What was the real life of Empress Wu Zetian after her abdication? Below, the editor of the History Encyclopedia will bring you a detailed interpretation. Let’s continue reading~
In ancient Chinese history, in societies where men held power, there were also many very powerful women. When it comes to the most powerful woman in history, of course, Wu Zetian is the only female emperor in China’s 5000 year history! She became the emperor and changed the surname of the Tang Dynasty, which also caused great dissatisfaction among the Li family. In 705 AD, Prime Minister Zhang Jianzhi launched a revolution, forcing Wu Zetian to abdicate and restore the rule of the Tang Dynasty. But after abdicating, Wu Zetian did not live for a year before dying. Upon careful analysis of the reasons behind this, there should be the following points.
Firstly, after Li Xian ascended the throne again, she regained the title of Tang Dynasty and restored her writing, clothing, and other forms to the Tang Dynasty. In fact, historical records show that although Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate, she still received very good treatment after abdicating. In terms of political achievements, Li Xian fully affirmed her lifelong contributions to the Tang Dynasty, fully demonstrating that she was an outstanding emperor with remarkable achievements. Therefore, even if she abdicated, her treatment would not be reduced at all.
However, despite Wu Zetian’s outstanding achievements, during the 22 years after her husband Li Zhi’s death, she appeared to be a widow, but her power and desires continued to increase. When Wu Zetian was in power, she recruited many male pets. In fact, her idea was that emperors of all dynasties could raise women in the three palaces and six courtyards, so if she became emperor, she should also find more men.
So even after her abdication, many male pets remained by her side. And Wu Zetian also had a lifelong hobby, which was to love beauty very much. Although Wu Zetian was in her seventies or eighties at that time, she still had to dress up meticulously every day after waking up, making it difficult to see her aging appearance. But after abdicating, Wu Zetian paid little attention to her own image.
She, who originally had extreme power, lost her confidant and youthful vitality after losing her power. I have lost the desire to inquire about politics and the country, and have gone from working hard for everything in the past to suddenly having nothing to do. Although she still held such a high position, she no longer dealt with political affairs all day long and grew old with the companionship of several “male pets” in front of her bed. In the end, she passed away in less than a year.
