Empress Wu Zetian entered the Chinese court as a fifth-tier concubine, but she ended her life as the country's only female emperor. Once described as hated by “gods and men alike," Zetian developed a reputation for ruthlessness, cruelty, and betrayal. But as we'll see, that's not the whole story of her dramatic rise to the top.
Strap in: It's time to revisit the jaw-dropping life of Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian Facts
1. She was Destined to Rule
Wu started breaking the mould early thanks to her father, Wu Shihuo. He encouraged his daughter to partake in activities generally reserved for men, such as reading and writing. By the time she was a preteen, Wu could write poetry, create beautiful calligraphy art, and quip with the best of them. Mischievous, witty, and cunning, she was destined for statecraft from the beginning. But before that happened, she had to pay her dues...
2. She Started at the Bottom
When Wu was 13, she received the opportunity of a lifetime. China's Emperor, Taizong, invited her to join his harem of over 100 royal concubines. Is this every mother's dream for her daughter? Eh, not so much, and Wu’s mother was no different. When she became upset about losing her daughter to the palace, Wu had to comfort her. She asked, “How do you know that it is not my fortune to meet the son of Heaven?” Spoiler: "meeting" the Emperor was putting their relationship very lightly.
3. She was Cunning
Wu didn't just start at the bottom, she started at rock bottom. She began her career in the palace as a mere fifth-tier concubine, but it didn't take long for Wu to catch Taizong’s eye. After discussing history with the Emperor as she changed his bed sheets, Wu charmed Taizong with her intelligence, as well as her ability to read and write. It didn't take long for her to rise up through the ranks.
4. You Didn't Want to Mess with Her
Wu always found ways to stand out as one of Emperor Taizong’s concubines. One of her most notable strategies was offering to tame one of his horses. Her tools? An iron whip, a hammer, and a knife. As she said, “First I’ll beat it with the iron whip. If it does not yield, I’ll hit it with the hammer. If it still won’t be tamed, I’ll cut its throat with the knife.”
5. She Got Bad Press
Some Chinese historians have theorized that Wu first gained favor with Emperor Taizong because she was willing to go the distance, wink wink. Apparently, Wu was willing to satisfy the Emperor's greatest and most unusual urges.
6. She was More Than a Pretty Face
Wu earned the nickname "Mei-Niang" or “beautiful girl” from Emperor Taizong. As though that wasn't a big enough giveaway, Wu's actual name also meant "celestial." But despite her charms and all those "personal services" to the Emperor, she was never his favorite.
7. She was Banished
Being the Emperor's concubine sounds like a high-profile gig...until you remember that it came with some pretty intense conditions. Custom decreed that if Wu didn't have the Emperor's baby before he died, she had to go live as a Buddhist nun. It was seen as a disgrace for an Emperor’s wife to be touched by another man after he perished. However, when that day came, Wu refused to give up her power so easily.
8. She was the OG Ethan Hunt
When Taizong passed in 649, his ministers forced Wu Zetian to get herself to a nunnery. She went, but soon enough, she managed to get out and fight her way back to China's luxurious courts. How did she do it? There are two versions of the story, and both make it clear that you didn't want to mess with Wu Zetian.
Either she escaped from the convent on her own, or the new Emperor specifically requested her return.
9. She Snatched That Rising Son
Wu Zetian managed to return to court by attaching herself—both politically and romantically—to the newly crowned Emperor Gaozong...AKA her own pseudo-stepson. It turns out that Zetian had actually started an affair with Gaozong not just before she got shipped off to a nunnery, but even before his dad Taizong’s demise.
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10. Nothing Kept her Down
When Wu returned from the monastery, she quickly became emperor Gaozong's highest-ranking second-tier concubine. Now, this was actually a bit of a demotion from her previous role as the Emperor's official consort, but Wu took what she could get. She knew it wouldn't be long before she could craft a huge (and bloody) opportunity for a promotion.
11. She was Wily
Gaozong's wife, Empress Wang, took a liking to Wu and asked her for a favor. When Wang saw Gaozong getting a bit too close to his favorite concubine, she asked Wu to get between the two lovebirds. Wu was only too happy to acquiesce.
