Wu Zetian had four sons and two daughters, but these children were all born before Wu Zetian declared herself emperor. Why hasn’t Wu Zetian given birth to any children since she became the first? In fact, Wu Zetian definitely wanted her own son to inherit the throne in the future, so as long as she had a son, it was enough. Moreover, at that time, Wu Zetian was considered the emperor, and Li Zhi had passed away. Wu Zetian could not have said that she would find another husband. For Empress Wu Zetian, it was too difficult to remain emperor for a long time, with too many obstacles. The most important thing was how to smoothly pass on power to the next generation.
Empress Wu Zetian, a legendary figure in history, went against the trend to change dynasties and returned power to the Li family at the peak of her power, which many people cannot understand. So, what happened during her fifteen years as emperor that made her afraid to continue the family line? Why didn’t Empress Wu Zetian dare to pass on the family line after 15 years as emperor?
Wu Zetian was the second daughter of the warrior Wu, the commander-in-chief of Jingzhou. At the age of fourteen, she entered the imperial harem and became a low-level concubine of Emperor Taizong of Tang (concubine rank: fifth grade talented person). Li Shimin gave her the name “Wu Mei” and later called her “Wu Meiniang”. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Wu Zetian held a lowly position in the imperial harem and did not receive the exclusive favor of Li Shimin. She was only a small talented person. Emperor Taizong of Tang passed away. As Empress Wu Zetian was a concubine of the late emperor and had no children, she was sent to the Gan Ye Temple and had her hair shaved off as a nun.
According to the historical book “Zizhi Tongjian”, Wu Zetian, as the mother of Li Zhi (although not herself, at least she was also the wife of Li Zhi’s father), disregarded the Three Obediences and Five Constant Virtues to seduce her son Li Zhi. When Li Shimin became the Kapi and Li Zhi ascended to power, Wu Zetian smoothly entered the palace and became the wife of her son Li Zhi. In order to win the love of her son Li Zhi, Wu Zetian personally strangled her own daughter and framed the Empress Wang! A malicious heart is far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Tang Ruizong Li Dan was actually a puppet emperor. Li Dan repeatedly petitioned his mother to be honored as a great treasure and earnestly requested to be given the surname Wu. This move by Emperor Ruizong may not have been intentional, but it provided a stepping stone for Wu Zetian’s regime change and also ensured Ruizong’s own safety. Two of Wu Zetian’s four sons became emperors. Li Xian served twice, the first time from 683 to 684, before being deposed by Empress Wu. Li Dan succeeded to the throne as emperor, and Wu Zetian became emperor in 690. From 705 to 710, Li Xian became emperor again under the coup of Zhang Jianzhi and others. The Great Tang Dynasty was created by the father and son Li Yuan, especially by Emperor Taizong Li Shimin who worked diligently for the people, worked hard to govern, and was determined to forge ahead, pioneering the governance of Zhenguan. The people live and work in peace and contentment, with a high happiness index. Therefore, although Wu Zetian declared herself emperor for more than ten years, the people still deeply recognized and supported the Li Tang dynasty. Once Wu Zetian appointed her nephew as her successor, it would inevitably lead to collective opposition and riots among the people of the world.
