Laozi
Laozi (about 600 BC - 500 BC) was a thinker in the Spring and Autumn Period and the founder of Taoism. One theory is that Lao Dan, whose surname was Li Ming'er and whose courtesy name was Boyang, was from Qurenli, Li Township, Ku County, Chu State (today's Taiqinggong Town in the east of Luyi, Henan Province, and belonged to Qiaocheng, Bozhou in ancient times). "Historian" (historian in charge of the collection of books), Confucius once asked him for courtesy, retreated and retired, and wrote "Laozi". When it comes to Laozi, he means Taishi Dan, or Lao Laizi. There has always been controversy over whether the book "Laozi" was written by Laozi. "Laozi" uses "Tao" to explain the evolution of all things in the universe. He believes that "Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things." "Tao" is "the order (command) of Fu Mo and remains natural", so "human beings" The earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature.” "Tao" is an objective natural law, and at the same time it has the eternal significance of being "independent and unchangeable, moving forward without peril". "Laozi" contains a large number of simple dialectical views, such as the belief that everything has positive and negative sides, "the opposite is the movement of the Tao" and can be transformed by opposition, "the good can turn into wonder, the good can turn into monster", "misfortunes can turn into monsters", and "disasters can turn into monsters". It is where blessings depend, and blessings are where misfortunes lie." He also believes that everything in the world is the unity of "being" and "nothing", "being and non-being are interdependent", and "nothing" is the basis, "everything in the world is born from being, and being is born from nothing". "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiency when there is excess damage, but the way of man is not the same. If there is not enough damage, there will be more than enough to serve."; "The people are hungry because of the high food and tax"; "The people despise death because they seek to survive." "Thick"; "People are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death?" His theory has a profound influence on the development of Chinese philosophy, and its content is mainly found in the book "Laozi".
Note: The book "Laozi" is also called "Tao Te Ching". ("Tao Te Ching" was a later title. Initially, Lao Tzu's book was called "Lao Zi" without the name "Tao Te Ching". There have been many disputes over the year when it was written, and it is still uncertain. However, according to the Guodian Chu Slips unearthed in 1993 "Laozi" estimates that the book was written at least in the middle and early Warring States Period.
Qu Yuan
About 339 BC to about 278 BC.
During the Warring States Period, The poets of Chu State absorbed the essence of southern folk songs, integrated them with ancient myths and legends, and created a new style of poetry - "Chu Ci". The emergence of Chu Ci was a great liberation of ancient Chinese poetry. It broke the "Book of Songs". 》The rigid format of four characters and one sentence adopts uneven sentence patterns of three to eight characters. The form is lively and diverse, suitable for describing complex social life and expressing rich thoughts and feelings. The length and capacity can be expanded arbitrarily according to the needs of the content. . The great poet Qu Yuan was the founder and representative writer of Chu Ci.
Qu Yuan (about 339 BC to about 278 BC), named Ping, was born in the aristocracy of Chu State in 340 BC. Born in Lepingli, Sanlu Township, Zigui, Qu Yuan was studious and ambitious since he was a child. At the age of 26, he served as the Zuotu of the Chu State and the official of Sanlu. He advocated appointing talents, clarifying the law, improving internal affairs, and uniting Qi to fight against Qin. However, King Huai of Chu's commander Yin Zijiao, Shangguan official Jin Shang, and his favorite concubine Zheng Xiu were influenced by Qin's envoy Zhang Yi. Bribery not only prevented King Huai from accepting Qu Yuan's opinions, but also caused King Huai to alienate Qu Yuan. As a result, King Huai of Chu was lured away by Qin and imprisoned in Qin. After King Qingxiang came to the throne, Qu Yuan continued to be persecuted and exiled to Qin. Jiangnan. In 278 BC, Qin general Bai Qi led his troops south and captured the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan's political thoughts were shattered and he despaired of his future. Although he wanted to serve the country, he was unable to save his life and had to die to express his ambition. In the same year On May 5th, the Dragon Boat Festival, he committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River.
