In the fifth year of Xianqing, Gaozong suffered from a head wind, dizziness, and could not deal with national affairs, so he ordered Empress Wu to act as the government agent. In the first year of Lin De, he discussed with Prime Minister Shangguanyi and planned to abolish the position of Empress Wu. However, before Shangguanyi's edict was drafted, Empress Wu had already received the news. She came directly to Gaozong and asked about it, and Tang Gaozong had no choice but to put the responsibility on Shangguan Yi. In December, Shangguanyi was arrested and imprisoned, and soon after, he was beheaded all over the house.

In the second year of Qianfeng, Gaozong ordered the prince to supervise the country due to a long-term illness. In the autumn and August of the first year of the Shangyuan Dynasty, Gaozong was called the emperor, and the queen of Wu was called the queen of heaven. In December, Empress Wu suggested twelve things: "First, persuade farmers and mulberries, and give away both." Second, to restore the three auxiliary lands (exempt from forced labor in Chang'an and its vicinity). Third, stop the army and moralize the world. Fourth, the south and north are still (government handicraft workshops) are forbidden to be fancy. Fifth, save work and labor. Sixth, the road of wide speech. Seventh, Du slander. Eighth, the prince and the prince all practiced "Lao Tzu". Nine, the father is serving the mother for three years (in the past it was one year). 10. Those who have been given a certificate of appointment by the former commander of the Shangyuan "Year Name" will not be retrospective. 11. Beijing officials above the eighth grade, benefit from the endowment (increase salary). Twelve, hundreds of officials have been in office for a long time, and those who are in high positions have to be advanced (promoted) to apply for delay. "Gaozong's edict is implemented. Wu Zetian was able to attach importance to agricultural production, and stipulated that those who "cultivated fields and had surplus grain at home" in various states and counties would be promoted; Those who "abuse politics and transfer their household registration" will be punished. The agricultural book "Zhaoren Benye" compiled by him was promulgated all over the world and had a great impact. During Wu Zetian's reign, his religious policy was based on Buddhism over Taoism.

In the second year of Shangyuan (March, Empress Wu convened a large number of literati and bachelors, revised a large number of books, and successively wrote "Xuanlan", "Ancient and Modern Neifan", "Qinggong Minutes", "Shaoyang Zhengfan", "Weicheng Classics", "Zishu Yaolu", "Fenglou New Commandment", "Filial Piety Biography", "Lienu Biography", "Neifan Yaolu", "Music Book Tolu", "Baibian New Commandment", "Zhaoren Benye", "Chen Rail" and other books. and secretly ordered this group of scholars to participate in the court recital, in order to share the power of the prime minister, and was called "North Gate Bachelor" at the time. When Gaozong was even more dizzy, he planned to make the Empress Wu regent, and Prime Minister Hao Chujun said: "Your Majesty, why should you entrust the queen of heaven with the world of Gaozu and Taizong, and the descendants of the descendants who do not pass it on!" "Gaozong is the intention of regent. The crown prince Li Hongshen was loved by Gaozong, and Gaozong wanted to Zen in the prince. Empress Wu wanted to take over the power, dissatisfied with Prince Hong, just when Prince Hong saw Xiao Shufei's daughter Yiyang and the second princess of Xuancheng being imprisoned in the palace because her mother offended Empress Wu, she was over thirty years old and unmarried. Empress Wu was angry, and soon the prince died in Hebi Palace, and people thought that Empress Wu was poisoned.

In December of the first year of Hongdao, Tang Gaozong died of illness, and his deathbed edict: Prince Li Xian ascended the throne in front of the coffin, and those who could not adjudicate on military affairs were decided by Wu Zetian. Four days later, Li Xian ascended the throne as Tang Zhongzong. Empress Wu was revered as the Empress Dowager.

In February of the first year of Guangzhai, Zhongzong wanted to take Wei's father Wei Xuanzhen as his servant, Pei Yanli did not listen, and Empress Wu abolished Tang Zhongzong as the king of Luling and moved to Fangzhou. The fourth son, Li Dan, King Yu, was appointed as the emperor, which was for Tang Ruizong, and the Empress Wu was in charge of the dynasty and ruled by himself. In September of the same year, Xu Jingye and Xu Jingyou brothers, together with Tang Zhiqi and Du Qiuren, raised troops in Yangzhou to oppose the army in Yangzhou with the call of supporting the King of Luling, and gathered 100,000 troops in more than ten days. Empress Wu immediately took Li Xiaoyi, the general of Zuo Yuchao, as the governor of Yangzhou Province, and led 300,000 troops to conquer. In November, Xu Jingye committed suicide in defeat.

