Background

Li Longji was born at the Tang dynasty eastern capital Luoyang in 685, during the first reign of his father Emperor Ruizong (Li Dan) – but at that time, Emperor Ruizong's mother Empress Dowager Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), not Emperor Ruizong, was in actual control of power as empress dowager and regent. Li Longji was the third son of Emperor Ruizong, and his mother was Emperor Ruizong's concubine Consort Dou, who was highly ranked. In 687, as the emperor's son, he was created the Prince of Chu. It was said that he was handsome as a child, and was talented in music. He had two older brothers – Li Chengqi, born of Emperor Ruizong's wife Empress Liu, and Li Chengyi (李成义), as well as three younger brothers – Li Longfan (李隆范), Li Longye (李隆业), and Li Longti (李隆悌). He had two full younger sisters, Princess Jinxian (金仙公主) and Princess Yuzhen (玉真公主), who later became Taoist nuns.

During Wu Zetians reign

In 690, Dowager Empress Wu had her son Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her, and she took the throne as empress regnant of a new Zhou dynasty, interrupting Tang. She imposed upon Ruizong and his family the surname Wu (武) to match hers. In 692, Li Longji and his brothers were allowed to have residences outside the palace and were given staffs at their mansions. In 693, both his mother Consort Dou and Li Dan's wife Crown Princess Liu (Li Dan's having been reduced to crown prince rank at that point) were killed by Wu Zetian inside the palace after Wu Zetian's lady-in-waiting Wei Tuan'er (韦团儿) falsely accused them of using witchcraft against Wu Zetian – and not even their bodies were recovered. Subsequently, all of Li Dan's sons were reduced in title, and Li Longji's title was reduced to Prince of Linzi. He and his brothers, along with their cousins Li Guangshun (李光顺) the Prince of Yifeng, Li Shouli the Prince of Yong, and Li Shouyi (李守义) the Prince of Yong'an (the sons of their uncle Li Xián, formerly crown prince but who had been forced by Wu Zetian to commit suicide in 684), were kept inside the palace and not allowed to have contact with outsiders until 699, when they were allowed to leave the palace and take up residences outside.

During Emperor Zhongzongs second reign: under Empress Weis shadow

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Longji's uncle Li Xiăn (note different person than the father of Li Guangshun, Li Shouli, and Li Shouyi), who was at that time crown prince (Li Dan having yielded that title to him in 698 and taken the title of Prince of Xiang), who had been briefly emperor prior to Li Dan, returned to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong). Li Longji was made the deputy minister of military supplies (卫尉少卿, Weiwei Shaoqing). In 708, he was made the secretary general of Lu Prefecture (潞州, roughly modern Changzhi, Shanxi). In 710, he was recalled to the capital Chang'an to attend to Emperor Zhongzong when Emperor Zhongzong was sacrificing to heaven and earth. Meanwhile, sorcerers engaged by Emperor Zhongzong believed that there was an aura of an emperor at the area of Chang'an where the mansions Li Longji and his uncles were, and Emperor Zhongzong tried to fulfill the vision by visiting Li Longji's mansion and attending a feast there. While Li Longji was back in Chang'an, he spent time to cultivate relationships with imperial guard commanders, as he believed that Emperor Zhongzong's powerful and sly wife Empress Wei Who was in charge of government affairs, would bring harm to the Tang dynasty.

Coup against Empress Dowager Wei

In summer 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by Empress Wei and her 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. For the time being, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen, was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained actual power as empress dowager and regent. Originally, Empress Dowager Wei's clan members, along with Zong, Li Guo'er's husband Wu Yanxiu, and other officials Zhao Lüwen and Ye Jingneng (叶静能) were advising her to take the throne, like Wu Zetian did, and they also advised her to eliminate Li Dan and Princess Taiping. The official Cui Riyong leaked their plan to Li Longji. Li Longji responded by conspiring with Princess Taiping, Princess Taiping's son Xue Chongjian (薛崇简), as well as several low-level officials close to him—Zhong Shaojing, Wang Chongye (王崇晔), Liu Youqiu, and Ma Sizong (麻嗣宗)—to act first. Meanwhile, Empress Wei's nephews Wei Bo (韦播) and Gao Song (高嵩), who had recently been put in command of imperial guards and who had tried to establish their authority by dealing with the guards harshly, had alienated the guards, and the guard officers Ge Fushun (葛福顺), Chen Xuanli, and Li Xianfu (李仙凫) thereafter also joined the plot.

Without first informing Li Dan, the conspirators rose on 21 July, first killing Wei Bo, Gao, and Empress Wei's cousin Wei Gui (韦璇). They then attacked the palace. When Empress Dowager Wei panicked and fled to an imperial guard camp, a guard beheaded her. Li Guo'er, Wu Yanxiu, and Lady Helou were killed as well. Li Longji soon slaughtered a number of officials in Empress Dowager's faction as well as her clan, while displaying Empress Dowager Wei's body on the street. At the urging of Princess Taiping, Li Longji, and Li Longji's brother Li Chengqi, Li Dan soon took the throne from Li Chongmao and again became emperor (as Emperor Ruizong).

During Emperor Ruizongs second reign: under Princess Taipings shadow

Emperor Ruizong was immediately faced with the issue of whom to make crown prince—as Li Chengqi, as the oldest son overall and the oldest son of his wife, was the appropriate heir under Confucian principles of succession, but Li Longji had been the one whose accomplishments had allowed him to retake the throne. He hesitated. Li Chengqi declined consideration to be crown prince—stating to his father:

Li Chengqi wept and begged to yield for several days, and after further persuasion by the chancellor Liu Youqiu—who had been part of Li Longji's coup plans—Emperor Ruizong agreed and created Li Longji crown prince. Li Longji submitted a petition offering to yield to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong rejected it.

At this time, Princess Taiping became the most powerful woman in the government. she gaining unparalleled political influence and a large following, attending imperial meetings behind the scenes and advising Emperor Ruizong. Initially, Princess Taiping agreed to Li Longji's ascension as crown prince despite the fact that Li Longji was not Emperor Ruizong's oldest son and was not born of Emperor Ruizong's wife Empress Liu (Li Chengqi was both—and therefore pursuant to Confucian principles of succession should have been crown prince) as she believed that Li Longji was young (25 at the time he was made crown prince) and would be easy to control. However, once she began to see that Li Longji was strong-willed, she became apprehensive and often had officials close to her publicly opine that Li Longji was an improper crown prince. She further often paid Li Longji's staff members to spy on him to try to find faults with him. She associated with a group of officials, including the chancellors Dou Huaizhen, Xiao Zhizhong, and Cen Xi, intending to find some way to remove Li Longji, but was unable to get two other chancellors—Wei Anshi and Song Jing—to join her group.

In 711, Song and another chancellor, Yao Yuanzhi, tried to persuade Emperor Ruizong to carry out a plan that they believed would end her plotting. They proposed that the two princes who arguably had superior claims on the throne than Li Longji—Li Chengqi and Li Shouli (whose father Li Xian (note different character than Emperor Zhongzong) was an older brother to both Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong)—be sent out of the capital Chang'an to serve as prefectural prefects, while Princess Taiping and Wu Youji be sent to live in Luoyang. They also proposed that Li Longji be put in charge of most affairs of state. Emperor Ruizong initially agreed and made the orders as Song and Yao suggested, except that he believed that Luoyang was too far and therefore sent Princess Taiping and Wu Youji only to Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). After Princess Taiping found out that the plan was conceived by Song and Yao, however, she was incensed and let Li Longji know her anger. In fear, Li Longji submitted a petition accusing Song and Yao of alienating him from his brothers Li Chengqi and Li Shouli (who was actually a cousin but was raised with Emperor Ruizong's sons) and aunt Princess Taiping, asking that the two be put to death. Emperor Ruizong, in response, demoted Song and Yao and recalled Princess Taiping, Li Chengqi, and Li Shouli to the capital. In the aftermaths, Li Longji submitted another request to yield the crown prince position to Li Chengqi, but Emperor Ruizong declined it. Also in 711, Emperor Ruizong posthumously honored both Empress Liu and Li Longji's mother Consort Dou as empresses and built a temple for them to be worshipped, but was unable to locate their bodies for reburial, and therefore had to give them a ceremonial reburial without the bodies. Emperor Ruizong also ordered that all minor matters be decided by Li Longji, and by doing so Emperor Ruizong further diverted Li Longji from the important affairs of the dynasty and government, and focusing only on the advice of his sister Princess Taiping's.

By winter 711 Princess Taiping had become even more powerful than before. Because of her recommendations, Emperor Ruizong carried out a major reorganization of his administration, relieving the chancellors Wei, Guo Yuanzhen, Dou, Li Rizhi, and Zhang Yue of their chancellor positions, instead commissioning a number of chancellors that she recommended — Liu Youqiu, Wei Zhigu, Cui Shi, and Lu Xiangxian. (Cui was a lover of Princess Taiping, and when she offered to recommend him as chancellor, because he admired Lu, he requested to be made chancellor along with Lu, even though Lu was not an associate of Princess Taiping. It was said that Emperor Ruizong, however, was initially unwilling to make Cui chancellor, but relented after Princess Taiping begged in tears, although the account may be somewhat discountable in that neither Liu nor Wei was an associate of Princess Taiping either, and both were close associates of Li Longji.)

In 712, Princess Taiping had astrologers warn Emperor Ruizong that the constellation that symbolized the imperial throne, Dizuo (帝座), showed that there would be a change in the emperor's position—believing that Emperor Ruizong would suspect Li Longji of plotting a coup and that she could remove Li Longji this way. Instead, Emperor Ruizong, reasoning that the change in the emperor's position could be accounted by an orderly transition, offered to pass the throne to Li Longji. Princess Taiping fervently opposed it, and Li Longji initially declined, but at Emperor Ruizong's insistence finally accepted and took the throne on 8 September (as Emperor Xuanzong). However, at Princess Taiping's suggestion, Emperor Ruizong retained much of the imperial power as Taishang Huang (retired emperor), and his edicts continued to carry greater force than Emperor Xuanzong's.

As emperor

Xiantian era (712–713)

Emperor Xuanzong made his wife Crown Princess Wang empress. Meanwhile, Princess Taiping continued to be highly influential in governmental matters through Emperor Ruizong, and most chancellors were her associates. (Of the seven chancellors at the time, five – Dou Huaizhen, Xiao Zhizhong, Cen Xi, Cui Shi, and Lu Xiangxian – were made chancellors at her recommendation, although Lu was not considered a member of her party.) Liu Youqiu and the general Zhang Wei, with Emperor Xuanzong's approval, planned to mobilize the imperial guards to kill several of those chancellors – Dou Huaizhen, Cui Shi and Cen Xi. However, after Zhang told the plan to the imperial censor Deng Guangbin (邓光宾), the news was leaked. Liu was arrested, and initially set to be executed. Emperor Xuanzong interceded on his behalf with Emperor Ruizong, and Liu, Zhang, and Deng were spared but exiled.

