Background

Li Chongmao was either born in 695—during a time when his father Li Xian, who was formerly an emperor of the Tang dynasty but was deposed in 694, was in exile and carried the title of Prince of Luling—or in 698—after Li Xian had been recalled to then-capital Luoyang by Li Chongmao's grandmother Wu Zetian, then reigning as Empress Regnant, to be crown prince. His mother was a concubine of Li Xian's, but nothing, including her name, is written in official histories about her background. In 700, Wu Zetian created him the Prince of Beihai.

During Emperor Zhongzongs second reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Xian was restored (as Emperor Zhongzong). He created Li Chongmao the greater title of Prince of Wen. Li Chongmao was also made titularly a commanding general of the imperial guards and the commandant at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), but did not actually report to Bing Prefecture and remained in the palace. Sometime during his stint as Prince of Wen, he married a Lady Lu as his wife and princess.

Brief reign

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by his powerful wife Empress Wei and daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Her final ambitions notwithstanding, Empress Wei named Li Chongmao emperor (as Emperor Shang), but retained power as empress dowager and regent. His wife Princess Lu was created empress.

Less than a month later, believing that Empress Dowager Wei would act against them, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion, killing Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Longji's father Li Dan the Prince of Xiang, himself a former emperor, became regent instead, and the popular sentiment at the time called for Li Dan to return to the throne. When eunuchs and ladies in waiting attending to the young Emperor Shang requested that one of the coup leaders who became a chancellor immediately after the coup, Liu Youqiu, draft an edict to let Emperor Shang to honor his mother as empress dowager, Liu refused and hinted that Li Dan should be emperor, and while Li Longji publicly told Liu not to speak any further, Li Longji, his brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song, and Princess Taiping were trying to persuade Li Dan to take the throne. Several days later, Li Dan agreed, and he took the throne, displacing Emperor Shang, who was still sitting on the throne during the ceremony and whom Princess Taiping grabbed by the collar to pull down from the throne. He was again given the title of Prince of Wen.

After reign

After Li Chongmao's removal from the throne, he was initially housed inside the palace to prevent anyone from using him to start a coup. In 711, he was given the title of Prince of Xiang and made the prefect of Ji Prefecture (集州, roughly modern Bazhong, Sichuan). 500 imperial guards were sent to accompany and watch him. In 714, by which time Li Longji was emperor (as Emperor Xuanzong), Li Chongmao died. Li Longji restored his imperial status and gave him the posthumous name of Shang, and observed a three-day mourning period, but not the customary three years for the death of an emperor. He appeared to be sonless, as while his older brother Li Chongjun, who died in 707, was listed with a son, he was not.

Chancellors during reign

• Wei Anshi (710)

• Tang Xiujing (710)

• Wei Juyuan (710)

• Li Jiao (710)

• Su Gui (710)

• Zong Chuke (710)

• Ji Chuna (710)

• Xiao Zhizhong (710)

• Zhang Renyuan (710)

• Wei Sili (710)

• Zhao Yanzhao (710)

• Wei Wen (710)

• Zhang Xi (710)

• Pei Tan (710)

• Cui Shi (710)

• Cen Xi (710)

• Zhang Jiafu (710)

• Li Dan (710)

• Liu Youqiu (710)

• Zhong Shaojing (710)

• Li Longji (710)

• Li Rizhi (710)

Family

Consorts:

• Princess consort, of the Lu clan (王妃 陸氏)

Ancestry

生平

李重茂生於武周延載元年（695年），武周聖曆三年（700年）封為北海郡王，神龍元年二月二十一日（705年3月20日）進封溫王，授右衛大將軍，兼遙領贈州大都督，沒有到任。

景龍四年（710年）中宗病逝後，景龍四年六月初二日（710年7月3日），韋后臨朝，改元唐隆。唐隆元年六月初四日（710年7月5日），韋后矯詔立時年僅16歲的李重茂為帝，韋后臨朝稱制。李重茂即位不足一個月，六月二十日夜，睿宗三子臨淄王李隆基、中宗妹妹太平公主等交結禁軍將領，發兵入宮，將韋后與安樂公主等人殺死，是為唐隆政變。

六月二十二日，宮人、宦官請求中書舍人劉幽求草詔立太后，劉幽求意圖複闢睿宗，被拒。六月二十四日，太平公主稱李重茂有意讓位睿宗，更親自將其提下御座，睿宗復闢。李重茂仍封溫王。

李重茂的庶兄譙王李重福隨即發動政變，與其黨羽鄭愔等策劃矯詔稱得中宗傳位，以李重茂為皇太弟，但很快被鎮壓。

景雲二年正月十八日（711年2月10日），改封襄王，李重茂離開長安，被遷到集州，睿宗令中郎將率武士五百人守備。

開元二年七月二十二日（714年9月5日），李重茂除房州刺史，不久死於房州，年僅19歲，謚曰殤皇帝。葬於武功西原。具體所在不詳，有推測今名為隋煬帝墓的建築，實為其墓。

家庭

家世

后妃

• 陸皇后

影視形象

• 陳志成：1986年台灣中視電視劇：《一代公主》

延伸閱讀

注釋

外部鏈接

• 舊唐書·卷九十·列傳第三十六·高宗中宗諸子

• 新唐書·卷九十四·列傳第六·三宗諸子