Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in China.
Wu Zetian, a name with historical charm, is a legendary historical figure rather than a legend. She is the second daughter of the founding hero of the Tang Dynasty, the concubine of Emperor Taizong, and the queen of Li Zhi, Tang Gaozong. She assisted Emperor Gaozong in handling military affairs. After managing state affairs for 30 years, she ascended the throne and claimed to be the emperor of the Holy Spirit. She abolished Tang and changed her name to Zhou, becoming the only queen in the history of China. From her participation in the political affairs, claiming to be the emperor, to her serious illness and moving to Yang Palace, she was in power for nearly half a century, inheriting the "Zhenguan rule" and opening up the "Kaiyuan Shi Sheng", whose historical achievements are well known to the world. As Soong Ching Ling sincerely commented on her, Wu Zetian was "an outstanding female politician in feudal times".
Wu Zetian, formerly known as Wu Zhao, was renamed Wu Zhao after she proclaimed herself emperor. In the early Tang Dynasty, he was born in Wenshui (now Wenshui County, Shanxi Province). She was born in the first month of the seventh year of Wude, Tang Gaozu (624) and died in November of the first year of Emperor Zhongzong Shenlong (705). The biological mother is Bushido's second wife, the daughter of Longyou scholar-bureaucrat, prime minister of Sui Dynasty and Suining Da.
Wu Zetian, born in the early Tang Dynasty, was a wealthy official family. Her prominent power and luxurious life nourished her infinite desire for power. However, the gentry's family style prevailed in the early Tang Dynasty, and she was born in cloth and humble origins, which made her despised by the secular and unwilling to bury her. This special situation and experience strongly stimulated Wu Zetian when she was young, and cultivated her desire to pursue and seize the highest power arrogantly, to achieve obedience, and to ruthlessly retaliate against all unscrupulous means. This is particularly prominent in a series of political struggles after she entered politics, and even called herself an orphan in the south, which became an uneven achievement in her life. Moral, personality and psychological roots.
Then Tian was smart, quick-witted, expressive and courageous from an early age. Deeply impressed by her talent, her father taught her to read and write to familiarize her with the world. Shi Zi, when he was thirteen or fourteen years old, was already well-read and learned by heart. He also laid a certain foundation in poetry and lyrics, and he was good at calligraphy and outstanding in words.
In the 11th year of Zhenguan (637), Ze Tian, aged 14, was chosen as a "gifted scholar" because of his handsome appearance. After entering the palace, Tian's acting skills and understanding, coupled with his charming appearance, were quite loved by Emperor Taizong, and he was nicknamed "Mei Niang". After a long time, Emperor Taizong found that the snow was good and he understood etiquette, so he took her out of the toilet and transferred her to the imperial study to wait on Mo Wen. This change made Wu Zetian come into contact with the royal official documents, learned about some court events, read many books and regulations that are difficult to see at ordinary times, broadened her horizons, and made her more and more familiar with officialdom politics and politics.
Because Wu Hou handles government affairs in an orderly way, unlike Gao Zongjiu, he is very obedient to ministers. Although Emperor Gaozong hated her arbitrariness, many state affairs had to rely on her. In this way, Wuhou gradually moved from behind the scenes to the front desk, and unexpectedly came to the Purple Temple with the emperor to be worshipped by ministers. In the first year of Shangyuan (674), after Gaozong and Empress, the world called them "Two Saints". Since then, Emperor Gaozong has existed in name only, and the authority of the Tang Dynasty is in the hands of Wuhou.
Secondly, the genealogy is changed to surname genealogy, so as to attack and weaken the gentry bureaucratic group that has always opposed itself from tradition and public opinion, and to support and rely on the emerging landlord class in cloth clothes. In this way, gentry bureaucrats no longer have the superior conditions to be officials, nor can they do whatever they want because of their rich background. As for officials who are born in the common people, they are no longer humiliated by their poor family. The privileges of gentry and nobles can no longer be seen in the revised surname records. Wu is the first surname in Surnames Tree, and he is not even included in the genealogy.
Thirdly, it is an important step to change the official name, change Luoyang, the eastern capital, into the God Capital, and establish a new order for itself. Show the whole country that their position is unified and supreme. Wuhou's New Deal measures were quickly opposed by the royal Li family and many gentry bureaucrats. After Xu, the founding father of the early Tang Dynasty, the secretariat of Liuzhou, Xu Jingye, called hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses to take the lead in Yangzhou, and his masterpiece For Wu Zhao spread all over the territory. Li Chong, the imperial clan king, was in Bozhou, and Li Zhen, the king of Yue, was also fighting against Wu. On the same day, Wu Houjian decided to suppress this matter. Under her direct command, these rebellions quickly subsided, and the main attackers such as Xu Jingye, Li Chong and Li Zhen were either killed in the battlefield or killed.
Horrible killings and extensive involvement fully exposed the ruthlessness and decisiveness of Wuhou.
In 69O AD, Wu Zetian thought that the conditions for the audience were ripe, and first created a public opinion through the mouth of the monk Faming: "Wuhou was reincarnated as Maitreya Buddha, and the contemporary Tang Dynasty was the son of heaven." Then he directed the matter, and 60 thousand subjects, led by him, wrote to Jin, please change the name of the country. At this point, naturally, the marquis of Wu came to Dabao in the sound of "long live" of "respecting heaven" and "obeying public opinion", and realized his long-cherished wish, changing the Tang Dynasty to "Zhou" and calling himself "the Holy Spirit Emperor". This year, she is 67 years old.
If we say that Wu Zetian showed amazing political strategies and means in her political career of participating in and discussing state affairs for more than 30 years before she proclaimed herself emperor. Then, during more than ten years as emperor, she fully demonstrated her outstanding political talent and statesmanship in employing people, handling affairs and governing the country.
After Wu Zetian proclaimed himself emperor, she paid more attention to the selection and use of talents.
Wu Zetian also attached great importance to agricultural production.
During Wu Zetian's reign, she also made a lot of efforts to resist foreign invasion, protect border peace and improve relations with neighboring countries. Wu Zetian resolutely resisted and countered the invasion and harassment of Tubo nobles.
Of course, during Wu Zetian's nearly half-century in power, there were also many mistakes. She used cruel officials and rewarded informers. Let many corrupt officials run amok for a while. Her historical merits and demerits, like the "wordless monument" she set for herself, can only be judged and judged by history.