Li Longji was born in 685 AD. His father was Li Dan, the Tang Ruizong Emperor, and his mother was Dou De, the Concubine De. However, his grandmother Wu Zetian was the actual ruler of the Tang Dynasty at that time, as she had taken over the throne and his father Li Dan was only a puppet emperor with no power to interfere in political affairs. Therefore, Li Longji's childhood and early teenage years were spent under strict supervision, with no access to court officials or politics.

Only when he reached the age of fourteen was Li Longji allowed to leave the palace and serve as a Right Guard Officer in the Imperial Guard. Subsequently, he became the Emperor's "Official in Charge of Horses". In 705 AD, court officials such as Zhang Jianzhi launched the Shenlong Coup, forcing Wu Zetian to abdicate and allow Li Longji's uncle Li Xian to take the throne. Li Longji witnessed this coup with his own eyes.

In 710 AD, facing the coup plot of Empress Wei of the Zhongzong Emperor, Li Longji allied with Princess Taiping to launch the "Tanglong Coup", which eliminated the Wei faction and restored his father Li Dan to the throne. Since then, Li Longji began his glorious mid-career.

In 712 AD, after Li Dan abdicated the throne, Li Longji ascended the throne and soon quelled a rebellion led by the Princess Taiping faction, stabilizing the court. He was very diligent in political affairs, appointing wise ministers such as Yao Chong, Song Jing, and Zhang Jiuling. He reformed the official system, rectified the civil service, actively developed agriculture, implemented a conscription system, reduced the burden on the people, and ushered in the Kaiyuan Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. During this period, Chinese feudal society reached its peak, with a population exceeding 80 million, a developed commercial sector, and foreign envoys coming in an endless stream, marking a time of national prosperity and strength.

However, in the later stages of his reign, Li Longji gradually became negligent in court affairs, favoring Yang Guifei and no longer attending court early. He trusted treacherous ministers such as Li Linpu and Yang Guozhong, leading to chaos in court affairs. In addition, policy mistakes and overconfidence in Hu generals such as An Lushan led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty. In 756 AD, the eight-year-long An-Shi Rebellion broke out, and Li Longji was forced to become the Emperor Emeritus, beginning his relatively bleak later life.

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