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Emperor Muzong of Tang

Tang Muzong
Emperor of Tang Dynasty
Reign February 20, 820 – February 25, 824
Predecessor Emperor Xianzong
Successor Emperor Jingzong
Born 795
Died February 25, 824
Full name
Era name and dates
Chángqìng (長慶): February 9, 821 – January 29, 825
Posthumous name
Emperor Ruisheng Wenhui Xiao
(睿聖文惠孝皇帝) (full)
Temple name
Mùzōng (穆宗)
Dynasty Tang Dynasty
Full name
Era name and dates
Chángqìng (長慶): February 9, 821 – January 29, 825
Posthumous name
Emperor Ruisheng Wenhui Xiao
(睿聖文惠孝皇帝) (full)
Temple name
Mùzōng (穆宗)
Tang Muzong
Chinese
Literal meaning "Solemn Ancestor of the Tang"
Li Heng
Chinese
Literal meaning (personal name)

Emperor Muzong of Tang (795 – February 25, 824), personal name Li Heng, né Li You (李宥) (name changed 812), was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 821 to 824. Emperor Muzong was the son of Emperor Xianzong. He was created crown prince in 812 during the reign of Emperor Xianzong and, after Emperor Xianzong was allegedly assassinated by an eunuch, Li Heng was proclaimed emperor in 820.

After succeeding to the throne, Muzong spent his time feasting and heavily drinking, thereby neglecting his duties as emperor. Meanwhile, the temporarily subdued regional military governors (jiedushi) began to challenge the central Tang government, leading to the new de facto independence of three circuits north of the Yellow River, which Emperor Xianzong had subdued. Internally, corruption was rife.

Emperor Muzong's brief reign came to an end in 824, and was viewed as the start of the downward spiral of the Tang Dynasty.

Li You was born in 795, during the reign of his great-grandfather Emperor Dezong. At that time, his father Li Chun was the Prince of Guangling, and his grandfather Li Song was Emperor Dezong's crown prince. Li You's mother Princess Guo was Li Chun's wife and a granddaughter of the prominent general Guo Ziyi — her parents were Guo Ziyi's son Guo Ai (郭曖) and Princess Shenping, a sister to Emperor Dezong. Li You was Li Chun's third son. At some point, Li You was created the Prince of Jian'an.

In 806, by which time Li Chun was emperor (as Emperor Xianzong), Li You was created the Prince of Sui. His mother Princess Guo, however, despite her having been Li Chun's wife, was not created empress, but only an imperial consort, albeit with the high rank of Guifei (貴妃). (During the remainder of his reign, Emperor Xianzong would repeatedly resisted calls by imperial officials to have Consort Guo made empress, using one excuse after another, fearing that if she, with her honored heritage, were made empress, she would so dominate the palace that no other imperial consort would dare approach him.) Further, although Li You, as the son of Consort Guo, was considered by the imperial officials as the proper heir, when the imperial scholars, led by Li Jiang, requested that Emperor Xianzong create a crown prince in 809, Emperor Xianzong did not create Li You crown prince, and instead created Li You's older brother Li Ning (by Consort Ji) crown prince. Li Ning died in 811, and in 812, Emperor Xianzong created Li You crown prince and changed his name to Li Heng. (When Emperor Xianzong ordered the imperial scholar Cui Qun to draft a petition in the name of Li You's older brother Li Kuan the Prince of Li offering to yield the position, Cui declined, pointing out that Li Heng, as the son of a wife, should have had priority over Li Kuan in any event, and Emperor Xianzong agreed.)


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