Wu Zetian was a gifted scholar in Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong and the queen of Li Zhi of Tang Gaozong. Taizong called it "Mei Niang". She assisted Emperor Gaozong in handling military affairs. After managing state affairs for 30 years, she ascended the throne and claimed to be the emperor of the Holy Spirit. She abolished Tang and changed her name to Zhou, becoming the only queen in the history of China. From her participation in the court affairs, claiming to be the emperor, to her illness, moving to Yang Palace, and being in power for nearly half a century, she inherited the "rule of Zhenguan" and opened up the "prosperous era of Kaiyuan", which is known as the "legacy of Zhenguan". As Soong Ching Ling commented on her, Wu Zetian was "an outstanding female politician in feudal times".
Wu Zetian was born in the early Tang Dynasty, a rich and prominent official family. Her prominent power and luxurious life nourished her infinite desire for power. However, the gentry's family style prevailed in the early Tang Dynasty, and she was born in cloth and humble origins, which made her despised by the secular and unwilling to bury her. This special situation and experience strongly stimulated Wu Zetian when she was young, and cultivated her desire to pursue and seize the highest power arrogantly, to achieve obedience, and to ruthlessly retaliate against all unscrupulous means. This is particularly prominent in a series of political struggles after she entered politics, and even called herself an orphan in the south, which became an uneven achievement in her life. Moral, personality and psychological roots.
Then Tian was smart, quick-witted, expressive and courageous from an early age. Deeply impressed by her talent, her father taught her to read and write to familiarize her with the world. Shi Zi, when he was thirteen or fourteen years old, was well-read and learned by heart. He also laid a certain foundation in poetry and lyrics, and he was good at calligraphy and outstanding in words.
In the 11th year of Zhenguan (637), 14-year-old Wu was chosen as a "gifted scholar" because of his handsome appearance. After entering the palace, Emperor Taizong was named "Mei Niang". After knowing Li Zhi.
In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649), Emperor Taizong died, and Tian and all his concubines were sent to Chang 'an Ganye Temple to have a haircut for Ni. Li Zhi, the ninth son of Emperor Taizong, was very interested in her after she acceded to the throne, so she often went to Ganye Temple. After two or three years, she was recalled to Zetian's official position and was promoted to "Zhao Yi". In the sixth year of Yonghui (655), Wu Zetian, who was deeply loved by Gaozong, was a shoo-in in the battle for the Inner Palace, urging Gaozong to establish himself as his successor. However, in feudal society, the abolition of the queen is a national event and must be agreed by etiquette. When he explained to loyal ministers such as Chu Suiliang and Wuji his plan to abolish the king and establish a queen, he was immediately strongly opposed. They think that Wu was born from a humble background and is not suitable for the future. Moreover, when Emperor Taizong collapsed, he once said that "a good wife and a good mother" should not be abolished. However, Emperor Gaozong's ideas were also supported by some traitors in North Korea, such as Xu and Li Yifu, accomplices of Wu Zetian. Later, Wu Zetian personally killed her daughter and framed the Queen Wang, forcing the emperor to finally write a letter in 10 this year, abolishing the Queen Wang and officially canonizing Zetian as the Queen. After canonizing the queen, Wu Zetian cut off the hands and feet of the queen and made her drunk, forcing the emperor to kill his own uncle.
After Tian ascended the queen's throne, her wit and shrewdness, as well as her advantages of "being familiar with literature and history and being resourceful", were fully exerted and developed by leaps and bounds, which made her sit up and take notice. She also took advantage of the queen's position and the emperor's love for herself to actively participate in state affairs.
"We'll see what happens after the season." During the five years from the sixth year of Yonghui (655) to the fourth year of Xianqing (659), she created a wide range of unjust cases, the world was crowded, a large number of political enemies were eliminated, and ministers were demoted and shot Zhu Suiliang, which made her die of depression. Sun Chang Wuji was forced to hang himself under the door of Zhongshu; Zhu Suiliang and Sun Chang Wuji's supporters in North Korea were eliminated, which consolidated and expanded their influence and power, removed the obstacles to her participation in politics, and ended Yonghui's rule, which was called the legacy of Zhenguan.
In 660, Emperor Li Zhi of Emperor Gaozong, blinded by the wind, wrote a letter to Wuhou, entrusting him to take part in politics. Since then, people have been in power since they participated in politics. "Life and death are decided by the mouth, and the son of heaven has just fallen." Although people are behind the scenes, they remotely control the real power of the imperial court. Later, Emperor Gaozong regretted it and tried to regain power, and secretly ordered Shangguan Yi, assistant minister of Zhongshu, to depose the queen. I don't know if it's confidential,
"The plot failed", Wu was ruthless, and immediately executed Shangguan Yi. The emperor's move fell short, which made the marquis of Wu more alert.