Qu Yuan was an outstanding politician, the first great poet in the history of Chinese literature, and the "first-class poet in the Three Gorges". "A talented man". He worried about the country and the people, and finally threw himself into the Miluo River and died for his country. Although Qu Yuan's political life was a tragedy, as a poet, he left more than 20 poems to future generations, such as "Li Sao" and "Heavenly Questions" Immortal poems. These are precious legacies of Chinese literature.
"Li Sao" is Qu Yuan's most mature work, and the first half of it is a realistic narrative. His ideals and experiences of improving politics are added to many strange fantasies in the second half. Accompanied by wind, rain, thunder, lightning, clouds, moon, phoenixes and dragons, he gallops in the sky, going up and down the world to pursue what he wants. The ideal object turned out to be disappointing.
The poet integrated natural phenomena, historical figures, and legends into a magnificent romantic artistic image, achieving a high degree of ideological and artistic integration. Lu Xun praised Qu Yuan. : "The great words of Yixiang are outstanding."
"Tianwen" is a peculiar long poem. This is because after Qu Yuan was exiled, he was melancholy and hesitant, had intense mental turmoil, and his old beliefs completely collapsed. Therefore, he had doubts about natural phenomena, ancient legends, religious beliefs, and traditional thoughts about society, and raised various questions. Through asking questions, the poet vented the contradictions and anguish in political life. Sima Qian recorded it in detail in "Historical Records: Biography of Qu Yuan"
Wu Zetian, Empress of the Great Sage Wu Zhao (624-705) Bingzhou A native of Wenshui (today's Wenshui East, Shanxi Province), Empress Li Zhi of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty later changed her country's name to Wuzhou and made her capital Luoyang. Reigned from 690 to 705. The name is Zhao (zhào), and the world calls her Wu Zetian according to her title. He is clever and clever in nature and has many power skills.
The second daughter of the founding warrior Xun (huò) of the Tang Dynasty, her biological mother Yang was the second wife of the warrior Xun, the daughter of Yang Da, a great gentry of the Longyou family, 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. 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 calling herself 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 evident to the world. As Song Qingling sincerely evaluated 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 arrogant pursuit and seizure of the highest power, her desire to be self-obedient, and her ruthless and unscrupulous revenge on 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), the 14-year-old Wu was selected into the palace for her handsome appearance and was named a "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 increasingly urged Emperor Emperor Gaozong 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 the Queen Wang family and establish Zetian as Queen to Zhu Suiliang, Changsun Wuji and other loyal ministers, 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 his 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. Queen, Concubine Xiao Shu had her hands and feet cut off and her bones were drunk.
After Zetian ascended to 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 engaged in 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 Tong Zhongshu's disciple Changsun Wuji and forced him to hang himself; he dismissed the supporters of Zhu Suiliang and Changsun Yuanji in the court, consolidated and expanded his influence and power, and removed the obstacles on her way to participate in politics. She is known as the legacy of Zhenguan. The rule of Yonghui ended.
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.
In order to clear her last obstacle, Wu Zetian first killed her eldest son, then murdered her second son, deposed her third son, and put her fourth son under house arrest.
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 went 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.
From the first year of Shangyuan (674), Zetian began to rule as the "Queen of Heaven" to the first year of Tianshou (690) when he officially proclaimed the emperor. During the 16 years, Wu made preparations for the emperor. A lot of long-term preparations were made and 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), Gaozong died, Zhongzong Li Xian just succeeded to the throne, and Empress Wu came to the court 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 emperor's position and were controlled by Empress Wu in everything.
Secondly, the "Clan Chronicle" was revised to the "Surname Record". Originally, the Wu family could not even be included in the "Clan Chronicle", but in the "Surname Record", it was designated as the first-class surname. , 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 that he has the supreme power of unification. These new policy measures of Empress Wu were quickly opposed by the Li family of the royal family and many gentry bureaucrats. The governor of Liuzhou, Xu Shiji, a great hero in the early Tang Dynasty, followed by Xu Jingye, summoned hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses to take the lead in launching an attack on Yangzhou. The famous book "Chao Wu Zhao Xi" spread throughout the territory. Li Chong, the king of Langya of the clan, was in Bozhou, and Li Zhen, the king of Yue, also rebelled in Yuzhou 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 widespread implication 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 came 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 such as employing people, 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 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 3.80 million during 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.
