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Li Tai (; 620Li Tai being 34 when he died does not reconcile well with historical records also stating that his older brother Li Chengqian was eight (by East Asian reckoning) when he was created crown prince in September 626 -- which would make Li Chengqian's birth year 619; the 2nd year of the Wude era corresponds to 21 Jan 619 to 8 Feb 620 on the Julian calendar. As Li Tai was clearly younger and born of the same mother as Li Chengqian, the dates cannot be both correct, but it is not clear which, if either, date was correct. Further, given that Li Chengqian was Emperor Taizong's first-born son and Li Tai was the fourth-born son, they could not be twins. According to Li Tai's grave epitaph, Li Tai was actually born in 620; the 3rd year of the Wude era corresponds to 9 Feb 620 to 27 Jan 621 in the Julian calendar. – 14 January 653Volume 199 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Li Tai died on the guisi day during the winter of the 3rd year of the Yonghui era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 14 Jan 653 on the Gregorian calendar (永徽三年)冬，...，癸巳，濮恭王泰薨于均州。. His biographies in volume 76 of Old Book of Tang and volume 80 of New Book of Tang recorded that he was 35 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.), courtesy name Huibao (惠褒), nickname Qingque (青雀), formally Prince Gong of Pu (濮恭王), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Tang dynasty.
Li Tai, who carried the title of Prince of Wei (魏王; "Wei wang"), was favored by his father, Emperor Taizong, for his literary talent and studiousness. His older brother Li Chengqian was crown prince, but Li Tai and his associates had design on that position, eventually pushing Li Chengqian to plot treason in 643. After Li Chengqian's plot was discovered, Li Chengqian was deposed, and Emperor Taizong agreed to create Li Tai the new crown prince. However, Emperor Taizong soon saw that Li Tai had pushed Li Chengqian toward rebellion by machination and further appeared to bear ill intentions toward their younger brother Li Zhi the Prince of Jin, and so Emperor Taizong named Li Zhi crown prince instead. Li Tai was reduced in rank and briefly put under house arrest, and then exiled. He died in exile in 653.
The Buddhist statues in the Main Wall of Bingyang South Cave of the Longmen Caves was dedicated by Li Tai to his deceased mother Empress Zhangsun. Yi Que Fokan Bei (伊阙佛龛碑)
In 626, Li Shimin, in an intense rivalry with his older brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince, ambushed Li Jiancheng and another brother who supported Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, at Xuanwu Gate and killed them. He then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to first create him crown prince and then yield the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong). He created Li Tai's mother Princess Zhangsun empress and Li Tai's older brother Li Chengqian crown prince. In 628, Li Tai's title was changed to Prince of Yue (Taizong made another royal member Li Baoding (李保定) heir to Li Xuanba instead of him), and he was made the commandant at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), but was not sent to Yang Prefecture, remaining at the capital Chang'an instead. In 633, he was made the commandant at Fu Prefecture (鄜州, roughly modern Yan'an, Shaanxi), but also appeared to not have been sent there, and in 634 he became the prefect of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州).
Meanwhile, Li Tai's staff member Su Xu (蘇勖) suggested to him that, like the talented princes in past dynasties, he should commission a major literary work, so Li Tai commissioned the work Journal of Geography ( Kuodi Zhi) and retained the officials Xiao Deyan (蕭德言), Gu Yin (顧胤), Jiang Yaqing (蔣亞卿), and Xie Yan (謝偃) to head the project. Initially, the work was drafted at Chang'an, and his staff scholars received so many visitors among the noble youths that they were distracted from their work. Li Tai saw that their time was not being productive, and so sent them out to the field—the various prefectures—to collect data and write. It took four years for Li Tai's scholars to complete the work, which had 550 volumes. The work was completed in 642, and Emperor Taizong rewarded Li Tai with a large supply of silk. By this point, Li Tai's staff was growing so large that the imperial stipend to Li Tai exceeded that to Li Chengqian. The official Chu Suiliang suggested to Emperor Taizong that this was improper, and Emperor Taizong agreed—but rather than reducing Li Tai's stipend, he removed all limits on Li Chengqian's spending, which led to Li Chengqian, who was already wasteful in his lifestyle, to be even more wasteful. Emperor Taizong also had Li Tai move to Wude Palace (武德殿), next to Li Chengqian's palace—an action that Wei Zheng considered inappropriate, and so Emperor Taizong reversed.
By 643, Li Chengqian was so fearful that Emperor Taizong was about to depose him that he conspired with a number of officials, including the major general Hou Junji, Emperor Taizong's brother Li Yuanchang (李元昌) the Prince of Han, the imperial guard commander Li Anyan (李安儼), his cousin Zhao Jie (趙節), and Du Chuke's nephew Du He (杜荷, Du Ruhui's son), to overthrow Emperor Taizong. That summer, however, Li You (李祐) the Prince of Qi, a younger brother to both Li Chengqian and Li Tai, resentful of the head of his household, Quan Wanji (權萬紀), killed Quan and then rebelled. Li You was soon defeated and captured, and when Emperor Taizong investigated Li You's co-conspirators, Li Chengqian's associate Gegan Chengji (紇干承基), who had been an assassin for Li Chengqian and was involved in his conspiracy, was arrested and sentenced to death. Gegan, in order to save himself, revealed the plot. Emperor Taizong, in shock, convened the senior officials Zhangsun Wuji (Empress Zhangsun's brother), Fang Xuanling, Xiao Yu, and Li Shiji, as well as officials from the supreme court, the legislative bureau, and the examination bureau, to investigate, and the extent of the plot was revealed. When Emperor Taizong requested opinions on what to do with Li Chengqian, Lai Ji suggested sparing him, and Emperor Taizong agreed. He deposed Li Chengqian and reduced him to commoner rank, while ordering Li Yuanchang to commit suicide. Hou and the other conspirators were all executed.
Several days later, Li Tai was removed from his official posts and reduced in rank to Prince of Donglai. Emperor Taizong exiled his close associates and reduced Du Chuke to commoner rank. Two months later, Li Tai was created the Prince of Shunyang instead. In fall 643, Emperor Taizong exiled both Li Chengqian and Li Tai—in Li Tai's case, to Jun Prefecture (均州, roughly modern Shiyan, Hubei). Emperor Taizong was gut-wrenched about the decision, and he stated:
He also showed Li Tai's well-written submissions in the past to his close officials and stated:
In 647, Li Tai's title was upgraded to Prince of Pu. After Emperor Taizong died in 649, Li Zhi succeeded him as Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong permitted the princes from outlying prefectures to all come to Chang'an to attend Emperor Taizong's funeral, but Li Tai was not permitted to do so. Later that year, Emperor Gaozong did permit Li Tai to again retain a staff, and ordered that he be supplied with high quality supplies of wagons, food, and clothing. Li Tai died in 653. His son Li Xin (李欣) inherited his title.
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