Dynasties of ChinaTang dynastyTang dynasty lineage
Xiantong · Reign 859—873
There were excessive banquets and extravagant activities. During his reign, Qiu Fu and Pang Xun started revolts one after another, and the Tang dynasty accelerated toward collapse.
Li Cui, formerly known as Li Wen, was the eldest son of Xuanzong and was granted the title of King Yun. Because he was not favored by Xuanzong, he was not established as Crown Prince for a long time. Xuanzong died of illness in 859, and the eunuch Wang Zongshi and others supported him in the throne. After he came to the throne, he was busy with political affairs and spent a lot of time on banquets and excursions. There were nearly 500 musicians in the palace, more than ten banquets every month, and thousands of rewards. He also doted on chief ministers such as Lu Yan and Wei Baoheng, and accepted bribes.
During his reign, taxes and servitude were heavy. In 859, Qiu Fu in eastern Zhejiang rebelled. In 868, the Guizhou garrison returned to the north with Pang Xun and moved to Jianghuai. Nanzhao fell into Annan twice and attacked Xichuan. The imperial court used troops for many years and its finances were exhausted. In 870, his beloved daughter Princess Tongchang died of illness. He angered the medical officials and killed more than 20 of them. In 873, despite the dissuasion of his ministers, he welcomed the Buddha's bones from Famen Temple. He died of illness in July of the same year.
PoliticsThe eunuchs supported him
In August, Xuanzong died of illness. The eunuch Wang Zongshi and others issued an imperial edict to establish King Yun Li Wen as the Crown Prince. He immediately ascended the throne and changed his name to Li Cui. Li Zi, the king of Kui whom Xuanzong had favored during his lifetime, failed to succeed to the throne.
SocietyQiu Fu revolted
Qiu Fu, a native of eastern Zhejiang, raised a crowd and captured Xiangshan and Yan counties. The number reached 30,000, and he claimed to be the most knowledgeable military envoy in the world. The imperial court sent Wang Shi to lead an army to suppress it. In 860, Qiu Fu was defeated and captured.
MilitaryRecover Liangzhou
Zhang Yichao, the governor of the Guiyi Army, led his army to conquer Liangzhou, which had been occupied by Tibet for nearly a hundred years. At this point, the Hexi states were largely returned to the Tang dynasty.
MilitaryNanzhao captured Annan
In 860 and 863, Nanzhao captured Jiaozhi, the administrative seat of the Annan Protectorate, twice, killing and plundering many people. In 866, Gao Pian led his army to regain Jiaozhi, and the imperial court changed the Annan Protectorate to Jing Haijun, with Gao Pian as the military envoy.
Lasting legacyIt is generally believed that Daluo City built by Gao Pian in Cochin was later designated as the capital by the Vietnamese Li Dynasty and renamed Thang Long, which is the predecessor of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam today.
Science & technologyEngraved version of Diamond Sutra
On April 15, Wang Jie prayed for his parents and funded the printing of a volume of the Diamond Sutra. The sutra scroll is made of multiple pieces of printing paper and is about five meters long. The scroll is engraved with a picture of Sakyamuni preaching. The skill of the knife is skillful, indicating that the woodblock printing technology at that time was quite mature.
Lasting legacyThis sutra was discovered in the Dunhuang Scripture Cave in 1900 and was later taken away by Stein. It is now in the collection of the British Library. It is the earliest extant woodblock print with a clear date.
MilitaryPang Xun Uprising
Xu Si's garrison soldiers were stationed in Guizhou for six years but could not return. In July, they accompanied Pang Xun, the grain judge, to return north without permission. Along the way, they expanded to more than 200,000 people and captured Xuzhou. The imperial court used Shatuo cavalry to suppress it, and Pang Xun died in battle in 869. Shatuo leader Zhu Xiechixin was awarded the name Li Guochang for his merits.
PoliticsDeath of Princess Tongchang
Yizong's beloved daughter Princess Tongchang died of illness. He angered the medical officials and killed more than 20 people including Han Zongshao, the Hanlin medical officer, and imprisoned more than 300 of his relatives. Chief Minister Liu Zhan went to Shu to advise, but was demoted to Huanzhou Sihu.
CultureWelcoming Buddha bones
In April, Yizong ignored the dissuasion of his ministers and took Xianzong as a lesson. He sent people to welcome the Buddha's bones from Famen Temple to Chang'an, facing each other with colorful towers along the way, which cost countless money. In July, Yizong died of illness. The following year, Xizong returned the Buddha's bones to Famen Temple and sealed them in the underground palace.
Lasting legacyIn 1987, the underground palace of Famen Temple was discovered. Buddha finger relics and a large number of Tang Dynasty gold and silverware and secret-color porcelain were unearthed, which are now on display in the Famen Temple Museum.
In 866, he regained Annan, and later served as military envoy to Xichuan and Huainan. Huang Chao defended himself with soldiers during the uprising. In his later years, he became a superstitious alchemist and was killed by a rebel general in 887.
He was originally a grain judge of the Xuzhou garrison. He led the Guizhou garrison to revolt in the north and captured Xuzhou for a time. He was defeated and killed in 869.
His real name was Zhu Xie Chixin. He helped the Tang Dynasty suppress Pang Xun and was given the name Li Guochang. His son was the later King of Jin Li Keyong.
The consort of Princess Tongchang relied on his favor to worship the prime minister, took bribes and excluded dissidents. After Yizong's death, he was demoted and sentenced to death.