Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty Two
Wu Zetian has been in power in the Tang Dynasty for more than 30 years since she ascended the throne of empress.Especially after becoming the empress dowager, regardless of name or reality, she has become the supreme ruler.However, after all, the name of the country is "Tang", and the Li family is still in the world, so in any case, it can only be regent on behalf of the emperor.If you want to sit firmly on the imperial couch and become a real dragon emperor with a proper name, you must change the dynasty, change the country's name, and the emperor's surname from "Li" to "Wu".As the saying goes, time waits for me.Now that Wu Zetian is sixty-three, with only two braces and no two lives, she couldn't help becoming impatient, and had to take urgent measures in order to accept the "mandate of heaven" as soon as possible, and started to do something drastic.After Li Zhi's death, Wu Zetian no longer returned to Chang'an, so three royal ancestral temples of Li Yuan, Li Shimin and Li Zhi were built in Luoyang, offering sacrifices in four seasons every year, just like the ceremonies of the royal ancestral temple in Xijing.At the same time, the "Chongxian Temple" was built to worship Wu's ancestors.How many sacrificial rooms should be set up in the temple, Wu Zetian handed it over to the officials in charge to decide.In the name of Sili Temple, Zhou Jing, a doctor of Sili, asked Chongxian Temple to set up seven chambers, and Li Tang Taimiao was reduced from seven chambers to five chambers.Jia Dayin, who was promoted to be the minister of the Ministry of Rites by reporting on his boss Liu Yizhi, received cold reception everywhere and his reputation was notorious.He wanted to take remedial measures, restore the influence, and establish a positive image of upholding justice. He wrote a memorial and said: "The ritual system of the past dynasties stipulates that the emperor has seven temples, but the princes can only build five temples. The number of rooms in the Chongxian Temple is tens of thousands." Do not violate the ancient etiquette. May the Empress Dowager, like Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, accept the request of the minister frankly."
Wu Zetian threw the booklet aside, sniffed and sneered, "You despicable clown, he wants to make me a victim again, hmph, don't think about it!" However, she finally understood that it was not the time to build the Seven Temples, and tentatively decided to build only five Chongxian Temples. room.At that time Li Xiaoyi was the strongest in the Li clan.
Wu Zetian once used him to quell Xu Jingye's rebellion. Although he benefited from the urging and planning of Wei Yuanzhong and others, it created his power and power, and he himself was complacent as a triumphant commander.
Wu Chengsi sent his henchmen to watch him closely.The complacent Li Xiaoyi regards himself as a hero and brags about himself.At a banquet, he said wildly after drinking: "It can be said that half of the world of Tang Dynasty is supported by me. Uh, uh, tell me, don't you? Drink, drink."
"From our point of view, the rise and fall of Datang is actually determined by you."
The people at the table flattered wantonly.
"There is a character for rabbit in my name. Rabbit is a treasure in the moon. It is destined to be the emperor, hehe."
Wu Chengsi immediately received the information and played it to Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian considered that he had made great contributions to the crusade against Xu Jingye, and the death sentence was commuted by one grade. He was expelled from office and exiled to Danzhou, where he died of illness soon.Xue Huaiyi has always had a grudge against Su Liangsi and others, and is unwilling to let it go.He was not only beaten, but humiliated.What is incomprehensible is that the awe-inspiring and inviolable queen mother is willing to suffer this kind of humiliation, and has not punished the other party so far.Xue Huaiyi's hurt heart screamed in grief and rage like a beast: "She would rather sacrifice me and forgive them, what kind of person am I! It turns out that she also treats me as a mistress to satisfy her lust and selfish desires! "In the past, he was fascinated by Wu Zetian's age-beyond beauty and elastic body, wishing to "dedicate" everything to her and melt into her body.He had lost that excitement and impulsiveness since the humiliation.Fortunately, he has a strong physique like a vajra warrior, which helped him barely meet the needs of the queen mother. Sometimes, even with the help of "aphrodisiacs" and "sexual techniques", he could not achieve orgasm.
Wu Zetian is a sensitive and reasonable person. She didn't care about him, but tried every means to mend his broken heart, give him some interesting things to do, let him dilute his troubles while he is busy, and gain joy from success.He became excited again and fell at her feet in the misty and unfathomable male soul, dedicating himself to her without reservation.She is so noble and holy, with gorgeous brilliance overflowing on her face, full of brilliance, charming and charming.She is crazy and calm, cold and passionate, as quiet as a virgin, moving like a rabbit.There was a passion burning in her heart, as if it was on fire, and the fireworks were as brilliant and magnificent as the red sun.He was surrounded by her burning passion, but her heart and soul were tightly shut, hidden from prying eyes.She can not be bound by them to satisfy her own desires.She became tender and affectionate, blooming like a flower, with a welcoming smile.His majesty injected vitality into her. Compared with ordinary people, he was physically strong, high-spirited and full of joy, which made her very happy.She is not only a person in power, but also a woman who represents women in the world and women's wishes.Gradually, sleepiness and a hazy desire came to her, and she hugged him subconsciously, pressing her forehead against his chest.
"Do you love me?"
Her voice is hoarse, slightly charming, full of passion.
"Well, I love you."
He slurred his speech, and his voice was strange, like the sound brought by the wind from the woods.She hated hypocrisy, lashed out at disguises, and she herself was constantly disguised.She groomed and groomed, made up, changed her attire, and looked gorgeous before calling him in and making out with him.His mouth was wide open, like a bear preying on food, and there was a strange smile on his face, as if he was laughing at her, himself, or everyone around him.However, their bodies are still burning with love, and they are still lingering, and all kinds of criticism and interference can't affect them.The queen mother is in charge of the imperial power, and she is still supreme and invincible.
"I'm going to ask you to do something big."
"I know the queen mother likes to be big."
"Don't interrupt."
Wu Zetian let go of him, "To be serious, I want to build a bright hall, and I appoint you as the project supervisor. You are clever, and you just use your ingenuity to make contributions, and show them your face."
"I'm bored, I'm happy to work."
The so-called Mingtang is the palace where politics and religion are unified.It began in the Zhou Dynasty and has been passed down from generation to generation. The emperor worshiped the gods and ancestors here, and was worshiped by the princes. The national ceremonies were also held here.From the beginning of Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty, he wanted to inherit Zhou Gongdan's thought that "the son of heaven ruled on behalf of heaven" and restore the Mingtang, which symbolizes sacredness and solemnity.However, because the ages are too far apart, even what Mingtang looks like is unclear.Li Shimin, Li Zhi and his son successively summoned famous Confucians to draw up plans and design styles.They held their own opinions but lacked evidence, and they were unable to make a decision for a long time.
As soon as Wu Zetian changed her original practice, she directly handed it over to the Beimen scholars for discussion and research, and she personally "judged", successfully produced the drawing, and decided to use the ground of Qianyuan Hall to carry out large-scale construction. Conservative people criticized her style of chopping the mess. When she gave Xue Huaiyi the title of chief engineering supervisor, the criticism reached its peak.
