Background

Li Jie was born in 867, during the reign of his father Emperor Yizong, in the eastern palace at the imperial capital Chang'an. His mother was Emperor Yizong's concubine Consort Wang, who was said to have come from a humble background and whose rank within the palace was not recorded. She appeared to have died shortly after giving birth to Li Jie. (As Li Jie was also said to have been from the same mother as his older brother Li Yan, whose mother was a different Consort Wang, it might have been that he was raised by Li Yan's mother.)

In 872, Emperor Yizong created Li Jie the Prince of Shou. In 877, by which time Li Yan (named Li Xuan by this point) was emperor (as Emperor Xizong), Li Jie was given the honorary titles of Kaifu Yitong Sansi, commandant at You Prefecture (幽州, in modern Beijing), and military governor (Jiedushi) of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered at Beijing). (At that time, Lulong Circuit was actually governed by the warlord Li Keju.) It was said that Li Jie was particularly close to Emperor Xizong since they shared the same mother, and he followed Emperor Xizong in flight from Chang'an from the attack of the agrarian rebels led by Huang Chao in 880. While on this flight, Li Jie, who was then 13, ran out of energy and requested a horse from the eunuch Tian Lingzi, who dominated Emperor Xizong's court; Tian refused and whipped Li Jie's attendant for the request. Li Jie thereafter bore a deep resentment for Tian.

In 888, by which time Huang's rebellion had been crushed and the imperial court had returned to Chang'an, Emperor Xizong grew gravely ill. It was said that Emperor Xizong's younger brother and Li Jie's older brother Li Bao (李保) the Prince of Ji was the oldest among Emperor Xizong's surviving brothers and was considered wise, and so the imperial officials wanted him to succeed Emperor Xizong, but the powerful eunuch Yang Fugong (who had succeeded Tian as the surveyor of the eunuch-controlled Shence Armies) wanted Li Jie to succeed Emperor Xizong, so Emperor Xizong issued an edict creating Li Jie crown prince. Shortly after, Emperor Xizong died, and Li Jie, changing his name to Li Min, took the throne as Emperor Zhaozong. During the mourning period, the chancellor Wei Zhaodu served as regent.

Reign

Campaigns against Chen Jingxuan and Li Keyong

Emperor Zhaozong's ascension created great anticipation in the people's minds, as he was considered intelligent, handsome, decisive, and talented, with ambitions to restore imperial power that had been lost during Emperor Xizong's reign. Not long after taking the throne, he changed his name further to Li Ye.

As soon as Emperor Zhaozong took the throne, he received petitions from Wang Jian and Gu Yanlang, advocating that Tian Lingzi's brother Chen Jingxuan the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), be removed from his post. (Wang, who was allied with Gu (the military governor of neighboring Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), had been fighting Chen for the control of Xichuan but was unable to prevail against Chen by himself.) Still resenting Tian, who was then sheltered by Chen from edicts that Emperor Xizong had previously entered ordering Tian into exile, Emperor Zhaozong ordered Chen back to Chang'an and commissioned Wei Zhaodu as his replacement. When Chen refused to be replaced, Emperor Zhaozong ordered a general campaign against him, with Wei in command, assisted by Wang, Gu, and Yang Fugong's adoptive nephew Yang Shouliang the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).

While the campaign against Chen was starting, another campaign that had been ongoing during the latter years of Emperor Zhaozong's reign was ending. Qin Zongquan, formerly the Tang military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), had declared himself emperor at Fengguo's capital Cai Prefecture (蔡州) in 885 and had sent out armies to conquer the nearby Tang circuits. By 888, his power had waned under attacks by Tang's military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Zhu Quanzhong, and in late 888 he was overthrown in a coup by his officer Shen Cong (申叢); he was subsequently delivered to Zhu, who then delivered him to Chang'an to be executed.

Even though Yang Fugong had been instrumental in having Emperor Zhaozong made emperor, by 889 conflicts had begun between the emperor and the chief eunuch, leading to a public argument between Yang and the chancellors Kong Wei on one occasion over Kong's accusation that Yang was disrespecting the emperor. Nothing further came of the dispute publicly at this point, however. Nevertheless, at the suggestion of Kong's colleague Zhang Jun, who advocated that a strong imperial army directly under the emperor was essential for the restoration of imperial power to counteract the warlords and the eunuch-commanded Shence Armies, Emperor Zhaozong began recruiting an imperial army that eventually numbered 100,000 by spring 890.

At that point, Kong and Zhang believed that it was time to test this army, to show its strengths in the struggle against Yang at court. Zhang, therefore, advocated a campaign against the warlord Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi)—one of the most powerful warlords of the realm and archrival to the also powerful Zhu Quanzhong—as both Zhu and Li Kuangwei the military governor of Lulong were at that time also requesting an imperial campaign against the expanding Li Keyong. Emperor Zhaozong, despite his reservations, approved the campaign, which got under way in summer 890, with Zhu's army attacking Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), then also under Li Keyong's control, from the southeast; Li Kuangwei and Helian Duo the military governor of Datong Circuit (大同, headquartered in modern Datong, Shanxi) attacking from the northeast; and the main imperial army, under Zhang's command and supplemented by the armies of various circuits around Chang'an, attacking from the southwest.

