Wu Zetian had a strong personality since childhood and didn't like needlework. She only likes reading, so she knows books well and is proficient in politics. When she was a child, she traveled with her parents to famous mountains and rivers, and her experience was profound, which cultivated her vision and talent.
In November of the 11th year of Zhenguan (637), Emperor Taizong heard that the young Wu Zetian was beautiful and charming, so he took her into the palace and made her a talent with five qualities. He was given the name "Wu Mei", so his name is Wu Meiniang. Before entering the palace, Wu Zetian said goodbye to her widowed mother Shi Yang, "I don't know if it is a blessing to serve the Emperor of Heaven. Why should I cry and be a child? "
Once, she heard that Emperor Taizong had a fierce horse named "Lion Ride", and no one could tame it, so she took the initiative to say to Emperor Taizong, "My concubine can subdue your majesty's fierce horse, but she needs three instruments: one is iron whip, the other is an iron jar, and the third is a dagger. I'll smoke it with iron whip first. If I don't accept it, I'll hit it on the head with a hammer. If I don't accept it, I will cut its throat with a dagger. " As a horse lover, Emperor Taizong disagreed with her method of training horses, and only thought that Wu Cairen was overbearing.
In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), Li Chenggan, the prince, was deposed and the king entered Li Zhi. From then on, while serving Emperor Taizong, Wu Zetian met Li Zhi and developed admiration. After the death of Emperor Taizong, Wu Zetian followed the example of the Tang harem and went into the dry leaf hall to cut her hair. In May of the first year of Yonghui (650), on the anniversary of Emperor Taizong's death, Tang Gaozong went to Ganye Temple to make pilgrimages and met Wu Zetian again. The two men recognized each other and told each other their thoughts after leaving. At this time, the queen who had just fallen out of favor because she had no children saw it in her eyes and offered to ask the emperor to bring Wu Zetian into the palace in an attempt to attack her rival in love, Xiao Shufei. Tang Gaozong had this idea and immediately replied. In May of the 2nd year of Yonghui (65 1), Tang Gaozong's mourning was full, and Wu Zetian entered the palace again. In May of the following year, he became a second-class Zhao Yi.
At the beginning of the 5th year of Yonghui (654), Wu Zetian gave birth to a baby girl, and Tang Gaozong regarded her as the apple of her eye. One day, Queen Wang came to visit the baby girl alone, and Wu Zetian heard the news and deliberately avoided it. After the Queen Wang left, Wu Zetian strangled the baby girl. Tang Gaozong was furious when he learned that, and immediately ordered to trace the murderer. The ladies-in-waiting all told the story that the queen had just left here. Wu Zetian pretended to cry bitterly and took the opportunity to list all kinds of bad behaviors of the queen. Hearing this, Tang Gaozong thought that the baby girl had been hurt by the Queen and he was in a state of abandonment. However, he knew that it was not easy to abolish the queen, and it was difficult to achieve it without the approval of ministers, especially the approval of Uncle Prince and Qiu Wuji. So, he and Wu Zetian came to the Wuji Palace in Sun Chang to find out the location of Wu Zetian through a banquet. During the dinner, Emperor Gaozong first worshipped Wuji's three sons as doctors, then gave them a lot of gold, silver and silk, and then revealed his intention to abolish the queen. But Sun Chang Wuji just changed the subject and avoided a formal statement. Tang Gaozong and Wu Zetian didn't achieve their goal, so they had to return to the palace in an unhappy way. Soon, Wu Zetian instructed her mother Yang to plead with Mowgli, but Mowgli sternly refused.
In June of the 6th year of Yonghui (655), the Queen Wang and her mother Liu Jia summoned a wizard in an attempt to curse Wu Zetian and die. After the incident, he was furious, not only drove Liu out of the palace, but also wanted to promote Wu Zetian from being a product. Due to the opposition of prime ministers Han Yuan and Lai Ji, they finally failed.
Soon, Li Yifu and others learned that they wanted to abolish Empress Wu Zetian, and colluded with Xu, Cui, Yuan and other ministers, and successively submitted a request to establish Empress Wu Zetian. Tang Gaozong saw many people supporting him, and the idea of abolishing legislation sprouted again.
