Background

Li Rong was born on 813. He was the eighth son of Emperor Muzong, while his mother was an imperial consort surnamed Yang that outlived his father. In 821, when Emperor Muzong created his sons, as well as a number of younger brothers who had not been created titles, imperial princes, Li Rong was created the Prince of An. In 834, by which time another older brother, Emperor Wenzong was emperor, Li Rong was given the honorific title Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司). Early in Emperor Wenzong's Kaicheng era (836-840), Emperor Wenzong ordered that monthly stipends be given to both Li Rong and Li Chan (who was then the Prince of Ying), and it was said that Emperor Wenzong often treated both him and Li Chan well and more special than other imperial princes.

Consideration as Emperor Wenzongs successor

In 838, Emperor Wenzong's only son and crown prince Li Yong died — probably murdered by household servants. After Li Yong's death, in 839, Emperor Wenzong's concubine Consort Yang recommended Li Rong as crown prince. (Li Chan, after he became emperor (as Emperor Wuzong), would state that it was his belief that Li Rong flattered Consort Yang, and that Li Rong's candidacy was supported by the chancellor Yang Sifu (who might have been Consort Yang's nephew) and the eunuch Liu Hongyi (劉弘逸), with Yang Sifu's having an eye toward having Consort Yang becoming empress dowager and regent. It is not known whether Li Chan's beliefs were correct.) When Emperor Wenzong consulted the chancellors, however, Li Jue opposed Li Rong's candidacy. Emperor Wenzong thereafter created his older brother Emperor Jingzong's youngest son Li Chengmei the Prince of Chen crown prince.

Death

In spring 840, Emperor Wenzong became seriously ill. He summoned Liu Hongyi and another eunuch, Xue Jileng (薛季稜), and asked them to summon Yang Sifu and Li Jue to the palace, ready to entrust Li Chengmei to them. However, the eunuch army commanders Qiu Shiliang and Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志), hoping to receive credit for supporting a new emperor, opposed Li Chengmei, arguing that Li Chengmei was too young and too sickly. Li Jue tried to stop them, but Qiu and Yu went ahead and issued an edict in Emperor Wenzong's name demoting Li Chengmei back to the Prince of Chen and creating Li Chan crown prince instead. After Emperor Wenzong soon died, Qiu persuaded Li Chan, who had not yet taken the throne and was still using his title of crown prince, to order Consort Yang, Li Rong, and Li Chengmei to commit suicide.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 175.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 82.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 241, 246.

身世

李溶具體生年不詳，墓誌記載其逝世時年二十八，當在元和八年（813年）。長慶元年（821年），穆宗將未封王的諸子和諸弟封王，李溶被封為安王。唐穆宗逝世後，繼位的是李溶兄長唐敬宗。李溶的母親楊妃應該是在此後獲封太妃。太和八年（834年）九月，與其弟潁王李瀍同授開府儀同三司、檢校兵部尚書，李溶又改檢校吏部尚書。文宗開成二年（837年）十月，按百官例給李溶、李瀍每月料錢，厚待他倆異于諸王。

文宗的皇儲候選人

開成三年（838年），文宗之子李永去世，可能是被家僕謀害（文宗另一子蔣王李宗儉薨年記載不詳，可能也已去世）。四年（839年），文宗寵妃楊賢妃秘密推薦李溶為皇太弟。楊賢妃、宰相楊嗣複與李溶的母親楊太妃是本家的關係。後來李瀍繼位成為唐武宗後，認定李溶奉承了楊賢妃，得到可能是楊賢妃侄輩的宰相楊嗣複及宦官知樞密劉弘逸的支持，因為楊嗣複希望楊賢妃效法武則天。當文宗就此諮詢大臣時，宰相李玨反對立李溶為儲。隨後，文宗立唐敬宗幼子陳王李成美為太子。六月慶成節，文宗幸十六宅安王、潁王院宴樂，賜與頗厚。

身亡

五年（840年），文宗病重，召來劉弘逸和另一宦官薛季稜，讓他們去傳召楊嗣複和李玨，準備把李成美託付給兩位宰相。但是，控制軍隊的宦官仇士良和魚弘志希望獲得新帝的支持，所以反對李成美，稱他太年輕且多病。他倆搶先矯文宗詔，將李成美重新降為陳王，改立李瀍為皇太弟，李玨阻止未果。

文宗不久駕崩，仇士良說服尚未即位的李瀍命楊賢妃、李溶、李成美自殺。李溶以圖謀成為儲君的罪名被賜死于宅邸。八月廿九日，葬于京兆府萬年縣崇道鄉原。

後來李瀍繼位為唐武宗，因當初立儲之爭派宦官去賜死已被貶地方的楊嗣複、李玨，被宰相崔珙、李德裕等勸阻後說：「楊嗣複、劉弘逸志在樹立安王。立陳王尚且是文宗遺旨，楊嗣複、劉弘逸欲立安王全是希楊妃意旨。楊嗣複曾寫信給楊妃要她效武則天臨朝。」崔珙、李德裕等說：「此事曖昧，真假難辨。」武宗說：「楊妃曾臥病，其弟楊玄思奉文宗命入內侍疾一月有餘，趁機內外交通。朕細問內人，了解了情狀，不欲外宣。假如安王得志，我豈有今日，他豈能容我？」然後憂傷地說：「為卿等赦之。」于是追回了前去賜死楊、李的宦官，再貶他們。

軼聞

《唐闕史》記載：文宗于十六宅西別建安王溶、潁王瀍院，數次駕幸，縱酒如家人禮。文宗駕崩時，太子李成美年幼且有病不堪擔當軍國大事。仇士良認為安王是文宗親弟，賢能且年長，于是發動左、右神策軍及飛龍、羽林、驍騎數千人去藩邸奉迎安王。宦官遙呼：「迎大者！迎大者！」數四，因為安王是兄長，所以「大者」指的就是他。等兵仗到了二王宅，兵士們互相說：「奉命迎大者，不知安、潁孰為大者？」潁王的王夫人偷偷聽到了，就擁髻褰裙走出，說：「大者就是潁王。大家（指皇帝）的左右因為潁王魁梧頎長，都呼為大王，且與中尉（指仇士良）有死生之契，你們如果弄錯了，必遭滅族啊！」當時安王心裡認為自己按次序應該得立，心生疑慮且懦弱，害怕，沒敢出來。潁王神氣抑揚，隱于屏間，王夫人從屏後擁他出來。眾人惑于其語，于是扶上馬，以兵甲簇擁到少陽院。宦官們知道已經迎錯人了，無人敢出言，于是羅拜馬前，連呼萬歲。不久矯詔，以潁王瀍為皇太弟，權句當軍國事。《新唐書·王賢妃傳》也稱王賢妃當初秘密幫助潁王登基，故在潁王登基為武宗後進號才人。

司馬光《資治通鑑考異》認為《新唐書·王賢妃傳》此記載是取材于《唐闕史》，認為「按立嗣大事，豈容繆誤！」，故依據文宗、武宗實錄，而沒有參考《唐闕史》。

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