Li Shangjin


Li Shangjin was the third son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. His mother was a palace maid surnamed Yang. When Gaozong ascended the throne, Shangjin was created Prince of Qi. In 652, he was appointed governor of Yizhou in titular. In 666, he was appointed prefect of Shou, then prefect of Lu. But as his mother was disliked by Empress Wu, some officials falsely accused Shangjin to please her, and Shangjin was removed from his office. Shangjin was then sent to Li Prefecture.
In 682, Empress Wu pretended to be so friendly that she recalled Shangjin and allowed him to attend political affairs, along with his younger half-brother Li Sujie Prince of Poyang born by the late Consort Xiao. But soon she appointed Shangjin as prefect of Mian, Sujie as prefect of Yue Prefect, and would never allow them to attend political affairs. In 684, Shangjin returned to the capital for the funeral of his father along with Sujie, Princess Yiyang and Princess Xuancheng. Both the two princesses were also born by Consort Xiao. In the same year Shangjin was recreated Prince of Bi, later Prince of Ze and appointed as prefect of Suzhou. In the following year he was appointed as prefect of Chen. In 689, he was appointed as Taizi Zuoweishuai and prefect of Suizhou.
In 690, Wu Chengsi, nephew of Empress Wu, instructed Zhou Xing accuse Shangjin and Sujie of treason, and they were recalled to Luoyang. When hearing Sujie had been strangled, Shangjin was so afraid that he hanged himself.
Shangjin had seven sons. After his death, they were all exiled to Xianzhou and six of them died there. When Shangjin's another younger half-brother Emperor Zhongzong of Tang held power, Shangjin was rehabilitated, and his only living son Yixun succeeded his title as Prince of Ze. But in New Book of Tang, Shangjin had nine sons named Yiyu, Yijin, Yichen, Yizhen, Yixian, Yiwei, Yimei, Yigui and Yixun, and Yiyu was created Prince of Changping.