During the reign of Wu Zetian, the Wu family was prominent for a while, and its power even exceeded that of the Li Tang royal family at that time. However, after the Shenlong coup, the Wu family went into decline, not only losing their official positions and titles, but also getting involved in political disputes, and their status plummeted. However, the Wu family did not completely withdraw from the stage of history, and in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, a virtuous minister appeared, who assisted Tang Xianzong Zhongxing, but was killed by assassins. So, who is this descendant of Wu Zetian?
1. The talent of the prime minister
This person's name is Wu Yuanheng, the word Bocang, and he is the great-grandson of Wu Zaide. In the Wu Zhou period, Wu Zaide was named the king of Yingchuan, and the "Old Tang Book" said that he was "the queen of heaven from his father and brother", combined with the situation of the relevant epitaph, in fact, this record is wrong. Because his grandfather was Wu Shiyi (Wu Zetian's third uncle), and his father's name was Wu Renfan, it is said that Wu Zaide is Wu Zetian's cousin. Let's talk about Wu Yuanheng, he showed extraordinary talent when he was a teenager, and he was good at poetry.
In the fourth year of Jianzhong (783), Wu Yuanheng was admitted to the Jinshi, and since then he has been serving in the shogunate of the Jiedu envoy. After a period of experience, Wu Yuanheng served as the commander of Huayuan County. However, the local town military governor will "act with grace" and infringe on the local people. Wu Yuanheng was angry, "called himself sick and went to the official". Wu Yuanheng had already attracted the attention of Tang Dezong, so Tang Dezong appointed him as a member of the Foreign Division, and later promoted to the rank of Imperial Historian. Once, Tang Dezong looked at Wu Yuanheng's back and said, "Yuanheng is really the prime minister." ”
2. Assist Xianzong
During the reign of Tang Shunzong, Wu Yuanheng was once demoted to the right concubine because he offended Liu Yuxi. After Tang Xianzong ascended the throne, Wu Yuanheng resumed his position as the middle of the imperial history, and he was valued by Tang Xianzong because of his "impartiality and selflessness". In the second year of Yuanhe (807 AD), Wu Yuanheng was appointed prime minister and was also in charge of household affairs. At that time, the western Zhejiang Festival made Li Qi pretend to enter the court, but he pretended to be sick and did not go. Tang Xianzong discussed the matter with the prime ministers, "Zheng Qi please play like a gong", but Wu Yuanheng did not think so.
Tang Xianzong adopted Wu Yuanheng's advice and thwarted Li Qi's rebellion. At the same time, a new situation appeared in Shudi, after quelling Liu Pi's rebellion, the general Gao Chongwen did not know how to govern the prefecture and county, so Tang Xianzong appointed Wu Yuanheng as the envoy of the Jiannan Xichuan Festival. After Wu Yuanheng arrived, "the affairs of the common people are economical, so that people are convenient", in only three years, he will be in Shu in an orderly manner, and also promote and reward talents, such as the later generation of famous minister Pei Du.
3. Stabbed to death
In the eighth year of Yuanhe (813), Wu Yuanheng was recalled to Beijing, and when he traveled to Luogu, he received the will to serve as the prime minister. At that time, the two prime ministers of the court, Li Jifu and Li Jiang, had a very poor relationship and often argued in front of the emperor. Wu Yuanheng is in the middle and is known as the elder. After Li Jifu's death, Wu Yuanheng took on the task of crusading against the feudal towns, and he insisted on quelling the rebellion in Huaixi by force and restoring the authority of the Tang court in the world.
However, Wu Yuanheng offended Li Shidao, the envoy of the Ziqing Festival who supported Wu Yuanji. On the third day of the sixth month of the tenth year of Yuanhe (815), Wu Yuanheng was assassinated on the way to the upper dynasty. When Tang Xianzong heard the news, "those who mourn for a long time will never eat for it." After that, he issued an order to "give Situ a book, give 500 horses of cloth and silk, 400 pieces of millet, and drop out of the dynasty for five days, and say loyalty." After Wu Yuanheng's death, his friend Pei Du inherited his legacy and put down the rebellion in Huaixi. In the thirteenth year of Yuanhe (818), Tang Xianzong sent troops to attack Li Shidao. Li Shidao, who had rebelled against his relatives, was killed by his subordinates.
References: 1. "Old Tang Book"; 2. "Information Governance Tongjian"