Zhu's army was able to seize Zhaoyi quickly, due to the assassination of Zhaoyi's military governor Li Kegong (李克恭, Li Keyong's brother) by his officer An Jushou (安居受), but the imperial official sent to take over Zhaoyi, Sun Kui, was intercepted and captured by Li Keyong's adoptive son Li Cunxiao (and subsequently executed when he would not submit to Li Keyong), badly affecting the imperial army's morale. Li Cunxiao subsequently put Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (潞州) under siege, forcing Zhu's army to withdraw. Li Kuangwei and Helian's armies were also repelled by Li Keyong's adoptive sons Li Cunxin and Li Siyuan, leaving Zhang's imperial army to face Li Keyong himself. By late 890, the imperial army was suffering repeated defeats at the hands of Li Keyong's Hedong army, and the supplemental troops from Jingnan (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) and Fengxiang (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) Circuits abandoned the imperial army and withdrew by themselves, eventually leading to a total collapse of the imperial army, with Zhang and his deputy, Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) escaping with just a small contingent; the rest of the imperial army was effectively lost. With Li Keyong subsequently threatening an invasion, Emperor Zhaozong was forced to restore Li Keyong to his titles and positions and exile Zhang and Kong, ending the campaign against Li Keyong in disaster.

With the defeat against Li Keyong, and the campaign against Chen in a stalemate—the imperial army had put Xichuan's capital Chengdu under siege and caused a terrible famine within the city, but had not been able to capture it—the imperial treasury was being drained, and Emperor Zhaozong decided to end the Xichuan campaign as well. He pardoned Chen and recalled Wei, while ordering Gu and Wang (for whom he had created a Yongping Circuit (永平) out of parts of Xichuan territory) back to their circuits. Wang was unwilling to accept this result, however, and he intimidated Wei into returning to Chang'an by himself, while Wang continued the siege of Chengdu. In fall 891, Chen and Tian surrendered to Wang, and Wang took over Xichuan Circuit.

Initial conflict with Li Maozhen

The end of the campaign against Li Keyong, which Yang Fugong had opposed, did not end the tension between Emperor Zhaozong and Yang, but intensified it. In fall 891, Yang sought to retire, and Emperor Zhaozong approved the retirement. Soon thereafter, rumors that Yang was planning a rebellion at Chang'an against the emperor, along with his adoptive nephew Yang Shouxin. Emperor Zhaozong sent the imperial guards to preemptively attack Yang Fugong's mansion, and Yang Fugong and Yang Shouxin fled to Yang Shouliang's Shannan West Circuit. Yang Fugong thereafter started a rebellion against the imperial government, along with Yang Shouliang, Yang Shouxin, and other adoptive sons and nephews, including Yang Shouzhong the military governor of Jinshang Circuit (金商, headquartered in modern Ankang, Shaanxi), Yang Shouzhen the military governor of Longjian Circuit (龍劍, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), and Yang Shouhou the prefect of Mian Prefecture (綿州, also in modern Mianyang).

In response to the Yangs' rebellion, Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), along with his allies Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) and Han Jian, as well as his brother Li Maozhuang (李茂莊) the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Tianshui, Gansu) and Wang Xingyu's brother Wang Xingyue (王行約) the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Weinan), submitted a joint petition for Li Maozhen to be made the commander of the forces against the Yangs. Emperor Zhaozong, while inimical to the Yangs, was hesitant to give Li Maozhen more authority and territory, and therefore initially denied the request. However, Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu launched an attack anyway, forcing Emperor Zhaozong into approving Li Maozhen as the commander against the Yangs. By winter 892, Xingyuan had fallen to Li Maozhen, and the Yangs fled (and were eventually captured by Han and delivered to Chang'an to be executed).

Li Maozhen wanted to add Shannan West to his territory, so he requested to be Shannan West's military governor, fully expecting that Emperor Zhaozong would allow him to retain both Fengxiang and Shannan West. Instead, Emperor Zhaozong issued an edict making him the military governor of Shannan West and Wuding (武定, headquartered in modern Hanzhong) Circuits, while making the chancellor Xu Yanruo the military governor of Fengxiang. Despite the misgivings of the chancellor Du Rangneng, Emperor Zhaozong launched a campaign against Li Maozhen, with Du in charge of the logistics and Li Sizhou (李嗣周) the Prince of Qin in command of the imperial guards, which Emperor Zhaozong had rebuilt with new recruits. The imperial army had low morale and little battle experience, however, and when Li Sizhou set to engage Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu's experienced armies, the army collapsed. Li Maozhen approached Chang'an, demanding Du's death. Emperor Zhaozong capitulated, ordering Du to commit suicide and allowing Li Maozhen to retain Fengxiang, Shannan West, Wuding, and Tianxiong. It was said that after this point, Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu, in alliance with the chancellor Cui Zhaowei, were heavily influencing imperial governance, such that the emperor would not dare to carry out any measures that they opposed.