Later in 712, Emperor Ruizong decreed that Emperor Xuanzong lead a group of soldiers to examine the northern border. However, the group of conscripted soldiers was disbanded in spring 713, and the plan was never carried out.

By summer 713, it was said that Princesses Taiping, Dou, Cen, Xiao, Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin (李晋) the Prince of Xinxing (a grandson of Li Deliang (李德良), a cousin of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu), Li You (李猷), Jia Yingfu (贾膺福), Tang Jun (唐晙); the generals Chang Yuankai (常元楷), Li Ci (李慈), and Li Qin (李钦); and the monk Huifan, were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady-in-waiting Lady Yuan, to poison the gastrodia elata that Emperor Xuanzong routinely took as an aphrodisiac. When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei Zhigu, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju (王琚), Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Longfan the Prince of Qi and Li Longye the Prince of Xue (who had changed their names to Li Fan and Li Ye by this point to observe naming taboo for Emperor Xuanzong), Guo Yuanzhen, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong (王毛仲), the officials Jiang Jiao (姜皎) and Li Lingwen (李令问), his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi (王守一), the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude (李守德)—and decided to act first. On 29 July, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou fled into a canyon and committed suicide by hanging. Xue Ji was forced to commit suicide. When Emperor Ruizong heard about this, he quickly ascended the tower at Chengtian Gate to ascertain what was happening. Guo reported to him Emperor Xuanzong's intentions, and Emperor Ruizong felt compelled to affirm Emperor Xuanzong's actions in an edict. The next day, Emperor Ruizong issued an edict transferring all authorities to Emperor Xuanzong and moved to a secondary palace, Baifu Hall (百福殿) and would remain there until his death in 716.

Kaiyuan era (713–741)

Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era is usually viewed as one of the golden ages of Chinese history – a period of political stability, peace in society, and economic prosperity, in addition to advances in education, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and religion.

Early Kaiyuan era

Meanwhile, Zhang Yue and Liu Youqiu served as chancellors, but they were soon displaced by Yao Yuanzhi (who then changed his name to Yao Chong) and Lu Huaishen. Changing the system of having a large group of chancellors simultaneous, as had been the case throughout Tang, Emperor Xuanzong reduced the numbers to two (or sometimes three) for the rest of his reign. Yao was considered a highly capable administrator, and with him ruling on most important matters and Lu assisting, the government was said to be highly efficient.

In 714, Emperor Xuanzong carried out a series of political reprisals against the cruel secret police officials of Wu Zetian's reign, exiling the ones that were still alive and eventually barring their descendants from holding political offices. At the urging of Jiang Jiao's brother Jiang Hui (姜诲), he also exiled a number of chancellors – Wei Sili, Wei Anshi, Zhao Yanzhao, and Li Jiao – from Emperor Zhongzong's reign whom Jiang accused of being unable to curb Empress Wei's abuse of power.

Also in 714, Emperor Xuanzong, wanting to punish the Khitan and the Xi for having defeated Tang forces during Emperor Zhongzong's reign, commissioned the general Xue Ne to attack them, but Xue suffered another devastating loss to them, at the casualty rate of 80–90%. However, later in the year, when the Tibetan Empire attacked, Emperor Xuanzong again commissioned Xue to defend against the attack, and Xue was able to repel the Tibetan forces. Subsequently, though, although both sides tried to invoke the marriage between Li Shouli's daughter Princess Jincheng and Me Agtsom, emperor of the Tibetan Empire, in seeking peace, the two sides could not reach an agreement and remained in border conflict yearly. In response, Emperor Xuanzong established the office of jiedushi (military governor) of Longyou Circuit (陇右, headquartered in what is now Haidong, Qinghai), with a centralized command of 12 prefectures under a single military general. Eventually, the establishment of jiedushi would be extended to other parts of the empire.

Also in 714, Emperor Xuanzong created Li Siqian, his second son and the son of his then-favorite concubine Consort Zhao, crown prince. (Emperor Xuanzong's wife Empress Wang was sonless.)

Meanwhile, the Tang relationship with Qapaghan Qaghan of the Göktürks had fluctuated during the first few years of the Kaiyuan era, as minor hostilities occurred at the borders as well as contests over vassals' loyalty for the two states, but they were also at times friendly to each other, with Qapaghan requesting at times to marry a Tang princess and Emperor Xuanzong agreeing to the proposal. In 716, however, Qapaghan was killed in battle against the Bayegu (拔野古), and from that point on, lacking his efficient leadership, the Göktürks, while remaining an important regional power, posed much less of a threat to China, although at times still capable of dealing serious defeats to Tang forces, as was the case in 720 when the Göktürk general Tonyukuk defeated the Tang garrison at Liang Prefecture (凉州, roughly modern Wuwei, Gansu) and the Tang vassal Basmyl. Meanwhile, Tang, the Tibetan Empire, and the Umayyad Caliphate were constantly engaging in a three-way tug of war for influence in the Xiyu (i.e., modern Xinjiang and former Soviet Central Asia) region. In 715, for example, when the king of Bahanna (拔汗那) was expelled by a new king supported by the Tibetan Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate, Tang forces commanded by the general (张孝嵩) attacked the new king and restored the old king. General Tang Jiahui led the Chinese to defeat the following Arab-Tibetan attack in the Battle of Aksu (717). The attack on Aksu was joined by Turgesh Khan Suluk. Both Uch Turfan and Aksu were attacked by the Turgesh, Arab, and Tibetan force on 15 August 717. Qarluqs serving under Chinese command, under Arsila Xian, a Western Turkic Qaghan serving under the Chinese Assistant Grand Protector General Tang Jiahui defeated the attack. Al-Yashkuri, the Arab commander and his army fled to Tashkent after they were defeated.

In and around 716, there was a major locust infestation in the central China region. At Yao's suggestion, Emperor Xuanzong ordered an extensive campaign of extermination, which was said to reduce the impact of the infestation and ward off a major famine. Later in 716, however, due a corruption scandal involving Yao's sons and his associate Zhao Hui (赵诲), Yao incurred displeasure from Emperor Xuanzong and offered to resign. He and Yuan Qianyao, who replaced Lu after Lu's death earlier in 716, were removed from their offices and replaced with Song Jing and Su Ting, with Song making more of the important decisions and Su assisting. Yao would not return to the chancellorship, but would remain influential as a key advisor for Emperor Xuanzong until Yao's death in 721. Contrary to the practical and flexible Yao, Song was more interested in emphasizing integrity and rule of law in governance, and it was said that while Yao's and Song's emphases were different, they were both regarded as instrumental in establishing the rule of Kaiyuan and that subsequent chancellors could not compare to them.

Meanwhile, Song and Su had carried out a stern campaign against the use of coins that were not officially forged by the government, which brought popular resentment that Emperor Xuanzong found problematic. In 720, he removed Song and Su from chancellor offices and replaced them with Yuan and Zhang Jiazhen, and in 721 added Zhang Yue as a chancellor as well.

Meanwhile, by 722, Empress Wang, who had contributed to Emperor Xuanzong's reign by providing suggestions, had begun to lose favor to Consort Wu, a great-grandniece of Emperor Xuanzong's grandmother Wu Zetian. Emperor Xuanzong secretly discussed with Jiang Jiao the possibility of deposing her, but Jiang Jiao careless leaked the discussion. At the urging of Zhang Jiazhen, who was friendly with Empress Wang's brother Wang Shouyi (王守一), advocated that Jiang Jiao be punished and exiled, and Jiang died in exile.

Meanwhile, at Zhang Yue's suggestion, the Tang northern border defense forces, which had about 600,000 men at that time, was reduced by 200,000 men to allow the soldiers to return home. Further, seeing that the Tang conscription system, due to abuses against the soldiers at the time, was near a collapse, as the soldiers were forced into long tours of duty but their families were not exempt from taxes, thus causing great numbers of desertions, Zhang suggested a switch to a recruitment-based system where soldiers were paid salaries. This allowed, for a time, Tang's soldier supply to be replenished. (Some later historians condemned Zhang for the abolition of the conscription system, believing the abolition to be the root of Tang's later fracturing, but some others, such as the modern historian Bo Yang, argued that Zhang's actions not only were necessary to restore the supply of soldiers but saved many lives.)

Middle Kaiyuan era

In 723, Zhang Jiazhen was demoted on account of a corruption scandal involving his brother Zhang Jiayou. His position was filled by Wang Jun, who was soon himself demoted over suspicions, never proven, that he was plotting treason. With Zhang Yue thus effectively being the senior chancellor, Zhang Yue promoted literary studies, which Emperor Xuanzong also favored. In 724, he also commissioned the chief imperial astronomer Nangong Shuo to carry out a major astronomical survey to observe the sun and the North Star at various points of the empire.

Also in 724, it was discovered that Wang Shouyi had engaged sorcerers to make amulets for Empress Wang to wear, hoping that the use of magic would allow her to have a son. Empress Wang was deposed and reduced to commoner rank, while Wang Shouyi was exiled and subsequently ordered to commit suicide in exile. Empress Wang died later in the year, and it was said that the eunuchs and the ladies in waiting mourned her bitterly and Emperor Xuanzong much regretted his treatment of her. Still, after Empress Wang's removal and death, Consort Wu became undisputed mistress of the palace and was treated inside the palace like an empress would be. Still, in 726, when Emperor Xuanzong considered creating her empress, he encountered oppositions from officials on two grounds – that her Wu clan was hated by the people and that as she had her own sons, the position of Li Siqian the Crown Prince (whose name had been changed to Li Hong by this point) would be threatened. As a result, Emperor Xuanzong never created her empress.

In winter 725, Emperor Xuanzong, at Zhang Yue's urging, carried out a magnificent ceremony at Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.

In 726, Zhang Yue was accused of corruption by several officials that he had blocked the advances of – Cui Yinfu (崔隐甫), Yuwen Rong, and Li Linfu – and was found to have committed corruption. At the intercession of Gao Lishi, however, Zhang Yue was removed only from his chancellor post and permitted to maintain his title and a number of other posts. He was replaced by Li Yuanhong, and subsequently, Du Xian was also added as a chancellor.