Wu Zetian believed that Xue Huaiyi was open-minded, not bound by traditional concepts, and came out of the infrastructure construction site, so he could grasp it.Xue Huaiyi was appointed as the chief supervisor of the Mingtang. He was ambitious and majestic, and commanded the demolition of all the buildings in Qianyuan Hall.The Qianyuan Hall was built under the supervision of Si Nong Shaoqing Tian Renwang in the first year of Linde.It is the main hall of Luoyang Palace. It stands tall and majestic. It is 120 feet high, 176 feet from north to south, and 345 feet from east to west.The sound of the collapse of the palace was like landslides and ground cracks. The courtiers looked at each other in blank dismay, and some even covered their faces with tears, creating a sense of worry that "the building will collapse", and they were confused but didn't know what to do.The Mingtang is exquisitely designed and the project is complicated. Not counting the professional construction team, there are tens of thousands of people who only serve "merchant labor".It takes about a thousand people to transport the ancient trees felled from the deep mountains to the construction site and drag a huge log.It consumes countless manpower and material resources, and the difficulty of construction is unprecedented.Xue Huaiyi led the supervisors to strictly supervise and press hard, and the project progressed very quickly.
Strange to say, Xue Huaiyi became more energetic as he worked harder.He felt a strange kind of happiness, and a smile often appeared on his face.He reveled in joy in everything he did—whether it was overseeing the quality of work, whipping his laborers, riding horses, taking walks, or drinking in taverns.He seldom thinks about other things, and other people are insignificant in his eyes, not worth mentioning.
Wu Zetian was considerate and found the value of life for him. He was so happy that he felt itchy and took the initiative to go to Yiluan Hall to accompany the Queen Mother.They instinctively and subtly make the most of every moment, savoring the thrill of every kiss, every hug, every physical contact.She sensed a strong sensual satisfaction from him, and also experienced the richness of life.Her whole body and mind are connected with Xue Huaiyi.In this lingering and deeply affectionate communication, the heaven and the earth become in full bloom, as magnificent as a brocade of clouds.The rouge-like rosy clouds spread irregularly and merged with the surrounding clouds and mist, everything melted into the colorful and beautiful flames.The underlying consciousness regulates them and guides their behavior.Both of them seemed to be possessed by demons, they fell in love with each other, loved each other, surpassed the moral norms of the world, and forgot themselves.
Wu Zetian never gave up sitting in power and governing.She loves life and loves power even more.You have the right to have everything, and you have no right to lose everything.For her, lust is just to adjust her life, eliminate the fatigue of government affairs, eliminate the loneliness of widowhood, increase the diversity of life, and feel the joy of life.Xue Huaiyi was not lazy either, he worked tirelessly, running back and forth between the Mingtang construction site and the harem.Often accompany Wu Zetian for dinner, and stay with her in the bedroom at night.They take care of each other and live in harmony, harmony and peace.She enjoyed him, caressing his body, rubbing the soft waist on his sides, or resting on the elastic place under his belly.
His muscles were very developed from digging rocks and playing boxing and selling medicine. When he exerted his strength, the tense muscles made her feel strangely stimulated and excited.However, no matter how strong and strong his body is, as long as her jade-like fingers touch it, it will soon be soft and smooth.She possessed his body, enjoying it on and off with detached interest and exuberance.He was at her beck and call like a servant, obeying her orders, honest and daring.She knew everything about him like the back of her hand, and she couldn't find any secret or unknown things in him.He has plump cheeks, well-developed limbs, and is full of strength.She leaned on him, her face pressed against his chest, her heart was beating slightly, her breathing was short of breath, and her whole body had a hot flush.They were united again in overwhelming passion, perfect, like the eternal joining of heaven and earth.She hopes that she can become a seagull soaring in the low sky, and let her limbs and chest embrace the wind and clouds, sea water and warm sunshine forever.The gray sky showed red spots, and Miyagi looked even darker.The purple-brown and indigo are gradually blending together, and the orange-yellow light gushes out from the blue night sky, becoming more and more intense.The sky was whitish, and there was a touch of bright red in the eastern sky, some places became rose-colored, some places shone with a dark halo, and most of the sky was lotus blue.Today is not the morning court, Wu Zetian got up habitually.She stood at the door of the sleeping hall, looking up at the east.Light yellow light came through the air, but the courtyard was still dark.Gao Tian was in stark contrast to the inner palace.After a while, the top of the palace gate showed off dappled light waves, and the crows from Zhongnan Mountain flew towards the pink morning light, and landed on the ancient pagoda tree in the imperial garden with noisiness.Birds tsk tsk, young birds chirp.The oriole began to chirp in the shade of the forest, the woodpecker tapped on the tree trunk, and the hoopoe uttered a "hoo-hum" from high to low, three times at a time, very fast and full of rhythm It's very touching.A gust of wind blows out from the woods behind the palace, as if to blow away the darkness of dawn.The air is filled with a veil-like mist, the sky reveals colorful colors, and the brilliance behind the clouds seems to be looking for a place where the clouds are thinner, so as to break through there.
In an instant, the shadow of the palace revealed the outline of Aomori.The sky turned light blue, then gray, then crimson.The red clouds shattered, like strips of golden light reflecting the rainbow-like clouds.The whole Luoyang officials, as if they have not yet woken up, are immersed in a sleepy solemnity, red walls, palaces, palaces, towers, corridors, tiles, gray tiles, yellow glazed tiles, green tiles and green tiles, painted beams and carved columns, The gloomy old trees, the embroidered flowers and plants are all blended with the morning light in their original colors to form a mottled hazy feeling and an absurd poetic flavor.
Wu Chengsi saw his aunt's plan to eliminate Li Tang's royal family, and he was unwilling to be left behind. At the same time, he was afraid that his cousins such as Wu Sansi would surpass him, so he tried his best to cater to his aunt's psychology, and secretly envoy Tang Tongqin to pretend to fish a piece of white stone from Luoshui, engraved with "" There are eight ancient Chinese characters for the presence of the Holy Mother, the career of Yongchang Emperor.
Wu Zetian enjoyed it for a while, and with her penetrating eyes, she saw that the characters were carved out of white stone, and then filled with purple stone powder mixed with weeds and herbs.Knowing that it was a forgery, she still pretended to be very happy, promoted Tang Tongqin as a guerrilla general, and named Baishitou "Treasure Map".As the name suggests, the treasure map is the emperor's attempt.Then, an imperial edict was issued saying: "God is alive, Luoshui is holy and bestowed the treasure map. I will personally worship Luoshui and set up an altar in the southern suburbs to thank God Haotian. After the ceremony, I will accept the congratulations of all the officials in Mingtang. The governor, the governor and the royal family gathered in the capital of the gods in the first ten days of Bailuoshui to show their piety."
