Background

Li Yi was born in 810, at Daming Palace, as the 13th of 20 known sons of then-reigning Emperor Xianzong. His mother was Emperor Xianzong's concubine Consort Zheng, who had previously been a concubine of the warlord Li Qi and who, after imperial forces defeated Li Qi in 807, was taken into Emperor Xianzong's palace to be a servant girl to Emperor Xianzong's wife Consort Guo, but who at some point bore Li Yi for Emperor Xianzong. After Emperor Xianzong died in 820, Li Yi's older brother Li Heng, born of Consort Guo, became emperor (as Emperor Muzong), and in 821, when Emperor Muzong created a number of his sons and brothers to be imperial princes, Li Yi was created the Prince of Guang.

As imperial prince

In Li Yi's youth, he was said to be shy and a poor speaker, and (falsely) considered by others to be unintelligent. Later, during the reigns of Emperor Muzong's sons Emperor Wenzong and Emperor Wuzong, Li Yi was said to try to hide himself from the political scene, and rarely spoke anything at all. When the emperors visited the imperial princes' residences, known as the Sixteen Mansions, they would, as a game, try to get Li Yi to speak, and they referred to him as "Uncle Guang." It was said that Emperor Wuzong, who had an outgoing personality, particularly disrespected Li Yi.

In early 846, Emperor Wuzong became extremely ill and was himself rendered mute. The palace eunuchs gathered and decided on Li Yi as Emperor Wuzong's successor, probably because they considered him simple-minded and therefore easier to control. They had an edict issued in Emperor Wuzong's name creating Li Yi crown prince, changing his name to the more auspicious Li Chen, and investing him with authority over imperial affairs. It was said that when Li Chen met the officials in his new role as crown prince, they were astonished that the apparent simpleton exhibited punctilious adherence to the complex ritual expressions of grief for Wuzong, and immediate knowledgeable management of the court's pending business. Apparently, Li Chen's simple-mindedness had been an affectation, to make himself appear harmless during the dangerous intrigues of his predecessors' reigns. Soon thereafter, Emperor Wuzong died, and Li Chen took the throne (as Emperor Xuanzong).

Early reign

Emperor Xuanzong honored his mother Consort Zheng as empress dowager. Immediately after taking the throne, Emperor Xuanzong acted against the powerful chancellor Li Deyu, who had dominated the court during Emperor Wuzong's reign, as he despised Li Deyu for monopolizing power. Emperor Xuanzong removed Li Deyu from his chancellor position and sent him out of the capital Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荆南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), and also removed Li Deyu's fellow chancellor Zheng Su. Over the next few years, Emperor Xuanzong purged those officials he considered sympathetic to Li Deyu, and further pursued charges against Li Deyu based on Li Deyu having executed the minor official Wu Xiang on charges that should not have warranted death (Li Deyu was resentful of Wu Xiang's uncle Wu Wuling ). Li Deyu was repeatedly demoted and sent farther and farther away from Chang'an, eventually dying in exile around the new year 850 in Yai Prefecture (崖州, in modern Haikou, Hainan). These actions were considered to have largely ended the factionalism among imperial officials known as the Niu–Li factional strife, which had plagued the imperial government ever since the reign of Emperor Muzong.

A number of policies that Emperor Wuzong and Li Deyu had pursued, including persecution against Buddhism and alliance with the Yenisei Kirghiz, were reversed. In Li Deyu's place, Emperor Xuanzong installed Bai Minzhong as the leading chancellor, and over the next few years, Bai recommended a number of other officials, including fellow chancellor Ma Zhi.

Meanwhile, Emperor Xuanzong also turned his attention to the Tibetan Empire, which had fallen into intense civil war after the death of its king Langdarma in 842. Starting in 848, and over a period of several years, Emperor Xuanzong commissioned border troops to recapture various prefectures lost to the Tibetan Empire since the An Lushan Rebellion, taking the region constituting modern eastern Gansu, southern Ningxia, and western Sichuan. Further, after the ethnic Han Chinese Zhang Yichao seized control of the Hexi Corridor from Tibetan officials and submitted to Emperor Xuanzong in 851, Tang had largely reversed the losses to the Tibetan Empire.

However, he initially had little success with rebellions by the Tanguts. After he came to realize that the Tanguts were repeatedly rebelling because of mistreatment by Tang officials, he modified the policies to install officials who were known for mild temper and honesty in the Tangut regions, and he further put Bai in charge of the operations against the Tanguts, giving him a large staff that included many well-known imperial government officials. With Bai overseeing the operations, the Tanguts largely submitted in 851. Bai, however, was not returned to chancellorship within Emperor Xuanzong's lifetime, and was effectively replaced by Linghu Tao.

