Author: Linkai
Last update: 2022, November 15th
"Emperor Taizong had a horse with the name "Lion Stallion", and it was so large and strong that no one could get on its back. I suggested to him, "I only need three things to subordinate it: an iron whip, an iron hammer, and a sharp dagger. First, whip it with the iron whip. If it does not submit, hit its head with the iron hammer. And if it still does not submit, I will cut its throat with the dagger. Because to the thing that cannot be tamed, what is the point to keep it by your side?". Do you really believe that you are worth dirtying my dagger?", said Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian, or Wu Zhao, along with Empress Lu of Han dynasty and Empress Dowager Cixi of Qing dynasty, are the three most powerful and cruel women in Ancient China history, who actually had been the real power behind the throne during their reigns. She is not only the most popular Gourmet in "Fate of The Empress" but also the mother of another popular hero, Princess Taiping. All her skills in-game, "Sweet", "Flying" and "Dancing" just don't have anything to do with her real-life skills at all.
There is no record of what her real name is. The name Wu Zhao (武曌) was created by herself. The character Zhao 曌 was made from 3 other characters: 日 the Sun, 月 the Moon and 空 the Sky. The implication appeared to be that she would be like the Sun and Moon on the sky, highest and brightest. Emperor Taizong gave her the art name Wu Mei (武媚), meaning "glamorous". If you ever hear of Wu Mei, or Wu Meiniang, it's also her.
Wu Zetian was born into a wealthy royal family and was well-educated, which is very rare in Ancient China society when women were not allowed to study. When she turned 14, the age that was considered a full adult back then, she was summoned to the Palace to be Emperor Taizong's concubine as he heard of her beauty. Her mother wept bitterly but the young girl Wu said "How do you know that it is not my fortune to meet the Son of Heaven?". Her mother then saw her big ambition and stopped crying.
(Wu Zetian 1st entered palace to serve Emperor Taizong,
casted by Fan Bingbing in "The Empress of China")
However, she had never had favor from Emperor Taizong. Instead, she had an affair with his youngest son, Crown Prince Li Zhi, who later became his successor, Emperor Gaozong (Yea I know, right. But to be fair, she was only 14 and Emperor Taizong was already 40 at that time). After Taizong passed away, she married Emperor Gaozong and became his consort. Before that, Emperor Gaozong already had 2 wives, Empress Wang (The highest ranking) and Consort Xiao. However, Emperor favored Consort Xiao more so Empress Wang tried to say nice about Wu Zetian, and hoped that the new consort would divert the emperor from Xiao and she could get back her power. Oh, how wrong could she be.
(Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong in "The Empress of China")
Consort Wu soon overtook Consort Xiao as Emperor Gaozong's favorite. Within three years after marrying Gaozong, Wu Zetian gave birth to two princes but at that time, Empress Wang's oldest adopted son Li Zhong was already designated as Crown Prince. In the following year, she gave birth to Princess Anding. One day, when Empress Wang came to visit the newborn princess and returned to her palace, Wu Zetian strangled her own baby to death and used a mattress to cover her body. Shortly after, Emperor Gaozong came and figured the princess was already dead. Wu Zetian mournfully cried while the emperor threw the tantrum. When he asked the maids, all of them said that Empress Wang used to be there. Empress Wang lacked an alibi and was unable to clear her name.
One year after, Wu Zetian accused Empress Wang again and her mother of using witchcraft. The angry emperor then deposed both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao. He placed them both under arrest and made Consort Wu empress replace Empress Wang. Crown Prince Li Zhong was also demoted and Wu Zetian's eldest son, Li Hong was designated as the new one. Later that year, after Emperor Gaozong showed signs of considering their release. Because of this, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were killed on orders by the new Empress Wu. She also eliminated (as in killed them) many people who opposed her in the palace, including all other concubines, their children, officials, and even former Crown Prince Li Zhong. After their deaths, Empress Wu was often haunted by them in her dreams.
(Wu Zetian, Empress Wang, Consort Xiao, and the other concubines
in the fight for the emperor's affection)
After removing those who opposed her rise, she was more power to influence politics, and Emperor Gaozong took full advantage of her advice. Later in 660, Emperor Gaozong began to suffer from an illness that carried the symptoms of painful headaches and loss of vision, which is said that Wu Zetian slowly poisoned him day by day. Empress Wu had quick reactions and understood both literature and history, and therefore, she made correct rulings, and Emperor Gaozong, over time and every day more and more depended on her. Crown Prince Li Hong, who was described as a bright and intelligent prince, opposed his mother for involving deeply into government matters. As a consequence, he was poisoned by his mother too, and died at 25. After the emperor's death, Wu Zetian automatically gained full power over the empire, through the will of Gaozong's "Listen to your mommy".
In 690, Wu had Emperor Ruizong (forcibly) yield the throne to her and established the Zhou dynasty, with herself as the imperial ruler, and became the first and only legitimate female Emperor in the history of China. Zhou dynasty lasted for 15 years, until her own daughter, Princess Taiping put her hand in ending it.
(Wu Zetian became the 1st and only female emperor of China history)
Traditional scholars tend to portray Wu Zetian as a power-hungry woman with no care for whom she hurt or what she did, which is actually not wrong as well. In her whole life, she had murdered 93 people (not including their relatives or acquaintances that were killed along). Among them, 23 people were her family or relatives, 34 people are Tang dynasty's descendants, 36 people are officials. For many centuries, Wu was used by the establishment as an example of political corruption and what can go wrong when a woman is placed in charge. However, HOWEVER, cannot deny that many of them criticized her harshly just because in ancient Confucianism, they cannot accept when a woman takes power.
In fact, under her 40-year reign, China grew larger becoming one of the great powers of the world, its culture and economy were revitalized, and corruption in the court was reduced. Due to her strong leadership and effective governance, China's empire expanded to Central Asia, and religions like Taoism, Buddhism, education, and literature grew quickly. Gender equality was also practiced well during her reign. Sadly, at the end of her life, she relied on her two male concubines Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong to handle the affairs of the state, forgot government, was involved in sexual activities (is this why she boosts AGI?) and lost the throne in the plot of her daughter.
(Wu Zetian, in movie and in real painting, aka Tinder profile pic vs Passport pic)
Before ending this article, just a small story about her leadership in valuing talented people. When she established Zhou dynasty, there was a rebel and a scholar named Luo Binwang among them wrote a particularly sharp-worded declaration against Wu Zetian to inspire the troop, he criticized her harshly and listed all the cruel sins she did.
"... You, dukes, may be living in Han lands; or you may be relations of the Zhou; or you may have been entrusted by word; or you may be asked to look after the imperial house. Your words are still ringing in your ears, so how can you forget your faithfulness? The soil on the new imperial tomb is not yet dry, and to whom can the two-meter-tall orphan be entrusted? If you can turn disaster into fortune, put things in the past, accomplish the Restoration together, and not forget about the will of the deceased emperor, your titles and rewards will be as permanent as the mountains and the rivers."
When Wu Zetian read that, she asked "Who wrote this declaration?".
"Her Majesty, it was Luobin Wang.", someone replied.
"It is the fault of the previous dynasty's chancellors that we lost this talented man's service.", said the new female emperor.
After the rebellion failed later that year, Luo was also killed, and Wu Zetian, impressed with his writing, sent people to gather them and publish them.
For latest update of "Fate of The Empress" guides, engines, services and content?
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neverlandsect51 Join our Discord for more updates: https://discord.com/invite/ZzMYn6vkfY Subscribe our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@neverlandsect51
Comments