In 727, at the suggestion of the general Wang Junchuo (王君㚟), Emperor Xuanzong commissioned Wang Junchuo to attack the Tibetan Empire, and after a Tibetan incursion in late 726, Wang counterattacked and inflicted losses on Tibetan forces commanded by the general Xinuoluogonglu (悉诺逻恭禄). Later in the year, though, Xinuoluogonglu and another general, Zhulongmangbuzhi (烛龙莽布支) attacked and captured Wang's home prefecture Gua Prefecture (瓜州, roughly modern Jiuquan, Gansu), taking Wang's father Wang Shou (王寿) captive. As a result, Wang Junchuo did not dare to counterattack, and subsequently blamed the defeat on a number of tribal chiefs in the area and had them exiles. In response, Yaoluoge Hushu, the nephew of one of the chiefs so exiled, Yaoluoge Chengzong, ambushed Wang Junchuo and killed him, and while Yaoluoge Hushu was forced to flee thereafter, for several years Tang did not engage in any offensive campaigns in the region.

Around the same time, Emperor Xuanzong began to build a residential complex in the palace for imperial clan members, known as the Mansion of the Ten Princes (十王院), to centralize their residence. Thereafter, imperial princes, including the crown prince, would rarely live outside the palace complex.

In 728, Emperor Xuanzong added the general Xiao Song as a chancellor. Subsequently, in 729, with Yuan, even though he was senior chancellor, unable to curb the disputes between Li Yuanhong and Du, Emperor Xuanzong removed all three from chancellor positions, promoting Yuwen and Pei Guangting to be chancellors in their stead – in Yuwen's case, for his abilities to find ways to add to the imperial treasury by imposing special taxes and levies. Later in the year, though, Yuwen made false accusations against the general Li Hui (李褘) the Prince of Xin'an (Emperor Xuanzong's second cousin) and was exiled, and subsequently died in exile. Still, it was said that it was starting from Yuwen's times that Emperor Xuanzong began to pay attention on taxes to replenish the imperial treasury, which traditional historians viewed as the start of his inflicting financial burdens on the people. Further, with Pei in charge of the civil service system, it was said that due to Pei's strict adherence to seniority, the Tang civil service system began to lose its ability to find talented people to serve in offices.

In 730, the Khitan general Ketugan (可突干) killed the king Li Shaogu (李邵固) and took over the reign of the Khitan and the Xi personally, forcing the king of the Xi, Li Lusu (李鲁苏) to flee to Tang for protection. Tang sent an army to attack the Khitan, but meanwhile made peace with the Tibetan Empire. Initially, the campaign against the Khitan did not succeed, but in 732, with Li Hui in command, Tang forces dealt Ketugan a serious defeat and causing many of Ketugan's subordinates to defect and submit to Tang, although Ketugan was not captured.

Late Kaiyuan era

Meanwhile, Tang also began to have periodic conflicts with Balhae, and in 733 Emperor Xuanzong tried to commission Dae Mun-ye, the brother of Balhae's King Mu, to attack Balhae, along with forces from Silla, but the attack was not successful.

Also in 733, Pei Guangting died, and at the recommendation of Xiao Song, he was replaced with Han Xiu, but soon, Song and Han were in repeated conflicts, and late in 733, both were removed and replaced with Pei Yaoqing, who became known for improving the food distribution system, and Zhang Jiuling, known for his integrity. In 734, Emperor Xuanzong added Li Linfu, a close associate of Consort Wu, as a chancellor as well.

Around the new year 735, Ketuhan was killed in an internal Khitan power struggle, and Khitan became a vassal again, although it would not stay so permanently.

By 736, Emperor Xuanzong was described as having been tired of important affairs of state and beginning to become wasteful and exuberant in his lifestyle. Zhang tried to curb his behavior but thus began to lose favor, while Li Linfu was gaining power due to his association with Consort Wu. Further, Zhang supported Li Hong (whose name had been changed to Li Ying by this point), while Li Linfu and Consort Wu supported her son Li Mao (李瑁) the Prince of Shou and tried to have Li Mao made crown prince. In 736, due to Li Linfu's machinations that made Emperor Xuanzong believed that Zhang and Pei Yaoqing were improperly engaging in factionalism, Zhang and Pei Yaoqing were removed and replaced by Niu Xianke, who closely followed Li Linfu's will, and thereafter, Li Linfu would dominate the imperial government almost to the end of Emperor Xuanzong's reign. Li Linfu did all he could to stay in power, and carried out many dirty tricks against actual or potential threats to his power. He also severely discouraged criticism, ending the relative freedom that officials had to make proposals to Emperor Xuanzong. This was often viewed by traditional historians as the turning point of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, which up to that point was considered a golden age in Chinese history, toward a path of degeneration. The Song dynasty historian Sima Guang, in his Zizhi Tongjian, for example, commented:

In 737, with Zhang no longer in the government to protect him, Li Ying was deposed and subsequently forced to commit suicide. However, with Consort Wu dying later in the year, Emperor Xuanzong did not immediately accept Li Linfu's proposal to have Li Mao made crown prince. Rather, he chose an older son, Li Yu the Prince of Zhong, in 738.

Tianbao era (742–756)

Historians said that Emperor Xuanzong forced tens of thousands of beautiful women to live in his palace to please him, more than many other Tang emperors. And he did not allow many to be set free even when they were old. As Emperor Xuanzong turned his attention to pleasure-seeking with his favorite concubine Yang Guifei and her family, he paid less and less attention to the running of his empire, and much of his power fell into the hands of the corrupt Li Linfu (who was succeeded by Lady Yang's dissolute cousin Yang Guozhong) and the eunuch Gao Lishi.

At the same time, 751 saw the loss of the Battle of Talas against the Abbasid Caliphate. As a consequence, the Tang dynasty temporarily lost some of its influence in Central Asia to the emerging Abbasid Caliphate, as several Tang tributaries turned to the Abbasids.

Meanwhile, the jiedushi (military governors), most of whom were non-Han took more and more regional power into their own hands. Some successful generals included Geshu Han, known for victories over the Tibetan Empire; Gao Xianzhi, who conquered city states of the Xiyu region, eventually battling the Abbasids at Talas; and An Lushan who defeated and once again vassalized the Khitan. Eventually, in 755, An Lushan started the Anshi Rebellion at Fanyang. The rebels quickly seized the eastern capital Luoyang, and then the imperial capital Chang'an six months later. Emperor Xuanzong fled to Sichuan during the war and abdicated the throne to Li Yu (whose name had been changed to Li Heng at that point) (as Emperor Suzong).

Early Tianbao era

Meanwhile, at Li Linfu's encouragement, Emperor Xuanzong began to promote non-Han generals to command large border armies, believing Li Linfu's assertion that non-Han generals were more likely to be personally loyal to Emperor Xuanzong himself and would not have clan entanglements, even though Li Linfu's own personal motivation was to prevent Han officials from going through the border command route to become chancellors, thus threatening him. Such generals who rose in ranks included An Lushan, An Sishun, Geshu Han, and Gao Xianzhi. By 742, the main Tang forces were all concentrated on the border, at nine different military circuits and one special military district (Lingnan), as well as three special coast defense districts (Changle, Donglai, and Dongmou):

Meanwhile, it was said that Emperor Xuanzong had paid less attention to increasing revenues after Yuwen Rong's fall, but by 742 he was again interested in doing so, and such officials as Wei Jian (韦坚, a brother-in-law of Li Yu, whose name was changed by this point to Li Heng), Wang Hong (王鉷), and Yang Shenjin became favored, and often, matters having to do with finances were stripped out of other officials' responsibilities and given to them as special commissions.

Late in 742, Niu Xianke died and was replaced by Li Shizhi.

In 744, Eastern Tujue, after a series of internal turmoil and rebellions from its vassals, finally collapsed. Its vassal Huige rose and became the dominant power of the region, but formally submitted to Tang as a vassal.

Meanwhile, after Consort Wu's death, Emperor Xuanzong had been depressed. When he saw his son Prince of Shou Li Mao's wife (his daughter-in-law) Yang Yuhuan (Princess of Shou, by virtue of marriage), he was infatuated with her, and he had her become a Taoist nun and gave Li Mao the wife of the general Wei Zhaoxun (韦昭训) as his new wife and princess. Meanwhile, he secretly took the nun, Yang, into the palace. She became his senior-ranking concubine (guifei), known as Yang Guifei, and soon became so powerful that officials were bribing her family members to get preferential treatment. She was referred to inside the palace as "the Lady" and treated like an empress. He abducted more than 40000 women in his palace. Some were not set free even after they were over 60 years old.

Meanwhile, Li Linfu was beginning to conflict with Li Shizhi and Wei Jian, who were allies. Li Linfu, who engaged a group of secret police officials to investigate and manufacture evidence against political enemies, was able to get Wei and Li Shizhi demoted and exiled in 746. (Li Shizhi was replaced by Chen Xilie, who gained favor from Emperor Xuanzong for his knowledge in Taoism and sorcery.) In 747, Li Linfu further carried out a campaign of terror against exiled officials, and among the officials executed were Wei, Li Yong (李邕) and Pei Dunfu (裴敦复). Li Shizhi and Wang Ju, who had been instrumental in Emperor Xuanzong's initial actions against Princess Taiping, committed suicide.

Meanwhile, in 747, Emperor Xuanzong wanted to expand the government's talent pool, and so issued an edict ordering that the people who had unusual talents to come to Chang'an to be examined by himself. Li Linfu, fearing that these examinees might accuse him of improprieties when they get to meet the emperor, suggested that these examinees go through two levels of preliminary examinations – by the local governments, and then by the executive bureau. As a result, no one passed the first two levels of preliminary examinations, and Li LInfu subsequently submitted a note to Emperor Xuanzong congratulating him that no talent has been overlooked by the imperial administration.

Meanwhile, also as of 747, An Lushan had become greatly favored by Emperor Xuanzong due to his military achievements and his willingness to flatter Emperor Xuanzong, Consort Yang, and her family members. Further, Li Linfu, apprehensive about the general Wang Zhongsi, who at that time was in command of four circuits (Hexi, Longyou, Shuofang, and Hedong), deprecated Wang in favor of An Lushan. In 747, after Li Linfu implicated Wang in hindering a campaign against the Tibetan Empire and further accused Wang of plotting a coup to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong and replace him with Li Heng, Wang was arrested and demoted, escaping death only at the pleas of Geshu, who was Wang's deputy and who subsequently was given the commands of Hexi and Longyou. An Lushan, who had already been in command of Fanyang and Pinglu Circuits, was also given Hedong, and thereafter was in command of the most elite troops of the empire. Meanwhile, the ethnically Goguryeo general Gao Xianzhi had become prominent in the Xiyu region, expanding Tang power to the west.

By 748, Consort Yang's cousins Yang Guozhong, Yang Xian and Yang Qi, as well as her three sisters (who were created the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin), had become exceedingly wealthy and powerful due to the favors that Emperor Xuanzong showed them. It was said that their wealth topped all households in Chang'an. It was also said that by 749, the empire was so wealthy that Emperor Xuanzong viewed treasures as expendable and so awarded them without limit.

