On the twenty-second day of the first month of the first year of shenlong (705 AD), five important ministers, Zhang Kamzhi, Cui Xuanwei, Jinghui, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji, led hundreds of yulin troops around them, cut through the pass and launched a coup d'état, with the aim of killing the two traitors Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong around Wu Zetian, followed by forcing Wu Zetian to relinquish power and restore li tang's imperial power.
The plan was carried out smoothly, and under the planning of Zhang Kamzhi and others, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were directly beheaded, after which Wu Zetian was temporarily placed under house arrest, and soon after Li Xian took the throne as Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.
The eighty-two-year-old Wu Zetian returned power to Li Xian, after which Wu Zetian became a "hand-throwing treasurer", at this time Wu Zetian was old and faltering, and when he was almost dying, he was basically a bad old woman, to such a point, why did no one dare to move Wu Zetian?
Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705)
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang feared and respected Wu Zetian
Although Wu Zetian gave birth to four sons and two daughters, the deaths of Li Hong and Li Xian were all related to Wu Zetian, and Princess Andingsi was even killed by Wu Zetian himself.
Historical records record that "in the first year of Kaiyao, he migrated to Xianba Prefecture. After Wu Hou won the government, the general Qiu Shenji (丘神勣) inspected Wei Xiandi and ordered him to commit suicide, Chinese New Year's Eve fourth. ”
Li Hong and Li Xian both inherited wu Zetian's fine genes, and they were all the best candidates to inherit the unification, and Li Xian also commented on the Book of Later Han, but it was precisely because Li Hong and Li Xian blocked the road of Wu Zetian's hegemony, so both of them died.
Wu Zetian's desire for power is extremely strong, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. When Wu Zetian was born to Princess Andingsi, she was still Wu Zhaoyi. Once, Empress Wang came to visit the infant Princess Andingsi, and when Empress Wang returned, Wu Zetian personally strangled her daughter. After that, Wu Zetian cried unceasingly, and when Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi saw this scene, he identified Empress Wang as the murderer.
Subsequently, Li Zhi deposed Empress Wang and made Wu Zetian empress. The third son of the emperor, Li Xian, saw all this in his eyes, so Li Xian listened to Wu Zetian's words very much, and let him go east and definitely not go west, facing this strong mother, Li Xian was always trembling and walking on thin ice.
Li Zhi (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), also known as Emperor Gaozong of Tang
It is precisely because Li Xian is more obedient that Wu Zetian left him alive, and if Li Xian, like his two brothers, sang against Wu Zetian, then he might also become a victim of politics.
On the day of the Shenlong coup, the five ministers asked the crown prince Li Xian to go with them, and Li Xian responded in this way: "The fierce and honest should be destroyed, but the upper body is uneasy, and there is no alarm!" The princes are more in the picture. "This means that the traitors and villains should be eradicated, but Your Majesty is in poor health, and you will be frightened by doing so, so please discuss this matter later."
Although in the end Li Xian still came out of the horse, and the Shenlong Revolution was also successful, in the depths of Li Xian's heart, he was still very jealous of Wu Zetian, for fear that if he did not pay attention, he would become a prisoner of the order.
After Li Xian ascended the throne for the second time, he still respected Wu Ze, and Wu Zetian moved to Shangyang Palace, and Li Xian visited him every ten days. The reason why Wu Zetian was able to die well had a lot to do with Li Xian's fear and respect.
Above_ Portrait of Di Renjie in the Qing Dynasty's "Wu County's Famous Sage Figures"
Wu Zetian took the initiative to delegate power and passed the throne to Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian
On the issue of establishing an heir, Wu Zetian has been hesitant to do so, with Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi of the Wu family on the one hand, and his two sons Li Xian and Li Dan on the other. Di Renjie once persuaded Wu Zetian that the relationship between mother and son should of course be closer to that of an aunt and nephew, and if Li Wu's family was the successor, then he would become a nephew and enshrine his aunt to the Taimiao Temple, and the ancestral system did not conform to the rules.