In March of the second year of the vertical arch, Empress Wu ordered the manufacture of copper boxes (small copper boxes), which were placed in front of the palace city of Luoyang, and accepted the ministers at any time. At the same time, the door to whistleblowing was opened, stipulating that anyone could whistleblow. For all informers, the state must provide wagons and horses and food. Even the farmer and woodcutter were personally received by the Empress Wu. If the told thing is in line with the will, it can be promoted exceptionally. If the accusation is not true, there will be no guilt. At the same time, Empress Wu successively appointed a large number of cool officials such as Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and Hou Sizhi to take charge of the prison. In this way, with the increasing rise of the wind of whistleblowing. As a result, a very terrifying zhengzhi atmosphere was formed inside and outside the court, so that every time the ministers went to the court, they had to say goodbye to their families, and they were in fear all day long. In order to reward the informant, the Empress Wu made an exception to the whistleblower and awarded the official, Hou Sizhi, who made a living by selling cakes, was a scoundrel, and was appointed as a guerrilla general and a servant of the imperial history because he falsely accused Shu Wang Yuanming of conspiring against Pei Zhen, the assassin of Hengzhou. Wang Hongyi was known for his lack of virtue, sued the township for rebellion, and promoted the palace to serve the imperial history. In that year, he killed 12 members of the clan such as Wang Ying of Annan, and whipped the second son of the late prince Li Xian, and the Tang clan was killed, and its young and weak survivors also went to Lingnan, and hundreds of their pro-party families were punished.

Empress Wu plotted to seize Li Tang's Sheji and eliminate the Tang clan, and the kings were not at ease and wanted to raise troops to fight. When there was no consensus, Li Chong, the evil king of Bozhou Assassin Shilang, hung the arch for four years, and raised troops in Bozhou in August. Li Zhen, the king of Yuzhou assassinated Shi Yue, raised troops in Yuzhou to echo. Empress Wu dispatched Qiu Shenqian and Wei Chongyu to attack him. Li Chong, the evil king of Lang, raised his army and was defeated and killed in seven days; In September, Li Zhen, the king of Yue, committed suicide in defeat. Empress Wu wanted to get rid of the kings of the Li family, so that Zhou Xing and others interrogated him, and forced Li Yuanjia, the king of Han, Li Lingkui, the king of Lu, Li Shu, the prince of Huang Guo, Li Rong, the prince of Dongguan County, and Princess Changle to commit suicide, and their cronies were all executed.

This year, the monk Xue Huaiyi ordered more than 10,000 people to destroy the Qianyuan Hall and build the Ming Hall, which took nearly a year to complete, with a height of 294 feet and a width of 300 feet. There are three floors in total, and the upper part is a round cover, and there is a nine dragons as a posture of holding. There is an iron phoenix on it, one zhang high. Decorated with gold, it is called the "Vientiane Shrine". The Ming Hall was completed, and the monk Xue Huaiyi was ordered to cast a large statue, the little finger of the big statue can also accommodate dozens of people, and the five-story heaven in the north of the Ming Hall was used to accommodate this big statue. The cost is in the trillions, and the government finances are dried up. In the same year, Wu Chenghei ordered someone to chisel the white stone for the text: "Our Lady is in the people, and the Yongchang Emperor is the industry." It is claimed to be found in Luoshui and dedicated to the Empress Wu, who was overjoyed and ordered its stone to be called "Treasure Map". After that, Empress Wu was honored as "Our Lady God Emperor".

During the reign of Empress Wu, the imperial examination system was further developed. During the Zhenguan period, more than 200 Jinshi were admitted, and more than 1,000 people were admitted during the reign of Empress Gaozong. The average number of admissions per year has more than doubled compared to the time of Zhenguan. In the first year of the first year of the martial arts, the martial arts queen asked the tributes in the Luocheng Palace, which was the beginning of the "palace test". It is the year to send "save the Fu Envoy" ten people to patrol the Dao, recommend talents, a year later a total of more than 100 people, the Empress Wu does not ask about the background, all to be received, the amount of appointment, or for the trial of the Fengge (Zhongshu Province) people, to the matter, or for the test staff outside Lang, the history of the service, the Que, the legacy, the school book Lang, the trial system since then, the people have "make up the que even the car, pick up the amount of the flat bucket, put the push to serve the imperial history, the wrist off the school book. Words. Although Empress Wu used his official position to buy people's hearts, he would also depose incompetent people; Knowing and deciding, the people at that time were also willing to serve the military queen.

This book was first published on Kanshu.com