Wu Zetian's extravagance and waste are famous in history. The book "Wu Zetian" is based on what Gaozong said: "The queen and I are always wearing seven-piece skirts. Don't you know that they have more luxurious clothes and must observe frugality?" ("Old Book of Tang" Volume 5 "Gaozong Ji" "The first month of the second year of Yonglong), asserting that "Empress Wu emphasized frugality." "New Book of Tang" Volume 76 "The Biography of Empress Zetianwu" says that "Although the Queen Mother was of great age, she was good at varnishing herself, and even though she was left and right, she did not notice her decline." This is obviously about how she still likes to dress up when she is old, but it is praised in the book "Wu Zetian" It's called "very neat". In the third year of Emperor Xianheng's reign of Emperor Gaozong, the statue of Dalushena was built in Longmen. Wu Zetian paid 20,000 yuan to help her make a fortune ("Notes on the Statue Niches in Fengtian Temple" in Volume 73 of "Jinshi Cuibian"). The book "Wu Zetian" considers it to be "left behind". The majestic works of Tang Dynasty art are worthy of appreciation."
Only for the later construction of "Mingtang" and "Tiantian", the making of large statues, the casting of "Tianshu" and "Jiuzhou tripod", are they admitted to be "overly extravagant and exaggerated things". The "shortcomings" are "difficult to cover up", but he still added that "it is not impossible to say that this is a luxury version of feudal culture." In fact, what is the difference in nature between making a big statue of Lushna and making a big statue? Yes, the Dalushe statue still in Longmen today is a precious historical cultural relic and artistic heritage (if the Jiada statue, Tianshu, Jiuzhou tripod, etc. are left, they will also be precious historical cultural relics and artistic heritage), but this is the wisdom of the working people. and the crystallization of blood and sweat. While praising and admiring, we must not forget the huge price paid by the working people for this.
Here, I think I should quote a passage from the "Biography of Yu Yuan" in Volume 53 of "Book of Southern Qi": "The [Song and Ming] emperors used their former residence to build the Xianggong Temple, and they spent a lot of money... ...Yuan said to his side: "Your Majesty built this temple because the common people sold their children to support their wives. If the Buddha knew it, he should be sad and mournful. What merit is there for committing such a sin?" It is equally right to condemn Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian loves literature and art. She can write poetry, and if the "Stele of Prince Shengxian" handed down from ancient times is really handwritten by her rather than ghostwritten, it would be quite good in terms of calligraphy. Shangguan Wan'er, whom she favored, was also a poetess. However, the book "Wu Zetian" says that the two of them "contributed greatly to the rise of Tang Dynasty culture" is an exaggeration. At that time, Wu Zetian "consecrated [Zhang] Yi to the Fengchen Order, and introduced the Yan Chaoyin, Xue Ji, and Yuan Banqian to the Fengchen Order. Every time there was a banquet, it made the officials laugh and laugh. If there is a banquet in the inner hall, , then Erzhang and Zhu Wu were sitting, and Pu was laughing and joking.
At that time, the flatterer said that Changzong was the prince after the Jin Dynasty, so he ordered him to wear feathers and play the flute. He rides on a wooden crane and plays music in the garden, just like Zi Jin riding in the air. Everyone writes poems to express his beauty, and Cui Rong is his swan song." (Old Book of Tang Dynasty) It seems that Empress Chen and Empress Chen used Mr. Jiang, Kong Fan and others as "visitors", so that Concubine Zhang, Gong Kong and other noble concubines, as well as female bachelors, and the guests "composed new poems, exchanged poems and responded to each other, and those who picked the most beautiful ones were regarded as songs." The trick of "poems are given a new voice" is similar ("Chen Shu" Volume 7 "The Biography of Concubine Zhang", Volume 27 "The Biography of Mr. Jiang"). Some of the poems written by Wu Zetian and Shangguan Wan'er are collected in "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty". The "sacred" poems such as the "Shi Cong" poems cited above are not necessarily brilliant.
It is really hard to believe that this bit of court literature can "contribute greatly to the rise of Tang Dynasty culture". Shangguan Wan'er was written as a very pure and positive character in the script. If you try to read the biographies of the concubines in the two "Books of the Tang Dynasty", you will find that it is wrong. She is just a woman who can form cliques and play conspiracies for personal gain, especially after Zhongzong Li Xian came to the throne and she was named Zhaorong (second-class concubine). She colluded with powerful people such as Zhongzong's empress Wei Shi and Wu Sansi. Zhongzong's crown prince Li Chongjun (not a descendant of Wei) could not stand the oppression and launched a palace coup to kill her but failed.
When Zhongzong died, she drafted a posthumous edict and appointed Zhongzong's younger brother, Xiang Wang Li Dan, to assist the government. This was her intention to have two boats. Then Li Dan's son Li Longji launched a coup and killed Queen Wei. Shangguan Zhaorong was also arrested. She took out a draft of the edict to please Li Dan in an attempt to avoid death. Li Longji, who later became Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, was not allowed to do so. She was deceived and determined to kill her.
As for afterwards, "Xuanzong ordered his poems to be collected and compiled into twenty volumes of anthology, and Zhang was ordered to write a preface to it", it just meant that people should not waste words, and it cannot be like what was said in the book "Wu Zetian" Said that "the killing was unjust", Xuanzong "also regretted it".