While Wu successfully broke up the Emperor and his main mistress, she did so by becoming the Emperor's number one girl herself. The Empress was furious, and she made sure she'd get her revenge on Wu.
12. She Made Enemies Wherever she Went
In time, Wu used all her feminine wiles to oust the Emperor's old favorite, "the Pure Concubine" Xiao and cement herself as his preferred woman. After Wu gave birth to two of the Emperor's sons in 652 and 653, the Emperor's wife was understandably ticked. Soon enough, Empress Wang and the Emperor's old favorite mistress Xiao started working together to bring Wu down.
13. She Endured a Horrific Loss
While Wang and Xiao were plotting to oust Wu Zetian from the palace, Wu was getting busy with her beau, the Emperor. After giving him two sons, Wu also gave birth to a daughter in 654. It should have been a happy time, but instead, the little girl led the imperial court to tear itself apart.
Sadly, the baby quickly perished after her birth, leading Wu to retire in mourning. Just kidding, she immediately went mad with grief and blamed the baby's cruel fate on her rival, Empress Wang.
14. A Scandal Rocked the Palace
According to Wu's accusations, she saw Empress Wang near the baby's room just before the child died. Even worse, the little girl's cause of death may have been strangulation. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Everyone knew that the Empress was on edge about her fading power and extremely jealous of Wu, quickly leading the Emperor to accuse Wang of killing the innocent baby.
15. She Rose to the Top
Wang had never been able to give the Emperor a baby, and now she was accused of destroying one of his heirs. The final straw came when Wu accused her rival not just of murder but witchcraft. After all this, enough was enough. Gaozong stripped Wang of her power and promptly replaced her with, guess who, Wu Zetian. Goodbye, lowly fifth-tier concubine and hello, Empress of Imperial China.
16. She Played the Game of Thrones
Wu's daughter's demise was tragic, but it also led to some significant perks, and according to some historians, that's not a coincidence. Some scholars think that Wu used the loss of her own child as an opportunity to drag Empress Wang's reputation through the mud and clear her own path to victory. But according to others, the mud-slinging may not be the full story.
17. She was Cut Throat
Disturbingly, some historians believe that Wu was so desperate for power that she strangled the child herself and then framed her rival for the evil deed. To this day, no one knows the truth about the baby's final days.
18. She was Out for Blood
After Wu's successful coup, she and Emperor Gaozong made things official by tying the knot in 655. Instead of a romantic honeymoon, Wu's new hubby gave her the gift she really wanted. Against his chancellor's wishes, he imprisoned Wu's rivals ex-Empress Wang and Consort Xiao. But even that wasn't enough for Wu. She was out for blood, and she'd do anything to get it.
19. Her Sins Haunted Her
When Gaozong started thinking about freeing Wang and Xiao, Wu stepped in and shut down that idea. She promptly had the women executed. According to legend, their ghosts haunted Wu for years.
20. She Ruled
Wu's husband Emperor Gaozong has gone down in history as a sickly, weak ruler who could be easily swayed by his courtiers and, as we've seen, his lovers. As though his wimpy personality was easy enough for Wu to overcome, Gaozong then had a massive stroke in 660. With the Emperor left debilitated by his health issues, Wu ruled in his place.
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
21. She Had the Emperor Wrapped Around her Finger
Wu looked for some extra, um, help during Emperor Gaozong’s reign by exploring magic and even employing a court sorcerer. However, Gaozong was becoming (rightfully) mistrustful of Wu due to the amount of power she wielded. Her interest in magic rubbed him the wrong way, so much so that he sought to depose her.
Here's a sign of how cunning Wu could be: After a little sweet talk, she got Gaozong to forget about all his worries.
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
22. She Punished her Naysayers
After Wu had her concumbine-rivals eliminated, she started "taking care" of those pesky chancellors who didn't support her bloodlust. In plots worthy of any Game of Thrones season (except seven, obviously), Wu forced her allies to accuse her haters of treason.
