Zhangsun Wuji Falsely Accuses Prince Wu Ke of Joining Fang Yi'ai's Treason Plot

In 653 AD, during the investigation into Fang Yi'ai's rebellion, powerful Grand Tutor Zhangsun Wuji exploited the case to eliminate potential political threats. He falsely accused Li Ke, Prince of Wu and son of the former Emperor Taizong, of conspiring with the rebels. Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, Zhangsun Wuji's nephew, was persuaded to believe the fabricated evidence. Despite Li Ke's popularity and lack of involvement, the emperor ordered him to commit suicide. The prince was forced to take his own life, and his family was implicated. This case exemplified how treason investigations were weaponized in factional court struggles to remove rivals under the guise of law.

Prince Li Ke was convicted of treason and forced to commit suicide by imperial order. His family was demoted or exiled, and his associates faced punishment.

Whether Prince Wu Ke genuinely participated in Fang Yi'ai's treason plot or was entirely framed by Zhangsun Wuji, who sought to eliminate a popular prince that Emperor Taizong had once considered as a potential crown prince candidate.

The case deepened public sympathy for the innocent Prince Wu Ke and is remembered as a notorious example of political persecution in the Tang Dynasty. It fueled resentment against Zhangsun Wuji's authoritarian grip on power, which later contributed to his own downfall when Emperor Gaozong eventually purged him. The incident served as a cautionary tale about the lethal dangers of unchecked ministerial power within the imperial court.