Chapter 17 Part 3 - China's first female emperor ascended the throne

Many events that led to Gaozong's death in the past can show one thing, that is: Empress Wu has now got her wish.She is now truly in charge.With the empress dowager proclaiming the system, the youngest son, the prince Zhe, has just ascended the throne as emperor, so of course he obeys orders in everything.She outlived her husband, her eldest son Hong died long ago, and the other two sons, Shangjin, Sujie, and Xianfu Xian, were all far away.Everything happened according to her plan.To abolish the virtuous princes one by one, the original intention is to use the cowardly and obedient son to proclaim the name of the emperor, and be manipulated by her at will, just like Gaozong was manipulated before.She will continue to dominate the power alone.Generally speaking, any woman is content to occupy such a position.

All the events in the past are enough to show Empress Wu's enthusiasm for power, frivolity, cruelty and selfishness, supplemented by clever political means, so she will be in power within 20 years.Relegating the virtuous and poisoning the dissidents eventually turned all the officials of the court into treacherous and flattering people.The treacherous tricks have been successful, and the confidence is increasing day by day, and the desire for power and power is becoming more and more uncontrollable.But it would be a big mistake to think that she is now content with her position. In the few days after Gaozong's death, Empress Wu once showed hesitation about Prince Zhe's succession to the throne, but Pei Yan was not clear about it for a while.At that time, Empress Wu was thinking, whether to let Prince Zhe ascend the throne to inherit the throne, or take drastic measures, or forge imperial decrees, or adopt a coup d'etat, and immediately proclaim himself emperor and ascend the throne?Practically speaking, she has long been reluctant to play a supporting role and sit in the second place, or to be the empress of the emperor, or to be the mother of the emperor.If you don't hold the king's day in your own hands, you will not be satisfied in the end.For six days and six nights, she argued in her heart.Of course she can poison Prince Zhe, but the next step is to poison Prince Dan.It is quite hesitant to do so.

Her clever mind finally decided not to take the method of conspiracy to poison, and decided to take "legal" means.The means she adopted were "legal" and she was not afraid of opposition.She can think of a way to make the young gentleman retreat behind the scenes, and use the young gentleman's name to rule in reality.When someone objected, he committed the crime of treason, because she proclaimed the rule in front of the court and exercised power on behalf of the emperor, which was well-founded in the law.After making such a decision, on the seventh day, according to Pei Yan's proposal, she let Prince Zhe ascend the throne, succeeding Gaozong as Emperor Zhongzong.

Now that Empress Wu's belly draft has been drafted, it is not surprising that there will be drastic changes in the court.Some people had already expected it, but everyone was shocked when it happened early and the methods were violent.Empress Wu, under the rare dream of wealth and splendor in the world, and in the dream of starting a dynasty and starting a business as an emperor, she started an action that other women never thought of. The storm came too soon and beyond everyone's expectations.Empress Wu was too eager and impatient.Less than two months after Gaozong's death, she abolished Zhongzong and relegated him from Beijing.This is the fourth time she has deposed her son.On February 5, the first year of Guangzhai, she arrested Zhongzong, and she really pulled Zhongzong from the throne of the emperor with the excuse of being weak and unreasonable.Other traitors had forced the emperor to abdicate, but now Empress Wu needs to rob her son of the throne.But Empress Wu had no scruples and didn't care.

Prince Zhe is not young, already twenty-eight years old.The excuse for being abolished was caused by Zhongshuling Pei Yan.Zhongzong wanted to make his father-in-law an official servant.Pei Yan objected.The monarch and his ministers argued. Zhongzong said: "I am the son of heaven, don't forget. If I let him sit in the world, there is nothing wrong with it." This sentence was blurted out in a moment of anger, which is the reason why Empress Wu abolished Zhongzong.The young emperor didn't know that he was in a dangerous situation, just like a deer grazing on the grassland, walking towards the thicket where the lioness was hiding.Empress Wu, a lioness like lightning, jumped up and threw herself on her own son, so vicious that it was frightening.

Empress Wu had already discussed with Pei Yan and told her what to do.Pei Yan was not the Duke of Qi's grandson Wuji, perhaps because he had recognized Empress Wu's character clearly and knew that it was useless to oppose Empress Wu, so he naturally followed orders.Empress Wu made an agreement with the general of the Imperial Guard.On the morning of February 5, the guards were all over the court.Baiguan went to court as usual in the morning.Contrary to the expectations of all officials, Empress Wu appeared, followed by Zhongzong.Zhongzong was about to step up to the throne, Zhongshu ordered Pei Yan to stop him suddenly, then took out an edict from the sleeve of his robe, and solemnly read the edict of Empress Wu in public, saying that Zhongzong should be abolished and imprisoned. In the palace.So Zhongzong was abolished as King Luling.The guards used their hands to grab Zhongzong and lead him out of the hall.

At that time, Zhongzong was at a loss for a while, and shouted: "Let go! What crime have I committed?" Empress Wu said: "Have you committed any crime? Isn't it enough to pass the throne to your father-in-law?" Of course, what Zhongzong said was out of anger.Of course, the words in anger cannot be considered to have real meaning, and they are not enough to constitute a reason for being abolished.But what is the use of resistance? Just fifty-four days after becoming emperor, Emperor Zhongzong was pulled down from the throne under the watchful eyes of all civil and military officials.The ministers were shocked.Such a high-handed approach is really unprecedented.Zhongzong was temporarily imprisoned in the imperial palace, and was moved to Junzhou next month, and Fangzhou (both in today's Hebei Province) in less than a month.Zhongzong's father-in-law was also demoted to the south.

