Wu Zetian (624-705), named Zhao, was born in Wenshui, Bingzhou (now east of Wenshui, Shanxi Province). She was the queen of Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and the mother of Li Xian, Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty and Li Dan, Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty. After the death of Emperor Gaozong, , Wu Zetian deposed her two sons Zhongzong and Ruizhong one after another, became the emperor herself, changed the name of the country to "Zhou", and was known as "Wu Zhou" in history. She is the first and only female emperor in the history of our country. In the early days of Wu Zetian's rule, he made heavy use of cruel officials, severely attacked the senior ministers who opposed him, and honored the old clans. This broke the situation where the big clans controlled the political situation and monopolized senior officials. The capital was Luoyang. Reigned from 690 to 705. People in the world call her Wu Zetian according to her honorary title "Great Sage Emperor Zetian" (Ze, law, thought to be the law. Zetian, which means taking heaven as the law, learning from heaven, and following heaven's laws and requirements). He is clever and clever in nature and has many power skills. The second daughter of the founding warrior Xun of the Tang Dynasty, her biological mother Yang was the second wife of the warrior Xun, the daughter of Yang Da, a noble clan of Longyou, prime minister of the Sui Dynasty, and Duke of Suining.
Wu Zetian was a talented person of Tang Taizong Li Shimin and the queen of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi. Taizong called her "Meiniang". After assisting Emperor Gaozong in handling military and state affairs and supporting the government for thirty years, she ascended the throne in person and called herself the Holy Emperor. She deposed Tang Zuo and changed her country's name to Zhou, becoming the only empress unprecedented in Chinese history. From her participation in government affairs and claiming to be the emperor until her illness moved her to Shangyang Palace, she was in power for nearly half a century. She inherited the "Government of Zhenguan" and started the "Kaiyuan Dynasty". Her historical achievements are known as the "Legacy of Zhenguan" and are evident to the world. Just as Soong Ching Ling's pertinent evaluation of her: Wu Zetian was "an outstanding female politician in the feudal era."
Wu Zetian was born into a family of new nobles in the early Tang Dynasty. Her prominent power and luxurious life nourished her unlimited desire for power. However, in the early Tang Dynasty, the aristocratic style of attaching great importance to the gentry was prevalent, and Wu's family status and humble background made her suffer from the contempt of the common people, and she was unwilling to be buried. This special situation and encounter strongly stimulated Wu Zetian in her youth, cultivating her to arrogantly pursue and seize the highest power, to achieve the desire to be self-obedient, and to ruthlessly and unscrupulously seek revenge for everything. This point became particularly prominent in her subsequent political career and even in a series of political struggles in which she was "alone in the south", and became a lifelong accomplishment with mixed merits and demerits. Morality, character and psychological roots.
Zetian has been smart and agile since childhood, very good at expressing himself, and has super courage. Her father deeply felt that she was a talented person, so he taught her to read and write so that she could understand the world. According to historical records, when Zetian was 13 or 14 years old, he had already read a lot of books, had a strong memorization of knowledge, and had laid a certain foundation for poems and songs. He was also good at calligraphy, and his handwriting was outstanding.
In the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637), 14-year-old Wu was selected into the palace for her handsome appearance and was awarded the title of "talented person". After entering the palace, Wu was capable, considerate, and charming, which made Taizong very happy, so she was given the title "Meiniang". However, during the same period, Concubine Xu Xian was extremely intelligent, and the Wu family fell out of favor. She has been hovering at the lowest level of talents, and later met Li Zhi.
