Women in ancient China

One woman who did not conform to social expectations in ancient China was Wu Zhou, the only women rule the empire

624

At 14, she became a junior concubine of the emperor Taizong. Her beauty and intelligence soon attracted his attention, and his son's

638

The emperor died, so Wu Zhao was sent to live in a Buddhist nunnery, as was common practice for childless concubines.

649

She almost certainly would have lived out her days there had it not been for the interest of Taizong's son. He was now emperor Gaozong. He brought her back to the court as a more senior concubine, where she gave birth to two sons and a daughter.