In the long history of China, there was only one woman, unprecedented and unprecedented, who became the emperor of a patriarchal society and ruled the dynasty. After the reign of Zhenguan, China’s overall national strength has greatly improved. Although she has passed away for more than 1300 years, people often mention her as a devil because her murderous aura is too strong. She is a saint, and her life is always accompanied by miracles. She has broken through, broken through the secular world, broken through the palace, broken through the patriarchal society, and broken through the entire era. Her achievements have added unique and magnificent colors to human history. Her legend cannot be replicated until the last moment of her life, when she was Empress Wu Zetian.
Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang City, Henan Province
This is the most famous Buddha statue currently located in the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang City, Henan Province. The great Buddha of Lushena, despite experiencing thousands of years of vicissitudes, still appears distant and mysterious. Legend has it that it was shaped according to a person’s appearance, and this person’s reputation far surpasses that of this great Buddha. She is Wu Zetian. In 638 AD, at the age of fourteen, Wu Zetian was summoned to the imperial palace and became the woman of Emperor Taizong of Tang. This was a very honorable thing for the Wu family. The whole family celebrated and loved her mother the most, but she was very worried because she knew that the most prestigious imperial palace was also a very dangerous place, filled with open and secret struggles. When Wu Zetian left home, her mother cried and bid farewell to her daughter, while Wu Zetian appeared extraordinary.
Professor Liu Houbin from Renmin University of China: When you enter the palace at the age of 14, most people feel sad and shed tears because it indicates that your fate will be very miserable in the future. When Empress Wu Zetian entered the palace, her mother would cry. She advised her mother to say something, saying that when the emperor knows no good, no one is sad. This means that if I have the opportunity to see the emperor, how can you know if it must be a disaster or not? Why should you cry and cry like a normal little daughter? This sentence is a strong accent from the era of Empress Wu Zetian.
In 625 AD, Wu Zetian was born in Wenshui, Shanxi. Her father, Wu Shiyi, was originally a businessman who made contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. He was eventually promoted to the position of Minister of Works. Wu Shiyi’s original wife, Li Shi, passed away due to illness. Emperor Gaozu of Tang personally made the decision to marry the niece of Yang Xiong, a prominent figure in the Sui Dynasty, to her. This was Wu Zetian’s biological mother, and Wu Zetian had a beautiful childhood. Her father loved her very much, but at the age of 11, he passed away. Her half brother treated her very badly, and the turning of fate made Wu Zetian prematurely realize the coldness of the world. Her sensitive heart was shrouded in a strong shadow, and she stubbornly wanted to break through the constraints of her family, preferring to fight in the bottomless palace. As the emperor who reigns over the world. Emperor Taizong of Tang had many women, but Wu Zetian was just one of them who was not eye-catching. When Emperor Taizong saw Wu Zetian, he saw her with infinite charm between his eyebrows and eyes, so he named her Meiniang. However, this charm alone could not stand out in the beautiful palace. Wu Zetian’s status in the palace is not high, she is just a talented person.
Huang Zhengjian, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In the Tang Dynasty, the system of concubines was as follows: besides the empress, there were four concubines, namely noble concubines, noble concubines, virtuous concubines, and virtuous concubines. Apart from the four concubines, there were nine concubines, and the first class was Zhaoyi. Below the nine concubines, there were nine concubines, nine beauties, and nine talented people. Of course, talented people were the lowest class. Under the talented, there are 27 Baolin, 27 Imperial Maidens, and 27 Cainu, which is basically a structure. So, when Empress Wu Zetian first entered the palace, she was conferred the title of a talented person, which is the lowest rank of a concubine, beauty, or talented person we just talked about.