In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649), Taizong died. Zetian and all his concubines were sent to Ganye Temple in Chang'an to become nuns. After Li Zhi, the ninth son of Emperor Taizong, came to the throne, he was very interested in her because he had secretly communicated with Zetian in the past, so he often visited Ganye Temple. Two or three years later, he recalled Zetian as an official and was granted the title of "Zhao" by the Jin Dynasty. instrument". In the sixth year of Yonghui (655), Wu Zetian, who was extremely favored by Emperor Gaozong, was sure to win in the inner palace struggle and urged Emperor Emperor to establish herself as his queen. However, in feudal society, the abolition of a queen was a major national event and had to be discussed with important ministers. When Emperor Gaozong explained his plan to abolish Queen Wang and establish Zetian as Queen to loyal ministers such as Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji, he immediately encountered strong opposition. They believed that the Wu family was from a humble background and was not suitable to be a queen. Moreover, when Taizong died, he once said that "a good son and a good wife" should not depose the king and queen. However, Gaozong's ideas were also supported by Wu Zetian's accomplice Xu Jingzhong and Li Yifu, and other traitors in the court. Later, Wu Zetian personally killed her daughter and framed the Queen Wang, forcing Emperor Gaozong to finally issue an edict in October of that year, abolishing the Queen Wang family and officially appointing Zetian as the Queen. After appointing the Queen, Wu Zetian was extremely vicious and killed the Queen. The Queen and Concubine Xiao Shu had their hands and feet cut off and their bones were drunk.
After Zetian ascended the throne of the queen, her wit and shrewdness, and her strengths of "well-versed in literature and history, and rich in tactics" were greatly developed and developed, which made Gaozong favor her and look down upon her. She also took advantage of her status as a queen and the emperor's favor for her to actively participate in government affairs.
In the five years from the sixth year of Yonghui (655) to the fourth year of Xianqing (659), she carried out many unjust cases, and the world was full of chaos. She eliminated a large number of political opponents, demoted the minister's right servant and shot Zhu Suiliang, causing him to die of depression; deposed his colleagues Sun Wuji, the eldest disciple of Zhongshu, forced her to hang herself; she dismissed the supporters of Zhu Suiliang and eldest Sun Yuanji in the court, consolidated and expanded her influence and power, and removed obstacles on her path to political participation. Yong Hui, known as the legacy of Zhenguan The rule is over.
In the fifth year of Xianqing (660), Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi suffered from phoenix dizziness and was unable to see, so he issued an edict to entrust Empress Wu to assist in political affairs. From then on, Zetian changed from participating in politics to being in power. "The decision to depose and kill the emperor depends on his mouth, and the emperor just hands it over." Although people were behind the scenes, they controlled the real power of the court. Later, Emperor Gaozong regretted it and attempted to take back his power, and secretly ordered Shangguan Yicao, the Minister of Zhongshu, to abolish the imperial edict. Little did he know that the matter was not secret and "the plot to leak it failed." Empress Wu was ruthless and ruthless, so she acted first and had Shangguan Yi executed immediately. Gaozong's move fell short of success, but made Empress Wu even more vigilant.
Wu Zetian’s eldest son Li Hong died of illness, his second son Li Xian (said to be born to Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu’s sister, Lady Han) was exiled (killed), her third son was deposed, and her fourth son waited for Wu Zetian to ascend the throne. Later, it was renamed Wulun.
Although Emperor Gaozong hated her for acting alone, he had to rely on her for many national affairs. In this way, Empress Wu gradually moved from behind the scenes to the front stage, and actually came to the Zichen Hall with Gaozong to accept the worship of the ministers together. In the first year of Shangyuan (674), Emperor Gaozong was named Emperor and the Queen was named Queen of Heaven. People in the world called them the "Two Saints". From then on, Emperor Gaozong was in name only, and all the power of the Tang Dynasty was in the hands of Empress Wu Zetian.
In the 16 years from the first year of Shangyuan (674), when Zetian began to rule as the "Queen of Heaven", to the first year of Tianshou (690), when he officially proclaimed himself emperor, Wu did a lot to become the emperor. After a long period of preparation, a variety of powerful and effective measures were taken. First of all, in terms of succession to the throne, Gaozong wanted to take the throne from his eldest son Li Hong. Empress Wu ignored the love between mother and son, poisoned Li Hong to death, and made her second son Li Xian the crown prince. Li Xian was entrusted by Emperor Gaozong with the post of Lin Guo, and he was very capable in handling government affairs. Empress Wu deposed Li Xian as a commoner and established her third son Li Xian as the prince. In the first year of Hongdao (683), Emperor Gaozong died, Zhongzong Li Xian just succeeded to the throne, and Empress Wu took the throne in the name of the Empress Dowager. A year later, Zhongzong was abolished, and he was granted the title of King of Luling. His fourth son, Li Dan, was made emperor and became Ruizong. Li Xian and Li Dan were both mediocre and incompetent people. They were also puppets in the position of emperor and were controlled by Empress Wu in everything.