Wu Zetian, the eldest son Li Hong died of illness, the second son Li Xian was exiled (later killed), the third son was abolished, and the fourth son was renamed Wu Lun after Wu Zetian ascended the throne.
Although Emperor Gaozong hated her arbitrariness, many state affairs had to rely on her. In this way, Wuhou gradually walked from behind the scenes to the front desk, unexpectedly came to Chenzidian with Emperor Gaozong, and accepted the worship of ministers together. In the first year of Shangyuan (674), after Gaozong and Empress, the world called them "Two Saints". Since then, Emperor Gaozong has existed in name only, and the authority of the Tang Dynasty is in the hands of Wuhou.
From the first year of Shangyuan (674) when Zetian became the "Queen of Heaven" to the first year of Tiancai (690) to 16, Wu made a lot of long-term preparations and took various effective measures. First of all, when he inherited the throne, Emperor Gaozong wanted Zen to take the place of his eldest son, Li Hong. However, Wu Hou didn't care about his mother and son, poisoned Li Hong and made his second son, Li Xian, a prince. Li Xian was appointed Prime Minister by Emperor Gaozong, and he was very good at handling government affairs. The marquis of Wu abolished Li Xian as Shu Ren and made his third son, Li Xian, a prince. In the first year of Hongdao (683), Emperor Gaozong died, and Li Xian, the emperor of Zhongzong, just succeeded to the throne, and Wuhou was named the Queen Mother. A year later, he abolished Zhongzong, renamed Luling Wang, and made the fourth son Li Dan emperor, that is, Zong Rui. Li Xian and Li Dan are both impotent people, and they are also puppets on the throne of the emperor, subject to Wu Zetian everywhere.
Secondly, the clan record is changed to the surname record. Wu, which can't even be included in the genealogy, was listed as the first surname in Surname Spectrum, which didn't change the family concept, but was just a manifestation of Wu Zetian's desire to improve the status of Wu.
Thirdly, it is an important step to change the official name, change Luoyang, the eastern capital, into the God Capital, and establish a new order for itself. Show the whole country that their position is unified and supreme. Wuhou's New Deal measures were quickly opposed by the royal Li family and many gentry bureaucrats. Longzhou secretariat, after Xu Shiqi, the founding father of the early Tang Dynasty, called hundreds of thousands of military forces to take the lead in capturing Yangzhou, and Luo wrote a famous article "Purple for Wu?" Punishment? Xiao W teased the foreign girl, the king was in Bozhou, and the king of Yue was also in Yuzhou to crusade against Wu and dispatch troops. On the same day, Wu Houjian decided to suppress this matter. Under her direct command, these rebellions quickly subsided, and the main attackers such as Xu Jingye, Li Chong and Li Zhen were either killed in the battlefield or killed.
Horrible killings and extensive involvement fully exposed the ruthlessness and decisiveness of Wuhou.
In 690 AD, Wu Zetian thought that the conditions for the audience were ripe. First, she created public opinion through the mouth of Faming, a Buddhist monk: "Wuhou was reincarnated as Maitreya Buddha, and the contemporary Tang Dynasty was the son of heaven." Then he directed the matter, and 60 thousand subjects, led by him, wrote to Jin, please change the country name. At this point, naturally, the marquis of Wu came to Dabao in the sound of "long live" of "respecting heaven" and "obeying public opinion", and realized his long-cherished wish, changing the Tang Dynasty to "Zhou" and calling himself "the Holy Spirit Emperor". This year, she is 67 years old.
If we say that Wu Zetian showed amazing political strategies and means in her political career of participating in and discussing state affairs for more than 30 years before she proclaimed herself emperor. Then, during more than ten years as emperor, she fully demonstrated her outstanding political talent and statesmanship in employing people, handling affairs and governing the country.
After Emperor Tiandi proclaimed himself emperor, he paid more attention to the selection and use of talents. She believes that "the nine domains are wide, and if one person strengthens them, they can become wings." Anything that can "secure the country" and "define the frontier" will be used according to her family background and qualifications. In order to recruit talented people, she developed and improved the imperial examination system since the Sui Dynasty, liberalized the recruitment of talented people, allowed herself to be an official and try out officials, and set up foreign officials. In addition, she also initiated the palace entrance examination and martial arts system, which created favorable conditions for more and more talents to be discovered and collected. For example, Guo Ziyi, a famous soldier in the mid-Tang Dynasty, just "joined the army at leisure". In this way, during her several years in power, there are always a group of capable ministers and generals who are "literate as a man" and "fighting against martial arts" to serve her and effectively safeguard Wu Zhou's political power.