Emperor Xuanzong was said to govern diligently, paying much attention to how his capable ancestor Emperor Taizong ruled and trying to follow Emperor Taizong's examples. He also took the time and effort to familiarize himself with imperial officials' capabilities, as well as the customs of the various prefectures throughout the realm, such that he could properly commission officials based on their abilities and review whether they were governing capably. He also encouraged frugality, and tried to demonstrate it by reducing the expenditures for the wedding of his favorite daughter Princess Wanshou to the imperial official Zheng Hao. It was said that throughout his reign, the imperial clan members and their relatives all carefully obeyed laws.

In 848, Emperor Muzong's mother Grand Empress Dowager Guo—whom Empress Dowager Zheng had previously been a servant for—died. Traditional historians noted that popular perception at the time was that Emperor Xuanzong might have murdered her. (It had said that she was depressed over Emperor Xuanzong's disrespect toward her, because Empress Dowager Zheng had resented her, and also because he suspected her and Emperor Muzong of having instigated the death of Emperor Xianzong at the hands of the eunuch Chen Hongzhi.) Initially, he would refuse to allow Grand Empress Dowager Guo to be buried with Emperor Xianzong or to be enshrined in Emperor Xianzong's temple, but eventually allowed her to be buried with Emperor Xianzong. (He would still refuse to enshrine her, however, with Emperor Xianzong, during his lifetime.)

Late reign

One of the major themes later in Emperor Xuanzong's reign was the high-level officials' concerns that he was not creating a Crown Prince, as this refusal to do so left the imperial succession uncertain. The issue was raised repeatedly, including by chancellors Wei Mo, Pei Xiu (Tang dynasty), and Cui Shenyou, but he rebuffed all of them, leading to Pei's resignation and Cui's removal. (The reason why Emperor Xuanzong repeatedly refused to create a crown prince was said to be his disfavor for his oldest son Li Wen the Prince of Yun and favor for his third son Li Zi the Prince of Kui. He wanted Li Zi to be his heir, but was hesitant to create Li Zi crown prince because Li Zi was not the oldest.)

Emperor Xuanzong was said to be careful in promoting and rewarding officials, such that it was not often that he rewarded officials with the highly honorable red and purple uniforms, and was also said to be fair in his promotions such that he did not unjustly favor those who were close to him. Further, he punished those who were close to him when they deserved to be punished, and did not spare them on account of their closeness to him. In order to make sure that the prefects that he commissioned were suitable for the prefectures, he required that they report to Chang'an to meet with him before heading to their posts. It was also said that he was stern, even with the chancellors, such that even though Linghu Tao was chancellor for 10 years, he continued to fear the emperor.

Meanwhile, Emperor Xuanzong also considered curbing the eunuchs' power, but could not think of a good way of doing so. On one occasion, when he conferred with the imperial scholar Wei Ao (韦澳), Wei told him that he was already the emperor who had exerted the most power over the eunuchs within recent memory—to which Emperor Xuanzong, appearing stressed, stated, "You are not correct. In reality, I am still fearful of them." He tried to promote eunuchs that he trusted such that they would wield power, but according to himself, this tactic was not particularly successful, as the eunuchs that he promoted, once they became highly ranked, joined with the less obedient powerful eunuchs as well. At one point, he discussed with Linghu the possibility of massacring the eunuchs, which Linghu opposed because Linghu feared that the innocent as well as the guilty would be harmed; Linghu instead suggested gradually reducing the eunuchs' numbers. Linghu's proposal was leaked to the eunuchs, and the eunuchs were said to continue to despise the imperial officials because of this.

Late in Emperor Xuanzong's reign, he came to favor certain alchemists who had promised him immortality, taking regularly the cinnabar-based pills which they manufactured and prescribed. It was said that as a result of poisoning by these pills, he became paranoid and easily angered, and by 859, as a further side effect of the consumption of these toxic, mercurial elixirs, he had developed a large ulcerous boil on his back, rendering him bedridden and unable to conduct meetings with his chancellors and other officials. He entrusted Li Zi to three high-level eunuchs that he favored—the directors of palace communications (Shumishi) Wang Guizhang (王归长) and Ma Gongru and the director of the southern court affairs (宣徽南院使, Xuanhui Nanyuanshi) Wang Jufang (王居方). After Emperor Xuanzong died, Wang Guizhang, Ma, and Wang Jufang did not initially announce his death, and were set to send one of the eunuch commanders of the Shence Armies, Wang Zongshi (王宗实), who was not on good terms with them, out of Chang'an to Huai'nan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) to serve as the eunuch monitor for Huai'nan. Wang Zongshi, however, reacted by intruding into the palace; finding that Emperor Xuanzong had already died from Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning, he arrested Wang Guizhang, Ma, and Wang Jufang for falsely issuing edicts, and then put them to death. He welcomed Li Wen to the palace, and then issued an edict in Emperor Xuanzong's name creating Li Wen crown prince and changing his name to Li Cui. The next day, Emperor Xuanzong's death was announced, and Li Cui became emperor (as Emperor Yizong).