Wu Zetian imitated the meaning of the text on the treasure map, added the honorary title of "Holy Mother God Emperor", and carved three "God Emperor" jade seals.The imperial court issued an edict to reduce the fiefdom of Princess Dongyang, the ninth daughter of Taizong Li Shimin, and exile her two sons to Qianyang County, Hunan Province, Wuzhou.Princess Dongyang used to marry Gao Xingshi, who was the son of the eldest grandson Wuji's uncle, so Wu Zetian always hated her.During the attempted rebellion of the former Prince Xian, she was also dragged into Lianzao and punished.This unprovoked disposition shocked the Tang clan from Han Wang Yuanjia down, and a shadow cast over their hearts.Not long after, Empress Wu Zetian renamed the "treasure map" as "Tianzhi Shengtu" and changed Luoshui to "Yongchang Luoshui" by borrowing the words on the map. Etiquette is like the Five Sacred Mountains.The place where the "Heaven-given Holy Picture" was discovered was named "Shengtu Spring", and the place where the spring flowed through was established as Yongchang County.The remnant of Songshan Mountain near Luoyang was renamed Shenyue, granted the title of Heavenly King among the gods of Songshan Mountain, and granted the title of grand master, envoy, and superintendent of Shenyue. It was forbidden to collect firewood and graze on the mountain.And because similar auspicious stones were found in Xingyang County, Henan Province, Sishui County was renamed Guangwu County.Thanks to Wu Zetian for thinking of such a mysterious approach.Her purpose is very clear, to use "God's will" to create a mysterious atmosphere, and to clear the way for the realization of the queen's wish.At this time, the grandson of Hao Chujun and the servant of Hao Xiangxian, the prince Tongshi, falsely accused his master of treason.
Wu Zetian was about to catch a negative example and kill a rooster to show to the monkey, ordering careful investigation and punishment.Zhou Xing, a cruel official, is proficient in the art of provoking Han, and his methods are cruel and changeable. After his trial, the "prisoner" will peel off his skin if he does not die. Those who are saved are as rare as a feather.As a result, he was greatly appreciated by Wu Zetian, and he was promoted from Si Xing Shaoqing to Dangqiu official Xingbushilang.It is indeed a very special exception for a foreign official to climb to such a high position.Hao Xiangxian fell into his hands and was immediately charged with capital punishment, and his family was implicated as usual.Hao's wife refused to accept it, beat the drums to express her grievances, and appealed to Ren Xuanzhi, the supervisory censor.Ren Xuanzhi passed the review and declared that Hao Xiangxian was not guilty, and was dismissed from office.Hao Xiangxian's crime was added to the crime, and he was sentenced to abandon the market, that is to say, after beheading, his corpse was exposed in the market, and the corpse was not allowed to be collected.The executioner took Hao Xiangxian to the execution ground, untied his shackles, and when he was about to carry out the execution, Hao Xiangxian suddenly jumped up and rushed into the crowd of onlookers, shouting loudly: "I, Hao Xiangxian, am a Confucian scholar. What about rebellion? I have never even thought about it. The hateful thing is that the current Empress Dowager Wu is reusing cruel officials and killing innocent people indiscriminately. As you all know, Wu is a big whore who does not obey women's morals. Abnormal, beyond people's imagination."
It was completely unexpected that the heart of a death row prisoner was not dead, and he wanted to announce the scandal of the court to the public.People with a rebellious mentality applauded, made noise, and whistled, encouraging Hao Xiangxian to expose the scandal.
"The Queen Mother is like this, her daughter Princess Taiping is like this, and the righteous daughter Princess Qianjin is also like this. The old whore, who wants to be the Queen, is madly killing loyal officials and the Li family."
Hao Xiangxian, as if endorsing a letter, described their mother and daughter's lewdness and profligacy one by one, one by one, arbitrarily exaggerated, and described it thoroughly and obscenely.Then it was revealed that Wu Zetian poisoned his relatives, killed innocent people indiscriminately, and plotted to usurp Li Tang Jiangshan.The more the common people listened, the more interesting they became, and they became fascinated.Some screamed strangely, some cheered, and even criticized Wu Zetian with dirty words.The criminal officer was impatient, irritable and frightened, and stepped forward to stop the situation, trying to control the development of the situation, but to no avail. He watched Hao Xiangxian mercilessly expose his ugliness and curse.The people booed and fueled the flames.The criminals and jailers start chasing Hao Xiangxian, but the audience covers him in hiding.A daring man went so far as to untie the ropes binding Hao Xiangxian's hands so that he could escape.Two jailers surrounded them and wanted to arrest them. Several woodcutters put firewood in the middle of the road, blocking the guards' footsteps.After hearing the news, the Jinwu Guards rushed over, surrounded Hao Xiangxian, and gathered like a net, arrested Hao Xiangxian, dragged him to the execution site, pressed him to the wooden pier, and the executioner chopped off his head.
Empress Wu Zetian hated it, and ordered Hao Xiangxian's body to be dismembered.Dig up his family's grave, broke the coffin, took out the carrion and bones, burned them all, and ransacked the family.His family members were brutally killed on the way to the south of the Five Ridges.
"It is necessary to prevent similar emergencies from happening again!" Wu Zetian put one hand on his waist and clenched the other into a fist.She made up her mind and took corresponding countermeasures: it is stipulated that in the future, when the prisoner is cut, he must "hold a piece of money" in his mouth.It is made of a piece of wood like chopsticks, and the two ends are tied behind the head with ropes, making people speechless.However, she has a way to stop the mouths of the condemned prisoners, but she can't stop the mouths of many subjects.The fact that she had an affair with Monk Hua Xue Huaiyi quickly spread in Luoyang.Moreover, relying on imagination and arbitrary exaggeration, Hu fabricated many obscene stories, saying that when Wu Zetian was a nun in Ganye Temple, she hooked up with Monk Hua from Baima Temple and committed adultery for a long time.Xue Huaiyi was reincarnated as a male donkey, and his personality was as thick and long as a donkey.When eating, you can reach into the other party's private hole from under the dining table.
As a result, Wu Zetian invented the tablecloth to cover the case to cover up her embarrassment.Thirty-four bloodbaths of the Li royal family The Li royal family received an edict issued by the court, speculating that Wu Zetian might gather them in Luoyang in the name of worshiping the Luoshui God and wipe them all out.When the tortoise crosses the threshold, it will be thrown back and forth.Go, it is equivalent to sending the meat to the chopping block, which constitutes a crime of disobedience to the imperial edict.The son of Yuanjia, the king of Han, and Huang Guogong Li Yi, the governor of Tongzhou [Daxian, Sichuan], wrote a letter to Wangzhen Yue, the governor of Yuzhou [Ruxian, Henan], implying: "My wife's illness is getting worse and worse, and I should treat it quickly. If it is delayed until this winter , I am afraid it will become a chronic disease."
Han Wang Yuanjia is considered the oldest in the royal family, already seventy-one years old.Due to age and other factors, he has always advocated prudence: "Hey, Zhuge is cautious all his life. Good things don't start from busyness, take your time, take one step at a time, and wait for the opportunity to act is the best policy."
Li Yi was tired of listening to his father's similar words, and was very annoyed by his indecision.Time was running out, and he didn't intend to consult with his relatives repeatedly, so he forged Li Xian's secret edict without authorization: "I have been imprisoned, and the kings sent troops to rescue me."
He sent someone to give it to the eldest son of Yue Wangzhen, the governor of Liaocheng City in Bozhou and Shandong, and Wang Chong in Langyu.Chong judged Li Ji's plot to revolt from the false edict, and imitated Xian's jade seal and imperial decree in the same way: "The Holy Mother of God intends to turn Li Tang Sheji into a Wu family, and the kings rushed to attack."
