In June of the fourth year of Jinglong (710), Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, was poisoned and killed by Wei Hou and died violently. Empress Wei immediately issued an edict to make Emperor Zhongzong's younger son Li Chongmao emperor, and he himself was in charge of the dynasty, hoping to emulate the story of Wu Zetian. In the same month, Li Dan's son Li Longji the Prince of Linzi decided to unite with Princess Taiping. On July 11, Li Longji befriended the leaders of the Forbidden Army, Ge Fushun and Chen Xuanli, and led the Forbidden Army to attack the palace, and did everything in his power to punish Empress Wei, Princess Anle and their henchmen.
At this time, Shangguan Wan'er led the palace people to greet each other one after another, and at the same time took out the edict of Emperor Zhongzong with the words "(Li Longji and his father) Li Dan participated in the deliberations" to show allegiance to the Li Tang royal family. Moreover, Li Longji's confidante Liu Youqiu even interceded for him, but Li Longji said: "How can this adulterous and desecrative palace be forgiven?" Today, if you don't blame it, you won't regret it. He ordered him to be killed, and if such a prominent figure in the imperial court ended his life, then why did Li Longji have to kill Shangguan Wan'er? We also find an interesting point when we look through history that soon after Shangguan Wan'er was killed, he ordered that Shangguan Wan'er's title be restored and buried. So what was Shangguan Wan'er's mistake, so that she died?
Shangguan Wan'er, after the famous door, was a descendant of Shangguan Jie in the Western Han Dynasty. His grandfather was even the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, but it was precisely because of the abolition of the Wu Zetian Edict drafted by his grandfather Shangguan Yi that it also brought ruin to such a famous and prestigious family. As a result, her grandfather was killed, her father was killed, and she and her mother, who had just fallen to the ground, were enslaved.
However, she was born beautiful, coupled with her intelligence and studiousness, and she was taught by her mother, and she could also teach her to read and write in her spare time, and also made her a good poet to learn, which was even more famous. And this also won the favor of Wu Zetian. So at the age of 14, she began her career as an eunuch.
She was stripped of her slave status, and she was able to accompany Wu Zetian and take charge of her commandments, although at the beginning of her youth, she was punished for disobeying the Holy Will, but it was also this experience that made her learn to be happy with the wind, and a weak woman who had no one to rely on was probably the only way to navigate the vortex of political power. Much favored, she was even granted the right to handle the chapter by Wu Zetian, which shows that her power is growing day by day. And she also knows better how to be cold in the heights, understands how to see the wind and make the rudder, and be cautious.
The way of prosperity and decline, a divine dragon coup, Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate.
However, Shangguan Wan'er did not fall because of this, but on the contrary, it was more like the sun, after the restoration of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, due to her cowardly personality and lack of opinion, she was also able to be left by her side, continue to draft edicts, acting in government affairs, and it was also because of this that she was enthroned as Zhaorong, and her mother was also named Lady Peiguo.
However, it was also the personality of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang that caused his empress Wei Hou to be eager to try, and she wanted to emulate Wu Zetian and become a great treasure. Shangguan Wan'er, relying on her keen sense of political smell, chose to attach herself to Wei Hou, and even more so established her prestige and won people's hearts and minds for Wei Hou.
What's more, Wu Sansi was introduced to Wei Hou, as the horns of power, Wu Sansi, Wei Hou, and Shangguan Wan'er also relied on each other, and the three of them were even more misbehaving, and for a time the rumors in the palace were everywhere. In order to frame the crown prince Li Chongjun, Shangguan Wan'er falsely claimed that he was plotting rebellion, and in collusion with Wei Hou, Emperor Zhongzong really believed it and killed the crown prince Li Chongjun.
Without Wu Sansi (who had been killed by Li Chongjun beforehand), Princess Taiping rose again, and she switched to Princess Taiping. And in 710, wei hou and Wu Sansi's scandal was denounced, and Emperor Zhongzong was naturally furious, and Wei Hou was afraid, so he first killed Tang Zhongzong for strong poisoning.
At this time, Shangguan Wan'er naturally knew the difference between Wei Hou and Wu Zetian, and she always prepared a retreat for herself. After consulting with Princess Taiping, there was a testament from Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian: Li Chongmao was made emperor, regent of Empress Wei, and assisted by Li Dan the Prince of Xiang. She naturally thought that this was a foolproof strategy, which could not only offend Wei Hou's party, but also curry favor with the Li Tang royal family, but he ignored the most important and deadly link, which was the selfish intention of Li Dan's son Li Longji, the prince of Linzi.
Although this edict can please the Li Tang royal family, and can also make Princess Taiping's dream of taking power further, and can not offend Empress Wei, but for Li Longji, once this edict is approved, what does it mean?
That meant that she recognized the status of Princess Taiping, and that she (including her father, Li Dan, the Prince of Xiang), could only be a courtier, lost her legal basis, and had no chance of getting involved in the throne in the future. This is obviously something that Li Longji can't stand, and it is also the only link that Shangguan Wan'er has calculated or miscalculated in the ups and downs of the eunuch sea for decades, but it is precisely this link that finally made Li Longji make up his mind that he must kill Shangguan Wan'er, not recognize this edict, and also cut the arm of Princess Taiping by killing Shangguan Wan'er.
As a result, this woman who fell into the court because of the political game, and the woman who rose up because of the political game, eventually died under the cold-blooded and ruthless politics.
Reference: New Book of Tang
Old Book of Tang, Epitaph and Preface to the Epitaph of shangguan of the Tang Dynasty