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1、EmpressWuZeTiancamefromawealthyfamily.HerfatherparticipatedintheearlystagesofLiShimin'sempirebuildingandlaterservedasministerofpublicworksinthenewdynasty.InherearlyteensWuZetianwasselectedtobeoneofthe"talentedwomen"intheemperor'squarters.Technically,thismeansthatasachambermaidshehad
2、thestatusofanunrankedconcubine.Hergreatbeauty,citedbysomehistorians,cannotbeestablishedfromtheextantportrait.Butthereisnodoubtthatshewasverygifted,verywell-read,andaboveallveryself-willed.UponLiShimin'sdeathin649,WuZetianenteredaBuddhisttempletobecomeanun.Whenthenextemperor,Shimin's
3、sonLiZhi,touredtheplaceshecaughthisattention.In654shebecameaconcubineofalowerrank.AyearlaterLiZhidiscardedhisempresstomakeroomforher.Bythistimeshewasprobablyclosetothirty.SubsequentlyshegaveLiZhifoursonsandonedaughter.ThusofthethreeearlyTangemperors,twowereherhusbands.Withoutexcepti
4、on,allseventeenremainingemperorsthatmakeuptheimperialTanggenealogywereherdescendants.TheempressgainedaccesstopowerbecauseLiZhi,whoreignedforthirty-fouryears,wastroubledbyhypertension,whichaffectedhisvision.WuZetianwasnotonlyinterestedinstateaffairsbutalso,withherwidereading,wellequi
5、ppedtodealwiththem.By674shehadalreadyconfirmedherpositionasco-sovereign.WhenLiZhidiedadecadelater,shelostnotimeinmakingherselfdefactoruler.Herfirstsonhaddiedearlier.Hersecondson,apparentlyuncooperative,wascommandedtocommitsuicide.Sheremovedherthirdsononemonthafterhisaccessionandputh
6、imunderhousearrestforthenextfourteenyears.Herfourthsonwassointimidatedbythissequenceofeventsthatherepeatedlypetitionedtodeclinethevacantthrone.WuZetian'sdaughter'sfirsthusbandwasalsoexecutedonherorders,althoughshecontinuedtobefondofherdaughterandconsideredtheyoungwomantobeinherownli
7、keness.ForsixyearsWuZetianruledasempressdowager.Butin690shereplacedtheTangwithanewZhoudynasty.Onthisoccasionsheproclaimedherself"emperor,"andtheactwascalleda"revolution."Untilshortlybeforeherdeathin705,perhapsattheageofeighty-one(somesaythatshewasolder),shehadbeensovereignfortwenty-
8、oneyears.Duringherr