Chong loves literature, is good at riding and shooting, and has both civil and military skills. He has successively served as the governor of Mi and Jizhou, and is currently the governor of Bozhou.All three of his governorships were well received.A major earthquake occurred in Luoyang area.The Empress Dowager acted very calmly, ordered the organization of disaster relief, and properly resettled the victims. Her personal life was as usual, with regular daily life and orderly work, which stabilized people's hearts and did not cause major chaos.Chong wanted to take advantage of natural disasters to raise troops, but the troops were obviously insufficient.He was determined to recruit soldiers and buy horses, and accumulate grass to store grain, so he fabricated a false imperial decree, called Chief Shi Xiao Decong and others to discuss, and ordered them to recruit soldiers.At the same time, they sent copies of false imperial edicts to Han Wang Yuanjia, Huo Wang Yuangui, Lu Wang Lingkui, his father Yue Wangzhen, and his uncle Wang Shen, the governor of Qinghe County, Beizhou, Hebei, etc., and mobilized them to raise their own troops and attack Luoyang together.
When Wu Zetian received the information, he remained calm and showed a rare smile: "This group of sharks, I never thought they would throw themselves into the net!" General Qiu Shenjin of the Zuo Jinwu Guard was appointed as the general manager of the Qingpingdao march to crusade against the rebels.This man was extremely cruel. He was once demoted for forcing the abolished Prince Xian to death. He was reinstated as an official soon after and has been reused all the time.Li Chong conquered 5,000 She soldiers and horses, and immediately led his troops to revolt, crossed the Yellow River, and planned to capture Emping County, Shandong Province, Jezhou.He once served as the governor of Jeju, and he was quite popular and familiar with the environment.In this way, we must first take Liaocheng, Wushui, Shandong, in Bozhou, and open the channel.
Guo Wuti, the magistrate of Wushui County, received the military report and rushed to Daming County, Hebei, Weizhou for help.Ma Xuansu, magistrate of Shenxian County, Shenxian County, Shandong Province, Weizhou, led 1,700 troops to help. He wanted to invite the enemy from the middle, but he was afraid of being outnumbered, so he had to enter Wushui County and guard the city behind closed doors.As soldiers approached the city, Li Chong ordered vehicles filled with hay to block the south gate, and took advantage of the wind to attack with fire.However, the sky did not help the rush, and the wind direction suddenly changed, which instead blocked his attack and caused self-chaos.Dong Xuanji, Chong's aide, is a Confucian scholar who can only talk about wars on paper. Seeing the real battle, the victory or defeat is so unpredictable, and his heart sinks.He lost confidence and repented a little: "I didn't think in advance that fighting against the official army is an act of treason."
Chong Zheng was furious, his eyes spewed fire, his hair stood on end, and he beheaded Dong Xuanji angrily.There were only dozens of servants and bodyguards left and right. Knowing that the general situation was over, most of Li Chong's army and horses were gathered temporarily without strict training, just like a mob.The soldiers were so frightened that their backs were cold, and their hearts were filled with terror. They scattered and fled to the swamp.Li Chong couldn't help it, and retreated back to Bozhou.Farmer Meng Qing, who was forcibly recruited to guard the city gate, caught Chong's head with a stick by surprise and died on the spot.After only seven days of rushing to raise troops, it ended in a disastrous defeat.The imperial court made an exception and promoted Meng Qing as a general.When Qiu Shenjin led the troops to Bozhou City, all the state officials came out in white mourning clothes to express their apology.The cruel Qiu Shenjin ordered all innocent state officials to be executed.He went on a killing spree, and more than a thousand families were destroyed.Only then did he play the triumphant song and return to Luoyang arrogantly, to repay the merits and rewards.The kings received the news of rushing to raise troops, but none of them responded positively.These super high-ranking nobles, who usually kept saying that they wanted to kill the Queen Mother, Kuangfu Li Tang, really moved, and all of them became shrinking turtles, just like Ye Gonghaolong.When Li Zhen, the king of Yue, got the news that his son had rushed to fight, he also raised his banner to rebel in Runan County, Henan Province, and sent a team to capture Shangcai County, Henan Province.
Wu Zetian ordered Qu Chongyu, the general of Zuo Baotao and Wei, to be the commander in chief of the middle army, and Cen Changqian, the internal historian, to be the commander in chief of the rear army, leading a crusade with 100,000 troops.Then Zhang Guangfu, the minister of Fengge, was appointed as the military governor.Then, it was ordered to deprive Li Zhen and Li Chong of their royal status and change their surnames to "虺".At this time, the sad news of Li Chong's defeat and death spread to Yuzhou. Li Zhen's heartbeat fell from a peak to a trough, dejected, and planned to tie herself to the palace to plead guilty.Just as he was about to act, Fu Yanqing, the county magistrate of Xincai he had appointed, had recruited 2,000 troops and rushed from the county seat 160 miles away.Li Zhen's eyes flashed, and she changed her mind: "It's death to plead guilty, so why don't you just go on and avenge your son."
Immediately, he made an impassioned look and encouraged the soldiers to say: "King Lang Surprised by the emperor's secret edict to attack the Wu family, and the responders gathered. The 200,000 troops have broken through Weizhou, Xiangzhou and other states, and will come to meet us soon. Victory is in sight, Gentlemen, cheer up and fight to the end!" Li Zhen sent 5,000 soldiers from the counties under the jurisdiction of Yuzhou, divided them into five battalions, ordered Pei Shoude, the prime minister of Runan County, to be the commander, and coerced more than 500 ninth-rank soldiers from the Yuzhou government. The above-mentioned internal officials were added to each battalion.Li Zhen especially relied on Pei Shoude to appoint him as a general, and married his daughter Liangxiang county master to him as his wife.He also appointed Zhao Chengmei, the head of the internal camp, as the general of Zuo Zhonglang.Monks and Taoist priests were also gathered in the city to chant scriptures and pray for the success of the army.Wearing amulets with the words "Beidou" and "Sun and Moon" on the soldiers, they deluded themselves and claimed that they could avoid swords and guns.Qu Chongyu and other officers and soldiers arrived in the forty miles east of Yuzhou City and set up camp near the mountains and rivers.Li Zhen ordered his son-in-law Pei Shoude and his youngest son Li Gui to go out to fight in the city, but they were defeated within a few rounds.Li Zhen's heart trembled, and she ordered the city gate to be closed tightly, and she hid in the pavilion in the inner courtyard of the palace and could not come out.Pei Shoude was anxious and angry, and wanted to kill him and surrender to the officers and soldiers, but he would not agree even if you screamed his throat, and he couldn't find it everywhere.It wasn't until the officers and soldiers surrounded Yuzhou City layer by layer and attacked the city that he took out his housekeeping skills and shot arrows down from the Drum Tower, one after another, until the arrows were all shot and the quiver was empty. The poison was mixed into the wine, and he drank it all in one gulp, and fell to the ground and died.Seeing this, the servant strangled Li Gui to death.Seeing that her husband and son were dead, Zhen's wife hanged herself.Pei Shoude knew that he could not escape death, so he killed the head of Liangxiang County first, and then himself.Qu Chongyu's army entered the city, cut off the heads of Zhen, Gui, Pei Shoude and others, sent them to Luoyang on horseback, and hung them at the gate of the imperial city for public display.