She had ex-chancellors demoted, sent into exile, and executed. When one guy that she really disliked died before she could kill him, she made do by executing his sons instead. And that's not even the worst thing she did when she "cleaned house."
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
23. She was Merciless
Empress Wu had a special plan for her most hated chancellor, Zhangsun Wuji. After getting her cronies to accuse him of treason, she then manipulated her husband into sending Wuji into exile. Still unsatisfied, she sent yet another of her lackies to pay Wuji a visit and force him to die by suicide. Just one thing: If you have to "force" someone, I believe it's called murder, yes?
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
24. Bad Omens Followed her Reign
When Wu was crowned Empress after this long, bloody road to power, an enormous earthquake hit China, leading the courts to see it as a terrible omen. One Confucian scholar claimed that the earthquake represented the horror of a woman in power. He even said that Wu's masculine reign was making hens turn into roosters.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
25. She Rebranded
Following the earthquake that occurred after her coronation, a mountain rose up from the land. Instead of seeing it as a bad omen, Wu interpreted the mountain as a blessing and a reference to the Buddhist mountain of paradise, Sumeru. Wu then dubbed the mountain “Mount Felicity.”
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
26. She Held the Power
By 664, Wu effectively ruled China. She'd violently ousted all her rivals and competitors, leaving only her weakened husband and her loyal lackies. Such was her power that when the Emperor had important government meetings, Wu Zetian would demurely listen to the diplomatic updates behind a delicate pearl screen and secretly call the shots.
Gaozong was the Emperor in name, but Wu Zetian was the Empress in practice.
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
27. At Any Cost
Wu would do anything to hold onto her power, no matter how defenceless her target was. When her husband the Emperor impregnated one of his favored concubines, Wu is rumored to have poisoned the woman and made her lose her baby.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
28. She Had her Eye on the Prize
Wu and Gaozong ruled as divine monarchs under new names. Gaozong took the title of "Tian Huang" (Emperor of Heaven) and Wu became "Tian Hou" (Empress of Heaven), but over time, they became known as "Two Saints" in a reference to the way they shared power.
To show that she was no meek wife, Wu also started flaunting her power by wearing luxurious yellow robes. Normally, only emperors were allowed to do this, so when Wu Zetian made yellow her signature color, it was a sign: Everyone had better back down and watch the queen conquer.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
29. She was Vicious
People who didn't respect Wu Zetian and her inner circle learned to regret it. When Wu's brothers insulted their mother, Lady Yang, Zetian showed that she had no patience with dissidents, even if they were from her own family. She promptly had her own siblings exiled and they literally died before she let them back into China.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
30. She was a Feminist
Wu's status as a female ruler wasn’t lost on her. Throughout her reign, she worked hard to give women equal treatment and opportunities with men. And the new Empress wasn't shy about her proto-feminist stance either. In 666, Wu led a group of women to Mount Tai, a ceremonial site. There, the women took part in holy rituals that were normally reserved for men.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
31. She Made Women Count
Before her reign, China had a lot of double-standards, but under Zetian's rule, all that changed. She let women get married and divorced as they pleased, and changed laws to give both men and women equal rights. Here's one example: when a man died, his family had to mourn him for three years. But when a woman died, her family only had to mourn her for one.
Wu's legislation levelled the playing field and gave women just as long as men. But for every one of Zetian's good deeds, there's another completely horrific story about her going the extra mile to make somebody suffer.
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
32. But she Could be Utterly Monstrous
Case in point: Wu punished her rivals Lady Wang and Consort Xiao by having their arms and legs cut off. Then instead of putting them out of her misery, she let them slowly bleed out, then threw their bodies into wine as she snarled, "Now these two witches can get drunk to their bones.”
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
33. Like, Really Monstrous
Here's another example of Wu's insatiable cruelty. When her husband Emperor Gaozong was nice to his own aunt, Wu became so jealous and angry that she lashed out with an atrocious act. She imprisoned the aunt's daughter (Gaozong's own cousin) on trumped up charges and made her starve to death.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
34. She Shook Things Up
Despite being the Empress, Wu Zetian wasn't the most popular lady, especially among China's aristocratic circles, and over time, she grew tired of their stuffiness and judgment. Determined to change things up, Wu started, god forbid, hiring regular people to work in the government.