The courtiers and soldiers of the three armies couldn't help but ask in their hearts, what should the empress dowager do?Except for King Yan Zhong, Empress Wu's own sons, Prince Hong, Xian, and Zhe were all relegated and imprisoned one by one. It is indeed a rare thing in ancient and modern times for a queen and mother to do this.Most people expected that the prince would inherit the throne once. Now Empress Wu has revealed her political ambitions for the first time.On February 11th, Prince Dan led all the princes and princes to present the title of Empress Dowager to Empress Wu in Wucheng Hall.Surprisingly, no new king came to the throne.Prince Dan was twenty-two years old at the time.Three days later, on the fourteenth day, Empress Wu sent her nephew Wu Chengsi to send an imperial edict, enshrining Dan as Ruizong and living in the East Palace.Ruizong no longer appeared in public.What's even more strange is that without any reason, without any excuse, and without trying to fabricate legal basis, the "emperor" Ruizong was imprisoned in the East Palace, and he was forbidden to communicate with ministers and outsiders.It can be regarded as a shocking and wonderful method!

Rui Zongdan is actually the last penny of empress Wu's political capital. It is precious and lucky, just like the first crown prince Yan Wangzhong, but the nature is different.Yan Wangzhong was falsely accused of treason, so many ministers were all eliminated.And Rui Zongdan was a legal basis for Empress Wu to usurp the throne.Empress Wu's other far-reaching attempt was to overthrow the Tang Dynasty and change the dynasty based on Wu's surname. The time has not yet come, because that requires another method, another atmosphere, and only Empress Wu herself understands it. Empress Wu now monopolizes power in the name of her son Rui Zongdan.History calls this era the reign of Emperor Wu Zetian, which began in the first year of Empress Wu Guangzhai.Historians do not use Ruizong's year name because the evolution of things in the future is more chaotic.In the first year of Empress Wu Tianshou, Ruizong was not formally abolished like Zhong Zongzhe, but was suddenly changed to "Emperor's Heir". It is not clear whose "Emperor's Heir" he is.Empress Wu liked to change her name and changed her son's name back and forth.Prince Dan was born and named Xu Lun; in the second year of Emperor Gaozong Zongzhang, "Xu" was abandoned, and it was simply called "Lun"; in the second year of Gaozong Yifeng, it was renamed "Dan"; In the first year of the holy calendar, the word "Dan" was restored.This kind of capriciousness, changing back and forth, probably also gave Ruizong a hesitant and indecisive character.

There were lively days in February, March and April of that year.There is so much going on.Empress Wu used her poisonous hands again and again, and the audience didn't even have time to catch their breath.What King Luo Bin wrote in "Discussing Wu Zhao" is not wrong at all, "the land is not dry, and the solitary six feet away" is not wrong at all. In fact, Gaozong's mausoleum had not yet started construction at that time! His late father, Prince Zhanghuai, was still imprisoned in Chengdu.I was twelve years old and hadn't seen my father for more than three years.Empress Wu respected and feared her father's talents.I was afraid that my father would rebel, and I was afraid that everyone would support me and overthrow Empress Wu's usurpation.Empress Wu once had foresight and foresight.Murder of the late father is imperative, and the method remains the same.Three days after Zhong Zongzhe was arrested and abolished, Empress Wu sent General Zuo Jinwu Qiu Shen to Chengdu.When they arrived in Chengdu, the special envoy first imprisoned the late father in the backyard room, and then forced the late father to hang himself.

Before his father died, he wrote a poem, which still exists today, titled "Huangtai Melon Ci".The lyrics are as follows: Plant melons under the yellow table, Ripe melon seeds are separated. Once picked, the melon is good, Pick again to make the melon thin. Three picks are still possible, Four pick and hold the vines. In order to cover up the murder, Empress Wu ordered a mourning at Xianfu Gate.All civil and military officials respectfully offered sacrifices to the spirit of their father, and Empress Wu paid homage to the mother who had lost her son.It is said that Qiushen was at fault for the suicide of my late father this time, so he demoted Qiushen as the governor of Leizhou.Generally speaking, Qiu Shen would not easily escape the law if he caused the death of a prince due to "fault".However, almost half a year later, God Qiu was called back to the capital again, and the official was reinstated.The public suddenly realized that Qiu Shen was only following the will of Empress Wu, and had not made the slightest mistake. Ruizong Dan was lucky enough to gouquan, so he had no choice but to not listen to, read or speak of anything.He is now safer in the palace than in exile, as the fate of his late father exemplifies.He was submissive, knowing that his life was just a legal basis for his mother Empress Wu to monopolize power.Empress Wu did not need to explain why Ruizong was under house arrest and why he was not in power.Several ministers had secretly discussed this matter, and they were relegated from Beijing immediately. Empress Wu did not want to hear anyone mention this matter again. Zhongshu made Pei Yan see clearly.I don't think so in my heart, but it's just in vain.The same goes for other ministers.Empress Wu also knew that the emperor was not in power, and even if the people didn't say it, they would have doubts in their hearts.In the first month of the third year of Chuigong, Empress Wu took action.She said that she would return to politics and Ruizong, but Ruizong knew very well that Empress Wu's words were insincere.Therefore, after some humility and acceptance, he still insisted on asking Empress Wu to continue to be in power.Empress Wu played the trick of protecting her face seamlessly, and her methods of dealing with Ruizong were extremely ingenious.