生平

李重茂生于武后延载元年（695年），圣历三年（700年）封为北海郡王，中宗神龙元年（705年）进封温王，授右卫大将军，兼遥领赠州大都督，没有到任。

景龙四年（710年）中宗病逝后，六月初四韦后临朝，改元唐隆。六月初七韦后矫诏立时年仅16岁的李重茂为帝，韦后临朝称制。李重茂即位不足一个月，六月二十日夜，睿宗三子临淄王李隆基、中宗妹妹太平公主等交结禁军将领，发兵入宫，将韦后与安乐公主等人杀死，是为唐隆之变。

六月二十二日，宫人、宦官请求中书舍人刘幽求草诏立太后，刘幽求意图复辟睿宗，拒绝了。六月二十四日，太平公主称李重茂有意让位睿宗，更亲自将其提下御座，睿宗复辟。李重茂仍封温王。

李重茂的庶兄谯王李重福随即发动政变，与其党羽郑愔等策划矫诏称得中宗传位，以李重茂为皇太弟，但很快被镇压。

睿宗景云二年改封襄王，李重茂离开长安，被迁到集州，睿宗令中郎将率武士五百人守备。

玄宗开元二年（714年），李重茂除房州刺史，不久死于房州。葬于武功西原，年仅19岁。

家庭

家世

后妃

• 陆皇后

注释

外部链接

• 旧唐书·卷九十·列传第三十六·高宗中宗诸子

• 新唐书·卷九十四·列传第六·三宗诸子

Background

Li Chongmao was either born in 695—during a time when his father Li Xian, who was formerly an emperor of Tang Dynasty but was deposed in 694, was in exile and carried the title of Prince of Luling—or in 698—after Li Xian had been recalled to then-capital Luoyang by Li Chongmao's grandmother Wu Zetian, then reigning as Empress Regnant, to be crown prince. His mother was a concubine of Li Xian's, but nothing, including her name, is written in official histories about her background. In 700, Wu Zetian created him the Prince of Beihai.

During Emperor Zhongzongs second reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Xian was restored (as Emperor Zhongzong). He created Li Chongmao the greater title of Prince of Wen. Li Chongmao was also made titularly a commanding general of the imperial guards and the commandant at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), but did not actually report to Bing Prefecture and remained in the palace. Sometime during his stint as Prince of Wen, he married a Lady Lu as his wife and princess.

Brief reign

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by his powerful wife Empress Wei and daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Her final ambitions notwithstanding, Empress Wei named Li Chongmao emperor (as Emperor Shang), but retained power as empress dowager and regent. His wife Princess Lu was created empress.

Less than a month later, believing that Empress Dowager Wei would act against them, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion, killing Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Longji's father Li Dan the Prince of Xiang, himself a former emperor, became regent instead, and the popular sentiment at the time called for Li Dan to return to the throne. When eunuchs and ladies in waiting attending to the young Emperor Shang requested that one of the coup leaders who became a chancellor immediately after the coup, Liu Youqiu, draft an edict to let Emperor Shang to honor his mother as empress dowager, Liu refused and hinted that Li Dan should be emperor, and while Li Longji publicly told Liu not to speak any further, Li Longji, his brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song, and Princess Taiping were trying to persuade Li Dan to take the throne. Several days later, Li Dan agreed, and he took the throne, displacing Emperor Shang, who was still sitting on the throne during the ceremony and whom Princess Taiping grabbed by the collar to pull down from the throne. He was again given the title of Prince of Wen.

After reign

After Li Chongmao's removal from the throne, he was initially housed inside the palace to prevent anyone from using him to start a coup. In 711, he was given the title of Prince of Xiang and made the prefect of Ji Prefecture (集州, roughly modern Bazhong, Sichuan). 500 imperial guards were sent to accompany and watch him. In 714, by which time Li Longji was emperor (as Emperor Xuanzong), Li Chongmao died. Li Longji restored his imperial status and gave him the posthumous name of Shang, and observed a three-day mourning period, but not the customary three years for the death of an emperor. He appeared to be sonless, as while his older brother Li Chongjun, who died in 707, was listed with a son, he was not.

Chancellors during reign

• Wei Anshi (710)

• Tang Xiujing (710)

• Wei Juyuan (710)

• Li Jiao (710)

• Su Gui (710)

• Zong Chuke (710)

• Ji Chuna (710)

• Xiao Zhizhong (710)

• Zhang Renyuan (710)

• Wei Sili (710)

• Zhao Yanzhao (710)

• Wei Wen (710)

• Zhang Xi (710)

• Pei Tan (710)

• Cui Shi (710)

• Cen Xi (710)

• Zhang Jiafu (710)

• Li Dan (710)

• Liu Youqiu (710)

• Zhong Shaojing (710)

• Li Longji (710)

• Li Rizhi (710)

Family

Consorts:

• Princess consort, of the Lu clan (王妃 陆氏)

Ancestry