Wu Zetian also had a dream about a large parrot, but both wings were broken. Di Renjie explained the dream to Wu Zetian, and he said this: "The parrot is like Your Majesty, the two wings are like His Majesty's two sons, as long as Your Majesty uses two sons, you can fly high!" ”
Historical records record that "Jia Chen, the prince of the country, pardoned the world." With Yuan Shuji as the Fengge Attendant and Tongping Zhangshi, he dispatched ten envoys to the Prefectures. Otomi, the Empress Dowager, is located in the Crown Prince. ”
Di Renjie's explanation was just right, and after careful consideration, Wu Zetian decided to make Li Xian the crown prince and return li tang. Even after Li Xianli became crown prince, Wu Zetian still favored Zhang Yizhi, Zhang Changzong and other villains, but in the end Wu Zetian made a decision, and it was already a foregone conclusion to return Li Tang.
Above_ Wu Zetian's handwriting "Monument to the Prince of Shengxian"
After the Shenlong coup, Wu Zetian was stripped of his power, but despite this, Wu Zetian took the initiative to appoint the crown prince to oversee the country, and then officially passed the throne to the crown prince. Some people said that this may also be coerced by the coup group, which is not entirely wrong, but Wu Zetian was already in her eighties at the time, and she had no need to fight for power, and all indications showed that Wu Zetian had been relieved.
Wu Zetian took the initiative to hand over power, giving Li Xian enough face and reducing the criticism of her by later generations. In addition, before his death, Wu Zetian removed his imperial title and changed his title to Zetian Dasheng Empress.
Even in old age and frailty, Wu Zetian was still shrewd, and this master of power who had been in the field of power for many years, in order to gain a good reputation and reduce incidents after death, she arranged things properly before she died. Therefore, neither the minister nor the emperor could fault Wu Zetian, and naturally there was no need to be difficult for this old man.
Above: Eldest grandson Wuji (594–659)
From empress to emperor, Wu Zetian Yuwei is still there
Wu Zetian entered the palace at the age of fourteen, worked as a talent for twelve years, worked as a nun at Ganye Temple for one year, and in 651 AD, Wu Zetian entered the palace for the second time, and in 655 AD, Wu Zetian was made empress.
Wu Zetian was very politically gifted, and after entering the palace for the second time, Wu Zetian realized the contradiction between the chancellor Sun Wuji and Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and he helped Li Zhi regain imperial power, and the reward was the position of empress. Immediately, Li Zhi's wind disease often occurred, and Wu Zetian had to handle government affairs in place of the emperor, and step by step, Wu Zetian's power became more and more powerful.
In the later period of Emperor Gaozong, most of the dynastic affairs were handled by Wu Zetian, and Wu Zetian was also remarkable in handling major military affairs, and she also took great pains for the sake of Jiangshan Sheji. From the moment Li Zhi died, the authority of the empire was all in the hands of Wu Zetian. Speculation may only gain a moment of glory, while a long period of operation can control a complete empire.
Above_ Wu Zetian and the Maid Mural
For the sake of her rule, Wu Zetian appointed cool officials, such as Lai Junchen, Zhou Xing, and so on, but most of those who had different intentions ended up in a different place, and there were countless people who were implicated in death. With the stability of the political situation, Wu Zetian also promoted a large number of talented officials, such as Wei Yuanzhong, Lou Shide, Di Renjie, etc. Wu Zetian knew very well that cool officials could only be suppressed, and if they wanted to prosper the country, they must rely on those virtuous and talented courtiers.
Wu Zetian's deeds are obvious to all, perhaps Wu Zetian has all kinds of tyrannical shadows, but he also made a lot of contributions to the Tang Empire, which was also obvious to the courtiers and the people at that time. In Wu Zetian's body, even though she was already eighty years old, her control over the imperial court and Yu Wei still existed, so it was more difficult to use force against Wu Zetian.
Author: Nine Fish Pavilion Correction/Editor: Lilith
References: Zizhi Tongjian Vol. 207, Zizhi Tongjian Vol. 208
The text was created by the History University Hall team, and the picture originated from the Internet and the copyright belongs to the original author