Jeannie Meekins - Wu Zetian: First Empress of China

FIRST EMPRESS OF CHINA

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Wu Zetian: First Empress of China / Jeannie Meekins

Summary: A brief look at the life of Empress Wu, thefirst Empress of China.

1. Wu, Zetian. Juvenile Literature. 2.Empress Wu. Juvenile Literature. 3. History, China. JuvenileLiterature.

Words: 2391

Reading Level: 6.8

Ages 9 and up.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR THIS BOOK

It is Chinese custom to put the familyname first, then the given name. Calling someone by their given name only, as youmight with your friends at school, is impolite unless you are closewith that person.

A noblewoman may be known by her title andher family name, with no use of a given name. Even after marriage,she would retain her name.

There are many variations of Wu Zetiansname. Much of this is due to translations from the original Chinesecharacters.

Wu and many of her family also had namechanges during their lives and even after they had died. Wu gaveherself and her family titles, often changing the titles, addingmore titles, or demoting family members and taking their titlesfrom them.

Most of the people in this book are alsoknown by other names. This book uses the simplest or most commonnames.

FIRST EMPRESS OF CHINA

Wu Zetian was an intelligent and ambitiouswoman. She marriedEmperor Gaizong of the Tang Dynasty and became Empress. But Wuwasnt satisfied. She wanted to rule in her own right. She wasdetermined to become Emperor of China and killed anyone who stoodin her way even her own children.

Wenshui in Shanxi Province, China(Croquant)

Early Life

Wu Zetian was born with the name Wu Zhaowas born on February 17, 625. Her birthplace wasnt recorded,though historians believe it was either in Lizhou or Wenshui. Bothare located in what is today Shanxi province.

Her father was Wu Shihuo and her motherwas Lady Yang. The family was a wealthy, noble family, but notconsidered to be one of the great Chinese families.

Wu Shihuo was a timber merchant with thetitle of Duke Ding of Ying. He was also an army commander ofYingYang Prefecture in the Sui Dynasty. He later became aprovincial governor in the Tang Dynasty.

Wu married Lady Xiangli and had twosons.

Wu later married Lady Yang and had threedaughters. Wu Zhao was his second daughter.

Lady Yang came from the noble Yang familyof the Hong Nong region. The Yang family was the ruling family ofthe Sui Dynasty. Lady Yangs father was a distant nephew of thefirst Sui Emperor.

Unlike most girls at the time, Wu Zhao hada good education. She was taught to read and write. She readChinese classics and Confucianism. She learned to play music, writepoetry and speak in public.

She was intelligent and ambitious, andlearned all she could about politics and how the governmentworked.

By the age of 13, she was known to be witty,intelligent and beautiful.

Li Yuan (Kellerassel)

The Tang Dynasty

Li Yuan was a general in the SuiDynasty. He wasstationed in Wenshui and often stayed in the Wu house. In 618, heoverthrew the Sui Dynasty and became the first emperor of the TangDynasty.

He treated the Wu family well, giving WuShihuo government positions including governor of Yangzhou, Lizhouand Jingzhou.

Li was the family name of the TangDynasty.

When Li Yuan died, his son Li Shiminbecame emperor. He took the name Emperor Taizong.

A painting of Emperor Taizong of Tangpainted by Yan Liben

Wu Goes to the Palace

At 13 or 14, Wu went to the imperialpalace as a junior concubine to Emperor Taizong. Her education continued at thepalace.

There were different ranks of concubineswho performed all sorts of jobs. Some were maids and did householdduties. Some might be good at conversation. Others might beentertainers, to dance, sing, play music or read poetry for theemperor. An emperor might have a relationship with hisconcubines.

Many emperors already had a wife or hadone chosen for them. He might favor a concubine and elevate her tothe status of consort where she would be considered to be a secondwife though not a legal wife.

He might have children with a concubine orconsort, but the child would never have a claim on the throneunless the emperor made it official.

Wu was given laundry duty.

One day, when she was alone with EmperorTaizong, she began talking with him. He was surprised to find shewas a good conversationalist who could sing, dance, play music andwrite poetry. She also knew a lot about Chinese history andgovernment.

Taizong made Wu his personal secretary andconstant companion at court. She was there when he met with hiscounselors and foreign dignitaries. She was there when he attendedto his daily business affairs. He also spent his free time withher.

Wu learned much from the emperor, includinghow he governed.

Many people believe that Wu started havinga relationship with the emperor. If she did, it didnt last verylong.

Li Zhi (Gaizong of Tang) from An 18thcentury album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinesehistorical notes

Wu and Li Zhi

Li Zhi was Emperor Taizongs ninth son,but the third son with his Empress wife. In the spring of 643,Taizong discovered Li Zhis older brothers were involved in a plotto overthrow him. He had them exiled and made Li Zhi crown princeon April 30, 643. Li Zhi was fifteen years old.

Li Zhi was already married and hadconcubines of his own. When Taizong suggested he have moreconcubines, he refused.

Li Zhi fell in love with Wu. She was threeyears older than him, but they started a relationship.

Wu was 24 years old when Taizong died in649. Li Zhi became emperor at the age of 21 and took the nameEmperor Gaizong of Tang.

After the death of an emperor, all hisconcubines who did not have children were sent to a monastery. Theywould have their heads shaved and spend the rest of their lives asnuns. It was considered disrespectful to the emperor for any ofthem to marry or have a relationship with another man.