During Emperor Zhongzong's and Emperor Ruizong's First Reigns
Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by Li Chengqi's uncle Li Zhe the Crown Prince (as Emperor Zhongzong), but actual power was in the hands of Li Chengqi's grandmother Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), as empress dowager and regent. In 684, after Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with Li Chengqi's father Li Dan (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter held onto power even more firmly. After Emperor Ruizong's ascension, Li Chengqi was created crown prince, and his mother Princess Liu was created empress. In 688, when Empress Dowager Wu held a grand ceremony to offer sacrifices to the god of the Luo River (洛水, which flowed near the eastern capital Luoyang), she had Emperor Ruizong and Li Chengqi offer sacrifices after her. She also had them offer sacrifices after her when she, in 689, offered sacrifices to the god of heaven, the past emperors of Tang Dynasty, her father Wu Shihuo (武士彠), and the gods of the five elements.
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