It is said that Wu Zetian was very intelligent when she was young, and she once took the imperial examination and won the title of Jin Shi with the first place. However, since women could not hold official positions at that time, she could only become a palace maid. She uses meritocracy and appoints competent officials. He also personally presided over the compilation of a history book, "Zizhi Tongjian", which became one of the most important general histories in Chinese history. She is very fond of raising birds and has many peacocks and parrots. It is said that she once wrote a poem herself, entitled "Palace Works", which reads, "When the peacock opens the screen, take me as I am Jinyahui".
The story of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of Tang is a good story in the history of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Emperor Gaozong of Tang was an emperor who liked beautiful women, and he liked Wu Zetian, a beautiful and intelligent palace maid, very much, and even gave her a dog named "Concubine Mei" as a pet. Soon after, Wu Zetian became Emperor Gaozong's favorite concubine and received more favor and attention.
However, Emperor Gaozong later fell ill and was in such a critical condition that he thought he was dying, so he wrote a suicide note to Wu Zetian, hoping that she would take good care of her son, the crown prince Li Zhi, and become a good emperor. Emperor Gaozong eventually did indeed die, and the crown prince Li Zhi succeeded him as the eighth emperor of the Tang Dynasty at the age of 14.
In the years after Li Zhi succeeded to the throne, Wu Zetian never left the prince's side, and she was the prince's personal palace maid, serving him and educating him. Later, Li Zhi became an emperor with political wisdom and leadership skills, and he was very grateful and respected Wu Zetian, and treated her as close as a mother.
After the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Wu Zetian married and became a couple. However, after Emperor Gaozong's death, Wu Zetian was sent to live in the concubine's palace and began to live the life of an ordinary palace maid. She did not give up, but continued to stay in the palace as a palace maid, and continued to take care of Li Zhi, giving him help and advice.
When Emperor Zhongzong of Tang ascended the throne as emperor, Wu Zetian was promoted to prime minister and became an important figure in the imperial court. She still adheres to her beliefs and continues to advise Li Zhi. After Zhongzong's death, Tang Ruizong became the new emperor, but he was incompetent and the dynasty was in chaos. Under these circumstances, Wu Zetian decided to stage a coup d'état, overthrew Tang Ruizong's rule, became a female emperor herself, and began her own rule.
It can be said that the emotional entanglement between Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Prince Li Zhi is a very dramatic and legendary story in the history of the Tang Dynasty. As a palace maid from an ordinary background, Wu Zetian experienced years of hard work and perseverance, and finally became the first female emperor of the Tang Dynasty, ruling for 15 years, making the Tang Dynasty enter a period of relative stability and prosperity.
However, Wu Zetian's reign also experienced many twists and turns. She faced problems and challenges from political, military, religious and other aspects, and needed to constantly formulate policies and take measures to maintain her rule. Among them, the most famous is Wu Zetian's "Zhou Yi Tianxia One Family" policy, which aims to unite people of all ethnic groups and strengthen national unity and stability.
Under Wu Zetian's rule, the culture and art of the Tang Dynasty also reached a high level, and many outstanding cultural talents and works of art appeared. Wu Zetian herself was also a very talented literary figure, she wrote many poems and literary works, the most famous of which is the poem "Like a Dream Order", which is known as a classic of the Tang Dynasty.
However, Wu Zetian's rule also had many controversies and doubts. Some historians believe that her way of ruling was too brutal and dictatorial, with massive repression and persecution of political dissidents, resulting in many deaths and displacement. In addition, she has also been accused of lust for power, hypocrisy and cunning, and loss of humanity.
Despite this, Wu Zetian, as an outstanding figure of the Tang Dynasty, still left a deep mark on Chinese history, and her story has been talked about. Her tenacity, courage and determination, as well as her talent and political talents, made her not only a legendary historical figure, but also a great and shining example for future generations.