Zetian also made a lot of efforts during his administration in terms of fighting foreign invasion, protecting border tranquility, and improving relations with neighboring countries. Zetian resolutely resisted and counterattacked the invasion and harassment of the Tubo nobles. In the second year of Changshou (692), she sent general Wang Xiaojie to defeat Tubo, regain the four towns of Anxi, and restore the Anxi Protectorate in Qiuci. Later, the Beiting Protectorate was set up in Tingzhou to consolidate the northwest border defense and open up the once-interrupted "Silk Road" to Central Asia. During her administration, she adhered to the policy of border army garrisoning. During the Tianshou period, Lou Shi, the governor of Fengzhou, "camped fields and accumulated millions of grains, and used soldiers to spare them." In the first year of Dazu (701), Guo Yuanzhen was appointed governor of Liangzhou and continued to farm for five years. "The military rations can last for decades." Wu's large-scale long-term farming. It has a positive effect on the development of border areas, reducing the labor of people's transportation, and consolidating border defense.
Of course, during the long period of nearly half a century when Wu Zhao was in power, there were also many mistakes. She reuses cruel staff and rewards whistleblowers. Many dirty officials were rampant for a while.
They tortured to extract confessions, killed innocent people indiscriminately, and framed others, causing many civil servants and military generals to suffer unjust injustice. Although it played some role in the consolidation of Wu Zhou's regime, the internal conflicts within the ruling group intensified and everyone was in danger, which would inevitably affect the country's governance and production development. She gave free rein to the palace selection, which intensified the bureaucracy. The expansion of the bureaucracy will inevitably increase the burden on the people. In her later years, she was very happy with her achievements, lived a luxurious life, and spent a lot of money and labor. These have affected and delayed the development of productivity to varying degrees. However, these mistakes and mistakes are, after all, the tributaries of Wu Zetian's political career. As the only female emperor in Chinese history, she was able to overcome all difficulties and form a strong centralization of power, social stability, and economic development during her half-century rule. She inherited the "Government of Zhenguan" and ushered in the "Kaiyuan Dynasty". "Compared with the historical merits of eradicating current shortcomings, developing production, improving the imperial examination, breaking down the clan concept, appointing talents in an eclectic way, conforming to the historical trend, and carrying out drastic reforms, the merits and demerits are mixed. Her historical merits and demerits, just like the "wordless monument" she set for herself, can only be commented and judged by history.
In 705, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi took advantage of Wu Zetian's old age and critical illness, supported Zhongzong's restoration, and respected Wu as the "Great Sage Emperor of Zetian." In the winter of the same year, Wu died at the age of 82. Her last edict was to "remove the title of emperor and call her the Great Sage Queen Zetian." Li Bai listed Wu Zetian as one of the "Seven Sages" of the Tang Dynasty.
Wu Zetian was also a female poet. There are 58 of her poems recorded in "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty", most of which are memorial works for temples. However, there are also some lyrical poems about travels. Her poem "Ruyi Niang" reads:
Looking at Zhu Chengbi thinking a lot, looking haggard and fragmented, I remember you.
If you don’t believe it, I often shed tears recently when I open the box to check out the pomegranate skirt.
As the empress, Wu Zetian was a strong-armed figure, leaving the impression of a man among women. However, as a woman, she also had a loving and tender side, which can be seen in this poem.
Wu Zetian also wrote a poem titled "The Decree of the Last Day, I'm Fortunately Going to the Garden":
When I visited Shangyuan in the Ming Dynasty, I was in a hurry to announce the spring.
The flowers bloom all night long, don’t wait for the morning breeze to blow.
