Emperor Ruizong of Tang

Who was Emperor Ruizong of Tang?

Emperor Ruizong of Tang, personal name Lǐ Dàn, known at times during his life as Li Xulun, Li Lun, Wu Lun, and Wu Dan, was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty. He was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong and the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu.

In February 684, Li Dan's mother Empress Wu demoted his older brother Emperor Zhongzong who had attempted to rule free of his mother, and named him emperor. Emperor Ruizong, however, was a puppet under control of his mother and did not have any real power. In October 690 he ceded the imperial throne to his mother, who installed herself as "emperor" – the only woman in Chinese history ever to rule as emperor. Emperor Ruizong was reduced to the position of crown prince, with the unconventional title of Huangsi. In the following years, Empress Wu's nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi tried to have one of them named heir to the throne, but Wu Zetian resisted these calls. Eventually, in October 698, faced with foreign invasion and dissatisfaction at home, Empress Wu accepted the suggestion of the chancellor Di Renjie and recalled the exiled Li Xian to the capital Luoyang. Soon, Li Dan offered to yield the position of crown prince to his elder brother, and Li Xian became crown prince instead.