Late Tianbao era

Meanwhile, Li Linfu had a tight grip on power and favors from Emperor Xuanzong throughout the years, but as of 750, Yang Guozhong and Chen Xilie had allied with each other and were finding ways to eliminate Li Linfu's allies from government.

As of 751, Tang was also facing defeats on two different external fronts – as Nanzhao's king Geluofeng, angry about unreasonable demands that the Zhang Qiantuo the governor of Yunnan Commandery (云南, roughly modern Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan) and Zhang's subsequent false accusations that he was planning to rebel, rebelled for real, and attacked and occupied Yunnan Commandery. A major attack by the general Xianyu Zhongtong (鲜于仲通) against Nanzhao failed terribly in 751, and subsequent defeats by Tang forces eventually led to a total of some 200,000 casualties among Tang troops. On the western front, Gao Xianzhi suffered a major defeat at the Abbasid forces at the Battle of Talas in 751 as well, ending the Tang expansion to the west.

In 752, Wang Hong's brother Wang Han (王焊) was accused of treason after his associates rose in a failed coup at Chang'an. In the aftermaths, Wang Hong was forced to commit suicide, and Yang Guozhong, Chen, and Geshu Han further tried to implicate Li Linfu in the plot as well. After Li LInfu died in winter 752, Yang Guozhong succeeded him, and almost immediately accused Li LInfu of having been complicit in the rebellion of another general, Li Xianzhong (李献忠). Li LInfu was posthumously disgraced, and his family was exiled.

A rivalry soon developed between Yang Guozhong and An Lushan, and Yang Guozhong began to repeatedly warn Emperor Xuanzong that An was plotting rebellion. Emperor Xuanzong ignored the warnings. In 754, Yang Guozhong suggested that if An were summoned to the capital, he would surely refuse, and Emperor Xuanzong decided to try An – and An arrived in Chang'an immediately after being summoned. After this incident, Emperor Xuanzong no longer believed that An was plotting rebellion. Nevertheless, because of Yang Guozhong's opposition, he did not make An chancellor, as he was planning. Also in 754, with Yang Guozhong also trying to squeeze Chen out of the government, Chen resigned and was replaced by Wei Jiansu.

In 755, Yang Guozhong further provoked An, who was then back at his post in Fanyang, by surrounding An's mansion at Chang'an and arresting and executing An's staff members. An, in fear and anger, rebelled in winter 755, and quickly reached and captured Luoyang after defeating Feng Changqing's undersupplied army. Subsequently, Emperor Xuanzong, believing in reports from the eunuch Bian Lingcheng (边令诚) that Feng was cowardly and that Feng's superior Gao Xianzhi was corrupt, executed both Feng and Gao and replaced Gao with Geshu in defending Tong Pass from An's advances. An declared himself emperor of a new state of Yan at Luoyang, but with Geshu defending Tong Pass, An's advances stalled, while Tang forces commanded by Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi made advances against An-controlled territory north of the Yellow River. Meanwhile, though, Yang Guozhong, fearing that Geshu had designs against him, convinced Emperor Xuanzong to order Geshu to attack despite Geshu's warnings that doing so was risky. Geshu was subsequently defeated by An's forward commander Cui Qianyou (崔乾佑), and Tong Pass fell. With An's forces advancing on Chang'an, on 14 July 756, Emperor Xuanzong, with Yang Guozhong suggesting that they flee to Jiannan Circuit, abandoned Chang'an and fled with Gao Lishi, Yang Guozhong, Wei, Li Heng, Consort Yang, and her family. The following day, 15 July, the imperial guards accompanying the emperor, angry at Yang Guozhong, rose and killed him and forced Emperor Xuanzong to kill Consort Yang as well. Subsequently, Emperor Xuanzong continued on to Jiannan, but Li Heng did not, but rather went to Lingwu, where, on 12 August, Li Heng was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong). Meanwhile, without knowledge that Emperor Suzong had claimed the throne, Emperor Xuanzong, while still on his way to Chengdu, the capital of Jiannan Circuit, issued an edict that gave several of his sons various responsibility areas, under Li Heng's command overall; until this edict was issued, most of the realm only knew that Chang'an had fallen and had not known where Emperor Xuanzong had fled. When the news of Emperor Suzong's ascension reached Emperor Xuanzong at Chengdu on 10 September, he recognized Emperor Suzong as the new emperor, and thereafter took the title of Taishang Huang (retired emperor) – although his edict recognizing Emperor Suzong appeared to still indicate desire to retain control like his father Emperor Ruizong did early in his reign:

However, perhaps to avoid the impression that he was keeping a rival government to Emperor Suzong, he sent the several chancellors that he had retained or created while on the journey to or after he arrived in Chengdu – Wei, Fang Guan, and Cui Huan – to Lingwu to formally invest imperial power on Emperor Suzong and to serve under Emperor Suzong.

As retired emperor

Emperor Xuanzong, after becoming retired emperor, largely allowed Emperor Suzong to coordinate the campaign against Yan, but at times nevertheless stepped in to make decisions. For example, in spring 757, apparently without first consulting Emperor Suzong, he named Li Lin chancellor, although he subsequently sent both Li Lin and another chancellor, Cui Yuan, whom he had not sent to Emperor Suzong previously, to Emperor Suzong. He also posthumously honored Emperor Suzong's mother Consort Yang (not Yang Yuhuan) as an empress. Meanwhile, remembering Zhang Jiuling had previously warned about An Lushan, Emperor Xuanzong sent messengers to Zhang's tomb to offer sacrifices to him.

Late in 757, Emperor Suzong, with aid from Huige, recaptured Chang'an from Yan, then ruled by An Lushan's son An Qingxu, who had killed An Lushan earlier in 757 and taken over the throne himself. After Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an, he sent messengers to Emperor Xuanzong requesting that he return to Chang'an and offering the throne back to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong, apprehensive of the offer, initially not only declined but further requested to remain in Jiannan. Only after Emperor Suzong, at the suggestion of his strategist Li Mi, had the government officials make a joint submission to Emperor Xuanzong no longer mentioning the return of the throne, did Emperor Xuanzong agree to depart Jiannan to return to Chang'an. On the way back to Chang'an, he had Gao Lishi try to dig up Consort Yang Yuhuan's body for reburial, but her body had already decomposed; only her fragrance bag remained. Emperor Xuanzong took the fragrance bag back to Chang'an and visited it daily, as if Consort Yang were still alive. On 17 January 758, he arrived at Chang'an, and in a grand ceremony where Emperor Suzong offered the throne back to him again, he formally declined again and personally put the yellow robe symbolizing imperial status on Emperor Suzong, commenting, "I had been the Son of Heaven for 50 years, and I did not consider it a great honor. Now, I am truly honored to be the father to the Son of Heaven." He took up residence at Xingqing Palace, a palace that was remodelled from the residence that he and his brothers had when they were imperial princes.

After Emperor Xuanzong was back in Chang'an, he largely stayed out of policy decisions, although he at times still exerted his influence on Emperor Suzong. For example, Emperor Suzong had wanted to spare Zhang Shuo's sons Zhang Jun and Zhang Ji, who had previously submitted to An Lushan, because of Zhang Shuo's contributions and Zhang Jun's and Zhang Ji's prior efforts to protect him from Li Linfu's machinations, but Emperor Xuanzong deeply hated them for having surrendered to An, and at Emperor Xuanzong's insistence, Zhang Jun was executed, and Zhang Ji was exiled to Lingnan.

Meanwhile, after a while, Emperor Xuanzong settled into a routine at Xingqing Palace, with Chen Xuanli and Gao Lishi attending to him. Also often attending to him were his daughter Li Chiying (李持盈), the Princess Yuzhen, the lady in waiting Ru Xianyuan (如仙媛), and the eunuchs Wang Cheng'en (王承恩) and Wei Yue (魏悦). The imperial musicians often played for him, and he often climbed up Changqing Tower (长庆楼) to receive well wishes from the populace. He also often held feasts for generals and people from Jiannan, with Li Chiying and Ru serving as hostesses. Meanwhile, though, Emperor Xuanzong's attendants looked down at the powerful eunuch Li Fuguo, who had served Emperor Suzong throughout the campaign against Yan. To retaliate, Li Fuguo began to try to convince Emperor Suzong that Emperor Xuanzong and his attendants were plotting to seize power back. In 760, with Emperor Suzong's tacit, although not explicit, approval, on one occasion when Emperor Xuanzong was out riding, Li Fuguo intercepted him and forced him to move back to the main palace. Even on that occasion, however, Gao would not submit to Li Fuguo, and even yelled at Li Fuguo to force him to get off his horse and to escort Emperor Xuanzong on foot, along with Gao. Soon after Emperor Xuanzong was forcibly moved, Li Fuguo forced Chen to retire, Li Chiying to return to her temple (she had become an ordained Taoist nun in 711), and exiled Gao, Wang, Wei, and Ru.

After Emperor Xuanzong was forcibly moved back to the main palace, Emperor Suzong tried to please him by offering him the best of all of the tributes of the land first, but Emperor Xuanzong became depressed and rarely ate meat, and quickly became ill. Emperor Suzong had his daughters Princesses Wan'an and Xianyi attend to their grandfather, and initially frequently personally visited Emperor Xuanzong, but after some time became ill himself and could not visit Emperor Xuanzong. He began to regret forcibly moving Emperor Xuanzong and considered killing Li Fuguo, but as Li Fuguo wielded command of the imperial guards at this time, he did not dare to try to do so. Emperor Xuanzong died, in that depressed state, on 3 May 762.

Emperor Xuanzong was deeply criticized by later historians for his wastefulness and for his appointing of Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong, and An to prominent offices. The strength that Xuanzong had allowed the military governors to have, which was perpetuated after Tang had defeated Yan, led to a period of increasing conflict and instability which set the stage for the decline of the Tang dynasty and the ensuing Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Poetry

Xuanzong had one poem collected in the famous poetry anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems, in the style of the five-character-regular-verse (wulu) form and in the huaigu genre, and which was translated by Witter Bynner as "I Pass Through the Lu Dukedom with a Sigh and a Sacrifice for Confucius": this poem refers to the philosopher-sage Confucius and to Confucius' home state of Lu, during the by then long-gone Spring and Autumn period, and expresses sadness for what is past and beyond recall, thus reflecting on the transience of mortal existence.

