Follow the history encyclopedia editor to explore the real Shangguan Wan’er in history.
Probably due to being born into a scholarly family, coupled with her mother Zheng’s constant teaching of Wan’er knowledge, reading and writing. Soon, Wan’er, who was only fourteen years old, was summoned by Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian saw that she had excellent poetry and was clever and clever. A bit of my own style from the past. She was relieved of her status as a maid to Wan’er. Let him be in charge of the imperial edicts in the palace. In order to give Wan’er a proper title, Wu Zetian conferred upon her the title of talented person to assist her in her affairs.
Being favored by Empress Wu Zetian, Shangguan Wan’er gradually established herself in the palace and was known as the “inner servant.” Empress Wu highly valued Shangguan Wan’er, but due to her talent, she disobeyed her orders, and she only tattooed her face. From here, we can see Wu Zetian’s care for Shangguan Wan’er.
In 705 AD, Crown Prince Li Xian led the 81 year old Empress Wu Zetian to abdicate through the Shenlong Coup, and Li Xian ascended to the throne, known as Tang Zhongzong. Emperor Tang Zhongzong continued to highly value Shangguan Wan’er and conferred upon her the title of Zhaorong. Shangguan Wan’er, through her own efforts, successfully overturned the verdicts of her grandfather and father, and her mother Zheng was also granted the title of Lady of Pei.
Shangguan Wan’er, who was granted the title of Zhaorong, gained increasing power day by day. She first befriended Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and persuaded her to imitate Empress Wu Zetian. Later, she had an affair with Wu Sansi, who was killed. He conspired with the increasingly powerful Princess Taiping. In the end, due to his multiple calculations, he was stabbed to death by Li Longji, who was still the Prince of Linzi at the time, during the Tang Long coup.
In September 2013, a Tang Dynasty tomb was discovered near Xianyang Airport. Experts determined that the owner of the tomb was a famous Tang Dynasty politician and talented woman named Shangguan Wan’er.
After Shangguan Wan’er was killed, it was not until shortly after Tang Ruizong ascended the throne that she was restored to the position of Zhaorong and buried in Xianyang, Shaanxi. With the discovery of the tomb, the real Shangguan Wan’er was gradually discovered. The cow bones found in the tomb, as shown in the picture, were often used in ancient times to contain the owner’s favorite food during their lifetime.
As shown in the epitaph of Shangguan Wan’er in the tomb. The biggest discovery in the tomb is the discovery of its epitaph, which records important information such as the life and age of Shangguan Wan’er. According to the content on it, it is speculated that Shangguan Wan’er not only had a private conversation with Wu Sansi, which shows that her sexual life was very chaotic. The epitaph highly praises Shangguan Wan’er: Fragrant sales in Xiaoxiang, broken water; jade falling from Wanyue Mountain; pearls sinking, round rings broken; priceless jade shattered. Looking at the tea trees in front of the tomb, listening to the sound of the fragrant tomb wind, for a thousand or ten thousand years, I cherish its beauty and praise its name!
Although experts did not find any precious cultural relics in her tomb, the discovery of Shangguan Wan’er’s tomb has solved a mystery that we have not been able to solve for thousands of years. As shown in the picture, there are nine large characters engraved on it: “Inscription of the Former Zhao Rong Shangguan Family of the Great Tang Dynasty”
