The life of the mute emperor during the Tang Dynasty stirred up Chinese history

Being crown prince for 26 years is full of perseverance and challenges, but this character's 8 months reigning as Emperor is truly worth mentioning. That is Emperor Thuan Tong Ly Tung, a figure who marked Chinese history.

Duong Thuan Tong Ly Tung (January 8, 761 - 806) was the eldest son of King Duc Tong Ly Thich. Before being officially appointed Crown Prince in 779, he was once titled King Tuyen. After more than 20 years of waiting, in 805, Crown Prince Ly Tung succeeded his father and changed the temple's name to Thuan Tong.

For many years, being constrained in a life full of rituals and rules in the royal court, Ly Tung's heart soon developed extreme melancholy. In addition, in September 804, he suddenly suffered from a stroke. After this accident, Ly Tung forever became mute, completely lost the ability to speak and was paralyzed on half of his body.

At this time, King Duong Duc Tong was also at an old age, so he was even more worried about his son's health. Not only did he often visit his son, he also ordered his officers and soldiers to search for famous doctors from all over the world to come to the palace to treat the Crown Prince's illness. However, the results are not really ideal.

Ly Tung was the eldest son (eldest son) of Emperor Duc Tong Ly Quat. In the year his father ascended the throne, he was appointed crown prince at the age of 19. Thanks to that, what awaits him must be a bright future, but this road is not smooth. As crown prince, he not only had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of inheriting the throne but also had to stabilize his position in the dangerous court.

Feudal China gave birth to many Emperors, each change of throne was bloody and stormy, behind each power struggle was cruelty and conspiracy. This is also true of the path to the throne of Ly Tung, the 13th Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

Ly Tung was a gentle and humble person, greatly respected both inside and outside the court. But even so, he could not avoid the storm of fate. During his 26 years as crown prince, the Tang Dynasty experienced many upheavals, the most serious of which was the "Phung Thien Incident".

When ascending the throne, Emperor Duc Tong had the ambition to restore the former glory of the Tang dynasty. He began eliminating vassals from various places to consolidate and centralize power to an unprecedented level. Initially, this purge war went quite smoothly, many vassals surrendered.

However, Duong Duc Tong's eagerness for quick success gradually revealed many problems. This bold move sparked a rebellion by vassals who were loyal to him, leaving the Tang dynasty isolated. When the situation got out of control, Duong Duc Tong had to flee to Phung Thien.

At the critical moment of the country's survival, Ly Tung bravely fought on the front lines for nearly 40 days. This battle brought the Tang Dynasty a valuable opportunity and also guaranteed the safety of the Tang Dynasty. Duc Tong Street. This incident made Duong Duc Tong have more faith in Ly Tung and further strengthened his position as crown prince.

After experiencing the "Phung Thien Incident", Ly Tung had a deeper understanding of governing the country. Although he had never directly experienced the struggle for the throne, he deeply understood the cruelty and consequences of the struggle for power. Therefore, he tried his best to control his ambition and demonstrate the virtues of gentleness, humility and frugality.

However, the struggle for power in the royal court never stopped. Ly Tung's mother-in-law had a not very clean private life, and was even suspected of doing things related to evil. This directly affects Ly Tung's image and status. Emperor Ly Quat extremely doubted this. Ly Tung faced an unprecedented crisis that not only threatened his position as crown prince but even caused him to be imprisoned for a time.

Ly Tung had been crown prince for 26 years. After Duc Tong grew old, he should have helped his father manage national affairs. Unexpectedly, tragedy suddenly struck. In the winter of 804, Ly Tung suffered a stroke, paralyzed half of his body and could not speak.

On February 25, 805, Duc Tong passed away. The great mandarins Trinh Nhan and Ve Thu Cong were summoned to the palace for a decree. Initially, the eunuchs thought that the crown prince was sick and could not succeed the throne, but Ve Thu Cong said that although the crown prince was sick, he was the eldest son, and besides, he was not completely helpless. If I create someone else, I'm afraid there will be chaos. Therefore, Ly Tung - who was paralyzed and unable to speak - was brought to the throne. On February 28, Ly Tung was at the Tai Chi Palace, that is, Duong Thuan Tong.

After Ly Tung ascended the throne, his first task was to correct the chaotic situation of the eunuchs in the royal court. However, the eunuch's power was ingrained and his efforts failed. On the contrary, the eunuchs used their power to put pressure on him, eventually forcing him to abdicate. Only 8 months later, he passed the throne to his son, Crown Prince Ly Thuan. What's even more sad is that just one year later, the unfortunate Emperor Ly Tung "died" from illness.

Ly Tung's 26 years as crown prince were full of perseverance and challenges, but his career as Emperor only lasted 8 months, all his efforts and lifelong ambitions were in vain.

During this short reign, Ly Tung showed wisdom and tolerance but also revealed his shortcomings in the struggle for power. Ly Tung's story shows posterity a talented and virtuous crown prince whose life was full of tragedy.

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