Successive dynasties attached great importance to the succession of the throne and regarded the abolition of the prince as the foundation of the country and the plan of the country. The system of succession to the throne has undergone a long evolution. In Xia and Shang dynasties, the father died and the son succeeded, and the brother finally reconciled. After the emperor was re-established, the system of passing on children was established, and then the system of inheriting sons was further established. The succession to the throne in the Zhou Dynasty has detailed regulations. At that time, the king of Wu was appointed as the heir, which was called Wang Shizi system in history. Later, the principle of choosing a prince was gradually established, mainly to establish a long position rather than a moral position, and to establish a noble son rather than a long position. Sons born to wives have priority in inheritance, among which the eldest son is particularly superior. According to the political theory, the imperial power is granted by heaven and inherited for life, which is the so-called eternal series. In order to stabilize the inheritance order within the royal family, the eldest son inheritance system was established in combination with the patriarchal clan system, with the eldest son as the legal heir. The eldest son died young, and if he has a son, he will have a son. If he has no son, he will be succeeded by his second son in sequence. Only when there is no suitable stepson can the eldest son be born. The emperor had no children, and then he chose his heirs in the order of relatives and friends. Once this principle was established, it became the basic principle of the long feudal society in later generations.

During this period, due to the great differences among countries and the complex social background, this provision was not fully implemented in practice, and the succession of monarchs was chaotic.

In the Han Dynasty, the system of establishing the throne was formally established, which became a recognized principle of succession to the throne and played a certain role in restraining the struggle for the throne. However, bloody court battles often break the rules, and many phenomena violate this principle.

Sui and Tang Dynasties is an important period for the development of feudal society in China. With the development of social economy and unprecedented prosperity of culture, various laws and regulations have been continuously developed and improved, and the system of succession to the throne in Sui and Tang Dynasties has been more rigorous and perfect. At present, there are mainly the following provisions on the establishment of a prince: First, the establishment of a prince is a major event in political life and has a complete etiquette system. When the prince is appointed, grand ceremonies and ceremonies should be held to make the prince more sacred and solemn.

Second, the Prince's East Palace has a large organization and many dependents. The setting is similar to that of the imperial court, mainly including the third division and the third division of the prince; Master Zhan, Zuo Chunfang and You Chunfang. The East Palace is similar to Miyagi in architecture, but smaller in shape.

Thirdly, the system of prince supervising the country was determined. When the emperor goes out for inspection or is in poor health, the prince handles state affairs, and sometimes sends the prince to war, so as to exercise the prince's ability to actually manage and deal with problems, establish the prince's prestige, and lay a good foundation for inheriting the throne in the future.

But in the Tang dynasty, the succession of the throne did not completely conform to this law. In the meantime, things like eating each other's flesh and blood and frying hands and feet keep happening. In the face of the supreme position of power, the feudal rulers' lust for power, greed and cruelty were exposed completely.

The succession to the throne also follows the principle that there is no office, but the more prominent point is that the method of retaining the prince and consolidating the country has been adopted. Therefore, the Ming emperors appointed princes earlier, and some even became princes in infancy.

In the aspect of succession to the throne, it is not only influenced by the Han tradition, but also has its national color. Since the Emperor, the method of disclosing heirs has been changed to a secret storage system. The specific way is to put the imperial edict in a sealed brocade box and put it behind a bright plaque in the center of Gan Qing Palace. After the death of the emperor, the designated etiquette personally opened the seal and publicly announced the establishment of a new emperor.

The secret storage system gives the princes a chance to compete in relatively equal, and the strict system of studying subjects for the princes is conducive to selecting outstanding heirs to the throne. This system avoids mutual suspicion and competition among governors, is conducive to maintaining political stability and reducing bloody conspiracy for the throne.

However, the temptation of the throne is almost irresistible, and the cruel political struggle has washed away all rules and family ties. With the improvement of the system of succession to the throne, scenes of swords and shadows and blood shed are common, and the infighting for the throne has never subsided.