Wu Zetian is the only female emperor in the orthodox dynasty in Chinese history, on the one hand, because of her own unique personality traits, on the other hand, related to the tolerant and open atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty.
Statue of Wu Zetian
What we usually experience is the fierceness of Wu Zetian, such as the often heard that the queen can subdue the horse lion and the horse with three things, strangle the queen who killed her own daughter and framed her husband, and suppressed many sons to facilitate the control of power. So much so that her son Li Xian wrote the "Huangtai Gua Ci" to satirize: Plant melons under the yellow platform, and the melons will leave when they are ripe. One pick makes the melon good, and then picks it to make the melon thin. Three picks are still self-reliant, and the picks are not hugging.
Tomb of Prince Zhanghuai
Who makes the name "Zetian" very domineering. In fact, Wu Zetian was only a common name for her in later generations, because she was the "Zetianshun Saint Empress" of her husband Gaozong Li Zhi, and Zetian was originally the two words in her honorific title after her abdication in her later years, not her name Zetian. Her name can be counted as Wu Cao, which was after she ascended the throne.
Wu Zetian was called Empress Dowager Jin Jian and had his name Wu Cao.)
In the first year of Emperor Gaozong's reign (664), Li Zhi was already dissatisfied with the powerful Empress Wu (Zetian) and secretly discussed the abolition of wu with Shangguan Yi, the former chancellor who had been a monk, and even Shangguan Yi had drafted an edict to abolish the empress. When Wu Zetian learned of this news, he immediately defended Gaozong in person. Emperor Gaozong was moved by compassion again, and threw the pot to Shangguan Yi, saying, "This is all what Shangguan Yi taught me." In December of that year, Shangguan Yi and his son Shangguan Tingzhi were executed, the family property was confiscated, and the government was completely controlled by the forty-one-year-old Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian travel map
Shangguan Wan'er was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi, who had just been born that year, and was matched with her mother Zheng Shi. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, Shangguan Wan'er was dismissed from her slave status by Wu Zetian and was in charge of the imperial edicts. Wu Zetian was called emperor, and most of the edicts were from Shangguan Wan'er, who was then called "Neishe Ren". Shangguan Wan'er may also be impressed by Wu Zetian's ability, and may also be in order to survive as the first priority, and is also dedicated to Wu Zetian. Of course, they also had a time when you died and I lived, and once Shangguan Wan'er was sentenced to death for violating his will, but Wu Zetian spared his literary talent and gave a special pardon, only to be dictating.
Legend has it that the Lushena Buddha is based on the facial features of Wu Zetian
After Wu Zetian's old age and abdication, Shangguan Wan'er still drafted edicts for Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, and entered Emperor Zhongzong's harem to become Zhaorong. After Emperor Zhongzong's death, he was killed in a battle between Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Emperor Ming of Tang) and Empress Wei, the wife of Emperor Zhongzong, at which point Li Longji stood next to a trusted eunuch named GaoLishi.
Tang Xuanzong
Colliers was not an ordinary eunuch, but a family of nobles born into eunuchs.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the leader of the Slang (Zhuang ancestor branch) of Gaoliang Commandery (in present-day Maoming, Guangdong) was a woman named Xian Ying, who was married to Gaoliang Taishou Feng Bao, and later known as Lady Xian . Feng Bao's ancestor Feng Hong was emperor zhaocheng of northern Yan. Among Feng Bao's sixth grandsons, there was one named Feng Yuanyi, who was later Gao Lishi.
Sin Tai Temple dedicated to Lady Sin
Feng Yuanyi's (Gao Lishi)'s father, named Feng Junheng, attacked the Panzhou Assassin History. In the second year of Emperor Wu Zetian's reign (693), he supervised Yushi Wanguojun to Guangzhou, falsely accused the Lingnan liuren of rebellion, and wrongly killed more than 2,000 people. Panzhou's assassin Feng Junheng was also framed, and all family property was confiscated. That year, Feng Yuanyi (Gao Lishi) was only ten years old.
Wu Zetian's book "Monument to the Prince of Shengxian" rubbings
In the first year of the Holy Calendar (698), Feng Yuanyi was attacked by Lingnan to make Li Qianli enter the palace, and Wu Zetian rewarded him with his intelligence and agility, young and beautiful, and let him worship at his side, but was later whipped and driven out because of his minor transgressions. Adopted as an adopted son by the eunuch Gao Yanfu, Gao Yanfu came from the family of Wu Sansi, a nephew of Wu Zetian, and Gao Lishi was able to travel back and forth between Wu Sansi's residence. A year later, Wu Zetian summoned him back to the palace, which was subordinate to the Sigongtai, and the government supplied him with grain. Gao Lishi was six feet and five inches long, and he was cautious and meticulous in nature, and he was good at passing on edicts and conferring official palaces.
Tang Zhang Shaoti's Epitaph of Gao Lishi (partial)
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Gao Lishi's position reached its peak, and he was deeply favored by Emperor Xuanzong, and he was promoted to the rank of Grand General of the Horse Riding, Kaifu Yi TongsanSi, and the Duke of Qi. So that every time a four-party party enters and submits a table of music, it must first be submitted to Colliers, and then before entering the imperial court, the matter will be decided by itself. However, Gao Lishi was loyal and knowledgeable, and repeatedly persuaded Xuanzong not to delegate power to Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong, and An Lushan, and Yu Xuanzong had no other second thoughts.
Wu Zetian took Shangguan Wan'er and Gao Lishi, two descendants of the criminals who had been exterminated by her, into the harem and stayed by his side, which was indeed rare. Without Wu Zetian, there would never be one less empress in history.