Is “Li Longji launched the Tanglong Coup to eliminate the Wei clan” true?
The Old Book of Tang, Annals of Xuanzong I, records that after Emperor Zhongzong's death, Empress Wei plotted to endanger the state, and Li Longji, together with Liu Youqiu and others, 'planned and executed the elimination of her,' pacifying the palace. In the Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Chapter 78, it is written that Li Longji and Princess Taiping 'jointly eliminated the Wei clan, supported Ruizong as emperor, and had great merit,' and the decisive raising of troops to quell the rebellion is highly consistent with the official historical records.
In the official history, Li Longji raised troops to eliminate Empress Wei and Princess Anle, restoring the state, and the novel faithfully reproduces the full picture of the coup.
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