The kings have long been aware of Wu Zetian's ambitions, and they often communicate secretly or send secret envoys to contact each other and make an appointment to start an incident.You Sanqi, the second son of Lu Wang Lingkui, often served Fan Yang Wang Ai. Before the incident, he sent secret envoys to see Li Zhen and Li Chong, and said: "As long as all the kings work together and raise troops together, we are not afraid that great things will fail."
However, when Chong and Zhen started troubles successively, the kings stood still and watched the changes.Of course, they were far apart, and it was impossible to get in touch in time, which was also the reason for the failure.Zhao Huan's wife is Princess Changle, the nineteenth daughter of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan.Their daughter was Concubine Zhao who starved to death under confinement under the orders of Empress Wu when Li Xian was King of England.Zhao Huan was relegated from Kuozhou to Shouzhou as governor, and forced Princess Changle to accompany him.When receiving Zhen's secret envoy, Princess Changle's words were extremely tragic.
"The Wu family's vicious face is exposed, the royal family is in danger, the king of Yue and his son took the lead in raising troops, and they are worthy of the loyal ministers of the country. You can tell the king of Yue that we will go all out to support the righteous deeds, and we will not hesitate to break our bodies."
After suppressing the rebellion, Wu Zetian planned to take the opportunity to execute the royal family of the Li family, and ordered the supervisory censor Su Fang to investigate and examine the rebellion.Su Jian couldn't find any evidence that the kings conspired to rebel, so he couldn't make a judgment.Someone secretly reported that Su Yu had colluded with King Han and King Lu, etc. Wu Zetian summoned Su Yu to question him, and Su Yong argued hard.
Wu Zetian originally wanted to use his good reputation for being upright and upright to achieve her personal goals, but when she saw that Su Jian couldn't turn the corner, she sighed and said implying: "You are an elegant scholar, and I will have another appointment. You don't need to handle this case." gone."
"I thank the Queen Mother," Su Yan kowtowed, "I will obey the Queen Mother's arrangement."
"It's a pity that you didn't obey. Well, kneel down."
Wu Zetian sent Su Xun to the central and western parts of Hexi and Gansu to serve as the supervisor of the army, and Zhou Xing, the servant of the autumn official, was the judge.Zhou Xing appeared to be very calm, and arrested Han Wang Yuanjia, his son Huang Guogong, Lu Wang Lingkui, and Princess Changle from Rensuo to Luoyang, and interrogated them separately at the same time. suicide.
Wu Zetian hated the femme fatale of the rebels, and changed their surname to "虺".When the house was confiscated and the books were destroyed, it was discovered that the collection of books in the Yuanjia Mansion of the King of Han reached more than 10,000 volumes, some of which were rare editions or orphans, which were very precious, and all of them were stamped with the seal of the King of Han, and many annotations were elaborately made.Situ Qingzhou Inspector Huo Wang Yuangui of Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, saw all the kings fell one by one, knowing that he would not escape bad luck, he was accused of colluding with Yue Wangzhen in fear, deprived him of all his official titles, and exiled Qianzhou [Pengshui County, Sichuan].During the escort, Yuan Gui, who was imprisoned in the prison car used by the felons, was sad and depressed, suffering from hunger and cold. He was sick and could not receive medical treatment. He died in Chencang, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province.Yuan Gui's eldest son, Wang Xu, governor of Ankang County, Shanxi, Jinzhou, was imprisoned and sentenced to beheading, and his corpse was exposed in the market.Li Rong, governor of Xinyang City, Henan Province, Shenzhou, Dongguan Gong Li Rong, was the fifth son of Guo Wangfeng, the fifteenth son of Gaozu, and had made a covenant of rebellion with Li Yu and Li Zhen.After receiving the imperial decree to convene the clan to worship Luoshui, Li Rong sent secret envoys to Beijing to inquire about Gao Zigong, the assistant teacher in Chengdu.Gao Zigong dissuaded and said: "It will be bad luck if you come, and if you don't participate, there is still a chance of survival."
Li Rong pretended to be seriously ill and said that he could not enter Beijing.When Li Zhen started the incident, he sent secret envoys to urge him to keep the promise.He also excused himself due to illness.After Li Zhenbai committed suicide by drinking poisonous wine, when Si Xingsi questioned him, Li Rong said that he refused due to illness.
Wu Zetian forgave him, and transferred him to Beijing to serve as Doctor Zuo Zanshan, in charge of etiquette, advice, and ordering in the East Palace, and he was the fifth rank.As soon as he arrived at the East Palace, someone reported on his alliance with Yu and Zhen, and he was arrested and imprisoned.Both Li Rong and Gao Zigong were executed by beheading, and Li Rong's property was confiscated.Xue Shao, the husband of Princess Taiping, has three brothers: Jie, Xu and Shao.Their biological mother was Princess Yangcheng, the sixteenth daughter of Emperor Taizong.Hou Jie of Hedong County served as the governor of Eping County, Shandong Province, Jezhou.The three brothers had secretly contacted Chong. After the incident, Jie secretly ordered Jizhou Recorder to join the army and Gao Zuan to recruit soldiers and horses.After being defeated, the Xue brothers killed Gao Zuan to silence them.But the queen mother still collected this information, and she was never merciful to the rebellion, so Xie Hexu was dragged to Shicao and beheaded.Shao was sentenced to 100 sticks with a cane, and was put in a big prison. Because there was no medicine applied to the stick wound, he was so painful that he couldn't eat, and died of starvation in prison.Shao and Princess Taiping's three sons: Chongjian, Chongmin, and Chongxing, were not implicated and lived safely under the wing of their mother.Yue Wangzhen was defeated, and the post of governor of Yuzhou was replaced by Wenchang Zuocheng Di Renjie.When Di Renjie arrived at his office, he saw that as many as six or seven hundred families had been confiscated, among which more than five thousand people had ransacked their homes and exterminated their families. He ignored the repeated envoys sent by Sixing Temple and Dali Temple to urge the prisoners to be dealt with, so he resolutely sent someone to present a memorial to Wu Zetian: " Yue Wangzhen rebelled and coerced others to participate. Most of the prisoners were innocent. Now that I have found out the truth, I dare not report the truth. Your Majesty is holy and benevolent. Please be lenient and give them a way out to reform themselves. "
Wu Zetian had already noticed Di Renjie, knew that he was a talented and capable minister, and he was upright, upright, and upright, so he specially approved what he played, commuted all prisoners by one grade, and exiled Wuyuan County, Inner Mongolia, Fengzhou. Han inspected various places in Longyou, and when he arrived in Ningzhou, he found some elderly people sitting in twos and threes under the sun or beside the earthen wall, chatting and singing.After inquiring carefully, it turned out that he was praising Di Renjie.Di Renjie served as the governor here two years ago. He loves the people like a son and resolves cases like a god, which is in stark contrast to officials in other prefectures and counties.Guo Han returned to court to play Ming Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian promoted Di Renjie to be the minister of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the winter.The people of Ningzhou were happy and reluctant to part with him, and built a "monument of virtue and government" for him to show their praise and admiration.Officers and soldiers escorted long lines of prisoners from Yuzhou to Fengzhou, and Ningzhou was a must.When they passed through Ningzhou, the common people welcomed the consolation and chatted with the prisoners.
"Our Mr. Di, what a nice person! You are really lucky that he was transferred to your Yuzhou."
