Princess Changle (), born Li Lizhi (); (621 – September 28, 643) was a princess of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

. She was the fifth daughter of

Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty fo ...

, and the oldest daughter of

Empress Zhangsun Empress Zhangsun (長孫皇后, personal name unknown, presumably Wugou (無垢) (15 March 601 – 28 July 636), formally Empress Wendeshunsheng (文德順聖皇后, literally "the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress") or, in short, Empr ...

Biography

According to her epitaphs, Li Lizhi was intelligent and had a bright personality and beautiful appearance. She was especially favoured by her parents, Taizong and Empress Zhangsun. Li Lizhi was also a painter. At the age of 8, Li Lizhi got the princess title. Li Lizhi married her cousin Zhangsun Chong, the son of

Zhangsun Wuji Zhangsun Wuji (; died 659), courtesy name Fuji (), formally the Duke of Zhao, was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor in the early Tang dynasty. He was Empress Zhangsun's brother, which made him a brother-in-law of Emperor Taizong ( ...

in 633. Emperor Taizong wanted his daughter's marriage to have a high dowry, and the chancellor

Fang Xuanling Fang Qiao (579 – 18 August 648), courtesy name Xuanling, better known as Fang Xuanling (), posthumously known as Duke Wenzhao of Liang, was a Chinese statesman and writer who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dyna ...

suggested him that her dowry could be doubled, compared with Taizong's sister, Princess Yongjia. However, Taizong did not do that because

Wei Zheng Wei Zheng (580 – 11 February 643), courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumous name Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian. He served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong. H ...

said it is the overstepping of Confucius rule.《舊唐書》：「魏征諫云：「皇帝之姑姊為長公主，皇帝之女為公主，既有『長』字，合高於公主。若加於長公主，事甚不可。」引漢明故事云：「群臣欲封皇子為王，帝曰：『朕子豈敢與先帝子等。』」 Empress Zhangsun bestowed Wei Zheng for his justice. Li Lizhi had a son, Zhangsun Yan. By 639, Emperor Taizong wanted to establish the key contributors to his reign, including Zhangsun Wuji, posts as governors to be passed to their descendants. There was much objection to this plan, including from Zhangsun Wuji, who sent Princess Changle to remonstrate to her father. Upon hearing his daughter's remonstrance, Emperor Taizong gave up the plan.

Death

Li Lizhi died on September 28, 643, likely due to a genetic condition that affected many other members of her family. Taizong was very aggrieved because of her death at a young age. She was buried in

Zhao Mausoleum Zhao Mausoleum may refer to: *Zhao Mausoleum (Tang dynasty), mausoleum of Chinese emperor Taizong of Tang, located at Jiuzong Mountain, Shaanxi, China **Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum *Zhao Mausoleum (Ming dynasty), mausoleum of the Ming emperor Long ...

beside her parents.

Tomb

Li Lizhi's tomb is just beside Zhao Mausoleum. It was opened in 1991. In her tomb, there are murals on the walls, and pottery tomb figures. The most famous mural in the tomb is a painting of cart and house in the cloud. The murals illustrated the technique of painting during the Tang dynasty.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Changle, Princess 621 births 643 deaths Tang dynasty princesses 7th-century Chinese women 7th-century Chinese people Emperor Taizong of Tang Daughters of emperors