10 13, with the support of court officials, an imperial edict was finally issued: on the charge of "conspiring to poison", the Queen Wang and his wife were abolished and imprisoned, as well as their parents and brothers. He was also dismissed and exiled to Lingnan. Seven days later, Tang Gaozong wrote another letter and made Wu Zetian the queen. At the same time, the most opposed prime minister, Chu Suiliang, was demoted to the governor of another state.
At the beginning of November, Wu Zetian sent someone to beat the ruined and imprisoned Wang and Wang with a hundred sticks, cut off their hands and feet, and put them into wine jars. She also said angrily, "Let the bones of these two bitches be drunk to death." Wang and Xiao cried in the wine jar for days and nights before they died. Before he died, Xiao Shufei cursed loudly: "Ah, Wu Yao, how cruel this is! May I be reborn as a cat and a mouse in the next life. I will bite her throat alive. " It is said that Wu Zetian later banned cats in the palace, and often dreamed of Wang and Xiao Changmao making trouble in the palace. So after she took charge of the state affairs, she lived in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and never returned to Chang 'an.
In April (659) of the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Xianqing, Wu Zetian fabricated charges again, and dismissed Sun Chang Wuji, Yu Zhining, Han Yuan, Lai Ji and others, and moved the capital. At this point, all the ministers of the opposition Wu Zetian were either demoted or killed, and none remained.
In 660, Emperor Gaozong suffered from head wind and was dizzy, so he could not handle state affairs, and ordered Wu Zetian to act as an agent for state affairs. But Wu Zetian was overbearing by nature, so whenever he made a decision, the emperor always obeyed her. The emperor was very dissatisfied, so he consulted with Prime Minister Shangguan Yi in the first year of Linde (664) and planned to abolish the post of Wu Zetian. However, before Shangguan Yi's imperial edict was drafted, Wu Zetian had got the news. She went directly to the emperor to ask about it. Tang Gaozong had to put the blame on Shangguan Yi. In December, Shangguan Yi was arrested and imprisoned, and was soon beheaded. From then on, every time Tang Gaozong went to court, Wu Zetian was behind the scenes, and the world power was completely in the hands of Wuhou. Even life and death are decided by the marquis of Wu, and Emperor Taizong can only do whatever he wants. Therefore, both inside and outside the imperial court are called "two saints".
In the second year of dry sealing (667), Emperor Gaozong was ordered to supervise the country because of his long illness. In the autumn and August of the first year of Shangyuan (674), Emperor Gaozong was the emperor, and Wuhou was the Tianhou Palace, which was called avoiding the first emperor. I really wanted to respect myself. In December, Wu Hou suggested twelve things in the above table: "First, advise farmers to plant mulberry and not pay attention to it. Second, give it to the third auxiliary place (exempt from the corvee in Chang 'an and its nearby areas). Third, stop fighting and moralize the world. Fourth, the South and North China (handicraft workshop government) still prohibits skillful floating. Fifth, save labor and effort. Sixth, talk extensively. Seven, Dewey mouth. Eight, princes and princes will all learn from Laozi. Nine, the father mourned for his mother for three years (it used to be one year). X. Before Shangyuan's "year number", the meritorious person had given himself (power of attorney) and did not pursue it. Eleven, Beijing official more than eight products, the welfare of the capital (increase wages). Twelve, officials have served for a long time, and those with high qualifications have to apply for advanced (promotion) residency. "The emperor's decree was carried out. Wu Zetian can attach importance to agricultural production and stipulate that people who "reclaim land and have surplus grain at home" will be awarded prizes; Those who "abuse the government and transfer accounts" will be punished. The agricultural books compiled by Zhaoren Benye have been published all over the world, which has a great influence.
