Hello everyone, I'm Lao Jia, today I want to reveal to you a jaw-dropping story in history! Our protagonist is an extraordinary woman - Wu Zetian! In addition to being the only female emperor, she is also one of the most legendary women in Chinese history. Merit? Oh, that's world-famous, and countless descendants have been eclipsed by her brilliance.
But what Lao Jia wants to talk about today is not her legendary experience of fighting monsters and upgrading all the way to the pinnacle of life, but how she framed the innocent in the power struggle and how to treat her own son - Li Hong. Yes, it was the same Li Hong who was originally made crown prince. Want to know how "ruthless" this mother's heart is, and how this shocking secret is going on? Then please follow Lao Jia to explore this little-known history!
Wu Zetian's power struggle and framing scheme
First, let's review this part of history, that is, Wu Zetian was accused of murdering his daughter. This event can be described as earth-shattering, which surprised future generations. At that time, in order to accelerate his political ambitions, Wu Zetian did not hesitate to frame Empress Wang and the prime minister and implicate them in this incident. This move was undoubtedly to clear the way for her son Li Hong to become crown prince.
Why did Wu Zetian take this approach? There's a lot of meaning in this. Wu Zetian's desire for politics and obsession with power reached its extreme. She knew that in order for Li Hong to ascend the throne smoothly, all obstacles must be cleared. Therefore, Wu Zetian did not hesitate to use this trick, involving the Empress Wang and the prime minister in this incident, so as to consolidate his position of power.
What was the situation after Li Hong was made crown prince? According to Wu Zetian's expectations, Li Hong should be an obedient, loyal, and obedient prince. However, things backfired, and Li Hong did not develop according to her expectations. Problems of his loyalty and obedience began to emerge, causing Wu Zetian's displeasure.
When facing Wu Zetian, the mother and emperor, Li Hong wanted to maintain his dignity and maintain filial piety to his mother. In the struggle for power, however, this balance becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Li Hong's issues of loyalty and obedience eventually made Wu Zetian feel seriously uneasy. Against this background, Wu Zetian finally decided to depose Li Hong and install another son, Li Dan, as crown prince.
This history shows how decisive and ruthless Wu Zetian was in the struggle for power. In order to achieve her political goals, she even did not hesitate to frame the innocent and abandon family affection. This gives us a deeper understanding of the character and behavior of this female emperor.
Li Hong's loyalty and obedience issues
Next, we will explore Li Hong's political stance and behavior, as well as the contradictions between him and his mother Wu Zetian. Although Li Hong was Wu Zetian's son, he did not completely obey his mother's wishes. Politically, he tried to establish his own prestige and status, which in some ways challenged Wu Zetian's authority. This made the relationship between the two tense and the contradictions gradually emerged.
So why did Wu Zetian question Li Hong's loyalty and obedience? There are several reasons for this. First, Li Hong's politically independent behavior may have made Wu Zetian feel threatened. Second, Li Hong may have disagreed with Wu Zetian on some political decisions, which made Wu Zetian suspicious of his loyalty. Finally, as a ruler, Wu Zetian may instinctively distrust those around him, especially in power struggles.
How did Li Hong lose his mother's trust? First, his politically independent behavior unnerved Wu Zetian. This made Wu Zetian question whether he would become a threat to himself. Second, his disagreements over political decision-making made Wu doubt his loyalty. And this suspicion gradually evolved into distrust of him. Finally, in a coup d'état, Wu Zetian completely lost trust in Li Hong and decided to depose him and install another son, Li Dan, as crown prince.
From this history, we can see the intricate mother-son relationship between Wu Zetian and Li Hong. The relationship is full of power struggles, suspicions and betrayals, which makes people wonder: when power and family clash, which one will be the ultimate winner?
Coups and depositions
Now, let's dive into the process of Wu Zetian's coup d'état and the reasons behind it. After Wu Zetian lost trust in Li Hong, she decided to take action to consolidate her power. The planning and execution of this coup was all in a conspiracy to depose Li Hong and pave the way for Li Dan to be crown prince.
The story of Li Hong's deposition is as follows: Wu Zetian first used her power to lay out the internal layout of the dynasty, isolate Li Hong, and weaken his power. Then, at a well-planned moment, she staged a coup d'état, arrested Li Hong's supporters, and quickly brought the situation under control. After the successful coup, Li Hong was deposed as a commoner and placed under house arrest in the deep palace, and had no connection with political affairs.
Wu Zetian changed Li Dan to be crown prince for the following reasons: First, the relationship between Li Dan and Wu Zetian was relatively harmonious, and she thought that Li Dan was easier to control. Second, Li Dan's political stance is relatively stable, which is in line with Wu Zetian's expectations. Third, Li Dan has a certain prestige within the DPRK and can stabilize the political situation.
The impact of this coup on Wu Zetian's rule was manifold. First, it consolidated Wu Zetian's position and made her more firmly in power. Second, the coup made Wu Zetian's position in the DPRK more secure, which helped her implement reform policies. Finally, the coup allowed Wu Zetian to further demonstrate her decisiveness and intrigue, further consolidating her dominance.
From this coup, we can see that Wu Zetian did not hesitate to sacrifice his relationship with his son in order to consolidate his position and power. It also proves once again that family relationships are often fragile, which is deeply regrettable in the face of power struggles.
summary
By reviewing the incident of Wu Zetian's seizure of the throne, we deeply appreciate the power tactics of this empress of the Tang Dynasty. Not only was she able to hold ground in the fierce court struggles, but she was also able to act decisively at critical moments to consolidate her dominance. Wu Zetian's tactics of power have made her one of the most controversial women in Chinese history.
This incident had an important impact on Wu Zetian's personal image and dominance. On the one hand, Wu Zetian succeeded in consolidating her power, enabling her to demonstrate strong leadership in a society long dominated by men. However, on the other hand, her practice of sacrificing family affection in order to consolidate power has also negatively affected her personal image to a certain extent.
For the in-depth thinking and reflection on this historical event, we should seek understanding in criticism. Wu Zetian lived in an era of power struggle and oppression, and everything she did was undoubtedly to ensure her status and survival. However, this does not mean that we should defend what she did, but that we need to rationally analyze and evaluate this event from a historical perspective.
Finally, we need to deeply reflect on the delicate balance between power and family relationships. Historically, many rulers sacrificed family affection in the struggle for power. Such a tragedy has undoubtedly left a profound lesson for future generations: on the road of pursuing power, we should not forget the values of family affection and morality. In this sense, the incident of Wu Zetian's seizure of the throne provides us with a valuable historical mirror.