Chapter 4 Incest, the first step towards the center of power

Empress Zetian Wu was a maid of Emperor Taizong at that time.According to the rules of the royal family in the Tang Dynasty, the emperor had one empress, four concubines, nine Zhaoyi, nine Jieyu, four beauties, and five talents, and each of the three classes of low-level court ladies had twenty-seven people.The above are collectively referred to as the beauties of the harem, all of whom can bear the favor of the emperor.Empress Wu was only a sixth-level talented person at that time. She is twenty-seven years old this year and has been at court since she was fourteen.It goes without saying that she must have felt unhappy, with her abilities and ambitions, not being able to rise to the higher ranks.Emperor Taizong did not like wise and decisive women;

Women should be gentle and gentle.When Taizong first saw her at Wu's father's house (Wu's father, a samurai, had accompanied Taizong on an expedition), he chose her into the palace, because it was also an honor for her father.The Wu family is capable and responsible, with a clear mind. He is in charge of Emperor Taizong's clothes in the palace, so he is naturally very competent.The Wu family is slim, extremely muscular, with a square face, beautiful chin, bright eyebrows, slightly wide temples, self-knowledge, predicting things like a god, and managing things well.From the actions of the Wu family, Emperor Taizong has already seen that it is indeed terrifying for a woman to be like this.Wu told a story about herself, which fully expresses her personality.

Wu said: "When I was young, I served Emperor Taizong. The emperor had a horse called a lion mane horse. No one could tame it. I told the emperor that I could. Just give me three things: an iron whip, a A hammer, a sharp sword. If I can't subdue it with an iron whip, I'll use a hammer, and if I can't, I'll stab it in the neck with a sword. The emperor praises my courage." It is impossible for a girl in her twenties to have such courage!This is really the spirit of Wu Zetian, and these words will definitely surprise the emperor.Moreover, if you don't really use iron whips and sharp swords to injure horses, it's just empty talk, and this is not a method.It was a new trick for her to subdue horses with a hammer!A horse subdued in this way will die if it cannot be lame.Over the years I've been older, I've often thought about this.The royal family of the Tang Dynasty was a horse that the Wu family wanted to subdue, and she finally disabled the horse.

Wu is a woman with extraordinary intelligence, a calm mind, and unlimited ambition.She is not very interested in literature and art, and she has only received an ordinary education.She is very interested in the affairs of the palace, she seems to understand the routine affairs of the court, and she is also very aware of the surrounding situation.With her wise and capable talents, she is indeed likely to be in charge of the government, but Taizong's reign is not at the right time.In Taizong's view, she was just a talented person, with a flat and slightly square face and a broad forehead, but what Taizong favored was a woman with fair skin and various looks.Therefore, the Wu family had to live under the constraints, cramped like a horse under the roof.As ambitious as she is, but her talents are difficult to develop, and she is able to do everything she wants. As the emperor's servant, she has been in the palace for fourteen years, but she is still relegated to the position of a talented person. She has indeed failed!However, she is very calm-headed, and she never expresses her feelings of depression.

Among the many maidservants, Wu's intelligence is absolutely unmatched.Since she was not satisfied with the old king, she found another way out and focused on the prince.If the other maids didn't see anything, she had a unique insight and took advantage of the opportunity.Because after the old king lived forever, the prince ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, and heir to the great line, it was natural.The prince thus became her target, and how easy this title is!She has already estimated the prince clearly.A twenty-two-year-old young man has played with several women—weak, willful, sentimental, not fond of sports, at the sight of a beautiful woman, his mind is turned upside down, he longs for a new love, and his desires are hard to satisfy.Two months before the death of Emperor Taizong, the old emperor was sick in bed, and in such a familiar place as the palace, the prince often saw Mrs. Wu.Mrs. Wu is young, although her figure is not plump, she can be said to be physically strong and graceful.She is extremely particular about palace makeup and palace hairstyles, and never neglects them.What the crown prince admired in Wu was exactly what he didn't have - strong, calm, alert, and especially vigorous.

You must be dignified and reserved in front of your father, and you must not be rude. The heart of pleading will be more difficult to control.However, there is always no chance, under the corridor, in the front hall, in the garden, a distant glance, a knowing smile, an intentional touch of the body, and a secret kiss.When this mature and plump woman began to flirt with the soft-hearted, youthful prince, the prince's doom was doomed.In Wu's speech, he always uses double entendres, meaning beyond words.She said that she longed for the special "favor" from His Royal Highness, and she should do her best to "treat" His Highness kindly.All court words such as "devotion", "favor", "loyalty" and so on, if uttered by a young woman who is in love and courtship, will have different meanings and unique colors.Day after day, the prince was bewitched and became bold, distracted and infatuated with love.So behind the old king, the prince and this extraordinary court lady embraced and laughed heartily under careful vigilance.The prince despised etiquette and deeds, and then dreamed of something wrong, trying to take the Wu family as his own, and sacrificed everything.