Chancellors during reign

• Cen Xi (712–713)

• Liu Youqiu (712, 713)

• Cui Shi (712–713)

• Lu Xiangxian (712–713)

• Wei Zhigu (712–713)

• Dou Huaizhen (712–713)

• Xiao Zhizhong (713)

• Guo Yuanzhen (713)

• Zhang Yue (713, 721–726)

• Yao Chong (713–716)

• Lu Huaishen (713–716)

• Xue Na (713)

• Yuan Qianyao (716, 720–729)

• Song Jing (716–720)

• Su Ting (716–720)

• Zhang Jiazhen (720–723)

• Wang Jun (723)

• Li Yuanhong (726–729)

• Du Xian (726–729)

• Xiao Song (728–733)

• Pei Guangting (729–733)

• Yuwen Rong (729)

• Han Xiu (733)

• Pei Yaoqing (733–736)

• Zhang Jiuling (733–736)

• Li Linfu (734–752)

• Niu Xianke (736–742)

• Li Shizhi (742–746)

• Chen Xilie (746–754)

• Yang Guozhong (752–756)

• Wei Jiansu (754–756)

• Cui Yuan (756)

• Fang Guan (756)

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress, of the Wang clan of Taiyuan (皇后 太原王氏; d. 725)

• Empress Zhenshun, of the Wu clan (贞顺皇后 武氏; 699–737), third cousin

　• Li Yi, Prince Xiadao (夏悼王 李一; 716–717), ninth son

　• Princess Shangxian (上仙公主)

　• Li Min, Prince Huai'ai (怀哀王 李敏; 719–720), 15th son

　• Li Mao, Prince Shou (寿王 李瑁; 720–775), 18th son

　• Li Qi, Prince Sheng (盛王 李琦; d. 764), 21st son

　• Princess Xianyi (咸宜公主; 722–784)

　　• Married Yang Hui of Hongnong (弘农 杨洄; d. 761) in 735, and had issue (one son)

　　• Married Cui Song of Boling (博陵 崔嵩) in 761

　• Princess Taihua (太华公主), 21st daughter

　　• Married Yang Qi of Hongnong (弘农 杨锜) in 745

• Empress Yuanxian, of the Yang clan of Hongnong (元献皇后 弘农杨氏; 699–729)

　• Li Heng, Suzong (肃宗 李亨; 711–762), third son

　• Princess Qi (齐公主), eighth daughter

　　• Married Zhang Ji (张垍), the second son of Zhang Yue, in 728, and had issue (one daughter)

　　• Married Pei Ying of Hedong (河东 裴颍) in 730

　　• Married Yang Dun of Hongnong (弘农 杨敦)

• Noble Consort Yang, of the Yang clan of Hongnong (贵妃 弘农杨氏; 719–756)

• Noble Consort, of the Xiang clan (贵妃 项氏)

　• Unnamed daughter

• Pure Consort, of the Huangfu clan of Anding (淑妃 安定皇甫氏; 694–735)

　• Li Yao, Prince E (鄂王 李瑶; d. 737), fifth son

　• Princess Linjin (临晋公主; d. 773), second daughter

　　• Married Zheng Qianyao of Xingyang (荥阳 郑潜曜) in 740

• Virtuous Consort, of the Qian clan (德妃 钱氏)

　• Li Yan, Prince Di (棣王 李琰; d. 752), fourth son

• Elegant Consort, of the Zhao clan (丽妃 赵氏; 693–726)

　• Li Ying, Crown Prince (皇太子 李瑛; d. 737), second son

• Splendid Consort, of the Liu clan (华妃 刘氏)

　• Li Cong, Emperor Fengtian (奉天皇帝 李琮; d. 752), first son

　• Li Wan, Crown Prince Jinggong (靖恭皇太子 李琬; d. 755), sixth son

　• Li Sui, Prince Yi (仪王 李璲; d. 765), 12th son

• Consort Mei, of the Jiang clan (梅妃 江氏; 710–756), personal name Caiping (采苹)

• Imperial Concubine of the First Rank of the Lin clan (昭仪 林氏)

　• Princess Yichun (宜春公主)

• Imperial Concubine of the Fourth Rank of the Guo clan (顺仪 郭氏)

　• Li Lin, Prince Yong (永王 李璘; d. 757), 16th son

• Imperial Concubine of the Third Rank of the Wu clan (贤仪 武氏), third cousin

　• Li Xuan, Prince Liang (凉王 李璇; d. 774), 29th son

　• Li Jing, Prince Bian'ai (汴哀王 李璥; d. 736), 30th son

• Imperial Concubine of the Sixth Rank of the Dong clan (芳仪 董氏)

　• Princess Guangning (广宁公主)

　　• Married Cheng Changyin (程昌胤; 725–784)

　　• Married Su Kezhen (苏克贞)

• Fairness Lady of the Liu clan of Hedong (婕妤 河东柳氏)

　• Princess Qi (齐公主), first daughter

　　• Married Wang Yao of Langya, Duke Langya (琊琅 王繇) in 723, and had issue (one son)

　• Li Bin, Prince Yan (延王 李玢; d. 784), 20th son

• Fairness Lady of the Gao clan (婕妤 高氏; 694–739)

　• Li Jiao, Prince Ying (颍王 李璬; 718–783), 13th son

　• Princess Changle (昌乐公主)

　　• Married Dou E of Henan (河南 窦锷) in 737

• Beauty, of the Zhong clan (美人 锺氏)

　• Li Huan, Prince Ji (济王 李环; d. 768), 22nd son

• Beauty, of the Lu clan (美人 卢氏)

　• Li Huang, Prince Xin (信王 李瑝; 725–774), 23rd son

• Beauty, of the Wang clan (美人 王氏)

　• Li Gui, Prince Chen (陈王 李圭; 725–784), 25th son

• Beauty, of the Du clan (美人 杜氏)

　• Princess Wanchun (万春公主; 732–770)

　　• Married Yang Fei of Hongnong (弘农 杨朏; d. 756), a son of Yang Guozhong, in 754

　　• Married Yang Qi of Hongnong (弘农 杨锜) in 756

• Talented Lady, of the Liu clan (才人 刘氏)

　• Li Ju, Prince Guang (光王 李琚; d. 737), eighth son

• Talented Lady, of the Yan clan (才人 阎氏)

　• Princess Xincheng (信成公主)

　　• Married Dugu Ming of Henan (河南 独孤明) in 737, and had issue (one daughter)

　• Li Ci, Prince Yi (义王 李玼; 725–784), 24th son

• Talented Lady, of the Chen clan (才人 陈氏)

　• Li Gong, Prince Feng (丰王 李珙; d. 763), 26th son

• Talented Lady, of the Zheng clan (才人 郑氏)

　• Li Zhen, Prince Heng (恒王 李瑱), 27th son

• Talented Lady, of the Zhao clan (才人 赵氏)

　• Princess Shouguang (寿光公主; 726–750), 22nd daughter

　　• Married Guo Ye of Jingzhao (京兆 郭液) in 746, and had issue (one son)

• Talented Lady, of the Chang clan (才人 常氏)

　• Princess Xinping (新平公主; d. 775)

　　• Married Pei Jian of Hedong (河东 裴玪), and had issue (one son)

　　• Married Jiang Qingchu of Tianshui, Duke Chu (天水 姜庆初; d. 767) in 751

• Lady, of the Caoyena clan (曹野那氏)

　• Princess Shou'an (寿安公主), personal name Chongniang (虫娘)

　　• Married Su Fa (苏发)

• Unknown

　• Li Xun, Prince An (安王 李洵)

　• Princess Changfen (常芬公主), second daughter

　　• Married Zhang Qushe, Count Fanyang (张去奢; 688–747) in 731

　• Princess Xiaochang (孝昌公主), third daughter

　• Princess Tangchang (唐昌公主), fourth daughter

　　• Married Xue Xiu of Hedong (河东 薛锈; d. 737) in 728

　• Princess Lingchang (灵昌公主), fifth daughter

　• Princess Changshan (常山公主), sixth daughter

　　• Married Xue Tan of Hedong (河东 薛谭; d. 728) in 728

　　• Married Dou Ze of Henan (河南 窦泽) in 728

　• Princess Wan'an (万安公主)

　• Princess Huaisi (怀思公主)

　• Princess Jin (晋公主), 11th daughter

　　• Married Cui Huitong of Qinghe (清河 崔惠童) in 737

　• Princess Xinchang (新昌公主)

　　• Married Xiao Heng of Lanling (兰陵 萧衡; d. 747), a son of Xiao Song, and had issue (five sons, one daughter)

　• Princess Wei (卫公主)

　　• Married Doulu Jian of Changli, Duke Rui (昌黎 豆卢建; 706–744) in 737

　　• Married Yang Shuo of Hongnong (弘农 杨说) in 744

　• Princess Zhenyang (真阳公主)

　　• Married Yuan Qing of Henan (河南 源清) in 740

　　• Married Su Zhen, Duke Qi (苏震)

　• Princess Chu (楚公主)

　　• Married Wu Chengjiang, Duke Puyang (吴澄江), and had issue (one son)

　• Princess Yongning (永宁公主), 17th daughter

　　• Married Pei Qiqiu of Hedong (河东 裴齐丘) in 738

　• Princess Song (宋公主), 19th daughter

　　• Married Wen Xihua (温西华) in 747

　　• Married Yang Hui (杨徽)

　• Princess Lecheng (乐城公主), 23rd daughter

　　• Married Xue Lüqian of Hedong (河东 薛履谦; d. 761) in 746

Ancestry

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kwong Wa in The Legend of Lady Yang. (2000)

• Portrayed by Steven Ma in Deep in the Realm of Conscience. (2018)

人物生平

早年

武后垂拱元年秋八月五日戊寅（685年9月8日），李隆基生于东都（今河南省洛阳市），后以其日为千秋节、天长节。出生时其父李旦为帝，母窦氏为德妃。垂拱三年（687年）闰七月丁卯，封楚王。永昌元年（689年），祖母武则天命令李隆基过继予孝敬帝为子，继其香火。载初二年（690年），李隆基五岁时，父亲李旦被祖母武氏废除帝位，迁居东宫。

天授三年（692年）十月戊戌，李隆基出阁，开府置官属。李隆基英俊多艺，仪表堂堂，少年时代就显出了极有胆识的性格。当他七岁时，正是武周时期，武懿宗自认为是武则天的侄子，趾高气扬，根本不把李氏宗室放在眼里。有一次，武氏诸王到朝堂参加每月朔望的两次会见时，他看到李隆基的车骑仪仗威严而整齐，心中不悦，便利用自己金吾将军纠察风纪的权力横加阻挠。李隆基却理直气壮地责问：「我家的朝堂，干你甚么事？竟敢挟迫我的车骑随从！」祖母武则天知道此事后，不仅未加罪于他，反而更加宠爱他。虽然李隆基获得了祖母的宠爱，但在长寿二年（693年）正月，其母窦氏与嫡母皇嗣妃刘氏被武则天秘密杀害，尸骨无踪。根据史料可知，李旦的另一位妾室豆卢氏和李隆基的姨妈窦氏抚养、照料年幼丧母的李隆基。同年腊月丁卯，李隆基由楚王改封临淄郡王。根据《唐会要》的记载，就在长寿二年，李隆基娶王氏为郡王妃。

