Li Zhong

Li Zhong
Crown Prince of the Tang dynasty
Prince of Yan 燕王 (posthumously honored)
Prince of Liang 梁王
Reign656–660
Crown Prince of the Tang dynasty
Reign652–656
PredecessorLi Zhi
SuccessorLi Hong
Prince of Chen 陳王
Reign646–652
Born643
Died6 January 665(665-01-06) (aged 22)
FatherEmperor Gaozong of Tang
MotherConsort Liu

Li Zhong (李忠) (643 – January 6, 665[1]), courtesy name Zhengben (正本), formally Prince of Yan (燕王), was a crown prince of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) and was created crown prince in 652 even though he was not the son of his then-wife Empress Wang. After Empress Wang was displaced by Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) in 655, however, Li Zhong was caught in Empress Wu's crosshairs and was forced to yield the crown prince position to his younger brother Li Hong, born of Empress Wu, in 656. He was later further reduced to commoner rank and put under house arrest, and when the chancellor Shangguan Yi failed in his attempt to persuade Emperor Gaozong to depose Empress Wu in 664 and was executed, Empress Wu took the opportunity to accuse Li Zhong of being complicit in Shangguan's plans. Around the new year 665, Emperor Gaozong at the urgent request of Empress Wu ordered Li Zhong to commit suicide. He was posthumously honored an imperial prince, but not a crown prince, during the second reign of his brother Emperor Zhongzong.

  1. ^ Volume 201 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Li died on the wuzi day in the 12th month of the 1st year of the Linde era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 6 Jan 665 on the Gregorian calendar. [(麟德元年十二月)戊子,赐忠死于流所]