Li Hong facts for kids

Li Hong (Chinese: 李弘) (652 – May 25, 675) was a crown prince of the Tang dynasty in China. He was the fifth son of Emperor Gaozong and the oldest son of his powerful mother, Empress Wu. Li Hong became the crown prince in 656. As he grew up, he often disagreed with Empress Wu. Many historians believe she poisoned him in 675. His father, Emperor Gaozong, gave him a special imperial title after his death.

Li Hong's Early Life and Family

Li Hong's mother, Consort Wu, was first a concubine of Emperor Gaozong's father, Emperor Taizong. After Emperor Taizong died in 649, she became a Buddhist nun. However, Emperor Gaozong later met her again and brought her back to the palace.

Emperor Gaozong's wife, Empress Wang, wanted to stop his favorite concubine, Consort Xiao, from gaining too much power. So, Empress Wang helped Consort Wu return to the palace. Consort Wu quickly became Emperor Gaozong's new favorite. She gave birth to Li Hong in 652. He was Emperor Gaozong's fifth son and her first son. In 653, Li Hong was given the title of Prince of Dai.

In 655, Consort Wu made serious accusations against Empress Wang. Emperor Gaozong removed Empress Wang and Consort Xiao from their positions. Empress Wu then became the new empress. Before this, Emperor Gaozong's oldest son, Li Zhong, was the crown prince. But Empress Wu's allies argued that her own son, Li Hong, should be the crown prince instead. Emperor Gaozong agreed. In 656, Li Zhong was demoted, and Li Hong became the new crown prince.

Li Hong as Crown Prince

As Li Hong grew older, he became known for being very studious and kind. He studied history, and once, when reading about a king who killed his father, Li Hong became very upset. His teacher told him that studying history helps people learn from the past.

In 661, a large collection of beautiful writings was put together and given to Emperor Gaozong. Li Hong was rewarded for his part in this project.

Around 669, after Tang forces won a war, Li Hong noticed a harsh rule. Soldiers who left their posts faced severe penalties, and their families would also suffer. Li Hong asked his father to change this rule. He explained that sometimes soldiers might be sick, captured, or lost, not just running away. Emperor Gaozong agreed to remove the harsh penalties for the families.

In 671, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu moved the capital from Chang'an to Luoyang. Li Hong was left in charge of Chang'an. He was often ill, so his staff members made most of the decisions. However, Li Hong was still known for his kindness. During a big famine in the capital region, he saw that even his guards were struggling to find food. He ordered rice from the imperial stores to be given out. He also shared public lands with poor people.

Li Hong's Death

One of Li Hong's kind actions caused problems with his mother, Empress Wu. Consort Xiao's daughters, Princess Yiyang and Gao'an, had been kept inside the palace for a long time. They were over 39 years old and still not married. Li Hong felt sorry for them and asked Emperor Gaozong to let them marry. Emperor Gaozong agreed.

Empress Wu was very angry about this. She quickly married the princesses to two palace guards. Empress Wu was a very powerful ruler and dealt harshly with anyone who disagreed with her. Li Hong and his brother, Li Xian, became worried about her power. Li Hong's relationship with his mother got worse because he kept suggesting that she should let him control more of the government.

Later, Empress Wu ordered Li Hong to leave Chang'an and join his parents in Luoyang. There, he married his wife, Crown Princess Pei.

In 675, Li Hong died suddenly while visiting Hebi Palace with his parents. Most historians believe that Empress Wu poisoned him. Emperor Gaozong was very sad about Li Hong's death. He gave Li Hong the special title of Emperor Xiaojing and ordered that he be buried with the honors of an emperor.

Li Hong did not have any children. Later, his nephew, Li Longji, was adopted into his family line. For a time, Li Hong was honored in the imperial temple. However, later, officials decided that it was not right for someone who never became emperor to be worshipped with emperors. So, Li Hong was given a separate temple in Luoyang.