She worked to oust people who'd inherited their jobs and shook things up by hiring whoever was the most qualified and talented, no matter if they were men or women, higher class or lower class.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
35. Her own Family Feared her
Wu's children seem to have inherited their mother's thirst for power and drama. Her eldest son Li Hong basically abandoned his claim to the throne by doing something unforgivable: Trying to be nice to people Wu hated. After Li Hong tried to free some of her enemies from prison, he "died suddenly" shortly after, likely poisoned by his own mother.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
36. She, Um, Wasn't Too Maternal
Wu's second son Li Xian could have been Emperor, if he, like Li Hong, hadn't poked his nose in the wrong places. First, he came out with the idea that he wasn't actually Wu's son, but the secret son of her dead sister. Then, as if that wasn't enough, it's believed that he got his mom's favorite sorcerer assassinated. Put the two together and what do you get? Deposed and exiled.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
37. She Inched Closer to Power
In 683, Wu Zetian got one step closer to absolute power when her husband Emperor Gaozong passed away. On the one hand, his demise wasn't too shocking; Gaozong had suffered from ill health for ages. But then again, the circumstances around his passing were strange, at best.
According to tradition, Chinese emperors were supposed to be surrounded by their families when they died. But Gaozong passed away all alone, apparently because Zetian had poisoned him and needed to hide her sin.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
38. Her Son Met a Horrific End
With Gaozong gone, there was very little standing in between Wu and her violent inclinations. When her husband was alive, she had merely exiled her son Li Xian. Now that Gaozong was dead, she didn't have to hold back. Wu ordered her associate to pay Li Xian a visit, then lock him in a room force him to poison himself.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
39. She Had Her Fun
After a lifetime of turning her personal life into political gains, Wu could finally have a little fun without her husband. When it came time for the Empress to select a new boy toy, she had her pick of the litter. She selected Huaiyi, a good-looking Buddhist monk, and rewarded him for his "service" with a series of promotions and honors.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
40. She Played the Field
You might be shocked to know that Wu's relationship with Huaiyi ended poorly. When Wu started spending time with another gentleman caller, Huaiyi got so jealous that he burned down two of her ornate buildings. In revenge, she burned down Huaiyi's whole life; he was executed in 695.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
41. Mommie Dearest Got it From her
After Gaozong was out of the picture, it was also time for a new Emperor to rise: Enter Wu's third son, Emperor Zhongzong. Unlike his dad, Zhongzong didn't roll over and let Wu control the country. Instead, the new Emperor struck his own path, refusing his mother’s advice and making important decisions without her input. Bad idea.
42. She Betrayed her Own Son
After Zhongzong ticked off his mother one too many times, Wu lashed out. She stripped him of his title and then exiled her own son to the outskirts of China. His successor, Wu’s fourth son, Li Dan, learned from his brother and followed his mother’s orders. He became Emperor Ruizong—that is, until 690, when Wu stripped him of his title and took power for herself as the Empress Regnant.
The Empress Wu Tse-Tien, Xinhua Film Company
43. She Made History
To ring in the new era where she was Empress in her own right, Wu announced the end of the Tang dynasty and named her reign the “Zhou Dynasty.” The name was in reference to a fiefdom her father hailed from, but also an earlier dynasty from which Wu often claimed a lineage. No matter how you slice it, Wu was claiming her era. She was no longer a concubine or a wife, she was now China's official ruler.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
44. She Operated a Snitch Line
During the Zhou Dynasty, she set up a series of copper boxes in the capital. If you wanted to complain about your office enemy or tattle on your neighbor, you could always sick the Empress on them with one little note. Oh, and this snitch line wasn't the only way that Wu controlled her subjects. She also established her own secret police force in 686.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
45. She was Big Sister
Unsurprisingly, Wu's snitch line got a lot of traffic, but a ton of it was just spurious accusations from one ambitious courtier against another. Numerous people were jailed, tormented, and even executed based on nothing more than a single note placed in one of Wu's dainty copper boxes.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
46. She Broke the Rules
Emperors were known for having numerous concubines, some of whom performed intimate duties. However, Empress Wu, not to be outdone by the boys, also had her own concubines. The handsome Zhang Brothers were Wu's favorites, and they were known to spend a lot of time with the Empress in her “closed quarters" well into her old age.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
47. She Laid it all on the Line
By the end of Wu's rule, a series of illnesses forced the octogenarian to rule by proxy. With time on her hands, Wu's thoughts turned to her past. As she pondered her afterlife, Wu decided to make amends. She couldn't bring back all the people she'd offed, but she could confess her sins. She did so on a golden tablet and, according to custom, threw it off a mountain, where it lay hidden for 1300 years.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
48. She was no Saint
Over a century after Wu begged forgiveness for a lifetime of wickedness, a farmer happened to stumble upon her golden confession. With it, a major historical riddle came one step closer to being solved: Was Wu as bad as the Confucians said, or did they maliciously discredit her? According to Wu herself, they weren't fully wrong. The tablet explicitly admits her “sinful nature.”