In March of the second year of Shang and Yuan Dynasties (675), Wuhou gathered a large number of scholars and wrote a large number of books, including Xuan Lan, Ancient and Modern Internal Rules, Minutes of the Qing Palace, Shaoyang Zheng Fan, Canon of the Acropolis, Zi Shu Shu Lu, New Commandments of Fenglou, Biography of Filial Piety, and. Moreover, in order to carve up the power of the prime minister, this group of scholars were ordered to participate in the proceedings of the court, which was called "North Gate Bachelor". At that time, Emperor Gaozong was even more dazzled, and he planned to make Wuhou a regent. Prime Minister Hao Yue said, "Why did your majesty entrust the world of such immortal descendants as Emperor Taizong to the emperor?" The emperor doesn't want to be a regent. Prince Hong is deeply loved and wants to meditate on him. Wu Hou wanted to take over the power and was dissatisfied with Prince Hong. It happened that Prince Hong saw Su Shu's daughters, Princess Yiyang and Princess Xuancheng, imprisoned in the palace because of their mother's crime. They were over 30 years old and not married, so they demanded to surrender, and Emperor Gaozong agreed to them. The marquis of Wu was furious, and soon the prince died in Lianbi Palace. People think that Wu Hou poisoned him.
In December of the first year of Hongdao (683), Tang Gaozong died of illness. His last words were: Prince Li Xian ascended the throne before the coffin, and it was up to Wu Zetian to decide whether military affairs could be decided. Four days later, Li Xian acceded to the throne for Tang Zhongzong. Wu Zetian was honored as the Empress Dowager.
In February of the first year of Guangzhai (684), Zhongzong wanted to take Wei, the stepmother of Wei, as an assistant, but Pei refused to listen. Wu Zetian was abolished as the king of Luling and moved to Fangxian County, Hubei Province. Yu Wang's fourth son Li Dan became emperor for Tang Ruizong and Wu Zetian. In September of the same year, he joined forces with Tang, Luo and others. He helped and supported King Luling and mobilized troops to fight Wu Zetian in Yangzhou. In more than ten days, he gathered100000 people. Wu Zetian immediately took the left general Li Xiaoyi as the general leader of Yangzhou Road and led 300,000 troops to conquer. 1 1 month, Xu Jingye defeated and committed suicide.
In March of the second year of the vertical arch (686), Wu Zetian ordered the manufacture of a small copper box and placed it in front of Luoyang Miyagi, ready to accept the respect of the liegeman. At the same time, open the door to informers and stipulate that anyone can tell them. The state should provide all informers with chariots, horses and food. Even the farmer Qiao Min and Wu Zetian have seen it in person. If the content is in line with the wishes, it can be promoted without exception. If the accusation is not established, there will be no guilt. At the same time, Wu Zetian successively appointed a large number of cruel officials such as Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen and Hou Sizhi to take charge of the prison system. If the defendants are put into this prison and cruel officials use all kinds of torture for interrogation, there is no doubt that they can get out of prison alive. In this way, with the trend of more and more informers, more and more people are tortured to death by cruel officials. So there was a political atmosphere of fear of cloth inside and outside the imperial court, so that ministers had to say goodbye to their families every time they went to court, and they were on tenterhooks all day.
In July of four years (688), the son of Emperor Taizong, Li Zhen, the king of Yue, and Li Chong, the evil king, rose up against Wu Zetian in Bozhou (now northeast of Liaocheng, Shandong) and Yuzhou (now Runan, Henan). Wu Zetian sent General Qiu Miracle of Sargingo as the chief marching officer of Qingping Island and led the army to conquer it. Seven days later, Li Zhen and his son were defeated and killed.
This year, the monks were ordered to command more than 10,000 people to destroy the Yuan Hall and build the Ming Hall, which took nearly a year to complete, with a height of 294 feet and a width of 300 feet. There are three floors, with a round cover on the top and Kowloon supporting it. There is an iron phoenix on the mountain, ten feet high. Decorated with gold, it is called "Vientiane shrine". After the completion of Tang Ming, the monk was ordered to cast a righteous statue. The little finger of the statue can hold dozens of people, and a five-story paradise will be built in northern Tang Ming to receive the statue. The cost is trillions, and the government finances are exhausted. At that time, Wu Ming-ren carved a white stone as a text, saying, "The Virgin is a human being, and Yongchang is an emperor." It is said that it was found in Luoshui and dedicated to Wuhou. The marquis of Wu was overjoyed and ordered people to call this stone a "treasure map". Later, Wuhou was honored as the "Virgin Jade Emperor".