Wu Zetian must show uniqueness, as an unexpected opportunity seems to have arrived. Emperor Taizong of Tang had a group of wild and fierce horses, the lion’s head, which even agile riders could not tame. Just when everyone was at a loss, the weak Wu Zetian stood up and said, “Just give me three things, and I can tame this fierce horse.”. Tang Taizong looked at Wu Zetian in surprise and asked her what three things she needed? Wu Zetian replied, “One is an iron whip, two is an iron spear, and three is a dagger. If the iron whip does not comply, she will use the iron spear to hit its head. If it still does not comply, she will use the dagger to cut her throat.”. It seems that Empress Dowager Wu Zetian’s words also made Emperor Taizong feel a dark murderous aura. For a long period of 12 years, Empress Dowager Wu Zetian has been trying to make breakthroughs, but to no avail. Her status has not been promoted, and what is even more worrying is that Emperor Taizong of Tang is about to die, and all hopes seem to be shattered with his passing. In the year 649 AD, Emperor Taizong of Tang passed away in the Hanfeng Palace, and the entire harem was filled with desolate winds and cold rain.
Professor Wu Zongguo from Peking University: After the death of the emperor, all concubines without children go to Ganye Temple to become nuns. This is probably the system, so after becoming a nun, they will have this life there.
Wu Zetian was no exception. According to Emperor Taizong of Tang, she was forced to become a nun at the Ganye Temple, accompanied only by morning bells and evening drums.
Ganye Temple Site, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province
This is the Ganye Temple where Wu Zetian became a monk. She has quietly spent over 1000 years in the northwest of Xi’an. Now, she is in the backyard of an elementary school, and the children also moved out of this house 30 years ago to study in the teaching building, but what has remained unchanged here is the story told by the teacher. In this textbook, Wu Zetian’s life is narrated, and the teacher will particularly focus on her experience here. The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, and without the hardships of the Ganye Temple, Wu Zetian may not have a bright future. At the Ganye Temple, Wu Zetian is lonely and waiting for the arrival of someone, who was the Crown Prince Li Zhi of that year. During the period when Emperor Taizong was seriously ill, the two of them served him at the same time, but unexpectedly developed a strong love for each other. At this time, Li Zhi had become the new emperor, but the two of them were in the palace and the other was in the temple. This is Wu Zetian’s only opportunity. On the anniversary of the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang in 650 AD, Li Zhi went to Ganye Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings. Wu Zetian finally saw Li Zhi in tears, and Li Zhi was equally eager to bring Wu Zetian into the palace. However, Wu Zetian was still a woman of her father and was constrained by ethics and morality. Even as the ninth and fifth emperor, Li Zhi had no choice but to do so. When Queen Wang learned about this, she actively suggested to the emperor to secretly summon Wu Zetian into the palace. At that time, Queen Wang was trying to deal with the favored Empress Xiao Shufei, and she felt that bringing Wu Zetian to the palace could be used by her. However, Queen Wang never expected that this would make her regret it for a lifetime. The decision.
Huang Zhengjian, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Women’s choice is actually very foolish. It is equivalent to introducing an enemy of their own. She thought she would stand on her side to fight against others, but she did not expect that this person would also be favored. What should she do? The suppressed emotions once again reignited. I fell in love in a mess. After entering the palace, Li Zhi bestowed 3000 favors on Wu Zetian alone.
Wu Zetian was soon granted the title of Zhaoyi, and their emotions were not short-lived, but long-lasting. Empress Wang finally couldn’t bear it anymore. Empress Wang turned to join forces with Empress Xiao Shufei to deal with Empress Wu Zetian. They tried every means to completely defeat her, but Empress Wu Zetian was not only fighting against Empress Wang and Empress Xiao Shufei, but also faced greater obstacles outside the palace. Behind Empress Wang was the powerful Guanlong Group, which supported the Tang dynasty’s regime.
Professor Liu Houbin from Renmin University of China: The Guanlong Group was a political group formed in the late Northern Dynasties, Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties, with these military nobles in the Guanzhong Longyou region as the core. The royal families of the Sui and Tang dynasties all came from this group.
Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, supported Empress Wu Zetian, and the conflicts between her and the Guanlong nobles represented by her uncle Changsun Wuji and minister Chu Suiliang quickly intensified. Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang were the appointed ministers before the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang. They fully assisted Li Zhi in becoming the emperor and continued to hold the power of the court after Li Zhi declared himself emperor. Initially, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian planned to win over Changsun Wuji and others through peaceful means, but no matter how they kept their voices low, it was ineffective. At this time, the struggle had transformed into a competition between the Guanlong nobility and emerging forces. In order to deal with the Guanlong clique, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian turned to supporting new forces. A group of newly appointed bureaucrats who relied on imperial examinations and came from commoners, such as Emperor Jingzong and Li Yifu, began to emerge on the political stage. The struggle between the two sides had reached its final stage, and the atmosphere inside and outside the palace was filled with tension. At this moment, Li Ji, a veteran and important minister holding military power, said a heart stopping sentence to Tang Gaozong in a secret memorial.