"It was he who saved us," the prisoner nodded, "We will never forget his great kindness and virtue." The elders of Ningzhou asked the prisoner to stay, and the officials of the state government invited them to watch the "Monument of Virtuous Government" together.The common people and the prisoners fell in love with each other, and cried because they missed Di Renjie.The escorting officers, soldiers and state officials were also moved to tears.The local authorities tried to keep them there for three days before allowing officers and soldiers to escort the prisoner to continue northward.The counter-insurgency government army entered Yuzhou, flying domineeringly, burning, killing, looting, and raping women.Di Renjie unceremoniously banned his illegal behavior.Zhang Guangfu, who stayed behind, favored the soldiers and accused Di Renjie of arresting people without his superiors.
"You, a governor of the state, you are not a big official, you are not small, and you dare not arrest my subordinates through the official, um, do you have me as the prime minister of the dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in your mind?!"
"I am the magistrate here," Di Renjie said without showing any weakness, "I have the right to manage the local social security, neither infringing on nor exceeding my authority. What I did did not despise the Prime Minister who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. "
“狄仁杰，你得放明白点，若是妨碍了平叛，可吃罪不起哟。”
“叛乱早已平息，叛首越王贞也已经死了。现在的情况是，出现了一个比反叛更乱的局面。”
“你敢抹杀官军的平叛功绩？！”
“众所周知，越王贞的失败，主要是由于叛逆不得人心，当然也不可忽视官军的作用。不过，当官军到达豫州城中时，却大肆滥杀翻越围墙过来投降的叛军官兵，邀功请赏，而明公竟坐视不管。”
“你，你，想不到你最终把矛头指向了我？岂有此理！”
“我有充分的理由控诉，遗憾的是，手中没有尚方斩马剑。要是有，我定然砍下你的脑袋，即令处死。”
狄仁杰义正辞严，张光辅理屈词穷，压不住狄仁杰的火气，他恼怒得浑身发抖：“好，好，你不把本官放在眼里，放纵自己在这里撒野，咱们朝廷见。”
回到洛阳，张光辅上奏狄仁杰以下犯上。
武则天不想因为这一场风波打乱她的整体部署，暂时将狄仁杰调到复州湖北仙桃市当刺史。豫州离洛阳六百七十里，而复州则更为偏远，离洛阳一千五百一十八里，表面上带有左迁的意思。拂晓的朔风卷动着粉白色的雾气，葡萄灰的天空开始朦胧地透出些亮光。山脉和森林依旧沉睡未醒，暗影曈曈，好比亮着一盏油灯的佛堂一样，庄严肃穆。犹如血染的浅紫色，在东方的天边闪闪烁烁，迸溅出金刚钻和红宝石似的光点，恍若有生命的物体扩展开去，跟纠缠不清的雾霭进行搏斗。黎明的种种奇妙的颜色，全都显现出来了。洛水泛起了涟漪，鹅卵石在水底反映出朵朵红晕，衬托得岸边的积雪更加白皑皑的。平叛之后的十二月二十五日，武则天按照既定方针，在神都洛阳南郊的“圣图泉”畔，隆重举行“拜洛授图”大典。
太阳还没有升起，空气里弥漫着清晨的寒气。挂名皇帝李旦默默地立在祭坛跟前，冷得缩着脖子打哆嗦。按方位规规矩矩地排列着的文武百官，以及后宫宫人、僧侣、道士、各国使臣、部落酋长，都穿着五颜六色的礼服，毕恭毕敬，静等着圣母神皇武则天驾临。朝雾溟蒙，缥缥缈缈，一片迷茫。刚刚露出脸来的太阳，显得不同寻常，红姣姣赛若少妇脸颊上的醉酡的肤色。金红色的云朵，烟花般地向空中奔放，人们的心目中顿时产生了一种虔诚而崇高的感觉。朝霞映照着祭坛后方兽园里的珍禽异兽：羽毛灿烂的鸟雀比赛着鸣啭，七彩孔雀展屏，鹦鹉学舌：“吉祥如意，吉祥如意”停在鹰师肩上的猎鹰东张西望，天竺进贡的象群又扭鼻子又扇耳朵，豺狼虎豹在笼子里兜圈子，虎啸猿啼，阿拉伯雄狮吼声如雷太阳款款上升，仿佛有什么看不见的魔力在托起这炫烨光耀的巨盘。神圣的白昼展开了金光灿灿的胸怀，而万物则俯首膜拜。御道两侧陈设的皇帝的仪仗一一法驾卤簿，在红日的光照下，五彩纷披，灿若锦绣，显得格外富丽堂皇、威武雄壮，处处表现着皇权的尊贵与伟大。
司礼寺乐班的演奏开始了，威严雄浑，而又充满欢快的气氛。众人端然肃立，宫廷的车骑先期到达，御辇缓缓穿过百官的队列，来到祭坛当中停住，玉兰、婉儿和女官将武则天扶下了辇。李显向母后身旁靠了靠，执事官张起了伞形的黄龙华盖。风吹动着武则天身上的綉袄锦衣，玉佩叮当作响。她姿态娉婷，举止娴雅，神釆奕奕，在朝晖的照耀下，脸色显得端庄而又妩媚，像传说中的西王母那样神韵缥缈，冰莹玉丽，充满难以言喻的玄妙风采。
