As a woman, Wu Zetian was able to ascend to the throne in a patriarchal society, which is a pioneering achievement in Chinese history that has never been seen before or since.
Although he indiscriminately used the throne to win the hearts and minds of the people of the world, he did not call it a duty, sought it out, or imposed punishment, and held the handle of punishment and reward to control the world, and the government was out of his own, and he was aware of good judgments, so the wise men at that time also competed for it.
—— "Zizhi Tongjian"
During The reign of Wu Zetian, he appointed talents and vigorously reformed, and the governance of the country was generally quite good. However, he reused cool officials, encouraged informants, and wantonly killed Li Tangzong's family, which also laid hidden dangers for future destruction.
In the first year of shenlong (705), wu Zetian, who was eighty-two years old, was seriously ill. Li Tang's former ministers seized the opportunity to launch a coup d'état and overthrow the Wuzhou regime.
Despite the fall of Wu Zhou, the idea that women brought by Wu Zetian could also become emperors influenced many people. Among them, there was a person who almost became an empress, and she was Empress Wei, the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.
So, how did this woman who was most likely to become an empress during the Tang Dynasty, except for Wu Zetian, be cut down and rooted?
In the first year of Tang Xianqing (656), Li Xian was born in Chang'an City. As the seventh son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and the third son of Wu Zetian, he originally had little chance of succeeding to the throne. But his two brothers, one of his half-brothers, died suddenly, one was deposed, and the position of prince was returned to him.
After Li Xian became crown prince, because his original wife Zhao Shi was deposed and starved to death, he married Wei Shi as a crown princess. A few years later, Emperor Gaozong of Tang died, and the crown prince Li Xian succeeded to the throne smoothly, and Wei Shi naturally became the new empress. However, only fifty-five days later, Wu Zetian demoted him to the rank of King of Luling and expelled him from Chang'an.
After this, Li Xian spent a difficult time in the fiefdom of Fangzhou. And Wei Hou followed him around without abandonment, and the feelings of the two were also tempered in the tribulation. At that time, Li Xian was very afraid that Wu Zetian would give him death. Whenever the emissaries of the imperial court came, he was extremely frightened, and Wei Hou, who had a strong personality, exhorted: "Misfortune is impermanent, it is better to lose a death, he is like this!" ''
In the beginning, Wei Hou gave birth to Shao Wang Chongrun and Changning Anle Second Princess, Shangzhi Qianfang Lingye, Ande Princess Anle was born in Daozhong, shang te aizhi. On the fangling and the back of the claustrophobic, prepared to taste the hardships, love is very strong. Whenever he heard the edict, he was afraid to commit suicide, and he stopped saying: "Misfortune is impermanent, it is better to lose a death, what a surprise!" The upper taste and the latter private oath said: "At a different time, I am fortunate to see the day again, and when the qing only wants, it is not forbidden." ”
Because in the dark days, Wei Hou gave him great support, and Li Xian swore to him: "At some time, I am fortunate to see the day again, and when Qing Qing wants, he will not be forbidden." ''
Finally, after more than ten years of exile, Wu Zetian re-established Li Xian as crown prince. Six years later, the Shenlong coup broke out, Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate, and Li Xian was proclaimed king. At this time, Empress Wei, who had become empress again, was not satisfied with ruling the harem, and according to the Zizhi Tongjian, ""And then as an empress, she interfered in the government, such as Empress Wu in the reign of Emperor Gaozong. ''
At that time, even if some ministers pointed out that since ancient times, the harem should not interfere in politics. He also used the principles of "using yin to multiply yang, violating heaven, taking women and husbands, and violating people", and so on to advise Li Xian. But li xian had sworn to let Wei Hou do as he pleased, and now he was unwilling to renege on his promise.
As a result, Wei Hou was unscrupulous in the DPRK and engaged in unscrupulous interference in state affairs.
At this time, Shangguan Wan'er, who had been used and loved by Wu Zetian, came to Wei Hou's side.
Years of experience in serving the empress made Shangguan Wan'er acutely aware of Wei Hou's powerful ambitions and desire for power. As a result, Shangguan Wan'er actively persuaded Wei Hou to follow Wu Zetian's example and establish a dynasty led by the empress.
Shi Zhaorong Shangguan often advised Hou Xing Zetian to tell the story, but the above table asked the world's corporal Shu to serve the funeral of his mother for three years; he also asked the people to take the twenty-third year as ding, the fifty-ninth exemption from military service, and change the system to collect the time. It's all allowed.
- Old Book of Tang
Under the repeated persuasion of Shangguan Wan'er, Wei Hou finally made up her mind, and she first asked Li Xian to reduce his military service, promote benevolence and filial piety, and raise his reputation and evaluation in the people, and then promoted Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi to help him plan affairs together.
For all this, Li Xian did not care at all, and even helped count the chips while Wei Hou and Wu Sansi were playing backgammon.
Over time, Wu Sansi and Wei Hou had an affair and began to plan the seizure of power. At that time, Empress Wei, Shangguan Wan'er, Wu Sansi, and Empress Wei's daughter Princess Anle formed a huge group.
Li Xian trusted and used them very much, which eventually led to the tragedy.
In the fourth year of Jinglong (710), Princess Anle asked Li Xian to depose the crown prince and replace herself with the title of "Imperial Lady"," but received no positive answer.
So, in June of that year, she '' conspired with hou into the duck... The emperor was poisoned and collapsed in the Divine Dragon Hall. Immediately afterward, Wei Hou dispatched an army of 50,000 men to martial law in Chang'an, and replaced all of his heavy subjects with his own cronies, firmly holding the power in his hands. However, because the time was not ripe enough, Wei Hou first made Li Chongmao a puppet.
At that time, most of the people after the Emperor Of The Imperial Family advised him to be emperor, while the original Li Tang Sect could only swallow his anger.
Soon, Princess Taiping and Li Longji, the king of Linzi, secretly gathered their forces and rushed into the Yulin camp where the forbidden army was stationed, and preached:
''Later Wei killed the former emperor and plotted against the society, and this evening when all the wei were cursed, all the horses and whips were beheaded; Dare to have two ends to help the rebels, sin and the three tribes. ''
At this moment, the Yulin Army, which had not been dead set on Wei Hou, instantly turned against him.
Immediately afterward, Li Longji led an army to besiege Miyagi, and Shi Zai:
Wei Hou walked into the flying riding camp in confusion, and there was a flying horse beheading it and offering it to Longji. Princess Anle looked in the mirror and drew eyebrows, and the sergeant beheaded it. ”
In this way, Wei Hou, who was originally in power, immediately rebelled and was easily overthrown.
Once incomparably close to the empress's throne, but failed to do so, all because he did not have the ability of Wu Zetian, lacked broad support, and happened to meet a generation of male lord Li Longji.