Relations with Muslims

During Sulaiman al-Tajir's stay at the city of Guangzhou he noted that the Chinese used fingerprint records to maintain the identities of newly arrived foreigners and charged extortionate rates for imported goods, and that the route to China by sea was dangerous due to piracy and frequent rain. He mentioned that the local Muslim populace of Guangzhou had their own mosque and bazaars. He mentioned that the Muslim community had its own Imam and Judge (appointed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang). He also observed the manufacturing of porcelain, the granary system of Guangzhou, and how its municipal administration functioned.

Legacy

Because of the prosperity of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, it was said that in subsequent years, including after Tang's eventual fall in 907, the people missed him bitterly, referring to him as "Little Taizong." The lead editor of the Old Book of Tang, the Later Jin chancellor Liu Xu, wrote of Emperor Xuanzong in glowing terms, while lamenting that much of the records from his reign had been lost by the time of Later Jin such that he could not write more. The lead editor of the New Book of Tang, Ouyang Xiu, however, commented that Emperor Xuanzong, while having good judgment, lacked kindness or grace.

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, Chinese chemists first experimented with fireworks.

Chancellors during reign

• Li Deyu (846)

• Li Rangyi (846)

• Li Hui (846–847)

• Zheng Su (846)

• Bai Minzhong (846–851)

• Lu Shang (846–847)

• Cui Yuanshi (847–848)

• Wei Cong (847–848)

• Ma Zhi (848–849)

• Zhou Chi (848–849)

• Cui Xuan (849–855)

• Wei Fu (849–850)

• Cui Guicong (850–851)

• Linghu Tao (850–859)

• Wei Mo (851–857)

• Pei Xiu (852–856)

• Zheng Lang (856–857)

• Cui Shenyou (856–858)

• Xiao Ye (857–859)

• Liu Zhuan (858)

• Xiahou Zi (858–859)

• Jiang Shen (858–859)

Family

Consorts and issue

• Empress Yuanzhao, of the Chao clan (元昭皇后 晁氏)

　• Li Cui, Yizong (懿宗 李漼; 833–873), 1st son

　• Princess Wanshou (万寿公主/万寿公主), 1st daughter

　　• Married Zheng Hao of Xingyang (荥阳 郑颢/荥阳 郑颢; 817–860) in 850, and had issue (one son)

　• Princess Guangde (广德公主/广德公主 d. 880), 4th daughter

　　• Married Yu Cong of Henan (河南; d. 881) in 858

• Zhaoyi, of the Wu clan (昭仪 吴氏/昭仪 吴氏)

　• Li Zi, Prince of Tong (通王 李滋; 844–863), 3rd son

• Jieyu, of the Zhang clan (张婕妤)

• Jieyu, of the Liu clan (婕妤 柳氏)

　• Li Rui, Prince of Zhao (昭王 李汭), 8th son

• Cairen, of the Shi clan (才人 史氏)

　• Li Yi, Prince of Qing (庆王 李沂/庆王 李沂; 844–860), 4th son

• Cairen, of the Qiu clan (才人 仇氏; 828–851)

　• A daughter

　• Li Wen, Prince of Kang (康王 李汶; 851–866), 9th son

• Lady, of the Chen clan (陈氏/陈氏)

　• Li Yong, Prince of Guang (广王 李澭/广王 李澭; 854–877), 11th son

• Unknown

　• Li Mei, Crown Prince Jinghuai (靖怀皇太子 李渼/靖怀皇太子 李渼; 836–852)

　• Li Jing, Prince of Ya (雅王 李泾/雅王 李泾; b. 839), 2nd son

　• Li Ze, Prince of Pu (濮王 李泽/濮王 李泽), 5th son

　• Li Run, Prince of E (鄂王 李润/鄂王 李润; d. 876), 6th son

　• Li Qia, Prince of Huai (怀王 李洽/怀王 李洽), 7th son

　• Li Guan, Prince of Wei (卫王 李灌/卫王 李灌; d. 860)