武则天舒展了一下长挑而健硕的身段，缓了口气，举目观望：万里无云的瓷蓝的天空，穹顶似的笼盖着四野，煌煌煜煜的光斑、光圈，好比八仙出游，在空中欢娱嬉戏。山顶吊着黄鲜鲜的日轮，撒播下水晶般的柔和的光线。附近一带的山水、田庄、屋宇、园林，都浸泡在一种明净而雪白的严寒之中，浸泡在溢彩流光的青黛的薄雾里，一切都那么的明澈、鲜丽、圣洁。幢幡宝盖摇晃，御香袅袅，祭坛前献呈猪、牛、羊三牲。
在一派庄重的钟罄鼓乐声中，唱响了改编的《昭和》祭歌：九玄眷命，三圣基隆。奉承先旨，明台毕功。永昌帝业，圣母临人。郊祀诚敬，冀表深衷。
武则天虔诚地祭拜洛水，按受“天授圣图”。又祈祷上苍，告谢洛神。群臣山呼“万岁”，祭典掀起了髙潮。场面盛大，仪式隆重，唐朝建国以来从没有过。其声势不亚于泰山封禅。礼毕，高延福将“天授圣图”装入神龛内，捧回去准备安置在万象神宫。过了两天，明堂落成，气势雄伟，极其壮观。高二百九十四尺，方三百尺。共分三层：下层构筑成春夏秋冬四季形式，四方各用本方的颜色。中层按十二时辰划分。上层是圆形屋顶，象征二十四节气。由九条盘龙镀金圆柱支撑起屋面。屋顶上耸立着生铁铸造的凤凰，高一丈，外贴金叶，饰以色彩，看上去形同一只展开双翅的金凤凰。明堂中央，有一根十个人才抱得住的木柱，从地面直伸屋顶，斗拱斜柱屋檐都依仗它作基础。四面安置铁制水渠，仿效由周朝传下来的太学辟雍国立贵族大学的式样。周代的明堂，古朴简单、宽敞明亮，屋面覆盖茅草，连草尖也不必修剪齐整，体现出远古的精神风貌，用以教化臣民返朴归真。新筑的明堂，珠辉玉映，金碧辉煌，极尽豪华而光怪陆离，似乎不伦不类而令人莫解。
武则天却表示满意，更名叫作“万象神宫”，以示万象聚于一堂的神圣宫殿。操持国家命脉的，是至高无上的当今圣母神皇。由此可见她并不尊重儒家传统，而是利用儒教将自己进一步推向神化。万象神宫落成，武则天设宴庆贺，大赏群臣。朝廷赐宴，司礼寺的舞姬按例要表演大型音乐舞蹈。这次表演特别值得一提的是，其“圣寿”字舞是由武则天亲自编定排练出来的。所谓“字舞”，就是舞姬一面跳舞，一面翻动上衣或披风，改变服装颜色，俯伏地面，组成字样。组字的方式有十来种。舞姬多达数百人以上，以至千人左右。
唐朝是中国古代音乐舞蹈大融合大革新的时期，它兼收并蓄，在继承的基础上改革创新，无论规模、技巧、舞姿、舞态，都堪称空前。舞姬一律是司礼寺所属的宫妓，挑选严格，要求长相漂亮，体态轻盈。再经过艰苦的训练，练得身体柔软，腰如弱柳，动作灵活优美。编排特别讲究，演出也就分外精彩。伴奏的乐器，由数十种组成，以笙、笛、管、箫、钲为主，突出特钟、编钟、特罄、编罄、搏拊、敔、税，再加上形似筝的箜篌、琵琶、五弦、胡笳、筚篥、揭鼓等等，组成了庞大的交响乐团。
“圣寿舞”精挑最优秀的宫妓一百四十名，头戴镀金铜冠，身穿红、绿、黑、白、黄五色宽袖舞衣，挥动长袖翩翩起舞。当音乐伴奏到其中一节时，擂响羯鼓，部分舞姬跳到中央，扭摆身体，翻卷上衣，时前时后，或侧身卧倒，以不同的服色组成一个个大字。依次展现出：“圣、超、千、古、道、泰、百、王、皇、帝、万、年、宝、祚、弥、昌”等十六个吉庆字样。在一片喝彩声中，舞者恢复了起头的队形，如行云流水一般，轻快活泼地退下了场。随后由笙先导，奏响旋律优美的乐器，上演大型“花舞”。舞者挥动鲜花，边走边跳边回旋疾转，形成高低不同的层次，组合成盛开的鲜花形样，周围的舞者拼凑成绿叶相扶。随着音乐的变化，不断变幻成牡丹、芙蓉、月季、杜鹃、百合、红梅等花样。
“兽舞”的表演和花舞类似，在维浑的音乐声中，载歌载舞，由舞者组成瑞兽图形。只不过花舞的舞姿婀娜优雅，兽舞则动作夸张，粗犷奔故。
“文舞”由少女文生手持竹箫或凤羽舞蹈，舞姿典雅、潇洒，彬彬有礼。
“武舞”由手持矛盾的武士男生组成，银盔亮甲，步伐坚定，英武雄徤，喊杀声和兵器的撞击声震天动地。还有西域的快节拍的胡旋舞，天竺的脚铃舞，南诏的孔雀舞，吐蕃的面具舞。以及武术和气功的表演，杂耍、魔术、百戏等等。撤宴后，兴高采烈的武则天命人打开宫门，让市民随喜自由参观万象神宫。大赦天下一般罪犯。又将河南县改名合德县。薛怀义监造万象神宫有功，擢拔当左威卫大将军，正三品，封梁国公，正一品。遁人空门的花和尚，脱下袈裟，摇身一变，变成了身着紫蟒的朝廷命官、公爵大臣。
武则天要留住他在大内行走，又命他继续建造“天堂”。
“天堂”修筑在“万象神宫”的北面，坐北朝南，设计成五层高搂，堂内设置大佛像。它是为了佛教举行大法会而建的大殿堂。明堂本属儒家礼教范畴，武则天改名为“万象神宫”，明显转向了道教彩色。
“天堂”旨在强调佛教，而且高度超过万象神宫，又在堂内供奉大佛像，体现了她再次转向“佛先道后”的思想。更名万象神宫的明堂，对于它的过分铺张和奢豪，有人称好，有人叫绝，也有人摇头，更多的人则是沉默不语或随声附合。侍御史王求礼自有他的看法，单刀直人地上了一本：“古代的明堂，屋面用茅草铺盖，不加修剪，椽柱不加砍削，旨在礼乐教化。而今所建的明堂，用珍珠宝玉装饰，颜色五彩缤纷，铁凤耸入云端，金龙藏进云雾，极尽豪华，又大肆张扬神道，似乎有背古义。从前纣王的琼台，夏桀的瑶室，恐怕都没有超过它。”
王求礼官不大，胆子倒不小，前次谏“薛怀义去势”，此次又谏“明堂违背古礼”。
武则天对于只要不危及她掌权的反面意见，一般都能容忍。王求礼的谏浄，涉及儒教宗旨，她的态度是避而不谈，把奏折搁到了一边。垂拱五年份，元旦，武则天在万象神宫举行宴飨大典，宫内设祭坛，呈献太牢猪、牛、羊，祈拜昊天上帝。
武则天穿戴皇帝祭天地神灵的衮冕大礼服。White jade beads are used for the crown of the crown, and it hangs twelve stalks.玄衣纟熏裳用十二章。腰间的玉带上插着羊脂玉大圭，手捧上品的羊脂玉镇圭天子专用的玉笏它的尖端是三角形的槌，表面细刻着四镇山：扬州会稽山、青州沂山、幽州倚天间山、冀州霍山，并以五色绢带系圭腰。大圭与镇圭式样均出自《周礼》。她是中国历史上第一个，也是最后一个身着帝王专用服饰的女性。祭典开始时，宫内只有武则天、李旦和李成器三人，余者为协助仪式进行的个别高级女官。
武则天行初献礼，她先拜天神，依次向高祖、太宗、高宗的神主祭拜，拜罢魏国先王武士鹱的神主，最后朝拜五方帝座。皇帝李旦行亚献礼，太子李成器最后行终献礼，李旦和李成器父子均着皇太子服饰。祭典结束，武则天驾临洛阳宫正门的则天门筚，接见依序排列的文武百官，以及外国使节、酋长等等。文武百官都头戴祭冠，身穿祭服。大赦天下罪犯。更改年号为永昌元年。
