Wei Sili - During Emperor Shang's Reign and Emperor Ruizong's Second Reign

During Emperor Shang's Reign and Emperor Ruizong's Second Reign

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by Empress Wei and their daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so Empress Wei could become emperor like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. In the meantime, however, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen was made emperor (as Emperor Shang), with Empress Wei serving as empress dowager and regent. Under a will that Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and concubine Consort Shangguan Wan'er initially drafted, apparently as a compromise, Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan the Prince of Xiang (the former Emperor Ruizong) would have been made coregent, but the plan was opposed by Empress Dowager Wei's cousin Wei Wen and another chancellor, Zong Chuke, and Li Dan was not made coregent.

Less than a month, Princess Taiping and Li Dan's son Li Longji the Prince of Linzi led a coup and killed Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. During the subsequent confusion when the coup army was slaughtering Empress Wei's clan, Wei Sili was nearly killed, but Li Dan's oldest son Li Chengqi the Prince of Song, whose aunt had married Wei Sili, interceded and saved Wei Sili. However, as a part of a purge of chancellors from Empress Dowager Wei's administration, Wei Sili was demoted to be the prefect of Song Prefecture (宋州, roughly modern Shangqiu, Henan). Almost immediately thereafter, though, he was recalled to serve as Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. A month later, however, he was again demoted to be the prefect of Xu Prefecture (許州, roughly modern Xuchang, Henan), although he was given a fief of 100 households.