Why is Wu Zetian respected for losing the throne of the emperor? Who wrote twice asking Wu Zetian to abdicate?

In 690 AD, 67-year-old Wu Zetian, after decades of careful planning, finally got her wish, claiming to be a descendant and changing the Tang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty, becoming the only orthodox queen in China history.

After Wu Zetian took the throne, she began to consider the issue of establishing a successor. In the end, it was difficult for Wu Zetian to decide whether to let her nephew be a prince or her son be a prince. She was deeply headache. Wu Chengsi, the nephew of Wu Zetian, also jumped up and down, intending to seek the position of the prince. Just when Wu Zetian was in a dilemma on the issue of heir, Li Zhaode, assistant minister of Fengge, and Di, the prime minister, advised Wu Zetian that Wu Zetian's right of inheritance was inherited, and Emperor Li Zhi entrusted her country to Wu Zetian before his death.

If this matter is spread to the Wu family at this time, it will be negative. Moreover, after all, blood is thicker than water, and the relationship between mother and son must have been as close as an uncle. I have never seen a nephew offering sacrifices to my aunt in any ancestral temple. Upon hearing this, Wu Zetian felt a thrill in her heart. Yes, if the biography is located in the Wu family, his son may be removed from the Wu family in the future to avoid future troubles.

Moreover, Wu Zetian's family has no talents. Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi specialize in crooked ways and have no other skills except flattering Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian's other nephew, King Wu Zongyi of Hanoi, led an army to crusade against Qidan in 697. However, he was scared by thousands of cavalry in Qidan and fled, which became a joke of the imperial court and made Wu Zetian lose face.

Besides, as a promising queen, Wu Zetian is still loyal to her. But these courtiers are loyal to Li Tang. Although they supported Wu Zetian, they opposed Wu Zetian in Wu Shi Zhuan. So at that time, Wu Zetian's son was a prince, which was also the wish of the imperial court. Wu Zetian weighed the above advantages and disadvantages, and finally recalled Li Xian, the king of Luling who was demoted to Zhou Fang in 698, and re-established Li Xian as the prince.

Wu Zetian is very greedy for power. When she was weak in her later years, there was still no sign of infection to Prince Li Xian. On the contrary, she likes Toy Boy, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong more and more, letting them interfere in state affairs. Prince Li Xian, Prime Minister Li Dan and Princess Taiping all hope their brother can get three points. At this time, Wu Zetian was old and dying, and the two brothers were in high spirits. In view of this, both the ruling and the opposition hope that the old Wu Zetian can abdicate to Prince Li Xian. However, due to Wu Zetian's bold measures, those ministers loyal to Li Tang also kept silent.

At this time, a civil servant who dared to take the world by storm wrote to Wu Zetian, asking him to return to power in Li Xian. He is Su Anheng, a grassroots civilian. In the early days of Wu Zetian's reign, in order to crack down on political enemies and attract talents, people were ordered to set up copper boxes. This box has four faces of different colors. If there are self-recommendation, suggestions, grievances, and reports, you can classify the faces of the corresponding colors. It was through this bronze needle that Su Anheng, a civilian, wrote to Wu Zetian for the first time in the first year of Chang 'an (70 1), saying that Wu Zetian was too old to bear the burden of political affairs. If she didn't return to Li Xian, she would be happy to support her life.

At the same time, Su Anheng also said that the kings of Wu surname given by Wu Zetian should be reduced to princes and given leisure posts, and the Li clan should be renamed kings. Otherwise, if Wu Zetian dies, the kings of Wu Shi may be difficult to save. The following year, Su Anheng never gave up and wrote to Wu Zetian again, asking him to abdicate. This time, Su Anheng's cannon ignited a raging fire, violently spraying Wu Zetian's "Nine-year-old Magpie Nest" and shamelessly seeing Li Tang in the ancestral hall.

