For those who are very interested in Wu Zetian and the Zhang brothers, the History Encyclopedia editor brings detailed articles for your reference.
Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in the history of our country, and her governing methods were thunderous, making her a female hero. The history of the empress’s ascension to power is very tortuous, and she was the consort of two generations of emperors, adding a lot of bright colors to her. There is a record in unofficial history that Wu Zetian, who was over 76 years old, actually kept many dough figurines and indulged in debauchery with them! At that time, she was despised by the people, but from today’s perspective, she did a very clever job.
In ancient times, there was always a distinction of superiority and inferiority between men and women. During the Tang Dynasty, the customs were more civilized, but there was not much emphasis on women. Wu Zetian’s ascension to the throne of the emperor can be considered a shocking event in feudal society!
From the facts, the political ability of the queen is not inferior to that of men. She not only has outstanding appearance, but also remarkable talent. She has no feminine heart and has shown thunderous skills in politics. During her reign, she attached great importance to the accumulation of talents, and even though some literati wrote poems to criticize her, she did not dwell too much on it. Under the leadership of the Empress, the Tang Dynasty not only did not decline, but also prospered more than before.
No matter how skilled she was in handling politics, Wu Zetian’s identity as a woman would not have been tolerated by the society at that time. Because there were no mistakes in government affairs, the public opinion at that time turned to Wu Zetian’s private life.
In ancient times, it was not a problem for men to have three wives and four concubines, but if women imitated men to raise some male pets, it would be a big mistake! Wu Zetian committed such a major taboo, and her private life became a key area of impeachment by the imperial censor.
The queen who can ascend to the throne will definitely not restrain herself in matters related to the harem. Why can a male emperor have three palaces and six courtyards, while a female emperor cannot? Based on this concept, Wu Zetian had no taboos towards palace affairs. Even if there are any rumors or gossip in the early stage, it will not have any impact on her. However, in her later years, she doted on the two brothers, causing them to cause chaos in the court and becoming a major criticism in later generations.
The occurrence of chaos in the imperial harem during her old age has left many people puzzled, as Wu Zetian was already in her seventies or eighties at that time and should not have had any physical desires. In theory, she would not have left any evidence. If she really made such a mistake, it would be obvious that she was confused.
Where could the empress who could ascend to the throne of the emperor be so confused? The rumor was also pushed by her own hands, and she set up a good game.
Wu Zetian was never trapped by emotions, otherwise she would not have been the concubine of two emperors in a row. More importantly, she is a smart woman! Smart women are very decisive in everything they do, and when they encounter obstacles, they will definitely cut them off decisively. According to historical records, Wu Zetian once used her daughter’s life to overthrow Queen Wang, and it can be said that she resorted to any means necessary. No matter how favored the two brothers are, they cannot compare to her daughter’s life. How could they lose the hearts of courtiers because of male favor! It can be imagined that this is a disguise set up by the queen.
When the queen first ascended to the throne, she particularly liked Xue Huaiyi. After receiving favor, Xue Huaiyi began to meddle in politics recklessly, and in fact, he went even further than the later two brothers. Wu Zetian was not deceived by him, no matter how much she doted on him. After realizing his wolfish ambition, she killed him with a cane without mercy. This corresponds to what we just said. Wu Zetian was a smart person, how could she give up her supreme power just because of love?
Turning to the two brothers, with the lessons learned from Xue Huaiyi, although they may be quite reckless, they should always know how to be cautious. Why is his arrogance higher than Xue Huaiyi’s? Wu Zetian’s instigation was indispensable in this. She condoned the two brothers’ abuse of power, even extravagance, trampling on other ministers, disregarding the law, and oppressing the people during their tenure, causing their bad reputations to resound in the court and among the people.
At a time when everyone thought that the Li family’s kingdom was going to be harmed, she passed on the throne to Crown Prince Li Xian and returned it to the Li family.
After such a shocking turning point, the Divine Dragon Coup broke out. The two brothers were brutally slaughtered during this political change, which quelled the resentment of the court and the people. Wu Zetian was already seriously ill at that time, and power was not worth mentioning to her. After giving up the throne, she actually protected herself wisely. The Wu family did not experience much turbulence due to her, and some talented individuals were able to hold important positions.
Summary:
Wu Zetian appeared to favor the two brothers and cause chaos in the palace, but in reality, she was protecting herself and the Wu family. If she continues to hold a high position of power and authority, she will inevitably be the first to be killed in the event of a regime change, which will also affect her family. Although this world belongs to oneself, it ultimately bears the name of the Li family. In order to cushion this kind of harm, she let her two brothers be her shield, and then safely retreated, enjoying her old age and preserving the family. It has to be said that this kind of scheming is quite terrifying!
