Li Mao

Li Qing (8th century–775), known as Li Mao (李瑁) from 725 and honored title Prince of Shou (壽王) was an Imperial Prince of Chinese Tang Dynasty, he was the eighteenth son of Emperor Xuanzong and his favorite concubine Consort Wu.

Biography

In 733, Li Mao married the beautiful Yang Yuhuan (楊玉環), daughter of Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰) who was census official at Shu Prefecture (蜀州, in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). After his mother's death, Yang Yuhuan came into Xuanzong's favor and the emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong stealthily arranged for her to become a Taoist nun with the tonsured name Taizhen in order to prevent criticisms that would affect his plan of making her his concubine. Yang then stayed, for a brief while, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing his son Li Mao a new wife. Yang henceforth became the favorite consort of the emperor like Consort Wu before.

Ancestry