This poem was later circulated as a story, saying that Wu Zetian visited Shangyuan in the winter of a certain year and asked the flower god to urge all the flowers to bloom. Empress Wu was furious and demoted her to Luoyang. "So among those who talk about peony today, Xiluo is the first." (Gao Cheng: "Peony" in Volume 10 of Shijiyuan). This poem was written in 691, the second year after Wu Zetian established the "Wuzhou". The "Complete Poetry of the Tang Dynasty" explains the title of this poem: "In the second year of Tianshou, in La, the minister wanted to falsely call himself Huafa. Please go to the garden. There was a plan, so he sent an emissary to announce the plan. In the early hours of the morning, all the ministers convinced Tang Zuo that this was not enough. Believe it." This theory is more believable. The so-called Flower God urges hundreds of flowers to bloom is due to the need of political propaganda and was actually arranged in advance.
According to "New Book of Tang·Yiwenzhi", there are one hundred volumes of Wu Zetian's "Cui Gong Collection", and ten volumes of "Jinlun Collection" have been lost. It made people compile "Wu Zetian Collection" and publish it in the world.
Chronicle of Wu Zetian
1 year old, the seventh year of Wude (624), born in Chang'an. His father, the warrior Xun, was 48 years old. He served as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry and judged the affairs of the Six Cao Cao. Mother, Mrs. Yang, is 46 years old. The half-brothers Yuan Qing and Yuan Shuang are slightly older, while the elder sister is still young.
At the age of 2, on the fourth day of June in the eighth year of Wude (625), Li Shimin launched the "Xuanwumen Incident" and killed his brother Jiancheng and his brother Yuanji. On the seventh day of the lunar month, Li Shimin was established as the prince. On the eighth day of August, the great ancestor Li Yuan passed away to the crown prince Li Shimin. On the 9th, Prince Li Shimin ascended the throne and became Taizong. The warrior Xun was made the governor of Yuzhou.
At the age of 5, on June 15th, the second year of Zhenguan (628), Li Zhi (Tang Gaozong) was born. This year, Yuan Tiangang became a military official, leaving behind legends such as Chaotianguan and Wangyunpu in the local area.
At the age of 12, on the sixth day of May in the ninth year of Zhenguan (635), Gaozu died in the Chui Gong Hall of Da'an Palace in Chang'an. The warrior Xun fell ill and died at the age of 59 while mourning his great ancestor. On October 27, Gaozu was buried in the Xianling Mausoleum in Sanyuan, Shaanxi Province. The temple was named Gaozu, and he was buried with Queen Taimu. Later, he buried his father in water with his mother Yang's palindrome.
At the age of 14, in the eleventh year of Zhenguan (637), Taizong Li Shimin heard that the daughter of the warrior Yun was beautiful, intelligent and talented. He summoned her to the palace, made her a talented woman, and gave her the title "Wu Mei Niang".
At the age of 16, in the thirteenth year of Zhenguan (639), there were 358 state capitals and 1,551 counties in the country. The chiefs of Goryeo, Silla, Western Turks, Tocharo, Kangguo, Anguo, Persia, Shule, Khotan, Yanqi, Gaochang, Linyi, Kunming and other chiefs successively sent envoys to pay tribute.
At the age of 20, on the seventh day of April in the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), Taizong made Li Zhi the crown prince.
At the age of 23, on the ninth day of March in the 20th year of Zhenguan (646), Taizong was seriously ill. He issued an order to handle military and state affairs and entrusted Prince Li Zhi to handle it. After that, the prince listened to the government the next day, and after the court, he went to serve the medicinal diet. Wu and the prince began to contact each other, and they both served at Taizong's side.
At the age of 25, in the first month of the 22nd year of Zhenguan (648), Taizong wrote 12 chapters of "Emperor Fan" and gave it to Prince Li Zhi.
At the age of 26, on May 26, the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649), Emperor Taizong issued an order to Sun Wuji and Chu Suiliang to assist Prince Li Zhi. Taizong died.
According to the law at that time, after the emperor's death, the concubines who did not give birth to a prince to the emperor were required to become nuns. On the 28th, Wu became a nun at Ganye Temple. On the first day of June, Prince Li Zhi ascended the throne and became Emperor Gaozong at the age of 22. On August 28, Taizong was buried in Zhaoling, together with Queen Changsun.
