Wu Zetian was a female emperor, and her wrist was not inferior to that of a man. However, why did she, who was a talented warrior at that time, stay by Emperor Taizong’s side for twelve years without getting pregnant?
In the eleventh year of the Zhenguan reign, Wu Zetian, who was in the prime of her life, entered the palace at the age of fourteen. Her youth and beauty immediately caught the attention of Emperor Taizong of Tang, who named her “Wu Meiniang”. It is said that this is my first taste of warmth, with a charming figure and a great deal of favor. I am sure I can conceive a child, but why not? The answer is that Tang Taizong never had any relationship with her.
Emperor Taizong of Tang had a strong reproductive ability, having around forty children in his lifetime. Wu Zetian became a monk after the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Later, she was taken over by Li Zhi and became his concubine. One year later, she gave birth to a child for him. From this perspective, both of them have the ability to conceive, but why can’t such a beautiful woman handle the promiscuous Emperor Taizong of Tang?
During the Tang Dynasty, the status of talented people in the imperial harem was very low, but this did not prevent her from gaining favor, as this identity often made her appear by the side of Emperor Taizong. Talented people should pay attention to the emperor’s daily life and the situation of their concubines, much like the current position of “secretary”. From this perspective, Emperor Taizong of Tang conferred upon her the title of “talented person” possibly due to her wisdom, rather than her beauty.
Although there were so many beautiful women in the harem of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the most beautiful one in his eyes was his younger brother and daughter-in-law Yang. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he killed his own brothers but accepted their women. Yang was originally a singer, but she was beautiful in appearance. As soon as she entered the palace, she was honored as a “Jieyu” with a higher status than Wu Zetian. Later, Emperor Taizong also wanted her to become the empress, but Wei Zheng disagreed.
In terms of talent, Wu Zetian was not the best either, because there was a woman named Xu Hui in the palace at that time, and Emperor Taizong of Tang loved her very much, which is also recorded in historical books. Finally, Xu Hui also fell in love with Li Shimin and sacrificed herself for him. She was conferred the title of virtuous consort.
During the lifetime of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Empress Wu Zetian had always held the status of a talented warrior and had never changed. However, the women that Emperor Taizong favored had high titles, so it can be seen that Empress Wu Zetian was dispensable to Emperor Taizong of Tang.
Wu Zetian is also famous for her ruthlessness. Regarding the “horse training” incident, she once said that all she needed were three things – a whip, a hammer, and a dagger – to be used on the horse one by one. If it still refused to obey, she would use the dagger to cut its throat.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizong of Tang immediately took a cold breath. This woman was too cruel and violent. The emperor actually preferred gentle and obedient women. For Wu Zetian, she was like a wild horse that was not easy to tame, so Emperor Taizong gave up.