The next point of contention came in 895, when Wang Chongying the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), died, precipitating a succession struggle between his nephew Wang Ke (the adoptive son of Wang Chongying's brother and predecessor Wang Chongrong and biological son of another brother, Wang Chongjian (王重簡)), whom the Huguo soldiers supported, and his son Wang Gong the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), who coveted the more prosperous Huguo Circuit. Li Keyong supported Wang Ke, while Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han supported Wang Gong, and all of them submitted competing petitions on the behalf of the feuding cousins. Emperor Zhaozong approved Li Keyong's petition and made Wang Ke the military governor of Huguo. In response, Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han marched on the capital again, killing the chancellors Wei Zhaodu (who had returned to chancellorship after the Xichuan campaign) and Li Xi, whom they perceived to be behind Emperor Zhaozong's decision.

The actions of Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han, in turn, drew a strong reaction from Li Keyong, who launched his army, crossed the Yellow River, and prepared to attack the three of them. Rumors developed that Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu both wanted to seize the emperor and take him to their domains. Emperor Zhaozong, in response, fled into the Qinling Mountains with his officials, and the people of Chang'an followed in droves. Meanwhile, Li Keyong engaged and defeated Wang's and Li Maozhen's troops, then put Wang's capital Bin Prefecture (邠州) under siege. Wang fled and was killed by his own subordinates in flight. Li Maozhen and Han capitulated, sending apologies and tributes to Emperor Zhaozong. Emperor Zhaozong, who returned to Chang'an, bestowed great honors on Li Keyong and his key subordinates, but hesitated when Li Keyong proposed to attack Li Maozhen, believing that if Li Keyong destroyed Li Maozhen, the balance of power would be lost. He therefore forbade Li Keyong from attacking Li Maozhen. Li Keyong withdrew to Hedong Circuit, and, owing to his eventual defeats at the hands of Zhu Quanzhong, would not be able to return again.

Flight to Hua Prefecture

With Li Keyong gone from the region, Li Maozhen, who had been intimidated into an apologetic posture to the imperial court, again became arrogant. He became suspicious of Emperor Zhaozong's attempts to rebuild the imperial guards and putting them under the commands of imperial princes, including Li Sizhou, Li Jiepi (李戒丕) the Prince of Yan, and Emperor Zhaozong's uncle Li Zi the Prince of Tong. In summer 896, he launched an attack on Chang'an. Emperor Zhaozong immediately sought aid from Li Keyong, but with Li Keyong being unable to launch an army at that time and Li Maozhen's forces having defeated Li Sizhou's, Li Sizhou recommended fleeing to Hedong. Emperor Zhaozong initially agreed and prepared to head for Fu Prefecture (鄜州, in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi), preparing to cross the Yellow River to Hedong from there; he also sent Li Jiepi to Hedong to prepare for his arrival. However, after he left Chang'an, Han Jian sent emissaries, and then personally arrived to meet with him, to persuade him to go to Zhenguo's capital Hua Prefecture instead, promising to do all he could to uphold imperial power. As both Emperor Zhaozong and his officials were fearful of the lengthy trek to Hedong, Emperor Zhaozong agreed and headed for Hua Prefecture instead.

Once Emperor Zhaozong arrived at Hua Prefecture, however, he became effectively under Han's control, and Han stopped any real imperial attempt to engage Li Maozhen militarily. Further, he forced Emperor Zhaozong to disband the imperial guards under the imperial princes' control, and, after Li Jiepi returned from Hedong—thus exposing the fact that Li Keyong was in no shape to launch an army to aid the emperor—slaughtered 11 imperial princes.

Emperor Zhaozong made peace with Li Maozhen in spring 898, restoring the titles that he had previously stripped from Li Maozhen. With Zhu Quanzhong urging the emperor to move the capital to the eastern capital Luoyang, Han and Li Maozhen became apprehensive that he would launch an army to seize the emperor, and therefore repaired the palaces and governmental offices at Chang'an (which Li Maozhen's army had destroyed). In fall 898, Emperor Zhaozong returned to Chang'an, but with no army around him now other than the eunuch-controlled Shence Armies.

Removal and restoration

Meanwhile, also rising in power at court was the chancellor Cui Yin, who hated the eunuchs ardently and who was allied with Zhu Quanzhong. By 900, Emperor Zhaozong, who had come to trust Cui and who would later describe him as "faithful but trickier" (than Han Wo, the official the emperor was making the comment to) was planning with Cui to slaughter the eunuchs. When Cui's fellow chancellor Wang Tuan urged against such action, believing the plans to be too drastic, Cui accused Wang of being in league with the powerful eunuchs Zhu Daobi (朱道弼) and Jing Wuxiu (景務脩), who served as the directors of palace communications (Shumishi). Upon Cui's accusations, Emperor Zhaozong ordered Wang, Zhu Daobi, and Jing to commit suicide, and it was said that from this point Cui became the leading figure at court, with the eunuchs angry at and fearful of him.

