Who was Princess Yongtai? How did Princess Yongtai of the Tang Dynasty die?

IntroductionPrincess Yongtai was the seventh daughter of Tang Emperor Li Xi'an and the third daughter of Wei Ruyun. She was the only princess in Chinese history to have her tomb named "Ling" (陵), with the same specifications as the emperor.

Princess Yongtai, Li Xianhui, was the seventh daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty and the third daughter of King Wei Ruyun of Yongtai County. After her father returned to the Eastern Palace, Li Xianhui married Wu Yanji, Wu's eldest son. Princess Yongtai was only seventeen years old when she died. She was the only princess in Chinese history to have her tomb named "Ling" (陵), which is equivalent to that of an emperor.

Princess Yongtai, the spirit of incense; the many different opinions, confusing. Born into the royal family, Tang Zhongzong Li Xi'an's daughter, Wu Zetian's granddaughter; Xi Ronghua is right, only seven out of ten people are young people; hate premature demise, resulting in death. Noble life, honorable funeral, mysterious death.

First, Princess Yongtai was executed by Wu Zetian. Said: Dazu yuan year "September, kill Chongrun, Yongtai County Princess, Wu Yanji Lord." Said: "Spring and Autumn period, the high empress dowager with the many brothers and the political Council of Chong Run, his sister, Yongtai Kunjun, Yeonji Lord, etc. secretly discuss their affairs, and then easily to the empress dowager. In September, the Empress Dowager was forced to commit suicide." .

Princess Yongtai

According to historical records, they were both Prince Li Zhongrun and Princess Yide Yongtai, who died as a result of discussing Wu Zetian's private life. According to the "Tang Shu Zi" records, Yongtai Princess Jane and her husband Wu Yanji, brother Li Chongrun private chat, offended Wu Zetian. They were killed because they resented the bad behavior of Wu Zetian and her brother. In September of the first year of Dazu, Ren Shen was forced to commit suicide.

His brother Li Chongrun and her husband Wu Yanji were killed by the Marquis of Wu after their male favorite Zhang Yi Zhi saved Wu Zetian's life. Zhang Yi Zhi longed for Xian Hui's beauty, but Xian Hui refused. Later, Zhang Yi Zhi slandered Xian Hui many times in front of Wu Zetian, which eventually led to Wu Zetian ordering Xian Hui to be executed by Zhang Yi Zhi. Originally, the royal beauty could have committed suicide at the earliest opportunity, but Zhang Yi Zhi ordered the sage to be captured alive, beheaded in public, and played with the cicatrization for a long time before venting his hatred. The poor 17-year-old beautiful princess's head has been hanging under the eaves for days.

After the restoration of King Zhongzong, he was posthumously honored as a princess and reburied in a ceremony. Tomb I is a mausoleum. in September 1960, the epitaph of Princess Yongtai was unearthed. She was the only princess in Chinese history to have her tomb named "mausoleum," with the same specifications as the emperor.

It is said that Princess Yongtai died in childbirth, and in the 1960s, her tomb was excavated, and she was honored with the inscription "Princess Yongtai of the Great Tang Dynasty". Reading the epitaph of Princess Yongtai unearthed in September 1960, it was found that the cause of Princess Yongtai's death was completely different from the historical records.

From the epitaph, "I lost the public ash, I lost the shadow, my locust fire does not move, the white boat is empty", this is a metaphor. Wu Yanji was killed, Princess Yongtai lived alone, but did not suffer the same harm. There is also an interesting passage in the epitaph: "Yong Tai Gong makes the moon wet, complaining about the ten miles without incense, Qiong Calyx secret formula to adjust the spring complaining about the two children." Mother Moth** Happy, the heavy blue smoke suddenly drifted away. The sound of Liao Yu's Xiao went into the clouds, never to return. Alas, alas! On the fourth day of the ninth month in the first year of Dazu, the seventh day of spring." Th

So the record in the old history books should be denied. Meanwhile, according to the 11 pelvic fragments unearthed from the tomb of Princess Yongtai, the pelvis of Princess Yongtai has been restored. According to scientific calculations, "Princess Yongtai's pelvis was narrower than that of women of the same age. It is likely that she witnessed or heard the death of Xu and her brother before her death, and died of blood loss in childbirth. Combined with the tombstone "New Tang Dynasty Book Tianshun Houfei Ji" inferred that "Princess Yongtai died in childbirth" was not killed by her grandmother Wu Zetian.

It is said that Princess Yongtai was poisoned by Wu Zetian. First, the historical record Wu Zetian killed Li Zhongrun, Princess Yongtai and Wu Yan on September 3, exactly one day before the epitaph of the death of Princess Yongtai on September 4, so it can not be said that the death of Princess Yongtai has nothing to do with Li Zhongrun and Wu Yanji.

Tomb mural of Princess Yongtai

Secondly, although the Tang Law has the provision of reprieve for crimes committed by pregnant women, it does not mean that Wu Zetian, who once abused and killed Princess Yongtai, did not have her death sentence carried out, but at most the execution was suspended. I'm afraid this is the epitaph in the "locust fire has not moved" the real meaning. Third, Princess Yongtai was not killed, but died suddenly. It could be that her husband was killed, and she suffered a mental shock and died of miscarriage, or she could have taken poison and died of miscarriage. It is also possible that Wu Zetian knocked her out by some other means.

Princess Yongtai's epitaph reads, "Self-sacrifice, sadness and loneliness"; the locust fire does not move, the white ship is empty. Some people believe that "the delicate child has lost its luster, is a lone shadow", which foreshadows the Princess Yongtai still living alone after her husband Wu Yanji died of a sharp sword. "The locust fire does not move, the white boat is empty", indicating that the fire burned down the locust tree and killed Wu Yanji. Although this had no effect on the princess, she died soon after.

The epitaph also contains the sentence, "The pearl fetus destroyed the moon, and there was no fragrance for ten miles." "Pearl fetus" means pregnancy, and Wen Zhi, the author of "Pearl Fetus Destroys the Moon," compares the princess to being destroyed by Wu Zetian. Because of her pregnancy, she did not want to be beheaded nor insist on killing, but she was forced to commit suicide by taking poison. This is the so-called "widowed life" of Princess Yongtai, that is, "the loss of her body from the delicate child, worry from the shadow".

Other people basically accept the epitaph of the examination and interpretation, but still adhere to the traditional point of view, that the main reason for the death of Princess Yongtai is Wu Zetian injury, Princess Yongtai pregnancy and illness is a secondary cause.