　• Princess Yongfu (永福公主), 2nd daughter

　• Princess Qigonghuai (齐恭怀公主/齐恭怀公主), 3rd daughter

　　• Married Yan Qi (严祁/严祁)

　• Princess Heyi (和义公主/和义公主), 4th daughter

　• Princess Rao'an (饶安公主/饶安公主), yth daughter

　• Princess Shengtang (盛唐公主), 7th daughter

　• Princess Pingyuan (平原公主; 834–863), 11th daughter

　• Princess Tangyang (唐阳公主/唐阳公主)

　• Princess Xuchang Zhuangsu (许昌庄肃公主/许昌庄肃公主)

　　• Married Liu Zhi of Hedong (河东 柳陟)

　• Princess Fengyang (丰阳公主)

Ancestry

In fiction

Played by Moses Chan, a fictionalized version of Xuanzong was portrayed in 2009 Hong Kong's TVB television series, Beyond the Realm of Conscience.

生平

唐宣宗李忱原名李怡，母亲郑氏原为镇海节度使李锜侍妾，李锜谋反失败后，郑氏被送入宫后当郭贵妃的侍儿，后来被唐宪宗临幸，生下李忱，封为光王，故唐宣宗为唐穆宗之弟，唐敬宗、唐文宗、唐武宗之叔父。唐宣宗为光王时，居于十六宅，故作愚钝，曾被唐文宗及其他宗室作弄。

传说唐宣宗登基之前，为了逃避侄唐武宗的迫害而出家为僧，传说他在河南淅川香严寺避难，法名琼俊，齐安见其举止不凡。

会昌六年（846年），唐武宗被道士上供的长寿丹毒死。光王李怡被宦官拥立为帝，改名为李忱，是为唐宣宗，年号大中。拥立唐宣宗的宦官本以为他愚钝容易控制，岂料他登基为帝后立即励精图治，并贬谪李德裕，结束牛李党争。众宦官、朝臣及宗室才惊觉唐宣宗以往是故作愚钝，实际是非常贤明。

唐宣宗时的唐朝国势已暮气沉沉，朝政腐败，官吏贪污，宦官专权，四夷不朝。唐宣宗致力于改变这种状况，勤俭治国，体贴百姓，减少赋税，注重人才选拔，唐朝国势小有起色，社会矛盾有所缓和，使晚唐呈现出「中兴」的小康局面，史称大中之治。但只靠政府支支节节的改革，未能完全解决问题。宣宗是唐朝中期以后少数比较有作为的皇帝，另外，唐宣宗还趁吐蕃、回纥衰微，加上张议潮的归义军起事反吐蕃；不仅出兵收复河湟，安定塞北，更一度大致重夺丢失多年的河西走廊（沙、瓜等河西十一州），国威稍振。

宣宗登基之初，为了打击李党，贬斥了能抑制神策军的工部尚书薛元赏，导致宦官恢复对神策军的掌控；后来为甘露之变遇害大臣平反的同时，又给在甘露之变中大杀大臣、死后被武宗削爵抄家的宦官仇士良平反。大中十一年之后，宣宗开始疏于政事，沉溺于长生术，「颇好神仙」。宦官权势又呈复兴之势，甚至还从东南财赋之地攫取大量的经济特权。大中十二年以来，南方军乱不断，容管、岭南、湖南、江西、宣歙、武宁等藩镇相继爆发军士逐帅事件。大中十三年，武宁（徐州）节度使康季荣因不恤士卒，被士卒所逐。大中十三年（859年）八月，宣宗因丹药中毒驾崩，时年49岁。大中十三年十二月，裘甫领导的农民起义更在浙东爆发，当时距唐宣宗驾崩还不到半年。

《新唐书》认为：「唐亡，诸盗皆生于大中之朝。」唐宣宗继位之时，唐朝处于唐武宗的会昌中兴，渐渐恢复元气。唐宣宗一反会昌之政，一味横徵暴敛纵容地方大员豪强，造成严重后患，大中之治有溢美之嫌。

轶事

• 唐宣宗虽有能，但个性严酷残忍，在位时，有一越州美女天姿国色。宣宗宠爱异常。不久，唐宣宗怕自己耽误国事，虽朝臣建议大可放还，宣宗却以放还必定思念其美色为由，把她赐死。

