Background

It is not known when Li Tan was born. He was the third son of Li Heng, then the Crown Prince under Li Tan's grandfather Emperor Xuanzong. His mother was a Consort Zhang, of whom nothing else was recorded in history, and who was not the same Consort Zhang who Li Tan later offended. During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Li Tan was created the Prince of Jianning, and was known for his decisiveness and abilities. He was also known for archery.

During Anshi Rebellion

In 755, the general An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule, and by 756 was approaching the Tang capital Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee with his family and close associates. Emperor Xuanzong intended to flee to Jiannan Circuit (劍南, roughly modern Sichuan and Chongqing), but as he reached Mawei (馬嵬, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), the imperial guards escorting him, blaming An's rebellion on Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine Consort Yang Yuhuan and her cousin, the chancellor, Yang Guozhong, slaughtered the Yang household and forced Emperor Xuanzong to execute Consort Yang. After the incident, Emperor Xuanzong was intent on continuing to Chengdu (the capital of Jiannan Circuit). Li Heng did not follow Emperor Xuanzong, and initially remained at Mawei in response to the people of the region's request that he remain to fight against An. Li Heng initially stated that he wished to follow Emperor Xuanzong to Chengdu, but Li Tan convinced him to stay, saying:

Li Tan's proposal was supported by his older brother Li Chu the Prince of Guangping, and Li Heng finally agreed and sent messengers to report this to Emperor Xuanzong, who agreed and gave Li Heng part of the imperial guard troops before heading further toward Chengdu. Li Tan then suggested that they head to the important border outpost Lingwu and gather troops there, and Li Heng agreed. On the way to Lingwu, Li Heng's small group of guards had to repeatedly battle bandits and deserting soldiers, and Li Tan repeatedly had to personally lead troops to protect his father. Whenever Li Heng had nothing to eat, Li Tan would weep. His acts of bravery and filial piety impressed the soldiers.

Once Li Heng reached Lingwu and gathered the troops there, at the urging of the generals, he took imperial title (as Emperor Suzong). He considered making Li Tan the supreme commander of the armed forces, but at the urging of his officials, who pointed out that this would create an ambiguity as to whether Li Chu, who was his oldest son, or Li Tan, would be his heir, Emperor Xuanzong made Li Chu the supreme commander. (According to the Zizhi Tongjian, it was Emperor Suzong's close advisor Li Mi who suggested this, and Li Tan, who was faithful to his brother, thanked Li Mi for proposing this to reduce the ambiguity.) Li Tan was instead given the command of the imperial guards.

Li Tan soon ran into conflict with Consort Zhang and the powerful eunuch Li Fuguo, who were allies, and he often accused Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo of improprieties. On one occasion, when he praised Emperor Suzong for following Li Mi's recommendation to strip a jewel-studded saddle that Emperor Xuanzong gave to Consort Zhang as a gift of its jewels and give the jewels to the soldiers as rewards, Consort Zhang became angry and bore grudges against both him and Li Mi. Further, Li Tan plotted to kill Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo. Consort Zhang and Li Fuguo instead acted first, falsely accusing Li Tan of planning to kill Li Chu to that he could become Emperor Suzong's heir. Emperor Suzong, believing in Consort Zhang's and Li Fuguo's accusations, ordered Li Tan to commit suicide in early 757.

Posthumous recognition

In 762, Li Chu (whose name had been changed to Li Yu by that point) succeeded Emperor Suzong as emperor (as Emperor Daizong). He posthumously honored Li Tan as the Prince of Qi. In 768, Emperor Daizong and Li Mi discussed further posthumously honoring Li Tan, and Li Mi initially suggested posthumously honoring Li Tan as a crown prince, citing the example of Emperor Xuanzong honoring his younger brothers in that manner. Emperor Daizong, believing that Li Tan's contributions far exceeded those princes, decided instead to posthumously honor Li Tan as emperor and rebury him with ceremony due an emperor. He also posthumously married Lady Zhang, the daughter of his aunt Princess Xinxing, to Li Tan, honoring her as Empress Gongshun (恭順皇后). He had Li Tan worshiped at the same temple that Emperor Suzong had dedicated to his older brother Li Cong, whom Emperor Suzong posthumously honored as an emperor as well.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 116.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 82.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 218, 219, 224.

生平

天寶年間封為建寧郡王。天寶十五載（756年）夏，安史叛軍攻陷長安，唐玄宗率皇族逃往成都。途中，李倓見士民慌亂，便與宦官李輔國進諫其父太子李亨整兵敉叛：李亨遂未徵得玄宗的同意就率兵北上，李倓親率驍騎數百，每戰必奮勇當前，多次擊潰盤踞關中的叛軍。756年，李亨在靈武稱帝，即唐肅宗。

李倓為人正直，多次向肅宗揭露李輔國、張良娣二人之惡，李輔國串通張良娣誣陷李倓欲謀害其兄廣平王李俶。757年，肅宗聽信讒言而賜死他。然而李俶與李泌多次向肅宗表明李倓無罪，肅宗也頗感後悔。

身後

768年，唐代宗追封李倓為齊王，不久又追謚為承天皇帝，並與興信公主（玄宗女，李倓姑母）第十四女張氏（張說孫女、張垍女）冥婚，備禮改葬於順陵。