At the age of 27, on the sixth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Yonghui (650), Emperor Gaozong made his concubine Wang the queen. On May 26, the anniversary of Taizong's death, Gaozong went to Ganye Temple to perform incense and met Wu. Wu family cried, and Gaozong was sad and shed tears. Queen Wang hinted that Wu should grow her hair long and persuaded the emperor to take her back to the palace.
At the age of 28, in August of the second year of Yonghui (651), Wu entered the palace as an ordinary maid, beside the queen and the queen.
At the age of 29, on the second day of July in the third year of Yonghui (652), Li Zhong (ie Chen Wangzhong) was made the crown prince. On the 12th, the Ministry of Household Affairs reported that there were 3.8 million households in the country. This winter, Wu gave birth to his son Li Hong.
At the age of 31, in March of the fifth year of Yonghui (654), he was granted the title of Zhaoyi. On March 14, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty responded to Wu's request and presented 13 additional officials, including Qu Tutong, a hero of military virtue, and Xun, a warrior. In June, Queen Wang's uncle saw the reality of the queen's decline in favor, asked to be dismissed from office, and was granted the title of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. On December 17, Emperor Gaozong left the capital to visit Zhaoling, where Wu followed and gave birth to his second son, Li Xian, on the way.
At the age of 32, in March of the sixth year of Yonghui (655), Wu wrote an article "Internal Training". In June, an incident occurred between Queen Wang and her mother Liu, who was "weary of winning". Emperor Gaozong was furious and ordered Liu not to enter the palace, and his uncle stopped knowing political affairs. At this time, the courtiers were divided into two groups on the issue of the queen's dethronement: Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Chaoyuan, Laiji, etc. opposed the establishment of Wu Zetian as the queen; Xu Jingzong, Li Yifu, Cui Yixuan, Yuan Gongyu, etc. supported the establishment of Wu Zetian as the queen. On October 13th, Queen Wang and Concubine Xiao Shu were deposed as common people. On the 19th, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to appoint Wu Zhaoyi as queen. On the first day of November, a grand ceremony of enthroning the queen was held. All civil and military officials and the chiefs of Fanyi came to the Suyi Gate to pay homage to the queen. On the seventh day of the lunar month, Empress Wu’s father, warrior Xun, was given the posthumous title of Sikong. This month, Empress Wu executed Empress Wang and Concubine Xiao Shu.
At the age of 33, on the sixth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Xianqing (656), Prince Li Zhong was demoted to be the King of Liang and the governor of Liangzhou, and Li Hong, the empress of Wu, was made the crown prince. On February 17, Empress Wu's father, warrior Xun, was posthumously given the title of Situ and was given the title of Duke of Zhou. On March 17, Empress Wu sacrificed silkworms to the ancestors in the northern suburbs. On April 14, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu visited Xuanzang in the Anfu Gate Tower to welcome the imperial inscription on the Ci'en Temple. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Buddhist activities have never been so grand. On September 12, Empress Wu made the "Commandments for Foreign Relatives" and presented it to the court. On the fifth day of November, Empress Wu gave birth to her third son, Li Xian, in Chang'an.
At the age of 34, on February 12, the second year of Xianqing (657), Li Xian was granted the title of King of Zhou.
At the age of 36, on June 22nd of the fourth year of Xianqing (659), Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to change the "Chronicles of the Clan" to the "Record of Surnames", with the royal family and descendants as the first class. Those who obtained the fifth rank of officials in the dynasty were all admitted to the scholar stream. In the seventh month, Zhangsun Wuji and Liu Shi were killed. In September, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to establish 127 prefectures and counties in Shi, Mi, Shi, Da'an, Xiao'an, Cao, Bahanna, Xida, Shule, Zhujuban and other countries, further expanding the country's territory.