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
49. She Reached the End
After a lifetime of scheming, Wu was ultimately undone by a coup in 705. Well into her 80s, Wu wasn't as much of a threat, so her usurpers left her alive, but forced her to step down and let Emperor Zhongzong, her son, take the throne. Sadly, in the bloody takeover, Wu’s favored lovers the hot Zhang brothers were executed. Not the Zhang brothers!
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
50. She Withered Without her Crown
After abdicating in her 80s, Wu lost her sense of purpose. She only lived for a few more months after she lost her crown. She breathed her last breath in 705.
51. Her Tomb was Twisted
Wu's tomb lies in Qian County with a stone slab erected outside of it. The slab, or stele, was customary, but it's missing something: It was also supposed to be inscribed with the empress’s deeds. Instead, Wu's stele was left blank. Some scholars say this was a way to deny her impressive achievements or cast shame on her reign. Others insist on an even more twisted meaning.
52. She was a Boss
In a recent documentary on Zetian, historians claimed that her blank stele wasn't a sign of failure, but victory. Wu herself demanded to leave her tomb without any inscriptions. She either wanted to leave her legacy up to history, or to the end, she refused to explain herself to anyone.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
53. Her Rivals Tried to Erase an Incredible Achievement
Wu made history when she appointed a woman in the role now referred to as “prime minister.” Unfortunately, this groundbreaking gesture didn't have quite the impact Zetian wanted. The prime minister's official tomb was completely destroyed by Wu's successors for a terrible reason. Scholars believe that it was a "malicious and intentional" attempt to erase both Wu and her female prime minister from history.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
54. History Did her Dirty
Archaeologists studying Wu's reign were stunned when they made an enormous discovery—and when I say enormous, I mean it literally. They uncovered an absolutely massive granary, proving that Zetian wasn't just the power-hungry despot remembered by the history books.
The granary proved that Zetian was also a highly competent ruler. Under her rule, she increased China's agricultural output, almost doubled the number of farming households, and most importantly, kept her people fed. Despite all the murder, Wu had good qualities too!
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
55. She had a Temper
Wu's bad reputation doesn't just come from biased historians. While exploring Wu's grand daughter's tomb, a scholar discovered that one tablet described Wu with the character for "anger." Most emperors were described with much more complimentary terms, suggesting that Wu's fiery temper was very real.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
56. She was a Puppet Master
All in all, Wu's official reign as Empress lasted 22 years, all the way from 683 to 705. However, when you consider that she was all but in charge long before she actually ascended to China's royal seat, her rule was functionally over 50 years long. She may not have been the nicest person on earth, but no one can deny that Wu Zetian could hold onto a crown like no one else.
The Empress of China, Dimsum Entertainment
57. You Didn't Want to Mess With her
When one of Wu Zetian’s ministers suggested that she should act more properly as a widow, her response was so disturbing that it’s impossible to forget. Wu Zetian was not a woman to be messed with. She promptly sentenced her upstart minister to exile in the “swampy, disease-ridden Southland” where one can imagine that the minister didn’t have a happy ending.
