Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–683)
Born 628 CE, died 683 CE.
Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife Empress Wu (the future Wu Zetian), and her decrees were carried out with greater force than the decrees of Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong was the youngest son of Emperor Taizong and Empress Zhangsun; his elder brothers were Li Chengqian and Li Tai. Emperor Gaozong's reign saw the primacy of Empress Wu, who became the effective power behind the Tang rule. Empress Wu aided Emperor Gaozong in his rule during the later years of his reign after a series of strokes left him incapacitated. Emperor Gaozong effectively after January 665 delegated all matters of state to Empress Wu; after that the empress acted as the power behind the emperor, "hanging the curtain and listening to politics" (垂簾聼政; Chuílián tīngzhèng). Gaozong's personal illness, affection and trust of Wu led to her wielding a great deal of power in affairs of state until the end of his reign.
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