正月初三日，武则天继续穿戴皇帝的衮冕大礼服，御万象神宫，接受群臣朝拜祝贺。她手执玉笏端然坐在御座上，面前陈列着七件与弥勒佛有关的玉器，旁边摆着装有“天授圣图”的神龛。她的身旁坐着皇帝李旦和太子成器，帘后有李旦的妻子刘妃与窦妃。初四日，武则天在万象神宫宣谕施政纲要，给群臣颁发九条训词，用以勉励文武官员。初五日，又在万象宫赐宴朝臣。二月十四日，武则天宣布武氏的远袓是西周的宗室，追尊亡父武士鹱为周忠孝太皇，亡母杨氏为周忠孝太后。把文水县的武氏祖坟改称“章德陵”，把武士鹱与杨氏合葬在咸阳的坟墓改称“明义陵”，设置崇先府官员。
“陵”是指皇帝、皇后、上皇、太后、太皇太后坟墓的专称。
武则天想登女皇大宝的心迹已经非常明朗化了。上说：“王者兴，受天命，谓之易世革命。”
中国历史上革命的手段，大体可以分为禅让和攻伐两种方式。以武力推翻无德君主的政权，代之而取得江山社稷，叫作攻伐。禅让又分为两种形式，尧舜禹之间的禅让属于理想的革命形态，它来自远古时期的传说，已无可考证。另一种则是臣下逼迫皇上让出帝位，曹丕压服汉献帝刘协让位，司马炎迫使魏陈留王曹奂下台，以及杨坚取代北周静帝宇文阐，李渊代替隋恭帝杨侑，都从属于这种类型。总而言之，改朝换代，若想不经过流血的惨剧，那只不过是一种想象而已。
武则天公开身着帝王衮冕，在公开场合下祭天拜地，可称得上一代国君了。然而要成为名正言顺的真龙天子，还要经过“禅让”。As the saying goes, if you travel a hundred miles, ninety and a half.欲达到目的，百尺竿头得更进一步，还得下番功夫。尤其要突破儒家的传统观念和种种习惯势力，以女性君临天下，更是难上加难。进入四月，因兴建明堂和春节庆典而中止的清洗行动，又掀起了第二次大高潮。在第一次大屠杀与第二次大屠杀之间，还有一个小插曲。殿中侍御史周矩，奉敕命审问骞味道。骞味道此时任左肃政大夫、同凤阁鸾台平章事，位列相班。而殿中侍御史的官阶颇低，刚刚从七品上升一阶为从六品下，平时掌管各种仪式，负责整肃官员行列和整顿秩序，也有职责弹劾官吏的非法行为。官不算大，对前途却很有帮助。骞昧道却看不惯这个年轻的清要官，曾直言不讳地说道：“你这个人既无事业心，又没有责任感，做事拖拖拉拉的，最后不了了之。”
“相爷，”周矩仍然是那么个慢慢吞吞的样子，“好事不从忙中起，从容干好事嘛。”
“好个屁！拖泥带水的，一件事也办不好，太没出息啦。”
周矩再不解释，也不反驳，低着头，晃晃悠悠地拖着脚步走开了。事有凑巧，有人密奏骞味道对徐敬业表示同情，疑有同谋之嫌。
武则天偏偏把这宗要案交给周矩审理，导演出了一幕活报剧。审问时，周矩悠然不迫地对骞味道说：“我说稳当点好，你说好个屁。看来你说得对，今天我就照你的办，从速处理，决不拖泥带水。”
“……”骞味道缄口结舌，无力地垂下了脑袋。周矩抢在年关以前，迅速结案。骞味道和他的儿子骞辞玉被判斩于市曹。
武则天血洗李氏皇族，已经成了公开的秘密。连州〔四川筠连县〕别驾鄱阳公李湮，心里像油煎，额头上青筋暴得有小手指头那么粗：“与其坐以待毙，不如起来反抗，或许还能带来一线生机。即使死，也死个痛快。”
他图谋从庐陵接回前任帝李显，打着他的旗号，号召“打倒武氏，匡复李唐”。然而又把握不足，五心不定。李湮找了岳父、天官侍郎邓玄挺，请教说：“我打算采取紧急措施自救，你以为如何？”
“自己的事，无需问别人。”
邓玄挺拒不回答。辰州湖南辰溪县别驾汝南王李炜，和李湮想到一块儿去了，也找了邓玄挺，请他拿主意，邓玄挺同样拒绝了。事情刚露头，酷吏便以“知情不报”罪逮捕了邓玄挺，连同李湮、李炜等皇族十二人，一起处死了。李湮是李元庆的儿子，李元庆是李渊的儿子。李炜是李恽的儿子，李恽是李世民的儿子。他们的家眷都流放到了隽州〔四川西昌市〕。索元礼、来俊臣、周兴等酷吏，钻山打洞找线索，小题大作，无事生非，以种种借口或莫须有的罪名诛杀李氏皇族。当年越王贞等聚众起兵反抗武氏时，贝州河北清河县刺史纪王李慎没有参与。因为他是越王贞的弟弟，也被牵连入狱，判处斩刑。由于他一直没有参加过叛逆活动，武则天派特使赶到刑场，赦免了他的死罪，改为流放巴州〔四川巴中县〕，改姓“虺”。走到蒲州山西永济县驿亭，因病去世。李慎求知欲强，手不释卷，早先担任襄州刺史，颇有政绩，李世民曾赐以御笔亲写的奖状。他升任荆州都督后，襄州怀念其德政，给他立了“颂德碑”。
这种例子在亲王中并不多见。他的八个儿子，如徐州刺史东平王李续等，相继被处死，其所有男性家族，统统流放岭南。慎的女儿东光县主楚媛，自幼接受了严格的儒家妇德教育，事父母至孝，长大后下嫁司议郎裴仲将，侍候公婆胜过自己的父母，夫妻相敬如宾，对丈夫的侍妾以姊妹相待，自己生活节俭，衣着朴素，不穿华贵的服饰，不用高级化妆品，堪称妇女的揩模。当她得知娘家惨遭不幸时，悲痛欲绝，心胆俱裂，吐出鲜血数升，此后便独自关在房间里，不出门，不沐浴，也不踉任何人接触，好像尘世间的活鬼一样。奇怪的是，她居然拖了二十个春秋，才悄然死去。
武则天的整体方略是，分阶段有步骤地歼灭王公大臣和保守势力，以大屠杀为政变开路。酷吏好比她的行刑队，整肃少不了他们的逼供信和疯狂滥杀。酷吏中，最出名的有十一个：周兴、索元礼、来俊臣、万国俊、邱神筋、王弘义、侯思止、来子珣、傅游艺、郭霸、吉顼等等。他们的冷酷无情和残忍手段，可以说连魔鬼也要退避三舍，不愧从“精英”中精选出来的“精英”恶魔。周兴已经升任秋官刑部侍郎，站在所有新旧酷吏的最前列。他矫揉造作，慢条斯理，眼睛一眨，便可置人于死地。丘神筋是左卫大将军丘行恭的儿子，他的出身和其他酷吏不同，从一开始便有很高的身份。因镇压琅讶王冲的余党干净彻底，由左金吾卫将军晋升为大将军。司刑评事来俊臣，官阶从八品，与周兴、游击将军索元礼相比，还低了许多。然而在审讯的歹毒与用心险恶方面，却无人能出其右。对于拷问犯人的刑具，他绞尽脑汁想出了许多的新名堂，使得招供的人数，得以直线上升。就这方面而言，周兴也好，索元礼也好，都成了协助他整“囚犯”的助手。索元礼和来俊臣以姓合称“来索”。
“来索”即来搜捕的意思，带有残酷清洗的含义。当时“来索”与“酷吏”几乎成了同义词，而且一般用“来索”代替了酷吏，成为通用性的恐吓名词。呼叫“来索”，如同喊“鬼来了”一样阴森可怕，令人不寒而栗，毛发倒竖。案件一旦落到他们的手上，百