The eunuchs also had become fearful of Emperor Zhaozong himself, who, after returning from Hua Prefecture, was described to be depressed, alcoholic, and unpredictable in his temperament. The four top-ranked eunuchs—Liu Jishu and Wang Zhongxian (王仲先) the commanders of the Shence Armies, and Wang Yanfan (王彥範) and Xue Qiwo the new directors of palace communications—began plotting to remove him. After an incident in winter 900 in which Emperor Zhaozong, in a drunken rage, killed several attending eunuchs and ladies in waiting, Liu Jishu led Shence Army troops into the palace and forced Emperor Zhaozong to yield the throne to his son Li Yu, Prince of De the Crown Prince. Emperor Zhaozong and his wife (Li Yu's mother) Empress He were honored as retired emperor (Taishang Huang) and retired empress (Taishang Huanghou) but put under house arrest. Li Yu, whose name the eunuchs changed to Li Zhen, was proclaimed emperor, but the eunuchs controlled the court. They wanted to kill Cui, but was fearful that Cui's ally Zhu Quanzhong might react violently, so they only relieved Cui from his secondary posts as the director of finances and the director of salt and iron monopolies.

Cui, in turn, was in communications with Zhu, plotting to restore the emperor. He also persuaded the Shence Army officer Sun Dezhao to join his cause, and Sun in turn persuaded his fellow officers Dong Yanbi (董彥弼) and Zhou Chenghui (周承誨) to join. In spring 901, they acted. They first ambushed and killed Wang Zhongxian, and captured Liu and Wang Yanfan, who were then killed by caning. Xue tried to commit suicide by drowning, but was taken out of the water and decapitated. Emperor Zhaozong was restored to the throne. In gratitude to the three officers, he bestowed the imperial clan name of Li on them, renaming them Li Jizhao (李繼昭), Li Yanbi (李彥弼), and Li Jihui (李繼誨) respectively.

Flight to Fengxiang

Shortly after Emperor Zhaozong's restoration, Li Maozhen showed an intent of reestablishing his relationship with the emperor by visiting Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Zhaozong. While Li Maozhen was still at Chang'an, Cui Yin made a proposal intending to eliminate the control that the eunuchs had over the Shence Armies—that he and fellow chancellor Lu Yi be put in command of the Shence Armies. This proposal was opposed by Li Jizhao, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi, however, and as Cui cited, as a rationale, the possibility that the Shence Armies could thus counteract the warlords, Li Maozhen was also suspicious of it. Emperor Zhaozong therefore rejected the proposal, and put the eunuchs Han Quanhui and Zhang Yanhong, both of whom had previously served as eunuch monitors of the Fengxiang army, in command of the Shence Armies, and further wanted the retired eunuch Yan Zunmei (嚴遵美) to serve as the overseer of both Shence Armies, but Yan declined and remained in retirement. Cui, apprehensive of allowing the eunuchs to command the Shence Armies again, requested Li Maozhen to leave a corps of Fengxiang troops at Chang'an to counteract the eunuchs; Li Maozhen agreed, and left his adoptive son Li Jiyun (李繼筠) in command of the Fengxiang soldiers at Chang'an.

Despite this setback, Cui continued to try to plan to slaughter the eunuchs. The eunuchs headed by Han eventually became aware of this, and, in order to reduce Cui's power, they had the Shence Army soldiers claim that Cui was not giving them the proper winter uniforms. Emperor Zhaozong was forced to again remove Cui from his post as the director of salt and iron monopolies. Moreover, by this point they had persuaded Li Jiyun and his Fengxiang soldiers to be on their side. Cui, realizing that the eunuchs were intending to destroy him, became fearful, and wrote Zhu Quanzhong, urging him to bring troops to Chang'an to act against the eunuchs. Zhu agreed, and began mobilizing his army.

Han and the other eunuchs, hearing of Zhu's impending arrival, believed that Zhu's forces were intending to slaughter them. They, with the cooperation of Li Jiyun, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi (but not Li Jizhao, who refused to align with them), seized Emperor Zhaozong and his household, and took them to Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality. Cui and the imperial officials largely remained at Chang'an, although some followed the emperor and the eunuchs to Fengxiang. After Zhu arrived at Chang'an to confer with Cui, he advanced to Fengxiang and put it under siege. Li Maozhen sought an alliance with Wang Jian. Wang Jian, however, tried to play both sides—outwardly aligning with Zhu, but secretly encouraging Li Maozhen to resist Zhu, while sending an army to head north to attack Li Maozhen's Shannan West Circuit.

