Today, the History Encyclopedia editor will bring you Xiao Shufei and Wu Zetian, hoping to be helpful to everyone. Why did Concubine Xiao Shufei become an adult swine by Empress Wu? What kind of festival was there between them? Was Concubine Xiao really pitiful? Is Wu Zetian too vicious?
Before Emperor Gaozong of Tang welcomed Wu Zetian into the palace, Consort Xiao Shufei was a highly favored concubine of Emperor Gaozong. Xiao Shufei has arrogant capital. Because she has a good family background, beautiful appearance, and intelligent mind. With these, she was favored for many years because Queen Wang had no children, and Empress Xiao Shufei gave birth to two daughters and a clever son for Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong doted on these three children. So Xiao Shufei coveted the position of empress and was very arrogant in front of her, asking Empress Wang to give up her position.
When Xiao Shufei discovered that Emperor Gaozong had visited Empress Wu Zetian at the Gan Ye Temple, she was very afraid that Emperor Gaozong would welcome Empress Wu back. She spread rumors that the emperor had secretly met with his illegitimate mother at the Gan Ye Temple. This news quickly became known to Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang, who stopped the plan to bring Empress Wu Zetian back in front of the emperor. After that, Emperor Gaozong of Tang did not visit the Gan Ye Temple for two years.
During this period, Empress Xiao Shufei sent several people to assassinate Empress Wu Zetian at the Gan Ye Temple. In order to maintain her position as empress, Empress Wang wanted to use Empress Wu Zetian to compete for Empress Xiao Shufei’s favor in front of the emperor, so that the two women could fight each other and she could keep her position as empress. So when Xiao Shufei sent someone to assassinate Wu Zetian at Gan Ye Temple, she was saved by the people sent by Queen Wang. Xiao Shufei’s assassination failed to bribe the nuns at Gan Ye Temple, who subjected Wu Zetian to physical punishment and rough work every day.
After Empress Wu Zetian became the empress, she definitely wanted to deal with Empress Xiao Shufei. Unable to give her a chance to turn over, she demoted Xiao Shufei to a commoner and imprisoned her in a desolate courtyard in the palace. One day, Emperor Gaozong passed by her doorstep and felt pity for her, promising to improve her situation. Upon hearing this news, Wu Zetian was extremely angry and panicked. Because she was well aware that if Emperor Gaozong had a sympathetic heart and brought back Empress Xiao Shufei, it could threaten her status and power. So she resolutely took measures to attack Concubine Xiao, cut off her limbs and soaked her in the wine jar with a hundred heavy sticks, which is also called “Rengui”.
Concubine Xiao Shufei was made a swine by Empress Wu. Is it really that Empress Wu is too vicious? In fact, this is also Wu Zetian’s revenge and resolution of hatred. Revenge is to avenge the Gan Ye Temple, and resolution of hatred is the suffering of the Gan Ye Temple’s corporal punishment. Therefore, Xiao Shufei is not pitiful at all. Wu Zetian’s actions not only scared other beauties who entered the palace to compete with her for favor, but also served as a deterrent to deter palace concubines who had the desire to compete for favor, killing two birds with one stone.