After Wu's strategy, he seized the country and eliminated the imperial clan of the Tang Dynasty. When the kings were uneasy and wanted to confront each other, no consensus was reached. In August, he sent troops to Bozhou, Bozhou (now northeast of Liaocheng, Shandong). The secretariat of Shi Yue set out to fight (now Runan, Henan). Wu Hou sent Qiu and Wei to attack him. The evil Chong Wang rose up and died on the 7th. In September, King Zhen of Yue committed suicide after being defeated. Wu Zetian tried her best to let Zhou Xing and others interrogate him, forcing Wang Yuanjia, Ling Kui and Huang Guogong of North Korea to commit suicide, and Princess Rong of Dongguan County, Princess Changle and all her cronies were punished.
The imperial examination system was further developed during the reign of Wuhou. During the Zhenguan period, 205 scholars were admitted, and more than 0/000 people were admitted in the post-Gao Zongwu period. The average number of students admitted each year is more than double that of Zhenguan. In the first year of Wuhou (690), Wuhou personally asked the palace master at the Los Angeles Temple, which was the beginning of the "entrance examination". 1989, ten governors were sent to recommend talents. One year later, 100 people were recommended. Wu Hou, regardless of his background, will be interviewed and appointed only according to the quantity, or appointed as a trial fengge (Zhongshu Province), or appointed as foreign minister, assistant, deputy envoy and proofreader. Since then, the trial officer system has always existed. The language. Although Wuhou won the hearts of the people with his official position, he would also depose incompetent people; Seeing clearly and judging well, people at that time were also happy to play for Wuhou. In order to reward the informer, Wu Hou made an exception and awarded the informer an official position. Hou Sizhi, who sells cakes for a living, is a hooligan. Pei Zhen, who falsely accused Shu of rebelling against Hengzhou, was appointed as a guerrilla general and counselor. Known for his immorality, Wang sued the village for rebellion and appointed guerrilla generals and imperial advisers to the temple. In that year, he killed Annan, Deng 12 members of the imperial clan and flogged the second son of the late Wang Xian. The imperial clan of the Tang Dynasty was completely annihilated, and its young and weak survivors also flowed to Lingnan, killing hundreds of pro-Party people.
In July of that year, Faming, a monk, and others wrote the Great Cloud Sutra in four volumes, pointing out that Wuhou was Maitreya's next life, and the contemporary Tang Dynasty was the master of the world, and Wuhou ordered its promulgation. Ordered two Beijing to build a Dayun Temple to store the Dayun Sutra, and ordered monks to explain it, raising the status of Buddhism above Taoism. In September of that year, Fu Youyi, an imperial envoy, led 900 people to the table in Guanzhong. Please change the country name to Zhou and the emperor's surname to Wu. As a result, more than 60,000 officials, the emperor's clansmen, ordinary people, the leaders of Siyi, shamans and Taoists also submitted their names. The marquis of Wu must invite him to change the Tang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty and Yuan Tiancai. Wuhou is called the Holy Spirit Emperor, with Zong Rui as the heir, Wu Shi as the surname, and the Crown Prince as the grandson. After the establishment of the seventh samurai temple, Zhou Wenwang was honored as the ancestor of Wendi. Wu was appointed as Wang Wei, Wu Sansi was, and the rest of the Wu people were Wang and princess royal.
In September of the same year, Wu Zetian sent Wang Xiaojie, the general of Xingyang Weiyou, as the general manager of Wuwei Army, and led troops to the western regions with Ashina, the general of Wuwei, to conquer Tubo. In October, Tang Jun won a great victory. Even the four towns of Anxi, such as Khotan, Shule, Qiuci and Broken Leaf, still set the capital of Anxi in Qiuci and sent troops to defend it.