Secondly, the "Clan Chronicle" was revised to the "Surname Record". The Wu family, which was not even included in the "Clan Chronicle", was listed as the first-class surname in the "Surname Record". , this did not change the concept of the clan, it was just a manifestation of Wu Zetian's attempt to improve Wu's status.
Thirdly, it was an important step to change the official name, change the eastern capital Luoyang to the divine capital, ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, and establish a new order. Show the whole country his unifying and supreme power. These new policy measures of Empress Wu were quickly opposed by the Li family of the royal family and many gentry and bureaucrats. Xu Jingye, the governor of Liuzhou, followed by Xu Shiji, a hero in the early Tang Dynasty, summoned hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses to take the lead in launching an attack in Yangzhou. The famous book "Chao Wu Zhao Xi" spread throughout the territory. Li Chong, king of Langya of the clan, was in Bozhou, and Li Zhen, king of Yue, in Yuzhou, also rebelled and raised troops to attack. Empress Zetian was merciless and suppressed them resolutely. Under her direct command, these rebellions were quickly put down. Xu Jingye, Li Chong, Li Zhen and other main instigators either died on the battlefield or were killed. No one was spared. .
The horrific executions and extensive connections fully exposed Empress Wu's ruthless decisiveness.
In 690 AD, Wu Zetian believed that the conditions were ripe to visit the throne in person. She first used the words of the Buddhist monk Fa Ming to create public opinion: "Empress Wu is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, and the contemporary Tang Dynasty is the emperor." Then she directed it, Sixty thousand subjects headed by Tang Ruizong petitioned the emperor to change the country's title. At this point, everything came together, and Empress Tianwu ascended to Dabao amidst the shouts of "Long Live" to "Shangzun Tianshi" and "obey everyone's opinions", and realized her long-cherished wish, changing the Tang Dynasty to "Zhou" and calling herself the "Holy God Emperor" . This year, she is 67 years old.
If we say that Wu Zetian has shown amazing political strategies and methods during her political career of more than 30 years before becoming emperor. Then, in the more than ten years after becoming emperor, she more fully demonstrated her outstanding political talents and statesmanlike courage in all aspects of employment, handling affairs, and governing the country.
After Zetian became emperor, he paid more attention to the selection and use of talents. She believes that "the nine realms are so vast that it cannot be strengthened by one person. He must wait for his talents to become his wings." She will use all talents who can "safeguard the country" and "define the frontier" according to their talents regardless of their family status or qualifications.
In order to recruit talents, she developed and improved the imperial examination system since the Sui Dynasty, allowed free recruitment of talents, allowed self-promotion and examination of officials, and set up foreign officials. In addition, she also pioneered the palace examination and martial arts examination systems, creating favorable conditions for discovering and recruiting talents more broadly. For example, Guo Ziyi, a famous general in the mid-Tang Dynasty, "made his own martial arts and made extraordinary achievements". In this way, during the years of her administration, there was always a group of capable ministers and generals who were "literary and benevolent" and "military but not martial" to serve her, effectively safeguarding Wu Zhou's regime.
Zetian also attaches great importance to agricultural production. She said: "The foundation of building a country must be farming." "Farming means cultivating the fields, cultivating the fields will make you have more millet, and having more millet will make people rich." She stipulated that local officials who could "cultivate their fields and have a surplus of food for their families" could be promoted; "those who were harsh in government and had their household registration transferred" would be demoted or even dismissed at an inappropriate time. In this way, during her reign, agriculture and handicrafts have developed greatly. The population keeps increasing. According to statistics at that time, the number of households in the country was 3.8 million in the Yonghui period. By the first year of Shenlong, when Zetian was dying, the number gradually increased to 6.15 million, almost doubling. This alone shows the development of the agricultural economy during this period.