Exploring the Tales of the Ruthlessness and Cruelty of Empress Wu Zetian – the Only Female Emperor in Chinese Feudal History.
>>> The Astonishing Mysteries of Wu Zetian’s Tomb
Wu Zetian is known as the only female emperor in the history of Chinese feudalism. She was also famous for her cleverness in governance and made significant contributions to the development of the country.
During her lifetime, Wu Zetian had four sons and two daughters. The princes were Li Hong, Li Xian, Li Xian, and Li Dan. The other two were Princess An Ding and Princess Tai Ping. In 690, Wu Zetian ascended the throne, wishing to inherit the Zhou dynasty, and honored King Wen of Zhou as her ancestor.
However, this woman also left behind many legends and negative rumors about her promiscuity, romantic entanglements, as well as her cruelty, ruthlessness, and unscrupulous tactics.
Below are some widely circulated stories about the dark corners of Wu Zetian’s life.
1. Sabotaging the Empress to Usurp Power
Initially, Wu Zetian was merely a concubine of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (628 – 683) with the title Wu Chao-Nyi. In 654, Wu Chao-Nyi gave birth to a daughter, Princess An Ding (real name Li Lingyu).
However, for unknown reasons, the princess died shortly after Empress Wang visited. Emperor Gaozong accused Empress Wang, claiming she was envious of Wu Chao-Nyi’s child.
The visit to Princess An Ding was the main cause of her tragic fate.
From that moment on, Empress Wang sought to harm and take revenge on Wu Chao-Nyi. She and Xiao Shuyi planned to curse and harm Wu Chao-Nyi. The plot was discovered, and both were deposed and exiled to the imperial harem.
Not long after, Wu Zetian became Empress. In revenge and to prevent Emperor Gaozong from being attached to the two concubines, Wu Zetian devised ways to torture and torment the two ladies in the harem.
Xiao Shuyi…
…Empress Wang was one of the victims in the palace power struggle under Wu Zetian. (Illustrative image)
Later accounts state that she ordered the dismemberment of Empress Wang and Xiao Shuyi, then soaked them in a large vat of wine until death. The palace maids who knew of this were even punished by Wu Zetian, having their tongues cut out to prevent them from revealing the shocking secret.
Many believe that, having endured torture, Wu Zetian became incredibly cruel and ruthless.
Empress Wang and Xiao Shuyi thus hated Wu Zetian to the point of swearing to transform into cats to take revenge on her. People in ancient times believed this was also the reason why Wu Zetian had a particular fear of cats. Every night, she was often haunted by the sound of cats meowing to the point of insomnia.
The deaths of Xiao Shuyi and Empress Wang haunted Wu Zetian with a fear of cats.
2. Causing the Death of Her Own Children and Royal Family to Ascend to the Throne
On her path to becoming emperor, Empress Wang and Xiao Shuyi were not the only victims of Wu Zetian.
To seize power, Wu Zetian is said to have gone as far as to kill her own child. Folklore recounts that in the harem, Wu Zetian confessed to being the one who suffocated Princess An Ding to death, then framed Empress Wang for it.
Later, she forced Crown Prince Li Zhong to death, installing her eldest son, Li Hong, as the new crown prince. When Li Hong became dissatisfied with Wu Zetian’s interference in state affairs, he was also poisoned to death by his mother during a visit to the palace in Hebei. Her second son, Li Xian, ascended as crown prince but was forced to commit suicide in 684 due to disrespect.
Wu Zetian – A woman who dared to do anything.
Following the death of Li Xian, Li Xian ascended to the throne in 683. Just one month into his reign, under the pretext that the wife of Emperor Zhongzong was a powerful and capricious woman, Wu Zetian decided to depose the emperor. This pattern continued, and by 690, Wu Zetian officially became the emperor.
3. The Massacre of Lovers
Becoming emperor was the moment when Wu Zetian’s promiscuity was most evident. According to folklore, she had numerous lovers, including the brothers Zhang Xuan Zong and Zhang Ye Zhi, physician Chen Tai Yi, and Feng Xiao Bao.
However, they only remained with Wu Zetian for a while, after which all were killed. For instance, Feng Xiao Bao was beaten to death by Wu Zetian’s order through Princess Tai Ping and then his body was mixed with mud.
In most works, Wu Zetian is always referred to as a passionate woman.
When she fell out of favor, Wu Zetian ordered their deaths and had their bodies disposed of in a lake. Later, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685 – 762), Li Longji, who overthrew Wu Zetian, ordered the lake to be dug up and discovered a heap of human bones underneath.
Portrait of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.
In Conclusion: It is a fact that many details in the stories about Wu Zetian are merely oral traditions. Currently, scholars are still debating and discussing the authenticity of these tales.
| Wu Zetian (Chinese: 武則天, February 17, 624 – February 16, 705), also known as Wu Zhao, is often referred to as Empress Wu (武后) or Heavenly Empress (天后). She was a consort of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, and later became the Empress of Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi. With her title as Empress and Gaozong’s title as Heavenly Sovereign (天皇), they co-reigned during a period of the Tang Dynasty and are collectively referred to as the “Two Saints” (二圣). After the death of Emperor Gaozong, she served as Empress Dowager during the reigns of Emperor Zhongzong, Li Xian, and Emperor Ruizong, Li Dan. Eventually, she declared herself the only emperor of the Zhou Dynasty (690 – 705), making her the only female emperor in Chinese history. |