With Fengxiang under siege, Li Maozhen's holdings in the Guanzhong region fell one by one to Zhu, while Shannan West and nearby holdings fell to Wang. Still, Fengxiang's defenses were holding, and by fall 902, Zhu, with his attacks hampered by rains and illnesses to the soldiers, was considering a withdrawal. A trap advocated by and set by Zhu's officer Gao Jichang, however, induced Li Maozhen to send his troops outside the city walls to attack Zhu's troops, where they were crushed by Zhu's troops. From this point on, Li Maozhen could not fight back against Zhu any more, and by winter 902, Fengxiang was in such a desperate shape such that the residents were resorting to cannibalism. In spring 903, Li Maozhen sued for peace with Zhu, surrendering Emperor Zhaozong and the imperial household to him while killing Han and the other leading eunuchs, as well as Li Jiyun, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi. Zhu took the emperor back to Chang'an, where one of the first actions Zhu and Cui carried out was to slaughter the remaining eunuchs, regardless of whether they supported Han's actions. This would be the effective end of the Shence Armies.

Control by Zhu Quanzhong and movement to Luoyang

After Emperor Zhaozong returned to Chang'an, the capital became under the military control of the Xuanwu contingent; while Zhu Quanzhong himself returned to Xuanwu's capital Daliang, he left his nephew Zhu Youlun (朱友倫) in command at Chang'an. Cui Yin began to see signs that Zhu Quanzhong might be intending to seize the throne and became fearful, and therefore began to rebuild the imperial guards with himself in command, and a rift began to develop between Zhu and Cui. The rift became deeper after Zhu Youlun died in an accident while playing polo late in 903, which Zhu Quanzhong believed to be a murderous plot set up by Cui. He sent another nephew, Zhu Youliang (朱友諒), to succeed Zhu Youlun, and further sent Xuanwu soldiers to infiltrate the imperial guards corps that Cui was trying to rebuild. In spring 904, he acted, writing to Cui and his associates Zheng Yuangui the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) and the officer Chen Ban, and then sending Xuanwu soldiers to surround Cui's mansion and kill Cui and his associates. Then, citing the possibility that Li Maozhen and his adoptive son Li Jihui (not the same person as the one killed in 903) the military governor of Jingnan Circuit may attack Chang'an, he forced Emperor Zhaozong to abandon Chang'an and move the capital to Luoyang. While on the journey to Luoyang, Emperor Zhaozong sent secret orders to Wang Jian, Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Huainan), and Li Keyong, asking them to start a campaign against Zhu Quanzhong, but his orders drew no immediate reactions.

Death

Meanwhile, Zhu Quanzhong had long wanted to kill Li Yu, outwardly on the account that Li Yu had once improperly taken the throne (albeit under the eunuchs' pressure), but truly because he was apprehensive of Li Yu's status as the emperor's oldest son and his handsome appearance. Emperor Zhaozong resisted Zhu's wishes on this issue. Further, at that time, Li Maozhen, Li Jihui, Li Keyong, Liu Rengong the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), Wang Jian, Yang Xingmi, and Zhao Kuangning the military governor of Zhongyi Circuit (忠義, headquartered in modern Xiangyang, Hubei) were all issuing declarations calling for the emperor's return to Chang'an. Zhu became apprehensive that, as he battled other warlords in campaigns, Emperor Zhaozong might find a way to rise against him at Luoyang, and therefore resolved to remove the emperor. In fall 904, he had his associate Jiang Xuanhui (蔣玄暉), along with his adoptive son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭) and officer Shi Shucong (氏叔琮), take soldiers to the palace and assassinate Emperor Zhaozong. Jiang initially issued a declaration blaming the assassination on Emperor Zhaozong's concubines Pei Zhenyi (裴貞一) and Li Jianrong (李漸榮), but Zhu later blamed it on Zhu Yougong and Shi and forced them to commit suicide. Emperor Zhaozong's son Li Zuo the Prince of Hui was first declared crown prince, and then emperor (as Emperor Ai). By 907, Emperor Ai would be forced to yield the throne to Zhu, ending Tang and starting Zhu's new Later Liang.

Chancellors during reign

• Wei Zhaodu (888, 893-895)

• Kong Wei (888-891, 895)

• Du Rangneng (888-893)

• Zhang Jun (888-891)

• Liu Chongwang (889-892)

• Cui Zhaowei (891-895)

• Xu Yanruo (891-893, 894-900)

• Zheng Yanchang (892-894)

• Cui Yin (893-895, 896-899, 900-904)

• Zheng Qi (894)

• Li Xi (894, 895)

• Li Zhirou (895)

• Lu Xisheng (895)

• Wang Tuan (895-896, 896-900)

• Sun Wo (895-897)

• Lu Yi (896, 899-903)

• Zhu Pu (896-897)

• Cui Yuan (896-900, 904)

• Pei Zhi (900-903)

• Wang Pu (901-903)

• Pei Shu (901, 903-904)

• Lu Guangqi (901-902)

• Wei Yifan (902, 902)

• Su Jian (902-903)

• Dugu Sun (903-904)

• Liu Can (904)

Family

The Hu family of Xidi are descended from Hu Shiliang, from Wuyuan, who was a descendant of Hu Changyi, a son of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang who was adopted by the Wuyuan Hu family.