圣历元年（698年），李隆基再度出阁，赐第于东都洛阳的积善坊。大足元年（701年），随祖母回到西京长安，赐宅于兴庆坊。长安中，历右卫郎将、尚辇奉御。神龙政变后，伯父唐中宗复位。景龙二年四月（708年），李隆基兼潞州别驾。

唐隆之变

景龙四年（710年），李隆基从潞州（治所在今山西长治）回到长安。他暗中聚结才勇之士，在皇帝的亲军万骑中发展势力。太宗时，选官户及蕃口中骁勇的武士穿虎纹衣，跨豹纹鞯，从游猎，于马前射禽兽，谓之百骑。武则天时增加为千骑，中宗时发展为万骑。李隆基非常重视万骑的作用。

zh:韦后;zh-hans:韦后;zh-hk:韦后想效法武则天自称皇帝，但太平公主与上官婉儿密谋，以中宗遗制，立温王李重茂（中宗少子）为皇太子，zh:韦后;zh-hans:韦后;zh-hk:韦后知政事，父亲相王李旦参政。韦党宗楚客、韦温、纪处讷等人，极力反对相王参谋政事。相王不想卷入宫廷斗争，对事件采取回避的态度，于是李隆基就主动地策划了消灭韦党的宫廷政变。

当时zh:韦后;zh-hans:韦后;zh-hk:韦后想称帝登基，对太平公主立李重茂为帝不满；李隆基又藉助太平公主的力量壮大自己。正当双方剑拔弩张之际，原来亲近韦氏的兵部侍郎崔日用改变态度，暗中向李隆基告密，劝其立即发动攻势。于是，李隆基与太平公主的儿子薛崇简，苑总监锺绍京等，密谋策划，欲先发制人。

有人建议，把发动政变的事先向相王报告，李隆基胸有成竹地说：「我是为了拯救社稷，为君主、父亲救急，成功了福祉归于宗庙与社稷，失败了我因忠孝而死，不连累相王。怎可以报告，让相王担心呢！现在报告，相王若赞成，就是害他参与了危险的起事；若他不赞成，我计谋就失败了。」于是，决定背著相王，立即行动。

唐隆元年（710年）六月庚子日申时，李隆基等人穿便服进入禁苑，到苑总监锺绍京住处。这时，锺绍京反悔，拒绝参加这次政变。但其妻许氏却坚定地说：「忘身殉国，神必助之。既然参与同谋，即使不参加，势难免罪。」锺绍京明白，前往拜谒李隆基。入夜后，万骑果毅李仙凫、葛福顺都先后来到，请李隆基发布命令。

二更时分，葛福顺拔剑直入羽林营，斩韦党掌握军队的韦璇、韦播、高嵩，然后宣布：「A|zh:韦后;zh-hans:韦后;zh-hant:韦后毒死先帝，谋危社稷，今夕当共诛诸韦，身高有马鞭之长者皆杀之，立相王为帝以安天下。敢有反对者，罪及三族。」羽林军将士纷纷表示从命。李隆基率众出禁苑南门，进攻宫城。葛福顺率左万骑攻玄德门，李仙凫率右万骑攻白兽门，相约在凌烟阁会见。李隆基率兵直入玄武门。韦后惶恐逃入飞骑营，被飞骑斩首献于李隆基；安乐公主正在画眉，也被斩首，其夫武延秀同时被杀（一作夫妇皆在内堂力战而死）。凡是诸韦及韦后亲信均被逮捕斩首（但并未杀绝韦家人），史称唐隆之变。

这时，李隆基才将唐隆之变的经过报告相王。相王抱著李隆基哭泣著说：「宗庙社稷的灾祸是你平定的，神明与百姓也都仰赖你的力量了。」当日，隆基被改封为平王，兼殿中监，同中书门下三品、兼押左右万骑。

太子时期

李隆基与姑姑太平公主迫使李重茂禅让于相王李旦。相王即位，是为睿宗。睿宗与大臣议立太子。按嫡长子继承制度，兄长宋王李成器应为太子，但李成器坚决辞让说：「国家安则先嫡长，国家危则先有功；平王有功于国，自己决不居平王之上。」参与消灭韦党的功臣也多主张立李隆基为太子。睿宗顺水推舟，遂在秋七月己巳，册立平王李隆基为皇太子，大赦天下，改元景云。九月庚戌，李隆基长子李嗣直封为许昌郡王，次子李嗣谦为真定郡王。

太平公主恃著拥立睿宗有功，经常干预政事。她又感到太子李隆基精明能干，妨碍自己参政，总想另易太子。同时，太平公主在后宫中，包括李隆基的身边大量安插耳目。李隆基当然不愿任人摆布，亦想除掉太平公主。睿宗最初遇到困难先听太平公主的意见，再徵求太子的意见。后来，愈来愈倾向太子。

景云二年（711年）二月，睿宗命太子监国，六品以下除官及徒罪以下，由太子处分。九月，李隆基的一位妾室——杨良媛生下他的第三子李嗣升，即日后的唐肃宗。杨良媛怀孕时，东宫中依附于太平公主的耳目，「必阴伺察，事虽纤芥，皆闻于上」，李隆基心不自安，甚至因太平公主之故试图为杨良媛堕胎。在先天元年（712年）七月，睿宗禅让于太子。太平公主虽力劝睿宗不要放弃处理大政的权力，但已无济于事了。

玄宗即位

李隆基于延和元年（712年）八月三日即位，是为唐玄宗，改元先天。当时，宰相多是太平公主之党，文武大臣，也多依附她。于是，除掉太平公主就成了玄宗的当前要务。而太平公主的党羽看到玄宗锐意亲政，就想废黜玄宗。

先天元年（713年）七月，玄宗与岐王李范、薛王李业、兵部尚书郭元振、龙武将军王毛仲等决定起事。玄宗命王毛仲到闲厩取出御马并调家兵三百馀人，亲自率领太仆少卿李令向、王守一，内侍高力士，果毅李守德等亲信十多人，先杀左、右羽林大将军常元楷、李慈，又擒获了太平公主的亲信右散骑常侍贾膺福及中书舍人李猷，接著杀了宰相岑羲、萧至忠；窦怀贞暂时走脱，最后自缢而死。太平公主惊恐万状，先逃入山寺，后被赐死于家，是为先天政变。自此以后，一切军政大事玄宗完全可以自作主张了。

先天元年十月，玄宗到新丰（今陕西临潼）阅兵于骊山下，调动二十万人马，旌旗连亘五十馀里，声势浩大。但由于军容不整，欲斩兵部尚书郭元振，因宰相刘幽求、中书令张说求情，将其流于新州（今广东新兴）。接著，以制军礼不肃罪杀了给事中、知礼仪事唐绍。本来，玄宗只是为了整顿军纪，树立自己的威信，并无意杀唐绍，但由于金吾将军李邈仓促宣敕，无可挽回，故而玄宗罢了李邈的官。由于两位大臣得罪，诸军震动很大，秩序不稳，只有左军节度薛讷、朔方道大总管解琬二军稳定，玄宗赞叹不已。

开元时期

先天元年十二月，改元为开元。开元时期的三十年是唐朝的极盛时期。玄宗即位后，励精图治，重用姚崇，革新政治。姚崇建议：抑制权贵，重视爵赏，纳谏诤，禁贡献，他都采纳。无关大局的具体问题，他都放手让姚崇处理。有一次，姚崇奏请决定郎吏的任命问题，姚崇再三请求玄宗决定，玄宗只是仰视殿屋，置之不理。高力士提醒玄宗应置可否，他答曰：「朕委姚崇理政，大事应当与朕共议，郎吏小官的事，何须一一烦朕！」自此以后，群臣于是知道玄宗能尊重大臣的决定。

玄宗弟薛王李业母舅王仙童，凌辱百姓，被御史弹奏。薛王李业为其求情，玄宗命中书、门下复查。姚崇等奏曰：「王仙童罪状明白，御史所言正确，不可纵容。」玄宗同意姚崇的意见。从此，所有贵族都不敢放肆。

为了纠正奢华的风气，开元二年（714年）七月玄宗下令：「乘舆服御、金银器玩，宜令有司销毁，以供军国之用；其珠玉、锦绣，焚于殿前；后妃以下，皆毋得服珠玉锦绣。」又下欶：「百官所服带及酒器、马衔、镫，三品以上，听饰以玉，四品以金，五品以银，自馀皆禁之；妇人服饰从其夫、子。其旧成锦绣，听染为皂。自今天下更毋得采珠玉，织锦绣等物，违者杖一百，工人减一等。」（《资治通鉴》卷二百二十一开元二年七月条）同时，还罢两京织锦坊。他还反对厚葬，他认为厚葬无益于死者，有损于生者。于是，要求丧葬务遵简俭，凡送终物品，均不得以金银器为饰。如有违者，杖一百。州县长官不能举察者，一律贬官。

为了从历史上总结经验，汲取教训，作为治理国家的借鉴，玄宗喜爱阅读史书，读到有关政事的问题，他特别留心。但常碰到不能解决的疑难问题，于是，他要宰相为他推荐侍读，帮助他读书。开元三年（715年）九月，马怀素、褚无量被推荐为侍读。玄宗对侍读非常尊敬，亲自迎送，待以师傅之礼。开元三年（715年）正月，玄宗次子李瑛被立为皇太子。

设置黑水府

开元十三年（公元725年），唐朝在伯力（今俄罗斯哈巴罗夫斯克）设置黑水府，置黑水军，对黑水靺鞨地区实施有效的行政管辖，并勘探了堪察加半岛和千岛群岛。《新唐书·北狄传》记载：「黑水西北又有思慕部，益北行十日得郡利部，东北行十日得窟说部，亦号屈设，稍东南行十日得莫曳皆部。」。

开元二十三年（735年）四月，玄宗与中书门下及礼官、学士宴于东都集仙殿。他说：「仙者凭虚之论，朕所不取。贤者能治理国家，朕与诸位合宴，宜更名曰：集贤殿。」「仙」、「贤」虽一字之差，却反映了玄宗重视人才的态度。

天宝时期

随著时间的流逝，玄宗自认为天下已经太平，逐渐丧失了积极进取的精神，以致生活奢华，减少过问政事。陈建平《中国通史一百讲》：「开元二十三年的时候，他觉得国家太平，要表现国家的欢乐盛况，于是大宴五凤楼，在五凤楼的殿前，开了一个盛大的同乐会，各种音乐、舞蹈、戏剧，百剧杂陈，让三百里之内的刺史县令，都要带领当地的乐舞伎人，集合到五凤楼之下来表演，这种欢乐表演，热闹喧天，连续了五日之久。」