At the age of 37, in the first month of the fifth year of Xianqing (660), Gaozong, Empress Wu and the prince spent the Spring Festival in Luoyang, the eastern capital. On the 23rd, he left Luoyang and arrived in Bingzhou. On the tenth day of February, we arrived in Bingzhou. On the 15th, I met with the accompanying officials, relatives, and elders of Bingzhou officials. On the fifth day of the third month, Empress Wu hosted a banquet for relatives, old friends and neighbors in the court hall, and a banquet for women in the inner hall. On the eighth day of the lunar month, Emperor Gaozong gave a military lecture in the west of Bingzhou City, leading a military parade by his ministers. On the eighth day of April, Emperor Gaozong, Empress Wu and his party left and returned to the Eastern Capital. On October 9, Yang was granted the title of Madam Rongguo, the first lady of the country. This month, Emperor Gaozong was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and asked Empress Wu to handle some government affairs. From then on, Empress Wu participated in the government affairs and handled everything in line with Gao Zong's wishes.
At the age of 38, in the first month of the first year of Longshuo (661), Empress Wu requested that women in the world be prohibited from acting as actors in operas (in ancient times, they referred to entertainers who performed burlesques), and Emperor Gaozong accepted it and issued an edict. In April, Emperor Gaozong wanted to personally lead an army to attack Goryeo, but Empress Wu resisted and remonstrated, thinking it was impossible and was accepted.
At the age of 39, on the first day of June in the second year of Longshuo (662), Empress Wu gave birth to her fourth son Li Dan in the Hanliang Hall of Penglai Palace, where he performed Buddhist services and offered jade statues. On the first day of the seventh lunar month, on the occasion of the full moon of Prince Li Dan, a general pardon was given to the whole world and a banquet was given for three days.
At the age of 41, in December of the first year of Linde (664), Shangguan Yi, the minister of Xitai, failed in his attempt to depose the queen and was imprisoned. On the 13th, Shangguan Yi and others were killed, and the deposed prince was given a loyal death. After that, Emperor Gaozong visited the court, and Empress Wu hung the curtain behind her. They were called the "Two Saints" at home and abroad. About this year, Empress Wu gave birth to Princess Taiping.
At the age of 42, on October 28th of the second year of Linde (665), Emperor Gaozong, Empress Wu and the Prince went to Mount Tai to pray for Zen. All over Persia, people from all over the world followed. This year, we have another good harvest.
At the age of 43, on the first day of the first lunar month of the first year of Qianfeng (666), Emperor Gaozong worshiped God Haotian in the south of Mount Tai. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, he was sealed on Mount Tai. On the third day of the lunar month, he meditated in Sheshou Mountain, and Empress Wu was Yaxian. On the fifth day of the lunar month, after the ceremony, Emperor Gaozong received congratulations from the imperial court, pardoned the world, and changed the title to Qianfeng in the Yuan Dynasty. On the sixth day, there was a banquet for all the ministers. On the 19th, we left Mount Tai. On the 24th, he arrived in Qufu and presented Confucius as the Grand Master. On February 22, when they returned to Bozhou, Gaozong and others paid homage to Laojun in the temple and honored him as Emperor Xuanyuan. On March 11, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu returned to Luoyang, the eastern capital. He was ordered to engrave the "Ensignment Registration Document" and set it up on Mount Tai.
At the age of 44, on the third day of September in the second year of Qianfeng (667), Gaozong was ill for a long time and ordered the prince Hong to supervise the country and changed the title of King Li Dan of Yin to the title of Prime Minister.
At the age of 45, in the second month of the first year of Zongzhang (668), Emperor Gaozong wanted to build a Mingtang. On the 25th, Chang'an and Wannian counties were divided into two counties, Qianfeng and Mingtang counties, to clarify the aspirations. On September 12, Li Ji captured Pyongyang, captured Goryeo King Gaozang and his minister Nan Jian, and completely conquered Goryeo.
At the age of 46, in the first month of the second year of the General Chapter (669), all the legitimate sons of the kings were granted the title of county king. On the third day of December, Li Ji died of illness.
