Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou China

Born

624

The future Empress Wu was born in Lizhou, now in Sichuan Province, on February 16, 624. Her birth name probably was Wu Zhao, or possibly Wu Mei. The baby's father, Wu Shihuo, was a wealthy timber merchant who would become a provincial governor under the new Tang Dynasty. Her mother, Lady Yang, was from a politically important noble family.

Characteristics

634

In spite of her young age, Wu Zeitan is a mature and smart girl.She was so curios and active girl.Her father encouraged her to read widely, which was quite unusual at the time, so she studied politics, government, the Confucian classics, literature, poetry, and music.

Palace Life

638

When she entered palace, she was just 14 years old.But, thanks to her beauty and intelligence, she accepted herself in palace life.

First Relations In Palace

639

Because of her beauty, She was choosen as a concubine of Emperor Taizong.It seems that she likely did have sexual relations with the Emperor at least once, but she was not a favorite.She did not bear him any children.

Regular Life And Secret Lover

642

As she got no promoted as concubines,she spent most of her time working as a secretary or lady in waiting, but according to some legends, Wu Zeitan and Prince Li Zhi-the favorite son of the Emperor Taizong-are fell in love each other.

Death of Emperor Taizong

649

When Emperor Taizong died, she was 25 years old.Since she had not borne the late emperor a child, was sent to Ganye temple to become a Buddhist nun.

Returning Palace

651

So Wu started her simple lives in the temple; she was supposed to spend the rest of her life reading and writing scriptures in peace.But her former lover Emperor Gaozong took her back into the palace

Step by Step To The Throne

653

With the new emperor, she was a much higher rank, being the highest of the second rank concubines.She bore him two sons in 652 and 653, but he had already named another child as his heir apparent. In 654, Consort Wu had a daughter, but the infant soon died of smothering, strangulation, or possibly natural causes.

Strategical Games

654

Wu accused Empress Wang-Emperor Gaozong's wife- of the baby's murder since she had been the last to hold the child, but many people believed that Wu herself killed the baby in order to frame the Empress.

Empress Wu Zetian

655

Afterwards Gaozong and Wu wanted to banish the current queen and gave the crown to Wu.However, the current queen, a decent and beautiful girl from an honorable clan, was chosen by great Emperor Li Shimin; therefore, many important ministers strongly disagreed with this idea.

Rivals' End

656

In November of 656, Empress Wu allegedly ordered the execution of her former rivals, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, to prevent Emperor Gaozong from changing his mind and pardoning them. A blood-thirsty later version of the story says that Wu ordered the women's hands and feet chopped off, and then had them thrown into a large wine barrel. She reportedly said, "Those two witches can get drunk down to their bones." This ghoulish story seems likely to be a later fabrication.

References

700

https://www.chinafetching.com/wu-ze-tian
https://www.thoughtco.com/empress-wu-zetian-of-zhou-china-195119
http://www.chinesetimeschool.com/tr-tr/articles/empress-wu-zetian/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wuhou
https://yp.scmp.com/education/article/91619/wu-zetian-chinas-fierce-and-fearless-empress-and-feminist