玄宗因所宠武惠妃谗言，将三个儿子太子李瑛、鄂王李瑶、光王李琚废为庶人并杀害，改立三子忠王李璵为太子；武惠妃不久也于开元二十五年（737年）去世，后宫虽多美人，但没有一个能使他满意。开元二十八年（740年）十月，玄宗以为逝世多年的母亲窦氏祈福的名义，敕书儿媳、第十四子寿王妃杨氏出家为女道士，道号「太真」。天宝四载（745年）八月，册杨氏为贵妃。

杨贵妃不仅个人受宠，其三个姐姐也均赐府邸于京师，宠贵赫然；其远堂兄杨国忠也因而飞黄腾达。杨贵妃每次乘马，都有大宦官高力士亲自执辔授鞭，贵妃院有织绣工七百人。岭南经略史张九章、广陵长史王翼，因所他们献给杨贵妃的贡品精美，二人均被升官。于是，官吏竞相仿效。杨贵妃喜爱岭南的荔枝，就有人千方百计急运新鲜荔枝到长安。在男尊女卑的社会里，民间竟然流行歌谣日：「生男勿喜女勿悲，若今看女作门楣。」可见，玄宗宠爱杨贵妃的社会影响相当深远。

生活的奢靡，随之而来的是政治上的腐败。天宝初年，口蜜腹剑的李林甫被重用为相。李林甫为了掌握大权，反对谏官有益的建议。他训斥诸谏官道：「今明主在上，群臣将顺之不暇，何须多言！」补阙杜璡上书言事，次日即被降为下邽（今陕西渭南东北）令。自此以后，没有人敢再有谏诤之言了。

在用人方面，李林甫认为凡在德才方面超过自己者，他都设法将其除去。玄宗想重用兵部侍郎卢绚，他就把卢绚调任华州（治所在今陕西华县）刺史，并欺骗玄宗说卢绚因病不能理事而弃而不用。玄宗又欲重用绛州（治所在今山西新绛）刺史严挺之，李林甫又欺骗玄宗说严挺之年老多病，宜授其散职，便于他养病。于是，严挺之又被送到东京（今河南洛阳）养病去了。李林甫虽然专权乱政，但其在位期间，政局尚稳。天宝十载，唐节度使高仙芝和阿拉伯帝国阿拔斯王朝在西域中亚的怛罗斯发生怛罗斯战役。

李林甫欺上压下并未引起玄宗注意，他反而仍然认为天下无事，把主要政事交由李林甫处理。高力士多次劝他不可使大权旁落以免失去君威，他还甚为不悦，致使高力士惶恐自责。天宝十一载（752年）李林甫死后，玄宗一方面重用擅权弄法的杨贵妃堂兄杨国忠为宰相，一方面信任居心叵测的边将安禄山，以图左右平衡。

杨国忠的专权乱政比李林甫更甚，重用亲信，排斥异己。天宝十二载（753年），关中大饥，因京兆尹李岘不甚顺从，遂以灾气归罪于李岘，贬李岘为长沙（今湖南长沙）太守。后来霖雨成灾，玄宗过问灾情，杨国忠取最好的禾苗给玄宗看，掩盖灾情真象。扶风太守房管反映了所管地区的灾情，杨国忠就派御史去追究他的责任。因此，天宝十三载（754年）虽然关中灾情严重，但无人敢如实上报。连玄宗身边的宦官高力士也说，杨国忠大权在握，赏罚不公，连他也不敢说话了。

范阳（今北京附近）节度使安禄山为了和杨国忠在玄宗面前争宠，二人互相诋毁。玄宗对此摇摆不定，认为主要政事交付宰相，边防事务交付诸将，无可忧虑。这样一来，蓄谋已久的安禄山终于发动了反唐的大叛乱。

唐玄宗虽然没有发动过像唐太宗、唐高宗朝时那样的大规模的开边军事行动，但是他在位期间中原周边地区与邻近少数族吐蕃、契丹、南诏等的战事连绵不断。在边疆军事胜利的刺激下，玄宗日益滋长了他好大喜功的思想，宠爱有战功的边将。边将也因此不停对外族开战，以邀功赏。特别是李林甫为遏制政敌而拉边将牛仙客入相后，更开放了蕃将以边功为手段，窥伺中央政权的机会。

安史之乱

唐玄宗晚年骄奢淫逸，终日只顾与杨贵妃游乐。他罢免良相张九龄，任用奸相李林甫，朝政每况愈下。玄宗本不太相信鬼神之说，后来崇信方士张果，渐好神仙；并尊奉道教，企慕长生不老，以是朝野争言符瑞。李林甫死后，又以杨贵妃之从兄杨国忠担任丞相，李林甫在位时尚可稳住朝政，杨国忠不仅没有李林甫的才干，反而纵容贪污腐败，局面遂不可收拾。不久，杨国忠与手握兵权的范阳节度使安禄山发生冲突，安禄山决心先发制人，发动叛变。

天宝十四载（755年），安禄山趁唐朝内部空虚腐败，发动兵变，于时承平日久，民不知战，河北州县，望风瓦解。史称安史之乱。玄宗决定逃往四川，途中至马嵬驿，士兵哗变，士兵砍杀杨国忠，又逼玄宗赐死杨贵妃，玄宗权衡轻重下后，为了保命及维持君威，不得已下令高力士把杨贵妃勒死。

对玄宗早有不满的太子李亨与玄宗分道扬镳；李亨率一部份禁军北趋灵武（今宁夏灵武西南），七月即位，改元至德，是为唐肃宗。李隆基与陈玄礼率另一部份禁军南逃成都，后被尊为太上皇，玄宗长达44年的统治告终。

晚年

至德二载（757年）十二月，随著安禄山被杀，郭子仪收复长安，玄宗由成都返回长安，居兴庆宫（南内），肃宗奉玄宗为太上皇。乾元三年（760年）七月，宦官李辅国奉承肃宗，离间玄宗与肃宗的关系，迫使玄宗被软禁于太极宫（西内）甘露殿。高力士、陈玄礼等人被贬谪，玄宗浸不自怿、忧郁寡欢。

宝应元年农历四月初五日（762年5月3日），太上皇唐玄宗李隆基崩逝于长安城太极宫甘露殿内，享寿七十六岁，在位四十四年。仅仅半月后，同年四月十八日（762年5月16日），久病未愈的唐肃宗李亨亦驾崩于长生殿，享年五十一岁，在位仅短短的六年。广德元年（763年）三月，唐代宗将唐玄宗李隆基安葬于唐泰陵（今陕西省渭南市蒲城县东北15公里处）。庙号玄宗，諡号至道大圣大明孝皇帝。

评价

开元年间，玄宗励精图治，任用贤臣，革除弊害，鼓励生产，经济发展，史称「开元盛世」。开元十四年（726年）杜甫《忆昔》有诗证：「忆昔开元全盛日，小邑犹藏万家室。稻米流脂粟米白，公私仓廪俱丰实。九州道路无豺狼，远行不劳吉日出。齐纨鲁缟车班班，男耕女桑不相失。」

虽然玄宗后期怠政，但直到他在位四十三年的天宝十三载（754年），仍是唐代的极盛之世，全国有三百二十一郡，一千五百三十八县，一万六千八百二十九乡，九百零六万九千一百五十四户，五千二百八十八万四百八十八口。史载：「户口之盛，极于此」。

轶事

中国许多文学作品中的李隆基是感情专一的皇帝，民间习称他为「唐明皇」，《异闻录》载〈唐明皇游月宫〉一事。他和杨贵妃的故事，透过白居易《长恨歌》和陈鸿《长恨歌传》千古传诵，例如：

:蜀江水碧蜀山青，圣主朝朝暮暮情。

:行宫见月伤心色，夜雨闻铃肠断声。

:上穷碧落下黄泉，两处茫茫皆不见。

:忽闻海上有仙山，山在虚无缥缈间。

:在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝。

:天长地久有时尽，此恨绵绵无绝期。

诗圣杜甫《哀江头》一段：

:昭阳殿里第一人，同辇随君侍君侧。

:辇前才人带弓箭，白马嚼啮黄金勒。

:翻身向天仰射云，一箭正坠双飞翼。

:明眸皓齿今何在？血污游魂归不得。

唐皇室后裔李商隐的《马嵬》：

:海外徒闻更九州，他生未卜此生休。

:空闻虎旅传宵柝，无复鸡人报晓筹。

:此日六军同驻马，当时七夕笑牵牛。

:如何四纪为天子，不及卢家有莫愁。

晚唐宰相郑畋的《马嵬坡》：

:玄宗回马杨妃死，云雨难忘日月新。

:终是圣明天子事，景阳宫井又何人。

音乐造诣

唐玄宗号称音乐家皇帝，富有音乐才华与跳舞表演技能，对唐朝音乐发展有重大影响，他爱好亲自演奏琵琶、羯鼓，擅长作曲，作有《霓裳羽衣曲》，《小破阵乐》，《春光好》，《秋风高》等百馀首乐曲。他曾选乐工，宫女在禁院梨园中歌舞，这是后来称戏班为「梨园」的由来。他还制定了《色俱腾》《乞婆娑》《曜日光》等九十二首羯鼓曲名，创作了多首羯鼓独奏曲。

家庭

家世

唐玄宗李隆基的祖先

>展开

A|后妃

皇后

• 王皇后（？－724），父王仁皎，双胞胎兄王守一。李隆基八岁时聘为临淄王妃，后册太子妃、皇后。皇后及其父对李隆基多有协助。无子失宠，因佩带符厌求子，被废为庶人，旋即去世。后宫众人对她相当思慕。唐代宗即位时，恢复其皇后封号。

• 贞顺皇后武氏（699?－737），父恒安王武攸止，姑祖武则天。有宠，初封婕妤，累进惠妃，礼同皇后。生夏悼王李一、怀哀王李敏、上仙公主、寿王李瑁、盛王李琦、咸宜公主、太华公主。工于心计，谗害王皇后。勾结李林甫，构陷太子李瑛、鄂王李瑶、光王李琚谋反。三子死后，武惠妃惊惧愧疚而死，追封皇后，葬敬陵，但按妃礼服丧，后被唐肃宗废去一切皇后祠享。

• 元献皇后杨氏（699－729），父郑国公杨知庆，姐节愍太子妃。入东宫为太子良媛，后封贵嫔。生唐肃宗李亨、宁亲公主。开元间去世，肃宗即位追諡元献皇后，祔葬泰陵。

妃

• 董贵妃，原为良娣，延和元年十月太上皇册封皇帝良娣董氏为贵妃，见于《全唐文 卷十九》册封皇帝良娣董氏等诰。一说即《明皇杂录》上和唐玄宗一起接见十岁的刘晏的贵妃。

