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Authors: Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
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remarkably few wars.
Under Wu, as both empress and emperor, taxes decreased, financial waste and military expenditure were reduced, retirees got pensions, and salaries of deserving officials rose. She introduced the system of entrance examinations for bureaucratic service, a huge step toward meritocracy and away from nepotism. She passed legislation allowing children to mourn the death of
both
parents, not just the father, as had been custom and law. Under her rule, Chinese generals helped Korea oust their Japanese overlords and unite under a new king. The Japanese were so impressed that they started copying everything the Tang did, right down to building their capital city in imitation of China’s capital.
F ORCED R ETIREMENT
Wu ruled for 15 years as emperor before anyone got up the nerve and resources to challenge her. In 705, a faction of Tang loyalists, headed by Wu’s exiled son, suggested that it was time for her to abdicate the throne. When Wu didn’t take the hint, her pair of singing lovers was found murdered, their bodies placed in her rooms. When she still didn’t take the hint, a knife was held to her throat and she was forced to “retire.”
Wu died later that year—of natural causes, surprisingly—after ruling ably and peacefully for the better part of 50 years. She had used the same tools as emperors had for many a generation before her: execution, banishment, terror. But such behavior has been deemed unbecoming of a woman, and Wu has gotten short shrift.
How later rulers felt about Wu is clear by how they chose to remember—or in this case
not
remember—her. Chinese tradition at the time dictated that rulers be buried in sumptuous tombs marked with huge memorial tablets. Usually, the tablets were covered with details of all the great and glorious deeds the ruler had done and how he would be missed. Not so with Wu. Her tablet remained blank, a mute testament to women who accomplished much, but about whom no one had a good word to say.
W EI ’ S W AY
Empress Wu Zetian wasn’t the only crafty woman in imperial China. In 684, Wu had her son Li Xian kicked off the throne and exiled to a remote outpost. He brought along his wife, Princess Wei, and lucky for him he did: if it weren’t for Wei’s constant goading and admonitions, Li Xian probably would have committed suicide while in exile.
It likely wasn’t out of love for her husband that Wei talked him down—she simply was not about to let the chance to become empress pass by twice. When, in 705, the opportunity finally came again, she seized it. A group of Tang family loyalists took Li Xian as their leader and deposed Emperor Wu; Li Xian became Emperor Zhongzong, and he and his wife, Empress Wei, made their way back to the palace.
Now sitting pretty on the throne, Empress Wei had an affair with Wu’s nephew Sansi, who was having an affair with the emperor’s old private secretary. This wicked threesome made a fortune selling official posts, but the power still wasn’t enough. Wei and Sansi, who by that time had been elevated to a high ministerial post, proposed that the imperial daughter, Princess Anle, be named heir apparent. Not so fast, cried the legitimate crown prince, Li Chongjun, who marched on the palace but was repelled after his own troops turned on their commanders.
Despite the setback, Wei and Anle weren’t cowed. Three years later, they finally pulled off their own coup, killing Emperor Zhongzong with a poisoned cake and installing a more malleable son, Li Chongmao, on the throne. Inspired by Wu, they planned to rule through him while preparing to install Anle on the throne as China’s second female emperor. Unfortunately for them, Wu Zetian’s daughter Princess Taiping gotwind of the plan first and went to battle on behalf of her brother Ruizong. Anle’s head was lopped off while she was putting on eye makeup.
But as usual, things weren’t exactly what they seemed. Ruizong knew full well that his sister, Princess
Under Wu, as both empress and emperor, taxes decreased, financial waste and military expenditure were reduced, retirees got pensions, and salaries of deserving officials rose. She introduced the system of entrance examinations for bureaucratic service, a huge step toward meritocracy and away from nepotism. She passed legislation allowing children to mourn the death of
both
parents, not just the father, as had been custom and law. Under her rule, Chinese generals helped Korea oust their Japanese overlords and unite under a new king. The Japanese were so impressed that they started copying everything the Tang did, right down to building their capital city in imitation of China’s capital.
F ORCED R ETIREMENT
Wu ruled for 15 years as emperor before anyone got up the nerve and resources to challenge her. In 705, a faction of Tang loyalists, headed by Wu’s exiled son, suggested that it was time for her to abdicate the throne. When Wu didn’t take the hint, her pair of singing lovers was found murdered, their bodies placed in her rooms. When she still didn’t take the hint, a knife was held to her throat and she was forced to “retire.”
Wu died later that year—of natural causes, surprisingly—after ruling ably and peacefully for the better part of 50 years. She had used the same tools as emperors had for many a generation before her: execution, banishment, terror. But such behavior has been deemed unbecoming of a woman, and Wu has gotten short shrift.
How later rulers felt about Wu is clear by how they chose to remember—or in this case
not
remember—her. Chinese tradition at the time dictated that rulers be buried in sumptuous tombs marked with huge memorial tablets. Usually, the tablets were covered with details of all the great and glorious deeds the ruler had done and how he would be missed. Not so with Wu. Her tablet remained blank, a mute testament to women who accomplished much, but about whom no one had a good word to say.
W EI ’ S W AY
Empress Wu Zetian wasn’t the only crafty woman in imperial China. In 684, Wu had her son Li Xian kicked off the throne and exiled to a remote outpost. He brought along his wife, Princess Wei, and lucky for him he did: if it weren’t for Wei’s constant goading and admonitions, Li Xian probably would have committed suicide while in exile.
It likely wasn’t out of love for her husband that Wei talked him down—she simply was not about to let the chance to become empress pass by twice. When, in 705, the opportunity finally came again, she seized it. A group of Tang family loyalists took Li Xian as their leader and deposed Emperor Wu; Li Xian became Emperor Zhongzong, and he and his wife, Empress Wei, made their way back to the palace.
Now sitting pretty on the throne, Empress Wei had an affair with Wu’s nephew Sansi, who was having an affair with the emperor’s old private secretary. This wicked threesome made a fortune selling official posts, but the power still wasn’t enough. Wei and Sansi, who by that time had been elevated to a high ministerial post, proposed that the imperial daughter, Princess Anle, be named heir apparent. Not so fast, cried the legitimate crown prince, Li Chongjun, who marched on the palace but was repelled after his own troops turned on their commanders.
Despite the setback, Wei and Anle weren’t cowed. Three years later, they finally pulled off their own coup, killing Emperor Zhongzong with a poisoned cake and installing a more malleable son, Li Chongmao, on the throne. Inspired by Wu, they planned to rule through him while preparing to install Anle on the throne as China’s second female emperor. Unfortunately for them, Wu Zetian’s daughter Princess Taiping gotwind of the plan first and went to battle on behalf of her brother Ruizong. Anle’s head was lopped off while she was putting on eye makeup.
But as usual, things weren’t exactly what they seemed. Ruizong knew full well that his sister, Princess
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