After three years of longevity (694), Wu Sansi led the leaders of Siyi to cast Shu Tian with copper and iron, and stood outside the city gate to celebrate the merit of the marquis of Wu. The marquis of Wu wrote in his own handwriting: "All countries in the Zhou Dynasty praised Shu Tian". Shu Tian was elected in August. It is shaped like a column, with a height of 105 feet and a diameter of 12 feet. It has eight sides, five feet on each side, iron mountain at the bottom, circumference of 170 feet, and bronze dragons and Kirin around it. At the top, Yun Teng's exposed dish is three feet in diameter, and the four dragons on it stand upright, holding fire beads and one foot high. Worker Mao Polo made a model, written by Wu Sansi, engraved with the names of Guan Bai and the leader of April 1st. With 2 million Jin of copper and iron, "please gather millions, copper and iron are not enough, and it is not enough for folk farm tools."
Long live the first year of Tian Tong (696). In May, Li Dezhong and Sun Wanrong, the leaders of the Qidan, rebelled, occupied Yingzhou and killed Zhao, the local governor. Wu Zetian sent generals Cao, Li Duozuo and others to lead the army to conquer. Because Tubo was ambushed by mistake, the whole army was wiped out. Then, Wu Zetian sent Wu Yousi, Wang Xiaojie and other soldiers to crusade, and they were all defeated. In April of the first year of siddhi (697), Wu Zetian sent Wu Zongyi, Lou Deyi, Sha Yi and Zhongyi to lead 200,000 troops to crusade against Qidan. In June, Sun Wanrong was defeated and killed, and the rest of the Khitans defected to the Turks.
In the first year of Shengong (697), Wu Houling interrogated Liu Mourebellion. Wu Shuo, as long as Liu points out which courtiers have rebelled, they can be exempted from capital punishment. So Liu falsely accused Prime Minister Li, Sun and other 36 "national celebrities", all of whom were beheaded and killed, and more than a thousand people were exiled. At that time, people thought that Wu's cruelty was second only to Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen.
That year, Lai Junchen wanted to sue the kings of Wu Shi and Princess Taiping (the younger sister of Emperor Zhong, Wu Zetian's only biological daughter), and also wanted to falsely accuse the heir to the throne (Zong Rui) and King Lu Ling (Emperor Zhong) of conspiring with officials from the north and the south, so that he could succeed to the throne as emperor. The king of Wu and Princess Taiping were so afraid that they jointly exposed their crimes and went to prison to be executed. The enemy is fighting for their meat, and soon they will eat it up. Lai Junchen is fierce, cunning, greedy and violent, netting innocent people and weaving them into opposites, killing people is even more incalculable. "Bribery is like a mountain, and ghosts are in the way." Wu Hou, also aware of the resentment of the world, ordered him to count his crimes and confiscate his property.
In the first year of the holy calendar (698), Wu and Wu Sansi conspired to be princes, and several times they made people say to the marquis of Wu: "Since ancient times, the son of heaven has never taken a different surname as an heir." The marquis of Wu hesitated, and the emperor said to the marquis of Wu, "Who is closer, aunt, nephew or mother and son? (Wu and Wu Sansi are both nephews of the marquis of Wu, sons of Wu Hou Zhongzonghe) If your Majesty sets up a son, he will live a long life and worship his ancestors in the ancestral temple; Those who set up nephews have never heard that nephews are sacrificed to the ancestral temple. " Also advised Wuhou to recall Luling Wang (Zhongzong). Wu Hou has no intention of establishing Wu Chengsi or Wu Sansi. It is said that the king of Luling returned to the eastern capital, and the imperial heir () invited Xun to be stationed in Luling King. Wu Hou, the king of Luling was appointed as the Crown Prince, and was appointed as the Marshal. Di Renjie led the troops to attack the Turks as a deputy marshal. After Wu Xin became emperor, he often called him "Guo Lao" instead of calling him by his first name. De is good at persuasion, and Wuhou does it every time. When Ren Jie died, Wu Hou cried, "The imperial court is empty!" I often sigh: "It is too early for God to take away our country!"
