In the process of seizing power, Wu Zetian wantonly eliminated dissidents, cracked down on political enemies and slaughtered some ministers she suspected. In the early Tang Dynasty, a few ministers such as Sun Chang Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Yu Zhining, Pei Yan and Cheng Wuting were demoted, and most of them were killed. Li's royal family and imperial clan kings were killed one after another. Wu Zetian gave orders to the world as the hostess. Before she came to power, she had no confidant of her own. After she came to power, her suspected subjects were unfaithful to herself. Therefore, she appointed cruel officials, such as Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen, to participate extensively in Luo Zhi, extort confessions severely and reward informers. Although she eliminated some political enemies, she also killed innocent people. It was not until the formal establishment of the Wu Zhou regime that the struggle tended to ease and this trend was contained. In order to improve the social status of the Wu family and Li Yifu, the old gentry and royal family, Wu Zetian changed the records of the Zhenguan imperial clan to the records of surnames, ranked the Wu family as the first class, and stipulated that all officials above the fifth class should be included in the score. In order to cultivate her own political power and expand the social foundation of the political power, she held a palace entrance examination, created martial arts, bootstrapping, trial officials and other systems, and made an exception in employing people. Although this has selected a number of talents, it will inevitably double the number of officials and become redundant.
She believed in Buddhism and built temples, temples, Shu Tian and Jiuding, which wasted a lot of manpower and material resources. In the process of attacking political enemies, it is inevitable that innocent people will be hurt. The increase of officials will inevitably increase the burden on farmers. Although the social economy increased during her reign, the problem of escaping from households became increasingly serious, and the system of officers and men began to be destroyed. Wu Zetian reused Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi, Wu Youxiu, Wu Youning and others, and made Wu Zongren king. Minister Ji Chuanti and others are very concerned about the choice of heirs. Wu Zetian also felt that as a woman, she could only go to the Li Family Ancestral Hall to enjoy the sacrifice of her children after her death, so she accepted the advice of her liegeman and welcomed Li Xian, the king of Luling, and was re-established as a prince in the first year of victory (698). In his later years, Wu fell in love with male concubine and his brother, and they were inseparable.