For agricultural production, then Heaven also attaches great importance to it. She said: "The foundation of the founding of the country must be agriculture", "Agriculture leads to cultivation, cultivation leads to more millet, and more millet leads to wealth". She stipulates that local officials who can "reclaim land and have surplus grain at home" can be promoted; "The government is too harsh and the household registration is shifting." "Those that are light will be degraded and even replaced at inappropriate times." In this way, during her reign, agriculture and handicrafts have been greatly developed. The population is increasing. According to the statistics at that time, the number of households in Yonghui was 3.8 million. By the first year of Shenlong, when he died, it gradually increased to 6 1.5 million, almost doubling. Only in this way can we explain the development of agricultural economy in this period.
During Japan's administration, it made great efforts to resist foreign invasion, safeguard border peace and improve relations with neighboring countries. The invasion and harassment of Tubo nobles were resolutely resisted and countered by heaven. Longevity for two years (692), she sent general Wang Xiaojie to defeat Tubo, recapture four towns in Anxi, and move the capital to Anxi and Qiuci. Later, the northern court was established in Tingzhou, which consolidated the northwest frontier defense and opened the once-interrupted "Silk Road" to Central Asia. During her several years in power, she adhered to the policy of land reclamation by border troops. During the fiscal year, the governor of Lou Deyi, Fengzhou, said, "There are millions of plows and grains, and no soldier is spared." In the first year of Dazu (70 1), Guo was appointed as the governor of Liangzhou, and insisted on farming the fields for five years, "rations can last for decades." Wu's large-scale long-term reclamation. It has a positive effect on the development of border areas, reducing people's traffic burden and consolidating border defense.
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In 705, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi took advantage of Wu Zetian's old age and critical illness, supported the restoration of Zhongzong, and respected Wu Shi as the "Great Sage Emperor". In the winter of the same year, Wu Shi died at the age of 82, and his will said, "Play the emperor and call him the Great Sage Queen." Li Bai listed Wu Zetian as one of the "Seven Saints" in the Tang Dynasty.
According to Mr. Lin Yutang's The True Story of Wu Zetian, Wu Zetian conspired to kill 93 people in his life (not including his implicated relatives). Among them, there are 23 of her own relatives, 34 of the Tang imperial clan and 36 of the court ministers (not including her lackeys). How many of them are damned and how many are unjust cases; How many were really harmed by Wu Zetian and how many were framed by others? This account has to be left to historians to work out slowly. Meng Man said that Wu Zetian was the Tang Dynasty, and there are some records.
Anecdotes of characters
Wu Zetian is also a poetess. There are 58 Poems of the Whole Tang Dynasty, most of which are memorial works in temples, but there are also occasional lyric poems. "Ruyi Niang" poem says:
Zhu Jian thinks in succession, looking haggard and fragmented.
If you don't believe me, you will often cry.
As a queen, Wu Zetian used an iron fist to give people the impression that women need men. But as a woman, she also has a lingering and tender side, which can be seen in this poem.
Wu Zetian also has a poem "La Ri Xuan Zhao Xing Shang Yuan":
In the Ming dynasty, I swam to the garden, and the fire reported spring.
Flowers bloom overnight, don't wait for the breeze to blow.
This poem was later circulated as a story, saying that one winter, Wu Zetian swam into the garden and let the flower god rush to open a hundred flowers. At the command of the flower god, all the flowers opened, but the peony was arrogant and did not serve the imperial edict alone. Wuhou was furious and exiled to Luoyang. "Therefore, those who say peony today are crowned in Xiluo." (Gao Cheng's Times, Volume 10, Peony). This poem was written in 69 1 year, which was the second year after Wu Zetian established Wu Zhou. This poem "A Complete Interpretation of Tang Poems" says: "After two years of God's gift, La Qing wants to fake flowers. Please be lucky to come to the garden and have a plan to make it happen. There are different plans to find out the doubts, but this is a moment to send a special envoy to publish the letter. So, in the morning, the famous flower garden. The princes are salty and take their differences. Later support operation moved to Tang Zuo. This is all crazy and unbelievable. " This statement is more credible. The so-called "Flower God" urges flowers to this day because of the need of political propaganda.
According to the New Tang Book, Wu Zetian's Hanging Arch Collection is 100 volume, and ten items of Golden Wheel Collection have been lost. An anthology of Wu Zetian has been published in the world.