Because Wu Zetian once stipulated in the "Twelve Suggestions" that no matter whether the informer's accusation is consistent with the facts, he is not allowed to be punished, but also to eat and drink and send him home safely. Therefore, Wu Zetian did not punish Su Anheng for his fierce words. Although Su Anheng's petition did not touch Wu Zetian, it also broke the last enough paper and caused an uproar in the ruling and opposition parties. Finally, under the leadership of Prime Minister Zhang Jian, Wu Zetian abdicated in the Dragon Coup in the first month of 705, and Prince Li Xian became Tang Zhongzong.

On the fourth day after the Shenlong coup, Li Xian acceded to the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. The next day, Wu Zetian moved to Shang Yang Palace. Shangyang Palace, built in 675, is located in the northwest of Luoyang, west of Weizi Town, the main palace. It is luxurious and magnificent. At that time, Wei Ji, the agriculture minister who presided over the construction of Shangyang Palace, was demoted because it was built too luxuriously and wasted the government's finance. As you can see, Li Xian is very thoughtful and kind about Wu Zetian's abdication residence.

Although Wu Zetian abdicated, she still retained the status of emperor, and was honored as "Great Sage Emperor" by Li Xian, who was treated the same as the emperor in terms of expenses. Li Xian also visited Wu Zetian at Shangyang Palace every ten days. Historically, the status of emperors who were forced to abdicate was very cold. Li Yuanxun of Emperor Taizong was located, and Xun of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty was located after Su Zong. He lives in a secluded palace and is under house arrest, so it is difficult to see the emperor's son. Then, after Wu Zetian abdicated, why was her position respected by Li Xian?

First of all, Wu Zetian is a very successful queen. During her several years in power, the national population grew rapidly, the grain depot was enriched, and the social economy was greatly developed. Wu Zetian's great political achievements also made her still in power after abdication. In fact, when Wu Zetian was in power, she knew people and was good at her duties. When she abdicated, some officials expressed regret. When Wu Zetian moved to Shang Yang Palace, Prime Minister Yao Chong even cried.

In addition, Li Xian's promotion of Wu Zetian was also the need of the situation at that time. After the coup, although Li Xian won the Ninth Five-Year Plan, the real power was in the hands of the coup hero. The coup leader Zhang Jianzhi and other five ministers sealed the county magistrate and worshipped the prime minister. Prime Minister Li Dan and Princess Taiping were both sealed and participated in the decision-making center of the imperial court. The court formed a situation in which the Lord was weak and the minister was strong. In order to reverse this situation, Li Xian must play down the role of the Dragon Coup and consciously weaken its value. Only by respecting the status of mothers can we achieve this goal.

After Li Xian acceded to the throne, he said in the imperial edict that Wu Zetian proclaimed himself because Xu Jingye rebelled in Jianghuai and shook the foundation of the country. As a result, Wu Zetian complied with God's will and ascended the throne as emperor, which stopped the chaos and violence. After the situation stabilized, Wu Zetian took the initiative to meditate in Li Xian. When Li Xian said this, he maintained his mother's image, said that he accepted his mother's demise and acceded to the throne, and played down the role of the dragon coup, which further demonstrated the legitimacy of his accession to the throne. After abdication, Wu Zetian's position was still respected, which made Li Xian reuse Wu Zetian's family again.

In order to suppress the five ministers, Li Xian reused Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi after the coup. It was under the operation of Wu Sansi that all five ministers died tragically and had no good end. Just imagine, if Wu Zetian is snubbed by Li Xian, her family will lose everything, and with the loss of power, Li Xian's influence in North Korea will become weaker and weaker. Therefore, Wu Zetian's position after abdication was respected not only because of her own political capital, but also as a strategy adopted by Li Xian to strengthen her own power.

At the end of the first year of Shenlong, 82-year-old Wu Zetian came to the end of her life and died in the Xianju Hall of Shangyang Palace. Wu Zetian's last will was given to the emperor and buried in the tomb of Emperor Gaozong as the queen. This means that Wu Zetian finally returned to Li Tang. Some courtiers objected to Wu Zetian's will to bury her together before the death of Emperor Gaozong. However, Li Xian pushed his way through the crowd and escorted Wu Zetian's coffin back to Chang 'an, where he was buried with Emperor Gaozong in Ganling. Li Xian is still mourning for his mother, and once again highly praised his mother's "great talent and great achievements".