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong are young and beautiful. They were both lucky when they joined the army. [1] The two of them are often rich in vermicelli and beautifully dressed. Wu, Wu Sansi, etc. Everyone is vying to pursue them, even holding a whip for them. Every time the marquis of Wu dines in the Inner Hall, he will lead the military commander, He, to enjoy himself, and Wu Sansi will play the reincarnation of the King of Jin. The marquis of Wu ordered him to put on a bird feather, and blowing sheng rode a wooden crane in the palace, and all the scribes praised him with poems. At that time, the marquis of Wu was very old, with one hand in politics and one hand in power
Wang Shaochongrun (the eldest son of Zhongzong, after his birth, Gaozong was very happy. He changed his name to Yuan Yongchun. After the full moon, he became the great-grandson of the emperor and he became a government official. When Zhongzong was a prince for the second time, he and his sister, Princess Yongtai, secretly discussed with the princess's husband, Wu Yanji, why his brother entered the palace at will, but Yi pleaded with Wuhou, who forced him to commit suicide.
In the first month of the first year of Shenlong (705), Wu Zetian was seriously ill and bedridden, with only his minions Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong waiting on her. Prime Minister Zhang Jian and his ministers Jing Hui, Cui Xuanyong, Huan and Yuan led more than 500 people into the palace and killed their brothers. Wu Zetian was forced to abdicate to Prince Li Xian and was honored as the Great Sage Emperor. Restore the old system of titles, officials, flags, costumes and figures in the Tang Dynasty. And restore god as the east capital. In the same year 1 1 month, he died in shangyang palace at the age of 82. Tianhou Palace called the Emperor's Legacy System. In May of the second year of Shenlong (706), Ganling and Gaozong were buried together, leaving a monument, which means "the merits and demerits will be judged by future generations".
According to statistics, there are 57 poems by Wu Zetian, 46 of which are included in The Complete Poems of Tang Dynasty, and the rest 1 1 are scattered in other collections of Tang Dynasty. There are more than 80 independent articles, most of which are included in the anthology of Tang people, and a few are scattered in folk inscriptions. The Book of Old Tang Dynasty clearly recorded the following works: Twelve Things of Advice written by Wu Zetian when Tang Gaozong was alive. Although the content is not much, people have always regarded it as Wu Zetian's policy agenda. Later, she also revised and supplemented this. According to legend, the two volumes of Official Track were written by Wu Zetian himself, with the purpose of giving officials ethical thoughts and skills of governing the country. Similarly, there are five volumes of Liao Bai's new commandments. On the eve of Tang Gaozong's imminent death, Wu Zetian, in order to consolidate the power she had gained, imitated the practice of recruiting talents by Emperor Taizong, and specially recruited a group of scholars to "divide the power of the prime minister" in the name of "editing", and chartered them to avoid Nanya and enter the palace from the north gate, namely Xuanwu Gate. This group of "North Gate Bachelor" headed by Liu Yizhi, Yuan, Fan, Miao Shenke and Zhou Simao did write a lot of works with the name of Wu Zetian according to her intention. For example, Xuan Lan, Ancient and Modern Neifan and other volumes 100 are all encyclopedias. Minutes of Qing Palace and Shaoyang Zheng Fan each have 30 volumes; Twenty volumes each: The Canon of Weicheng, The New Commandments of Fenglou, The Biography of Filial Son and Daughter; Ten volumes of Outline of Neifan, etc. Four volumes of "Vertical Arch Grid" belonging to criminal law; One hundred volumes of Hai Zi, a dictionary; There are ten volumes of Chen Zi Li Yao, which studies etiquette; Ten volumes of Le Shu Lu Yao, which studies rites and music; There are five volumes of Zhaoren Benye, one hundred volumes of Records of the Emperor Gaozong, one hundred volumes of Ancient and Modern Fan Ji, one hundred volumes of Biography of Lienv, one hundred and twenty volumes of Selected Works and one volume of Biography of Nanny Fu Bao. These hundreds of volumes are the concrete reflection and elaboration of Wu Zetian's political, economic and cultural thoughts. Unfortunately, most of them have been lost. Wu Zetian's works may be able to see the light of day again after the opening of Ganling Yougong in the future.