The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BC until the fall of Yuan Shikai’s Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven, a title that predates the Qin unification, the Emperor was recognized as the ruler of “All under heaven” (i.e., the world). In practice not every Emperor was the holder of the highest power of his land, though this was largely the case.
In China ancient, there are some young emperors, now introducing someone of them.
Liu Gong, also referred to as Emperor Qianshao of Han, was the third emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. He was a son, likely the oldest son, of Emperor Hui, likely by a concubine — although there is some controversy on the subject — and adopted by Emperor Hui’s wife, Empress Zhang Yan. At the instigation of his grandmother, Empress Dowager Lü, Empress Zhang had Emperor Qianshao’s mother put to death.
Very little about Emperor Qianshao’s life and personality is known. There are only a few major important events in his life that are documented (which does not even include the year of his birth). In 188 BC, his father Emperor Hui died, and he, who had been previously created Crown Prince, succeeded to the throne. However, his grandmother, now Grand Empress Dowager Lü, publicly presided over all government affairs.
Emperor Qianshao, considered to be a mere puppet of Grand Empress Dowager Lü, is often omitted from the official list of emperors of the Han Dynasty.
Emperor Shang (695 or 698 – September 5, 714 , also known as Emperor Shao, personal name Li Chongmao, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 710.
Li Chongmao was the youngest son of Emperor Zhongzong, born to one of Zhongzong’s concubines. As of 710, Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo’er the Princess Anle were exceedingly powerful, but Li Guo’er was unable to convince Emperor Zhongzong to have her created crown princess. Empress Wei, meanwhile, wanted to become “emperor” like Emperor Zhongzong’s mother Wu Zetian, and traditional historians believed that she and LI Guo’er poisoned Emperor Zhongzong in July 710. Empress Wei then arranged for Li Chongmao, then the Prince of Wen, to succeed Emperor Zhongzong as emperor, hoping to control the young teenager as empress dowager and regent.
Empress Dowager Wei’s plans, however, were foiled when Empress Zhongzong’s sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi launched a coup less than a month after Emperor Shang’s enthronement. Both Empress Wei and Li Guo’er were killed during the coup, and on July 25 the young emperor was forced to cede the imperial throne to Li Longji’s father Li Dan the Prince of Xiang, a former emperor (as Emperor Ruizong).
Li Chongmao, who had been emperor for only 17 days, was reverted to a princely rank and sent away from the capital Chang’an. He died four years later without having returned to the capital. Immediately after his death, Li Longji, who had by then succeeded his father Emperor Ruizong (as Emperor Xuanzong), restored Li Chongmao’s imperial dignity and gave him the posthumous name Shang which literally means “died at an early age.” Li Chongmao is also known in histories as Emperor Shao, which literally means “the young emperor.” Most traditional historians do not consider him as a legitimate emperor and do not include him in the list of emperors of the Tang dynasty, although modern historians usually do.
Emperor Shunzong of Tang , personal name Li Song, was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was created crown prince in 779 and became emperor in 805 after the death of his father Emperor Dezong, of whom he was the oldest son. His reign lasted less than a year, as, due to his illness, the powerful eunuchs were able to get him to approve a transfer of the throne to his son Li Chun, who took the throne as Emperor Xianzong. Emperor Shunzong was honored with the title of Taishang Huang (retired emperor). He died in 806, with some later historians suspecting that he was murdered by the eunuchs who arranged for Emperor Xianzong’s succession.
During his short reign, Emperor Shunzong and his close associates Wang Shuwen and Wang Pi employed individuals such as Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Han Ye, and Han Tai, in trying to reform and rejuvenate the administration. His reforms, intended to strengthen imperial power over regional warlords and eunuchs, were later known as the Yongzhen Reformation, named after his era name of Yongzhen. While Emperor Shunzong’s associates lost power after his yielding of the throne, Emperor Xianzong’s subsequent reign was known for its reassertion of imperial power.