Professor Wu Zongguo from Peking University: Li Ji told Emperor Gaozong of Tang that Empress Dowager Li’s family matters should not be questioned by outsiders. You don’t need to ask these people. Tang Gaozong accepted Li Qin’s opinion and decisively abolished Empress Wang, appointing Empress Wu Zetian as Empress. What does this mean? Empress Li has transformed from a state matter to a family matter.
Afterwards, Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Yu Zhining, Han Yuan, Laiji, and others were successively demoted and killed, while Empress Wang and Empress Xiao were sent to the Cold Palace. This not only marked the end of the aristocratic rule of Guanlong since the Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties, but also marked the end of the ancient Chinese imperial aristocratic political system. In October 655 AD, Wu Zetian entered the central palace and was registered as the empress. From the moment she entered the palace, Wu Zetian faced various pressures as a woman, and she had been trying to break through. Now, after more than a decade of ups and downs and struggles, 44 year old Wu Zetian has finally achieved her wish and ascended to the world of women. The highest peak.
Professor Liu Houbin from Renmin University of China: In the history of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty, it was said that he was a very cowardly person, but in fact, he was a person who dared to make decisions. Abolishing Wang Liwu is a big deal for her, and it is not easy to achieve this step.
The new political power in the court emerged from supporting Empress Wu Zetian, which undoubtedly increased her political weight and made her no longer limited to serving as an empress in the harem. Emperor Li Zhi was sickly and entrusted some affairs of the court to Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wu Zetian was astute in nature, involved in literature and history, and handled everything according to the imperial decree. Emperor Gaozong of Tang was very satisfied with Wu Zetian’s handling, so he entrusted him with political affairs, advised agriculture and mulberry cultivation, reduced corv é e taxes, broad-minded speech, and Du Chanyan. Wu Zetian’s advice was always considerate of the people and middle and lower level officials, winning the support of most people and reflecting her political wisdom. Subsequently, Empress Dowager Wu Zetian began to form her own network of power. She recruited many literary figures to form her own think tank, known as the Beimen Scholars. She invited the think tank to participate in the court’s affairs and ordered them to participate in court memorials and distribute the power of the prime minister through a hundred official memorials. However, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty still held the highest ruling power. Although Empress Dowager Wu Zetian once claimed her own authority, which caused dissatisfaction from Emperor Gaozong, they eventually reconciled as before. In the handling of political affairs, Empress Dowager Wu Zetian was increasingly able to start from the big picture and make major decisions. In that same year, Emperor Gaozong of Tang proclaimed Emperor Wu Zetian as Empress Dowager, and the two of them jointly governed the country with ease for 30 years. Wu Zetian demonstrated exceptional political skills and actually possessed the ability to become an emperor.
Professor Wu Zongguo from Peking University: So, in the appointment of officials, Wu Zetian has also been praised throughout history. Sima Guang and Li Zhi both praised Wu Zetian for loving and caring for talents in terms of personnel, making heroes of the world use them, and doing an excellent job in this regard. As long as you are truly talented, you will be promoted to a responsible position, so this made the entire politics full of vitality at that time.
