In Chinese history, Wu Zetian was a female emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and her reign lasted 15 years, one of the most glorious periods in the history of the Tang Dynasty.
However, Wu Zetian once had a tortuous relationship with Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, including legends about the assassination of Li Shimin.
According to legend, Wu Zetian wanted to assassinate Li Shimin because she believed that Li Shimin was one of the contenders for the throne of the Tang Dynasty and threatened her dominance. In order to solve this problem, Wu Zetian decided to take extreme measures and assassinate Li Shimin to ensure that his position was not threatened.
There are many different versions of the legend about the specific assassination process.
Version 1: Banquet Assassination: Wu Zetian pretended to invite Li Shimin to come at the banquet, and then sent assassins to assassinate him.
Scene reproduction——
At a warm palace banquet, Wu Zetian invited Li Shimin to taste fine wine and food together. She smiled mysteriously, her eyes shining with an eerie light.
Li Shimin did not notice anything abnormal and gladly accepted the invitation. During the banquet, Wu Zetian secretly signaled the assassins under his command to act. Disguised as palace maids and guards, these assassins cleverly blended into the banquet.
When night fell and the lights were on, the assassins quietly approached Li Shimin while he was drunk and sleepy. The daggers in their hands shone cold in the dim light, like messengers of death.
At this critical moment, the assassin decisively stabbed at Li Shimin's vital point, blood splashed everywhere, Li Shimin had no power to fight back, and his life quickly disappeared.
The Assassins quickly cleaned up the scene and eliminated all traces. Everyone in the court was tightly controlled, and the news was like a sea of stones.
Wu Zetian, on the other hand, continued to hold power in the Great Tang Empire unscathed, cleverly shirking the charge of killing Li Shimin. The death of Li Shimin known to later generations is just a carefully woven lie, hiding a bottomless conspiracy.
Version 2: Poisoning while sleeping: Wu Zetian ordered his maid to poison Li Shimin while he slept.
Scene reproduction——
On a dark and windy night, Wu Zetian secretly summoned her most trusted maid and arranged a fatal task for her. Wu Zetian told the maid that in order to consolidate her power, she must poison Li Shimin when he was defenseless.
The maid trembled and took a small vial of poison, understanding the importance and danger of her mission.
That night, the maid carefully sneaked into Li Shimin's dormitory and smeared the poison on his cup while he was asleep. When Li Shimin woke up early the next morning and drank the cup of poisoned water thirsty, he unknowingly introduced death into his body.
Soon after, Li Shimin became seriously ill and struggled in bed. Eventually, he died of poison and died in his own dormitory.
Afterwards, Wu Zetian ordered the secret agent to seal the news of Li Shimin's death tightly so as not to leak the rumors. The cause of Li Shimin's death was secretly concealed, paving the way for Wu Zetian to seize greater power.
epilogue
However, the authenticity of these legends is difficult to verify. Historians generally agree that Wu Zetian did not assassinate Li Shimin.
Instead, she worked with Li Shimin to jointly control the political power of the Tang Dynasty, and it was not until after Li Shimin's death that Wu Zetian became the dictator of the Tang Dynasty.
Follow me, I am Shuyao, and I will reveal more historical anecdotes with you~