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Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Xuanmu, of the He clan (宣穆皇后 何氏; d. 906)

　• Li Yu, Prince De (德王 李𥙿; d. 905), first son

　• Princess Pingyuan (平原公主)

　　• Married Li Jikan (李繼偘), a son of Li Maozhen, in 903

　• Li Zhu, Emperor Ai (哀皇帝 李柷; 892–908), ninth son

• Unknown

　• Li Yu, Prince Di (棣王 李祤; d. 905), second son

　• Li Xi, Prince Qian (虔王 李禊; d. 905), third son

　• Li Yin, Prince Yi (沂王 李禋; d. 905), fourth son

　• Li Yi, Prince Sui (遂王 李禕; d. 905), fifth son

　• Li Mi, Prince Jing (景王 李秘; d. 905), eighth son

　• Li Qi, Prince Qi (祁王 李祺; d. 905), tenth son

　• Li Zhen, Prince Ya (雅王 李禛; d. 905), 11th son

　• Li Xiang, Prince Qiong (瓊王 李祥; d. 905), 12th son

　• Li Zhen, Prince Duan (端王 李禎)

　• Li Qi, Prince Feng (豐王 李祁)

　• Li Fu, Prince He (和王 李福)

　• Li Xi, Prince Deng (登王 李禧)

　• Li Hu, Prince Jia (嘉王 李祜)

　• Li Zhi, Prince Ying (穎王 李禔)

　• Li You, Prince Cai (蔡王 李佑)

　• Princess Xin'an (新安公主)

　• Princess Xindou (信都公主)

　• Princess Yichang (益昌公主), seventh daughter

　• Princess Tangxing (唐興公主)

　• Princess Deqing (德清公主)

　• Princess Taikang (太康公主)

　• Princess Yongming (永明公主; d. 906)

　• Princess Xinxing (新興公主)

　• Princess Pu'an (普安公主)

　• Princess Leping (樂平公主)

Ancestry

生平

初名李傑，咸通十三年（872年）四月封壽王。乾符三年（876年）授開府儀同三司、幽州大都督、幽州盧龍等軍節度、押奚契丹、管內觀察處置等使。

唐昭宗是在唐僖宗死後由當時掌權的宦官楊復恭矯詔立為皇太弟所擁立，先改名李敏，再改名李曄。登帝位後，各藩鎮趁著平定農民起兵的機會逐漸擴大。雖然昭宗曾圖增強軍備以增強中央朝廷的實力，在大順元年（890年）已招募到十萬軍隊，但他貿然宣布西川節度使陳敬瑄、河東節度使李克用為叛逆予以討伐，反被李克用擊敗，不得不恢復李克用官爵。而對西川的討伐戰則陷入殭局，昭宗因河東之敗決定終止西川戰事並恢復陳敬瑄官爵，但討伐陳敬瑄的永平軍節度使王建卻抗命繼續攻打，最終取代陳敬瑄成為西川節度使。大順二年（891年），唐昭宗下令逮捕楊複恭，楊複恭抵抗失敗，出奔投靠養侄山南西道節度使楊守亮。

昭宗的舉動也引起了藩鎮的疑心。景福二年（893年），鳳翔節度使李茂貞擊敗楊守亮後上表昭宗，求任山南西道節度使，期待兼領兩鎮。昭宗卻想為朝廷收回一些領地，下詔任李茂貞為山南西道節度使和相鄰的武定軍節度使，而任中書侍郎宰相徐彥若為鳳翔節度使。李茂貞失望，不奉詔。八月，昭宗命嗣覃王李嗣周率領新組建的三萬禁軍護送徐彥若就職。李茂貞與盟友靜難節度使王行瑜調兵準備迎戰，禁軍望風潰逃，李、王兵臨京城長安。宰相杜讓能原本反對昭宗討伐鳳翔，昭宗不聽，還專任他計劃調度此戰。李、王迫使昭宗賜死杜讓能。昭宗也被迫召回徐彥若，同意李茂貞兼領鳳翔和山南西道。