But in March 675 AD, when Emperor Gaozong of Tang was unable to go to court due to rubella and planned to be inferior to Empress Wu, almost everyone could not accept it. Emperors are made by a woman. This is something that China has never seen in a thousand years. The hornet’s nest has been pierced open, and courtiers, including Prime Minister Hao Chujun, have fiercely opposed it to stabilize the situation. Emperor Gaozong of Tang had to give up halfway, and Empress Wu also withdrew. After all, this matter broke through the bottom line of a patriarchal society. In December 683 AD, Tang Gaozong passed away in Luoyang Palace. Before his death, Tang Gaozong left a will, and the crown prince was placed in front of the coffin, which was a major military and state matter. Those who were indecisive would be punished after the death. On January 3, 684 AD, Crown Prince Li Zhe ascended to the throne and was regarded as Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. Empress Wu Zetian was revered as Empress Dowager, and Tang Zhongzong was young and vigorous. Despite breaking the law and elevating Empress Wei Xuanzhen, this incident strongly stimulated Wu Zetian. She swiftly summoned all officials to issue an order to depose Tang Zhongzong as the King of Luling, and then appointed her youngest son Li Dan as the emperor. She herself walked from behind the scenes to the front stage, firmly grasping the power of the court. Wu Zetian’s deposing the emperor actually challenged the deep-rooted imperial power system, which was an extremely dangerous thing. Wu Zetian is likely to be ruined by this, and she must have sufficient mental preparation. Xu Jingye’s judgment rebellion broke out in Yangzhou. This happened in the second year of Wu Zetian’s reign. The literary figure Luo Binwang also wrote the famous Li Jingye’s proclamation to the world, which has been passed down for thousands of years. In today’s territory, it is surprising who owns the world to ignite the public’s anti military passion. Xu Jingye’s rebellion seemed to be fierce, but it was quickly suppressed. King of Yue, Li Zhen, and other princes of the Li Tang royal family also launched armed resistance in various places, which was also easily suppressed by Wu Zetian. In the process of suppressing the rebellion, Wu Zetian confirmed her absolute advantage in the political situation. She found confidence, and then, in order to further consolidate her position, she gradually took action to rectify the officials. To begin with, Empress Wu Zetian created the first whistleblower box in Chinese history. She opened the door to whistleblowers and issued orders that as long as there were whistleblowers, courtiers were not allowed to intervene and were required to provide the fastest means of transportation at that time, The post horses provided food and drink to the fifth rank officials, allowing them to arrive at the palace smoothly. If what the informant said was in line with Wu Zetian’s wishes, this person would immediately receive special treatment. If the informant’s words were fictional, Wu Zetian would not hold them accountable. This was undoubtedly the biggest encouragement to the informants. As the whistleblowers from all directions rose, a group of despicable officials in history began to emerge. Through various extraordinary means, Wu Zetian gradually approached the throne of the emperor. However, as she approached, she became more aware that she had encountered a difficult situation that no woman could overcome, which was the reversal of her heart. Wu Zetian could solve all the problems in reality. But in the face of the deep-rooted patriarchal ideology that has been formed for thousands of years, she finds it difficult. How can she create public opinion to promote the legitimacy and legitimacy of her regime to the public.
Researcher Lei Wen from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Because Wu Zetian, as a woman, wanted to become emperor, it was actually in the political tradition of Confucianism, which is unimaginable. Because it is called the morning of a female rooster, it is only about family ties, so she believes that this woman should not be in politics. Therefore, Wu Zetian actually did not find any basis for its legitimacy in Confucianism.
This is the Luo River located in Henan Province, formerly known as Luoshui. She passed through the city of Luoyang and merged into the Yellow River, making it one of the earliest regions in China where primitive agriculture originated. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a divine river. Few people living in the Luo River today know that over 1300 years ago, a major event occurred here that changed the fate of a woman. Wu Zetian was only one step away from the throne of the emperor. She was very clear that she must find a basis to show everyone that everything was done by the will of heaven. In 688 AD, Wu Chengsi, the nephew of Empress Dowager Wu Zetian, secretly sent someone to select a special white stone and carve words on it. The Virgin Mary was present to the people and the Emperor of Yongchang inherited the throne. He then secretly sent someone to present it to the court, claiming that it was obtained by chance in the Luo River. Empress Dowager Wu was overjoyed and named this stone Baotu. After being honored by Empress Dowager Wu, the officials were given the title of Holy Mother. Over a month later, Holy Mother granted amnesty to the world and renamed the treasure map as the Heavenly Sacred Map. After a series of extensive publicity and hype, everyone in the world became aware of the treasure map and even remembered the words carved on the stone. From then on, Empress Dowager Wu Zetian had been grandly elevated to the altar. Since then, various auspicious signs continued throughout the country, and the five colored birds, auspicious clouds, white wolves, and the usually murky Puchang Sea had become clear and bottomless. Local elders and Brahmins from India explained that there was a holy emperor in China, and the sea water was clear and unobstructed. The governor of Dunhuang, Li Wuliang, immediately reported these auspicious signs to Empress Dowager Wu Zetian as a token of merit, inviting favor, and using supernatural power to provide nourishment for Empress Dowager Wu Zetian throughout the long ancient society. It was widely believed that special natural phenomena were omens from heaven to the human world. Wu Zetian was very intelligent, and she wanted to use Ji Rui to make the people believe that she was destined by fate. According to historical records, Empress Dowager Wu Zetian personally presided over the construction of an important ceremonial building, which became a place for worshipping deities and implementing court politics. This is the Mingtang, which holds a significant position in traditional Chinese political culture. At the top of this Mingtang, a one zhang high iron phoenix was specially designed, painted with gold on the outside. This is naturally a symbol of Empress Wu Zetian as the Empress. She also gave the Mingtang a beautiful name, the Wanxiang Temple. Wu Zetian still felt lacking. She wanted to create a new dynasty, which means she needed higher-level theoretical and religious support. Buddhism has given her new enlightenment.