At the age of 47, on the seventh day of the first lunar month of the first year of Xianheng (670), Liu Rengui resigned due to old age. On March 19, Xu Jingzong retired. On the second day of August, Empress Wu's mother Yang died of illness in Jiucheng Palace at the age of 92.
At the age of 48, on the seventh day of the first lunar month in the second year of Xianheng (671), Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu left the capital Chang'an for the Eastern Capital, leaving the prince Li Hong to supervise the country, and ordered Dai Zhide, Li Jingxuan and others to assist in the administration.
At the age of 49, in the first month of the third year of Xianheng (672), with Liang Jishou as commander, he sent troops to attack the "barbarians". 30,000 households with 14 surnames from Kunming surrendered, and the three prefectures of Yin, Dun and Zong were established.
At the age of 50, in August of the fourth year of Xianheng (673), Emperor Gaozong suffered from malaria and became seriously ill. He ordered Prince Li Hong to attend the ceremony at Yanfu Hall. In November, Emperor Gaozong supervised the composition of the music, including Shangyuan, Eryi, Sancai, Four Seasons, Five Elements, Six Rhythms, Seven Policies, Eight Winds, and Nine "Guan", "Shizhou", "Deyi", "Qingyun" and other songs.
At the age of 51, on August 15th of the first year of Shangyuan (674), Gaozong honored his ancestors and regarded Gaozu as Emperor Shenyao and Taizong as Emperor Wenwu. Gaozong called himself Emperor and Empress Wu. Proclaimed Queen of Heaven, changed the Yuan Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, and granted amnesty to the world. On the seventh day of the ninth lunar month, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to restore his eldest son Wuji to the official title and to be buried with him in Zhaoling. His great-grandson eldest son Yi attacked the Duke of Zhao. On October 27, Empress Wu submitted twelve opinions, which Emperor Gaozong agreed with and ordered them to be implemented.
At the age of 52, on March 13, the second year of Shangyuan (675), Empress Wu sacrificed silkworms to the south of Mang Mountain. This month, Gaozong's rheumatoid arthritis worsened and he was unable to listen to government affairs. All political affairs were handled by Empress Wu. Emperor Gaozong wanted to subordinate himself to Empress Wu, but Prime Minister Hao Chujun dissuaded him. Empress Wu invited literary scholars to write books in the palace and participate in voting and performance. They were called "North Gate Scholars". On April 25, Prince Li Hong was killed. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the posthumous crown prince Li Hong was given the title of filial piety to the emperor. On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, King Yong Li Xian was made the crown prince and granted a general amnesty to the whole world. On August 19, Prince Li Hong was buried in the Gongling Mausoleum of Heyanshi, and Gao Zong personally wrote "Records of Filial Piety to the Emperor Ruide".
At the age of 53, on the seventh day of the second lunar month in the first year of Yifeng (676), Empress Wu persuaded Gaozong to grant Zen to Mount Song. On the 15th, Emperor Gaozong issued an order to do something in Songshan this winter. In the third month of the leap month, Tushan attacked Shan, Kuo, He, and Fang prefectures. Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to stop Fengchan and sent Prime Minister Li Dan and others to lead an army to resist Tibet.
At the age of 55, on the fourth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Yifeng (678), Baiguan and the chiefs of the four barbarians paid homage to Empress Wu at Guangshun Gate.
At the age of 56, on the seventh day of May in the first year of Tiaolu (679), Emperor Gaozong ordered Prince Li Xian to supervise the country.
At the age of 57, on the 19th day of the first lunar month of the first year of Yonglong (680), Empress Wu went to the gate tower of Luoyang City and hosted a banquet for all the kings and ministers of third rank and above, as well as governors and governors of various states. Chun" dance. On August 22, Prince Li Xian was deposed as a commoner. On the 23rd, Li Xian, king of Ying, was made the crown prince, changed his reign to Yonglong, and granted amnesty to the whole country.