乾寧元年/寬平六年（894年），鑑於唐的弱化和內亂頻發； 在菅原道真的建議下，當時的日本朝廷廢止了遣唐使的職務，十餘年後（907年），唐滅亡，遣唐使走入歷史。

後來昭宗讓宗室諸王嗣延王李戒丕、李嗣周、通王李滋、儀王（唐昭宗兄，未詳）、丹王李允、嗣韓王李克良、睦王李倚、韶王、彭王李惕、陳王、濟王等十一人掌兵，愈發讓李茂貞生疑，遂帶頭叛亂，兵至長安。昭宗出逃，本欲求助于李克用，派嗣延王李戒丕前往河東，但這時李克用無力相助。這時鎮國節度使韓建表忠相請，昭宗君臣害怕長途跋涉，于是前往鎮國軍府華州。但韓建卻控制昭宗，不讓朝廷迎戰李茂貞，還迫使昭宗解散宗室諸王的軍隊，斬護駕有功的捧日都頭李筠。李戒丕從河東歸來後，顯然李克用不能發兵勤王，于是韓建又以誣以謀反的方式，未經昭宗許可即將被罷去兵權幽禁別第的十一王殺死。期間韓建又為了緩和與昭宗的緊張關係，請求昭宗立皇太子，于是昭宗立何淑妃所生皇長子李祐為皇太子，改名李裕，後來又立何淑妃為皇后，這是唐朝一百多年來第一次也是最後一次立皇后。898年，昭宗與李茂貞講和複其官爵，宣武軍節度使朱溫又勸昭宗遷都洛陽，韓建和李茂貞擔心朱溫勤王救駕，就修複被李茂貞軍燒毀的長安宮殿，昭宗才得以重返長安，但身邊除了宦官控制的神策軍外再無一兵一卒。

光化三年（900年）十一月，唐昭宗醉後親手殺了幾個宦官、侍女，引起了宦官神策軍左中尉劉季述的劇烈反應。當天，昭宗打獵夜歸，何皇后遣太子李裕還邸，李裕遇到劉季述，被留在紫廷院。第二天劉季述挾持李裕，帶兵逼唐昭宗禪讓帝位給李裕，昭宗意欲反抗，何皇后聞宮人報信趨至，出拜說：「軍容長官護官家，勿使驚恐，有事與軍容商量。」她怕傷害皇帝，說服昭宗聽從劉季述安排，于御前取玉璽授予劉季述。宦官扶昭宗與何皇后同乘一輦，與嬪御侍從公主等十餘人入東宮少陽院，劉季述親手鎖院門，將鎖眼熔鐵，軟禁了他們。當時天大寒，嬪御公主沒有衣被，號哭聲聞于外。劉季述迎立李裕為皇帝，改名李縝，尊昭宗為太上皇，何皇后為太上皇后，改少陽院為問安宮，每日只從窗中送飯。十二月，忠于昭宗的神策軍軍官孫德昭、董彥弼、周承誨在宰相崔胤指使下發動反政變，殺劉季述、右護軍中尉王仲先，赴少陽院叩門稱逆賊已誅，請昭宗出勞。何皇后不信，要孫德昭等送上劉季述等首級。孫德昭獻劉季述等首後，昭宗、何皇后才與宮人與孫德昭一同破壞門鎖而出。昭宗複闢，複李縝名李裕，褫奪太子位，複為德王。

901年因崔胤謀誅宦官，宦官韓全誨強迫昭宗投奔鳳翔，崔胤召朱全忠圍攻鳳翔。903年李茂貞殺韓全誨、張彥弘，跟朱溫和解，送李曄回長安。這時唐朝公家已經名存實亡。李茂貞被朱溫打敗，但反而使朱溫變成了最大的藩鎮，並控制著昭宗。朱溫為了滅亡唐朝，自己做皇帝，先殺掉皇宮所有宦官五千餘人，朱溫下令，派往各軍區擔任監軍的宦官，一律就地處決（只是下令，但各地藩鎮並未徹底奉行，如李克用未殺張承業、盧龍節度使劉仁恭未殺張居翰等）。

因後來改封濮王的皇長子李裕年長俊秀，朱全忠厭惡他。崔胤也揣摩朱全忠的心意，在唐昭宗以朱全忠為天下兵馬副都統，要以皇子為名義上的正都統時，明知昭宗因李裕年長而心向他，仍然堅持請求任命輝王李祚，最後李祚被任為都統。朱全忠又通過崔胤提出以李裕曾篡位為由處死李裕，昭宗大驚，問朱全忠，朱全忠否認有此請求。崔胤覺察到朱全忠的異心，想募兵對抗他，朱全忠先逼迫昭宗罷崔胤相位，再攻殺崔胤。