• 淑妃杨真一（692－749），原为良娣，延和元年十月太上皇册为淑妃，太平公主死后离宫入道。

• 武贤妃，原为良媛，延和元年十月太上皇册为贤妃。

• 杨贵妃（719－756），号太真，一说字玉环。父齐国公杨玄琰。宠妃，擅歌舞音律，四大美人之一。初为寿王李瑁王妃，因姿色冠代，先被敕令出家为女道士，还俗后受册封为唐玄宗贵妃，礼同皇后，杨国忠等家人获得加封重用。安史之乱中被玄宗赐死于马嵬驿。

• 项贵妃，弟项承晖，某公主母。墓志称项承晖为「贵妃之令弟，公主之季舅」。墓志所记时间为天宝十载，时杨氏为贵妃，此处贵妃亦可能是妃嫔的泛指。

• 赵和丽妃（693－726），父乐人赵元礼。本潞州伎人，玄宗为临淄王时纳为侧室。有宠，生皇太子李瑛。谥曰和。

• 刘华妃，玄宗为临淄王时纳为侧室。生玄宗长子奉天皇帝李琮、靖恭太子李琬、仪王李璲。

• 钱妃，徽号无载，或为德妃。生棣王李琰。

• 淑妃皇甫氏（694－735），父左监门卫副率皇甫日休。东宫姬妾之一，有宠。玄宗即位封德仪，生鄂王李瑶及临晋公主。追封淑妃。杜甫为她作《唐故德仪赠淑妃皇甫氏神道碑》碑文。

• 卢贤妃，初封美人，大历中去世，追封贤妃。生信王李瑝，其子墓志中称她为卢贤妃。

• 顺妃韦秀（？－740），父兖州都督韦鐬，母永寿公主。外祖父母为唐中宗与韦皇后，唐玄宗为其堂舅。具体徽号无载，谥曰顺。

嫔

• 林昭仪，父林庭氏，生宜春公主、万春公主。见于《元和姓纂》。

• 武贤仪，父武周高平王武重规 。开元间入宫，封才人，进贤仪。生玄宗幼子凉王李璇，汴王李璥。又称小武妃。

• 郭顺仪，父郑州刺史郭义，兄御史大夫郭虚己。入宫封顺仪。生永王李璘。郭顺仪早逝，李璘由兄李亨（唐肃宗）养大。

• 郭婉仪，仅知刘长卿（709－780）有《故女道士婉仪太原郭氏挽歌词》，司空曙（720－790）有《故郭婉仪挽歌》一首，郭婉仪或为郭顺仪。

• 董芳仪，生广宁公主。

世妇

• 柳婕妤，父尚书右丞柳范，生延王李玢、长女永穆公主。

• 高婕妤（694－739），开元初入宫为才人，生颍王李璬、昌乐公主。追赠婕妤。

• 美人张七娘（701－724），父冀州南宫县令张元福。开元元年入宫，册为美人。

• 锺美人，兄左武卫中郎将钟恭容。生济王李环。

• 王美人，生陈王李圭。

• 杜美人，生万春公主。万春公主母或为林昭仪。

• 刘才人，玄宗为临淄王时纳为侧室。生光王李琚。

• 阎才人，父赠朝散大夫阎力，母太原郡太夫人太平观女道士王紫虚。生义王李玼和信成公主。早逝。

• 陈才人，生丰王李珙。

• 郑才人，生恒王李瑱。

• 张才人（？-742年6月4日），生晋国公主。

• 常才人，生新平公主。

• 赵才人，生寿光公主。因故出家，卒，公主伤感成疾也去世。

情妇

• 虢国夫人，杨贵妃之姐，排行第三，嫁裴氏为妻，生有一双儿女，裴氏早亡后，她成为唐玄宗的情妇，同时她还是宰相杨国忠的情妇，安史之乱后，杨贵妃、杨国忠相继遇难，虢国夫人自刎未死，不久在狱中死去。

其他

• 曹野那姬，中亚粟特人。可能是西域曹国进献的胡旋女。生寿安公主李虫娘。

• 崔氏，崔湜长女，被父送给李隆基。

• 崔氏，崔湜次女，被父送给李隆基。

• 郝氏，父郝洽，被临淄王纳于潞州。

身世存疑人物

• 江采苹，号梅妃，不见于正史。部份学者认为是传说人物。唐玄宗开元年间所设三妃为惠妃、丽妃、华妃。且终唐一朝，始终没有梅妃这一封号。

• 莫才人，《酉阳杂俎》所记，真伪不详，宁王李宪所献，善唱秦声，号「莫才人啭」。

• 鸾儿，传说玄宗登基前爱妾，曾作「袖里香」。

子女

子

• 奉天皇帝（靖德太子，郯王）李琮（第一子，母刘华妃）

• 废太子（郢王）李瑛（第二子，母赵丽妃）

• 唐肃宗 李亨（第三子，母元献皇后杨贵嫔）

• 棣王李琰（第四子，母钱妃）

• 鄂王李瑶（第五子，母赠淑妃皇甫德仪）

• 靖恭太子（甄王）李琬（第六子，母刘华妃）

• 光王李琚（第八子，母刘才人）

• 夏悼王李一（第九子，母贞顺皇后武惠妃）

• 仪王李璲（第十二子，母刘华妃）

• 颍王李璬（第十三子，母高婕妤）

• 怀哀王李敏（第十五子，母贞顺皇后武惠妃）

• 永王李璘（第十六子，母郭顺仪）

• 寿王李瑁（第十八子，母贞顺皇后武惠妃）

• 延王李玢（第二十子，母柳婕妤）

• 盛王李琦（第二十一子，母贞顺皇后武惠妃）

• 济王李环（第二十二子，母锺美人）

• 信王李瑝（第二十三子，母赠贤妃卢美人）

• 义王李玼（第二十四子，母阎才人）

• 陈王李圭（第二十五子，母王美人）

• 丰王李珙（第二十六子，母陈才人）

• 恒王李瑱（第二十七子，母郑才人）

• 凉王李璇（第二十九子，母武贤仪）

• 汴哀王李璥（第三十子，母武贤仪）

另有七人早夭，母亲名氏与地位失传。《代国公主碑》中记有在734年参加代国公主李华葬礼的安王李洵，为早夭七子之一。

女

唐玄宗共有29位女儿，如下：

• 永穆公主（长女，母柳婕妤，下嫁王繇）

• 常芬公主（次女，下嫁张去奢）

• 临晋公主（同记为次女，母皇甫德仪，下嫁郑潜曜）

• 孝昌公主（第三女，夭折）

• 唐昌公主（第四女，下嫁薛锈）

• 灵昌公主（第五女，夭折）

• 常山公主（第六女，下嫁薛谭，又嫁窦泽）

• 齐国公主（母杨贵嫔，第八女，先封为兴信公主，又封为宁亲公主，下嫁张垍，又嫁裴颍，末嫁杨敷）

• 万安公主（天宝年间出家做道士）

• 上仙公主（母武惠妃，夭折）

• 晋国公主（第十一女，母高才人，先封为高都公主，下嫁崔惠童）

• 怀思公主（号登真，夭折）

• 新昌公主（下嫁萧衡）

• 卫国公主（先封为建平公主，下嫁豆卢建，又嫁杨说）

• 真阳公主（下嫁源清，又嫁苏震）

• 信成公主（母阎才人，下嫁独孤明）

• 永宁公主（第十七女，下嫁裴齐丘）

• 楚国公主（先封为寿春公主，下嫁吴澄江）

• 宋国公主（第十九女，母皇甫淑妃，先封为平昌公主，下嫁温西华，又嫁杨徽）

• 昌乐公主（母高才人，下嫁窦锷）

• 太华公主（第二十一女，母贞顺皇后，下嫁杨锜）

• 寿光公主（第二十二女，母赵才人，下嫁郭液）

• 乐城公主（第二十三女，下嫁薛履谦）

• 咸宜公主（母贞顺皇后，下嫁杨洄，又嫁崔嵩）

• 宜春公主（母林昭仪，夭折）

• 广宁公主（母董芳仪，下嫁程昌胤，又嫁苏克贞）

• 万春公主（母杜美人，或为林昭仪，下嫁杨昢，又嫁杨锜）

• 新平公主（母常才人，下嫁裴玪，又嫁姜庆初）

• 寿安公主（母曹野那姬，名「虫娘」，下嫁苏发）

记载有误的公主

• 高阳公主，第二十女。（《全唐文 卷二十四》记载了唐玄宗第二十女被封为高阳公主的一段册文。《新唐书 诸帝公主传》中没有唐玄宗的女儿曾被封为高阳公主的记载。有人认为这可能是太宗女高阳公主的册文，被误放至玄宗之列。但据《新唐书》的记载，唐高宗永淳之前公主的食邑为三百户。唐玄宗时公主所获食邑曾从五百户增加到一千户。因此从食邑「一千户」判断，这位高阳公主应是唐玄宗的女儿。可能是《新唐书》漏记这位公主或某位公主曾经的封号。）

• 普康公主（夭折，疑为唐懿宗女普康公主，资料误记于玄宗女之下。）

• 乐成公主，第二十三女。与寿光公主同时册封，可能为乐城公主之笔误。记载于《全唐文 卷二十四》。

影视文学形象

影视形象

• 杨贵妃（1927年） - 陈宝琦饰演

• 杨贵妃（1939年） - 舒适饰演

• 杨贵妃（1955年） - 森雅之饰演

• 杨贵妃（1962年） - 严俊饰演

• 杨贵妃（1976年） - 思维饰演

• 剑仙李白（1983年） - 王伟饰演

• 杨贵妃传奇（1986年） - 金汉饰演

• 杨贵妃（1986年） - 宗华饰演

• 珍珠传奇（1987年） - 吴风饰演

• 大唐名捕（1990年） - 杨得时饰演

• 杨贵妃（1992年） - 刘文治饰演

• 唐明皇（1993年） - 刘威饰演

• 大明宫词（2000年） - 吴军饰演

• 杨贵妃（2000年） - 江华饰演

• 天子寻龙（2001年） - 陈浩民饰演

• 大唐歌飞（2003年） - 唐国强饰演

• 神鬼八阵图（2006年） - 张谦饰演

• 大唐芙蓉园（2007年） - 赵文瑄饰演

• 杨贵妃秘史（2010年） - 黄秋生饰演

• 太平公主秘史（2012年） - 张翰饰演

• 唐宫燕（2013年） - 李承铉饰演

• 王朝的女人·杨贵妃（2015年） - 黎明饰演

• 大唐荣耀（2016年） - 秦汉饰演

• 妖猫传（2017年） - 张鲁一饰演

• 宫心计2深宫计（2018年） - 马浚伟饰演

• 长安十二时辰（2019年）（以圣人名义） - 冯嘉怡饰演

文学形象

• 黄易 - 《盛唐三部曲》（《日月当空》、《龙战在野》、《天地明环》）

• 梁羽生— 「大唐三部曲」——《大唐游侠传》中出场，《龙凤宝钗缘》《慧剑心魔》提及

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