One day, Emperor Taizong asked Wu, "What are you going to do?" With tears in his eyes, Wu said with a wry smile: "I swear to cut off my hair and become a nun, and pray for your majesty's blessings." At that time, the custom in the palace was like this: when the emperor died, the concubine would go to the nunnery to become a nun, to show cleanliness and self-preservation. The king observes the festival. Taizong heard that he was very relieved.Minister Li Chunfeng is good at observing the stars and is proficient in astronomy.He once told Emperor Taizong that thirty years later, there will be

The Wu surname rises and destroys the Tang Dynasty.Who doesn't believe in fate now?Even if you don't believe in the words of astrologers, it is not easy to completely forget them in your mind.Of course, a nun will never destroy the Tang Empire. A few days later, Emperor Taizong died, and the coffin was transported back to Chang'an.In order to prevent accidents, Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji made the prince kneel in front of Taizong's spirit, swearing that he would become Emperor Gaozong.Then it was announced to the world that Emperor Taizong died and the new emperor succeeded.When Emperor Taizong's Lingyu returned to Chang'an, four thousand soldiers from the six prefectures lined up on the street, and the whole country mourned.

In the palace at Zhongnan Mountain, during the funeral arrangements, Wu began to serve the new Emperor Gaozong, according to his duties, just like serving the old king.She is still a talented person, serving the emperor to dress up.She once saw the prince swearing in the throne before Taizong's spirit.The prince was young and cowardly, he was in charge of the country's great affairs, looking forward to the future, he was really terrified and incompetent.Gaozong was the youngest son of Emperor Taizong. He was always close to his parents and was extremely favored. Now that he is the king of all people, he fell on Suiliang's shoulder and began to cry.Wu Shi saw all these situations in his eyes.

During those long nights of vigil, the emperor's coffin was parked in the dark hall, and Wu's errand was to serve the new emperor.In the main hall, huge plain candles were burned high, and the famous incense from Zhenla was lit. Wu and Gaozong were often alone in the hall.In the main hall, chanting sutras and offering offerings on time, busy for a while, followed by a period of silence.Everyone walked on tiptoe and whispered.As a filial son, Emperor Gaozong spent most of his time guarding the spirit in the hall.Mrs. Wu went in to deliver tea on time, and asked the emperor to rest when he saw that the emperor was too tired.With her head bowed, she wore a plain filial gown, and she went in and out to wait on her, mourning deeply.Half for himself, half for the old king who has served for many years.When I was young, I was lucky, and my heart was infinitely angry.Thinking of her final fate, with her talents, she will be spent in a nunnery with high walls and a deep courtyard in the future, it is really painful.

When Wu and Gaozong were alone in the hall, Gaozong took the opportunity to talk to Wu.Wu Shi is really heartbroken. Gaozong said: "Then you really want to leave me?" Wu said: "I don't want to leave you, but what can I do? Our future is destined to part ways. After I leave, I don't think I can take another step into the palace gate. But my heart will not change, no matter in The nunnery is somewhere else. I will never change my mind." "Of course you don't want to go, do you?" "Who wants to? I hope to be by the emperor's side and help the emperor. But this is just a dream, what's the use? I would like to see the emperor again. If the emperor does not forget me, I will be grateful..." "How could I forget you? How could I!" "If the emperor does not forget, please go to the nunnery often, I can see the emperor. I don't want anything else. As for me, my life is over and I have jumped out of the world of mortals." "Don't say such things, you are still so young." There were tears in Wu's eyes, but he was secretly laughing in his heart. "You are the emperor, the lord of the people, and I am just a servant girl." "Is there no way?" "Where will there be a way?" Gao Zong was silent.Wu, a young woman, looked at Gaozong.She knew Gaozong was sentimental.So he provoked him and said: "Although you are the emperor of one dynasty, there is nothing you can do." "No way? I can do whatever I want. What's wrong?" "Don't do whatever you want. I just said that if the emperor misses me, he can go to the nunnery to see me. My heart belongs to the emperor, so the emperor knows it. I will definitely see the emperor again." "I must see you." This was the last long conversation between the two of them.In the next few days, Gaozong was always surrounded by giant servants, and he worked extremely hard in the funeral ceremony as a filial son.After the funeral, the late king's concubines were all ready to go to the Thanksgiving Temple.Because the servants and concubines were all in sight, Gaozong and Wu did not have a long conversation.It's just that when parting, Gao Zong went into the back room to see her packing things.She whispered something secretly and wiped away her tears. "What the emperor promised must be done!" "The emperor can do what he says." Mrs. Wu is now wearing a full body of filial piety, and got into the car with other women.In the temple, like other women, she also cut her hair.She is convinced that the young emperor will come to see her as promised - because an emperor can do whatever he wants.She knows how to make the emperor fall into his tricks.