Since ancient times, whenever a new emperor ascends the throne, there will always be "auspicious rui" in various regions of the Central Plains. Coincidentally, during the critical period when Wu Zetian was about to ascend to the throne, visions also appeared everywhere, but compared to Xiangrui, this vision was more like a sign of some kind of disaster.
Since the death of Emperor Gaozong li zhi in 683, Wu Zetian began to plan his own path to the throne. Wu Zetian used the intelligence network he had operated for many years to activate the political forces he had previously supported, and it took seven years to finally complete the pro-dynasty system and seize the real power of the Li Tang Dynasty.
However, when we read the history of these seven years in the historical materials, we will find that there is a very strange thing mixed in between, that is, in the past seven years, rumors of "hens turning into males" have been constantly circulated everywhere.
According to the New Book of Tang, in the second year of the arch, Wu Zetian ordered people to make a batch of copper leather boxes. The role of this small box is similar to that of the current "anonymous report box". The purpose of this box is to encourage bureaucrats to report and expose each other. In order to close the way of speech, Wu Zetian also appointed Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen and other cool officials to supervise the wen and wu hundred officials.
After mentioning this historical event in the literature, it is said for no reason that "jizhou hens turn into males", which makes people scratch their heads.
After four years of hanging arches, Wu Zetian obtained the "Heavenly Divine Map" in Luoshui. This is the Xiangrui mentioned by the author at the beginning of the article, the so-called "heavenly gift" is nothing more than arranged by Wu Zetian's people, just to convey to the masses the legitimacy of the "imperial power divine right". This sacred picture is written with eight big characters of "Our Lady of The Coming, Yongchang Emperor", which means that Wu Zetian is the "Virgin" descended from heaven.
At that time, many clear-eyed people knew at a glance that this was the precursor of Wu Zetian's title of emperor. In order to prevent Wu Zetian from usurping the Tang Dynasty, many people stood up to the imperial court. For example, in August of the same year, Bozhou assassinated Wang Xingbing of Shilangya, and Li Zhen, the king of Yue, raised troops in Yuzhou in response, but unfortunately the preparation of these two people was insufficient, and the rebel army was quickly suppressed by officers and soldiers, and failed to succeed.
Later, high-ranking nobles such as King Han, King Lu, and Duke Huang guo committed suicide inexplicably, and even their cronies were liquidated. At this time, Wu Zetian's ambition to usurp the throne had become clear. At this point, there are several abrupt pictures in the New Book of Tang: "Langzhou hens turn into males" and "Songzhou hens turn into males".
The strange phenomenon of "hens turning into males" can be described as unprecedented in the history of the Tang Dynasty, and it appeared in the seven years from Li Zhi's death to Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne.
So, what exactly does this phenomenon represent? And what is the practical significance?
The so-called "hen becomes male" is not that the hen suddenly becomes a rooster. Although the concept of "sexual variation" was very vague in the era, this phenomenon did not occur so frequently. After all, from a biological point of view, the probability of "sexual variation" occurring is extremely low, and it is impossible to occur frequently in a short period of time. Even if the hen has a sexual mutation, it is impossible to suddenly grow a crown and really become a rooster as we understand it.
So, how do the Tang people judge that "hens turn into males"? The hen stops laying eggs, or the hen crows like a rooster, is a sign that the hen becomes male.
The Book of Shang has clouds: "The ancients had words, but the chickens had no morning." The morning of the rooster, but the rope of the family. The Western Han Dynasty scholar Kong Anguo marked this sentence and interpreted the word "Suo" as "exhaustion". Combined with the original text, the meaning of this sentence is that the hen will never crow, once the hen begins to crow, then it means that the family's family fortune has been exhausted, and it is about to face the disaster of family destruction.
If this sentence is placed at the national level, it refers to the fact that there are women who are in trouble with the government and politics, which will bring the doom of the country to the country and the death of the family. Therefore, the idiom "Muji Sichen" is a metaphor for a woman's misfortune and chaos, which is a sign of great evil. Therefore, the purpose of the strange phenomena that appear in the New Book of Tang is very obvious.
In order to avoid women getting involved in politics, the ancients would use the palm of "Muji Sichen" to warn the world that they must oppose this chaotic woman. In fact, not only did this strange thing occur during the Vertical Arch years, but a similar phenomenon also occurred as early as the last year of the Shang Dynasty. When King Wu was cutting the silk, he used this phenomenon as a metaphor for Su Daji to seduce the king, so as to boost the morale of the Zhou army.
The frequent occurrence of the phenomenon of "Muji Sichen" during the Vertical Arch period is actually a metaphor for how many people at that time tried to stand up against Wu Zetian's usurpation of power. As for whether this phenomenon really happened, we do not know, but what is certain is that the opposition at that time must have been very loud, and there would even be people who secretly formed associations to plan to raise troops to fight.
Wu Zetian also had a clear understanding of this, so he desperately killed the Li royal family before everyone else and suppressed all public opinion. Although Wu Zetian was a great success, no one dared to contradict her during the Wu Dynasty, but the people's resentment against her did not disappear. Therefore, after the death of Emperor Wuzhou, Li Shibing recaptured Jiangshan Sheji, which belonged to him, without bloodshed.
Resources:
【Shang Shu", "New Book of Tang", "Zizhi Tongjian"】