Lei Wen, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In the Tang Dynasty, there were Buddhist monks named Faming. Ten great monks gave her a book called “The Great Cloud Sutra”, and it happened to be mentioned in the “The Great Cloud Sutra” that the legendary story in India was about the auspicious heavenly maiden, who ruled the land of Yan Futi with girls. Yan Futi referred to China, and the scripture said that a female auspicious heavenly maiden would rule China. Therefore, Empress Wu Zetian used the Buddhist doctrine to create a legitimate theory for her ascension to the throne.
The Statue of Shakyamuni in Xi’an Beilin Museum
After Buddhism was introduced to the Central Plains from India in the late Western Han Dynasty, it has become an indispensable part of Chinese thought and culture through the passage of time. Buddhism not only grows in the hearts of the people, but is also closely linked to politics. In September 690 AD, the Imperial Censor Fu Youyi led more than 900 people from Guanzhong to submit a petition, requesting to change the country’s name to Zhou and bestow the surname Wu on the Yellow Emperor. Wu Zetian pretended not to agree, but promoted Fu Youyi to the position of Minister. This is certainly a suggestion. For a while, more than 60000 people followed Fu Youyi’s actions and submitted a petition requesting Wu Zetian to change the country’s name. Even Emperor Li Dan himself submitted a petition, saying that he no longer wanted to have the surname Li and requested to change it to his mother’s Wu surname. Therefore, Empress Wu could not refuse anymore. She chose the Double Ninth Festival as the auspicious day for boarding the plane and granted amnesty to change the Tang Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty. She herself became the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty and was honored as the Holy Emperor. After 30 years of hard work and 3-4 years of intensive activities, 66 year old Wu Zetian finally achieved her dream. As the only female emperor in Chinese history. Wu Zetian is undoubtedly a successful politician, but she is still a woman. She must have extraordinary wisdom, take bold measures to gain more people’s hearts, and achieve greater success in order to have a foothold in a patriarchal society.
Professor Wu Zongguo from Peking University: Due to the three provincial system of the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian was never able to control the prime minister, so she could not truly participate in this supreme rule. This was probably her biggest pressure at the time.
Wu Zetian began to personally oversee the compilation and surname recording, effectively attracting middle and lower level officials and further breaking the feudal system. She opened up a wide range of official positions, not only for lower ranking officials, but also constantly breaking conventions in the appointment of prime ministers. Even some fifth and sixth rank officials could be directly appointed as prime ministers, and ordinary people could also become high-ranking officials overnight. Wu Zetian once appointed sixty officials who were selected to fill the gaps and were promoted out of the norm to show gratitude to Wu Zetian. The breakthrough in the system became even more important. In terms of the imperial examination system, Empress Wu Zetian had two new measures. Firstly, she opened the imperial examination, which was determined by the emperor on a temporary basis. There were many subjects to be tested, and both ordinary people and in-service officials could participate. Through the imperial examination, Wu Zetian opened up a rapid path for the promotion of outstanding talents who had achieved remarkable results. Secondly, Empress Wu Zetian established the Wuju system. Later, Guo Ziyi, a famous minister of Zhongxing who quelled the An Lushan Rebellion, obtained his background through military examinations.
