedrest. More critically, he lacked the political toughness required to navigate the treacherous waters of Tang court politics—especially when his mother’s ambitions increasingly overshadowed traditional Confucian expectations of female conduct.

The Breaking Point: A Clash of Wills

The fragile equilibrium between mother and son shattered over an incident involving two forgotten princesses—daughters of Emperor Gaozong’s disgraced concubine Xiao. Historians record that during one of Li Hong’s supervisory periods in 675 CE, the 23-year-old prince discovered his half-sisters, Princess Yiyang and Princess Xuancheng, still confined in the palace’s back quarters nearly two decades after their mother’s execution.

The scene moved the compassionate prince to immediate action. As recorded in the Zizhi Tongjian:

“The two princesses, detained because of their mother’s crimes, remained unmarried past thirty. When the crown prince saw them, he was shocked and distressed, immediately petitioning for their marriage. The emperor consented, but the empress was furious.”

Wu Zetian’s reaction—arranging hasty marriages to mid-ranking guards—revealed the growing rift between her political calculus and her son’s Confucian idealism. While later historians like Sima Guang portrayed this as a pivotal moment of maternal cruelty, modern analysis suggests more nuance:

– Age Exaggeration: The princesses were actually 23-27, not “over thirty”
– Groom Selection: The guards came from respectable military families (one grandfather was a duke)
– Political Damage Control: Wu later promoted both sons-in-law to prefectural governorships

Nevertheless, the incident illuminated fundamental tensions. As Wu consolidated power through her “Heavenly Empress” title (Tianhou), her bookish, ailing son represented both her greatest legacy and an emerging obstacle.

The Mysterious Death and Its Aftermath

In April 675 CE, during a royal progress to Luoyang, 23-year-old Li Hong died suddenly—just as Emperor Gaozong announced intentions to abdicate in his favor. The timing sparked immediate suspicion, with competing historical narratives:

Official Account (Contemporary Sources)
– Death from tuberculosis complications
– Emperor Gaozong’s posthumous edict praised Li Hong’s “benevolent filiality”
– Granted the unprecedented title “Xiaojing Emperor” (Emperor of Filial Piety)

Alternative Version (Mid-Tang Records)
– Poisoning ordered by Wu Zetian
– Motive: Fear of losing power to son’s faction
– Cited in later works like the New Tang History

Modern historians weigh several factors against foul play:

1. Medical Reality: Advanced tuberculosis often proves fatal without modern treatment
2. Political Context: Wu still needed imperial legitimacy through her sons
3. Behavioral Evidence: Wu authored a grief-stricken Buddhist text mourning Li Hong

The truth likely lies between these poles—a terminally ill prince whose death, while natural, conveniently removed a growing challenge to his mother’s authority.

Legacy of the Doomed Prince

Li Hong’s brief life left enduring marks on Tang history and Chinese political culture:

Cultural Impact
– Filial Piety Exemplar: Later Confucians upheld him as model of ruler virtue
– Literary Memorials: Over 40 poems referenced his tragic fate
– Religious Veneration: Daoist temples incorporated him as a deity

Political Consequences
– Succession passed to brother Li Xian, triggering another violent power struggle
– Demonstrated risks of weak heirs in autocracies
– Highlighted tensions between Confucian governance and imperial women’s power

Modern Reassessment
Contemporary scholars increasingly view Li Hong not as a passive victim, but as:
– An early proponent of humane governance
– A case study in political education’s limits
– A mirror reflecting Tang elite anxieties about female authority

The prince’s tomb near Luoyang—with its rare “emperor” designation for a crown prince—stands as silent testament to the complex interplay of medicine, morality and raw power that shaped his destiny. In death as in life, Li Hong remains suspended between his mother’s towering legacy and the Confucian ideals he embodied too well to survive.