• 唐末的黄巢之乱和藩镇战争使宣宗朝的实录散失，导致后人难以追查当年发生过的事。

• 传说宣宗继位之前曾在淅川香严寺当过和尚，所以对佛教极力推崇，据说曾在大中七年（853年）大拜释迦牟尼佛的舍利。

• 唐末西川变民韩秀升在被高仁厚征服后，就曾坦言唐宣宗在位时天下尚有公道，唐宣宗故去之后就是胜者才有公道；高仁厚闻言后为之侧目。可惜唐朝当时已是病入膏肓之躯，再没有人能有力回天。

评价

• 历史上评价宣宗在位曾经烧过三把火：「权豪敛迹」、「奸臣畏法」、「阍寺讋气」，称之为「明君」，有「小太宗」的外号。据说唐宣宗退朝后还会读书到半夜，烛灺委积，近侍呼之为「老儒生」。

• 明末清初的大儒王夫之在《读通鉴论》论「唐之亡，宣宗亡之」，「小说载宣宗之政，琅琅乎其言之，皆治像也，温公亟取之登之于策，若有馀美焉。自知治者观之，则皆亡国之符也。」评价与《旧唐书》和《资治通鉴》的大力称颂，实有天壤之别。

家庭

家世

唐宣宗李忱的祖先

后妃

宣宗没有册立皇后，元昭皇后是由其子所追封

• 元昭皇后晁氏，原为晁美人，会昌六年（846年）五月廿三日册封美人

• 吴昭仪，是否为夔王李滋生母无考，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 张婕妤，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 柳婕妤，除《唐会要·卷二十一·列传第二十一》记陪葬正陵（应为「贞陵」）外，无其它记录，是否为昭王李汭生母无考

• 梁美人，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 罗才人，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 史才人，会昌六年五月廿三日册封，是否为庆王李沂生母无考

• 钱氏，封长城郡夫人，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 曹氏，封武威郡夫人，会昌六年五月廿三日册封

• 仇氏，封南安郡夫人。仇氏先生一女，大中五年（851年）生一男，因产而亡，年二十四，追赠才人。851年所生之子，可能是康王李汶。

姬侍

• 陈氏，广王李澭母

• 越女，姓名不详，越州刺史进献，宣宗恐怕耽于女色，将她杀死，见《唐语林》

子女

子

新旧唐书皆云，唐宣宗有十一子，但记为十二人，疑李渼非唐宣宗子。排行出于《旧唐书》和个人记载。正史仅记载过元昭太后生懿宗，出土墓志铭记载仇氏生康王李汶、陈氏生广王李澭，柳氏生昭王李汭，史氏生庆王李沂，吴氏生夔王李滋，其他王子的母亲资料已失。

• 长子，懿宗李漼，初名温，原封郓王。母美人晁氏（追尊元昭皇后）。

• 某子，靖怀太子李渼，会昌六年（846年）封雍王，大中六年（852年）薨，追封。

• 次子，雅王李泾，会昌六年封王。

• 三子，夔王李滋，会昌六年封王。母吴氏，是否为吴昭仪无考。

• 四子，庆王李沂，会昌六年封王，墓志称第五子，会昌六年封王，大中十四年（846年）薨。母史氏，是否为史才人无考。

• 五子，濮王李泽，大中元年（847年）封王

• 六子，鄂王李润，大中元年（847年）封王，乾符三年（876年）薨。

• 七子，怀王李洽，大中五年（851年）与昭、康二王一起封王。

• 八子，昭王李汭，墓志称第九子。母柳氏，是否为柳婕妤无考。

• 九子，康王李汶，墓志称第十子，乾符四年（877年）薨。母仇氏。

• 某子，卫王李灌，大中十一年（857年）与广王一起封王，大中十四年薨。称第三子，疑为第十子误写为第三子。

• 十一子，广王李澭，乾符四年（877年）薨。母陈氏。

女

《新唐书》记唐宣宗有11位女儿，另仇才人生有一女，是否为其中一位公主，无考：

• 长女，万寿公主（母元昭皇后晁氏，下嫁郑颢）

• 次女，永福公主

• 三女，齐国恭怀公主（先封为西华公主，下嫁严祁）

• 四女，广德公主母元昭皇后晁氏（下嫁于琮）

• 五女，和义公主，《新唐书 列传第八》记为义和公主。

• 六女，饶安公主

• 盛唐公主

• 十一女，平原长公主（薨于咸通年间）

• 唐阳公主

• 许昌庄肃公主（下嫁柳陟，薨于中和年间）

• 丰阳公主

影视作品