Professor Ning Xin from Beijing Normal University: The imperial examination, in my opinion, is somewhat equivalent to our university entrance examination, but she is not entirely. In fact, if you want to obtain a background as an intellectual, you must take the imperial examination. After passing the imperial examination, you are called a successful candidate. Then you can participate in the selection of the Ministry of Personnel, which is equivalent to the civil service examination organized by our Personnel Department.
Wu Zetian’s gaze also overlooked the politics, economy, military, culture, and society of the entire dynasty. Wu Zetian broke the feudal system, and the aristocratic politics advocated since the Wei and Jin dynasties declined. She opened up her political power like ordinary civilians, promoting the development of history, which can be called Wu Zetian’s huge contribution to Chinese history. Although the era of Empress Wu Zetian was once plagued by bloody changes due to dynastic changes, after her rule stabilized, social order returned to normal. During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, Guo Moruo’s historical position was fair and just. During her reign, the population increased significantly, the territory expanded unprecedentedly, and grassroots society became stable. Culture was highly prosperous, and productivity was greatly improved. All of these laid a solid foundation for the upcoming prosperous era of Kaiyuan. It was not only for her own selection of such a group of people that the entire political process of Empress Wu Zetian’s reign progressed step by step, but also prepared talents for the Kaiyuan era. Before the 23rd year of Kaiyuan, all the ministers in the court were trained and promoted during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, which was truly remarkable. Wu Zetian continued to move forward, with the courage to create her own unique style, but she was still a human being. As she grew older, she felt immense pressure that could not be overcome. Although she was outstanding, she could not change the male centered social foundation and order. Her inner self still could not escape the influence of traditional patriarchy. Although she doted on her daughter, Princess Taiping, she never considered passing on the throne to her daughter. The competition for successors was mainly between Wu Zetian’s nephew and son. The samurai was a large family, and among the descendants of Empress Wu Zetian, the most outstanding were her nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi. However, Wu Chengsi’s demand for a crown prince became very high. At this time, Empress Wu Zetian’s son, Ruizong Li Dan, had been demoted to the throne and still lived in the Eastern Palace. In fact, she was closely monitored. Initially, Empress Wu Zetian did lean towards Wu Chengsi, but her heart was very conflicted because the throne was her own biological son after all.
Professor Liu Houbin from Renmin University of China: In an imperial China, there is a family and a world. If Empress Wu Zetian becomes the emperor, that is the world of your Wu family. In theory, you can only pass on your throne to someone surnamed Wu, because you are the founding emperor of the Wu Zhou dynasty. You cannot let the country be changed. However, when women become emperors, there is a problem. If you pass on your throne to someone in the Wu family, they must return it to your nephew or call them your aunt. However, if you pass it on to someone in the Wu family, what is your identity when they become emperors in the future? You are an aunt, because after your nephew becomes emperor, she will appoint their father, the brother of Empress Wu Zetian, as the Supreme Emperor, in the Imperial Temple. Aunt has no place in the bid opening.
Prime Minister Di Renjie was the most trusted minister of Empress Wu Zetian. He asked Empress Wu Zetian who was closer to her nephew compared to her son. In her later years, Empress Wu Zetian could not ignore the honor and disgrace behind her. Di Renjie and others said that in her heart, only your own biological son could be the successor, so that she could always be worshipped and her descendants could always inherit her career. This was the most long-term plan designed for herself. Empress Wu Zetian finally completely canceled the idea of making the Wu brothers the crown prince and brought the Prince of Luling back to the divine capital of Luoyang. In the final years of her life, Empress Wu Zetian’s mood was desolate. I remember when she first became the Empress, everything was shrouded in an incredibly mysterious atmosphere. Wu Zetian thought she was in pain with the heavens and could do anything, I don’t know what was going on, There are even records in historical books that Wu Zetian gave birth to teeth in her later years. As a result, Wu Zetian thought she could surpass all living beings. However, Wu Zetian was still a human. After suffering from illness time and time again, she couldn’t help but notice her limitations and arranged her affairs more carefully. In October 701 AD, Wu Zetian returned to Chang’an and changed her name to the first year of Chang’an. This was undoubtedly a meaningful signal, as it was her first time returning to Chang’an in the 20 years since moving to Luoyang, marking a significant adjustment in the political situation of the dynasty.