At the age of 58, on the tenth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Kaiyao (681), when the crown prince was first established, he hosted a banquet for hundreds of officials and their wives at the Ming Dynasty official. On the 29th, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to exempt the four prefectures of Yong, Qi, Hua, and Tong from local taxes for two years. Flood-hit areas in Henan and Hebei will be exempted from tax for one year. In February, Empress Wu asked King Qi to pardon the crimes committed by King Shangjin and King Sujie of Poyang. Therefore, Shangjin was appointed as the governor of Mianzhou and Sujie was appointed as the governor of Yuezhou, but they were still not allowed to gather at court. On July 22nd, Princess Taiping married Xue Shao. On the 24th of the intercalary month, Emperor Gaozong fell ill and ordered Prince Li Xian to supervise the country. On the eighth day of November, the deposed crown prince Xian was ordered to move to Bazhou.
At the age of 59, on February 19th of the first year of Yongchun (682), the emperor's grandson changed his name to Yongchun and granted amnesty to the world under the full moon. On March 25, the emperor's grandson Chongzhao was made the emperor's grandson.
At the age of 60, on the fifth day of the first lunar month of the first year of Hongdao (683), Empress Wu followed Gaozong to Shaolin Temple. Seeing that her mother’s old camp had not yet been completed, she felt desolate. She wrote a poem and prefaced it. Wu Sansi's money, silk and other objects will continue his success. In July, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict that something should be done in Songshan in November this year, but soon it was changed to the first month of the following year due to Emperor Gaozong's serious illness. On the third day of November, Emperor Gaozong's condition worsened, and he issued an edict to close Songshan Mountain next year. On the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Gaozong wanted to ascend the Zetian Gate Tower to proclaim the edict, but he was too angry to get on his horse, so he called the people into the palace to proclaim the edict. That night, Emperor Gaozong died in the Zhenguan Hall of Luoyang Palace at the age of 56. After leaving the imperial edict, the crown prince ascended the throne in front of the coffin, and Pei Yan and others assisted in the administration. If military and state affairs were undecided, the Empress Wu would be appointed as the emperor. On the 11th, Prince Li Xian ascended the throne and became Zhongzong. Honor the Empress Wu as the Empress Dowager.
At the age of 61, on the first day of the first lunar month of the first year of Guangzhai (684), he changed the name of Yuan Sisheng, granted amnesty to the world, and Zhongzong made Wei Shi his queen. Empress Dowager Wu wrote "Emperor Gojong's Yiyiyi" and "Shushengji". On February 6, Empress Dowager Wu, Pei Yan and others deposed Zhongzong as King of Luling and secluded himself in a separate place. On the seventh day, Li Dan, the prime minister, was established as the emperor and Ruizong, and the civilization of the Yuan Dynasty was changed, and political affairs were handled by the Empress Dowager Wu. On the eighth day, the emperor's grandson Chongzhao was deposed as a commoner, and Wei Xuanzhen was exiled to Qinzhou.
On the 9th, Qiu Shenji was ordered to go to Bazhou to monitor the deposed prince Li Xian to prepare for external dangers. With Wei Daiji as the envoy for the construction of the mountain mausoleum, he led the soldiers and people to build the Qianling Mausoleum. On the fifth day of March, the deposed prince Li Xian committed suicide in Bazhou. On April 22nd, King Li Xian of Luling was moved to Fangzhou, and on the 26th he was moved to Junzhou. On May 15th, Gaozong's coffin was transported to Chang'an, and Empress Dowager Wu wrote the "Emperor Gaozong's Memoirs" and stayed in Luoyang. On August 11, Emperor Gaozong was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum. The temple was named Gaozong, and a stele engraved with sacred records was erected in front of the mausoleum. On the sixth day of September, Empress Dowager Wu changed Yuanguang's residence and Dongdu into the capital of the gods. On the 21st, Empress Dowager Wu pursued her ancestors: the ancestor of the fifth generation was Duke Jing of Lu, the great ancestor Ju Chang was Taiwei and King Gongsu of Beiping, the great ancestor Jian was Taiwei and King Yikang of Jincheng, the ancestor Huahua was King Ancheng of Taiyuan, and his father was Shi Xun. For King Zhongxiao of Wei. An ancestral hall of the Five Dynasties was built in Wenshui.
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