天祐元年（904年）正月，朱全忠不顧大臣反對，遷都洛邑，令長安居民按戶籍遷居，房屋被拆後的木材扔在渭河當中，長安城哭聲一片。昭宗無奈，自陝州出發，至谷水，身邊已無禁軍。昭宗的車駕行至華州，百姓載道高呼萬歲。昭宗聞之垂淚，曰：「勿呼萬歲，朕不復為汝主矣！」又對身邊的侍臣說道：「朕現在漂泊，不知道會落在什麼地方呢？」。至洛陽時，何皇后哭著對朱全忠說：「此後大家（唐、宋對皇帝的俗稱，或稱「官家」）夫婦，委身全忠了。」太原軍李克用、鳳翔軍李茂貞、西川軍王建、淮南軍楊行密等各藩鎮起義，與朱全忠對抗，聲稱要出兵勤王救出萬歲。昭宗離開京師後，終日與皇后、內人「沉飲自寬」。朱全忠又借設宴為名將隨同唐昭宗東行的供奉內園小兒二百餘人縊死，選身形相似的宣武軍人穿上他們的衣服回去。從此宮中事無論大小，朱全忠都能得知。朱全忠心腹蔣玄暉被任為樞密使監視唐昭宗。昭宗身邊都是強橫小人，只有何皇后依然照顧他，不離開他身邊。朱全忠依然堅持要處死李裕，昭宗向蔣玄暉哭訴：「德王是朕愛子，為什麼全忠堅持要殺他？」朱全忠得知後很不快。

朱全忠正要用兵討伐李茂貞及其養子靜難軍節度使李繼徽，擔心昭宗英傑不群從中生變，決意弒君另立幼主。天祐元年（904年）八月十一日壬寅夜，朱全忠派左龍武統軍朱友恭、右龍武統軍氏叔琮、蔣玄暉弒殺唐昭宗。是夜朱友恭等率兵上百人闖入內門，玄暉每門留卒十人，至東都之椒殿院，斬殺河東夫人裴貞一，昭儀李漸榮在門外道：「院使（蔣玄暉）莫傷官家（唐、宋對皇帝的俗稱），寧殺我輩。」昭宗聞訊，身著睡衣繞著殿內的柱子逃命，被龍武衙官史太追上，李漸榮以身體護天子，一起被殺，唯獨何皇后求饒得免死。是年十月，朱全忠返回洛邑，得知昭宗已死，故意假裝震驚，伏於棺材大哭說：「奴輩負我，令我受惡名于萬代！」斬殺朱友恭等人。

唐昭宗在位十六載間，一直是藩鎮手中的傀儡。在極度困窘之中，昭宗求才若渴，且急於大用，有可用之人，則立即提拔。昭宗朝共拜相二十五人，宰相更替頻繁，崔胤先後四次拜相。鄭綮於乾寧元年二月拜相，三個多月後，即「以太子太保致仕。」陸扆在乾寧三年七月被拜為宰相，兩個月後貶峽州刺史。韋昭度、孔緯、徐彥若、崔遠、裴樞等人都先後兩次入相。昭宗死後，葬于和陵，他的第九子李柷被擁立即位，是為唐哀帝，不久，唐朝滅亡。

死後廟號昭宗，謚號聖穆景文孝皇帝，起居郎蘇楷在天祐二年（905年）以昭宗非功德，議改廟謚，後來太常卿張廷範將廟號改為襄宗，謚號恭靈莊閔孝皇帝，後唐同光年間恢復原有廟謚。

家庭

后妃

• 皇后何氏

• 昭儀李漸榮

• 婕妤，原封齊國夫人，見《全唐文》

• 婕妤，原封扶風郡夫人

• 婕妤，原封高陽郡夫人

• 魏國夫人，陳氏，乾寧二年（895年）與內妓四人被賜于李克用。

• 趙國夫人，寵顏

• 晉國夫人，可証，天祐元年四月因謀殺朱全忠被朱全忠捕殺。

• 秦國夫人，原封樂安郡夫人

• 晉國夫人，原封新秦郡夫人，與可証是否一人無考

• 楚國夫人，原封廣陵郡夫人

• 越國夫人，原封太邱郡夫人

• 燕國夫人，原封雲安郡夫人

• 河東郡夫人，裴貞一

• 馮翊郡夫人，唐昭宗被李茂貞劫持時，派她和趙國夫人寵顏到朱溫軍營詰其故

子女

子

《舊唐書》記唐昭宗十子，《新唐書》記十七子。從瓊王李祥排序推斷，至少有兩子沒有被記載。僅知何皇后生李柷、李𥙿，其餘皇子的生母不可考。

• 德王李𥙿，長子，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 棣王李祤，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 虔王李禊，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 沂王李禋，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 遂王李禕，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 景王李祕，第八子，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 輝王→唐哀帝李柷，第九子

• 祁王李祺，第十子，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 雅王李禛，第十一子，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 瓊王李祥，第十二子，天祐二年（905年）二月初九被弒於九曲池。

• 端王李禎

• 豐王李祁

• 和王李福

• 登王李禧

• 嘉王李祜

• 潁王李禔

• 蔡王李祐

女

《新唐書·諸帝公主列傳》，記載唐昭宗共有11位女兒，除益昌公主外，其餘排行不詳：

• 新安公主

• 平原公主（母何皇后，下嫁李繼偘）

• 信都公主

• 益昌公主，第七女

• 唐興公主

• 德清公主

• 太康公主

• 永明公主（夭折）

• 新興公主

• 普安公主

• 樂平公主

家世

唐昭宗李曄的祖先