Professor Liu Houbin from Renmin University of China: Because the birthplace of the Tang Dynasty was in Chang’an, she herself also held the position of empress. Accompanying Emperor Gaozong of Tang from Chang’an to Luoyang, after changing Tang to Zhou, she took Luoyang as the capital and was known as the divine capital. So the Wuzhou regime was a regime with Luoyang as its capital. So, now returning to Chang’an and changing the era name to Chang’an, bringing my son back to Chang’an is a trend, indicating that I want to return the throne to my son.
Empress Wu Zetian ordered the Crown Prince to change his surname to Wu, and summoned the Crown Prince, Prince Wu Sansi of Liang, and others to make an oath in the Ming Dynasty, declaring that heaven and earth would coexist peacefully forever. Subsequently, Empress Wu Zetian painstakingly arranged for the original Li family to intermarry with the Wu family, in order to increase their marriage and prevent them from fighting each other after her death. In addition to the Wu family’s power represented by Wu Sansi, Empress Wu’s male favorites Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong formed a new power group. They all posed a huge threat to Li Xian’s smooth succession to the throne, leading the political situation to new changes. Finally, in January 705 AD, in Empress Wu Zetian, Another serious illness was caused by a coup in the palace. A team headed straight to the Yingxian Palace where Empress Wu Zetian was located. This team was led by Prime Ministers Zhang Cambzhi, Cui Xuanwei, and others. When they met Zhang Yizhi, Zhang Changzong, and Zhang Cambzhi, they beheaded him without hesitation, The coup officials and soldiers surrounded Empress Wu Zetian’s Palace of Eternal Life, demanding that she pass on the title of Crown Prince Li Xian. Later, Empress Wu Zetian was placed under house arrest and moved to the Shangyang Palace. Although her biological son became the new emperor, she still regularly paid her respects and was given a new honorific title – the Great Holy Emperor of Zetian. However, everyone knew that this was just an empty title, and all her political rights were deprived. The Wu Zhou Dynasty that she had worked hard to build for decades also vanished into thin air. Empress Wu Zetian, who was most passionate about power, never imagined that she would have such an ending. This was her most fatal blow, but it was not surprising. Things in the world are indeed difficult to ponder, just like the enlightenment of Zen Buddhism. After the most fatal blow, although Wu Zetian was already on the brink of death, she understood life on her deathbed. In the final moments of her life, she broke through herself, Originally, all rights and wealth were empty. Looking back, it is evident that my entire life has been in a state of paranoia. The so-called Holy Emperor is just a fleeting moment. At the age of 81, she felt a bit tired. She wanted to rest in peace and become the daughter-in-law of the Li family again. Before her death, Wu Zetian left a will, went to the imperial title, changed her name to Empress Zetian, and was buried with Emperor Gaozong of Tang. She even took the initiative to bring back all the members of Empress Wang and Empress Xiao, whom she once hated to the bone, to work. Surprisingly, Wu Zetian, who had been so strong throughout her life, became peaceful and reconciled with the world.
Qianling, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province
This is the tomb of Empress Wu Zetian and the only royal tomb of the Tang Dynasty that has not been stolen. There is not a single word on the tombstone, it seems that there is nothing to say, and there seems to be an endless legendary past.
90 Seconds in History: Li Mountain Parade
In the autumn of 713 AD, a grand martial arts lecture was held at the foot of Lishan. The so-called “General Wu” refers to today’s military parade. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang intended to demonstrate military power and deter potential political enemies inside and outside the court. However, Emperor Xuanzong’s move had a little-known purpose: to meet with the former prime minister and current governor of Tongzhou, Yao Chong. The next day, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang issued a decree, officially appointing Yao Chong as the current prime minister, which is probably the fastest appointment in Chinese history. This appointment demonstrates Tang Xuanzong’s great talent and strategy as a prosperous king, and officially marks the beginning of a great era, the prosperous era of the Kaiyuan era.
