A Dynasty in Crisis: The Ominous Signs of Divine Displeasure

The year 670 CE marked a period of profound distress for the Tang Dynasty. Nature itself seemed to rebel against the imperial court as drought gripped the land for consecutive years – no summer rains in 669, no winter snows, and by the second month of 670, still no spring showers. Emperor Gaozong, increasingly desperate, performed rituals at sacred mountains and rivers while personally reviewing judicial cases to prevent wrongful convictions, hoping to appease heaven. His efforts proved futile. Five days later, the sky turned an ominous red (“the sun appeared crimson”).

By the third month, with conditions worsening, Gaozong issued a general amnesty and changed the era name to Xianheng (咸亨), hoping this symbolic gesture might bring relief. He accepted the resignation of Xu Jingzong, a key supporter of Empress Wu who had served as Chancellor and Tutor to the Heir Apparent. Yet heaven remained unmoved – the drought persisted, and military disasters compounded their woes as Tibetan forces captured crucial western territories including the Anxi Protectorate’s four garrison towns.

The Court’s Desperate Measures

As calamities mounted, the court resorted to increasingly drastic measures:
– In June, a solar eclipse darkened skies already heavy with foreboding
– By August, Gaozong reduced his meals and avoided the main throne hall
– Forty provinces suffered concurrent disasters of drought, frost, and locusts
– The emperor ordered famine refugees to disperse across provinces while transporting southern rice for relief

Even Empress Wu entered the fray, offering to resign as empress in the ninth month – a calculated gesture rather than genuine contrition. When winter finally brought snow, it arrived with devastating force – three chi (about one meter) accumulated overnight, claiming numerous lives. By year’s end, humbled by nature’s wrath, the court rescinded recent bureaucratic name changes, signaling retreat from their ambitious reforms.

The Perilous Dance of Power

Behind these natural disasters unfolded a complex political drama. The year 671 saw Empress Wu eliminate potential rivals within her own family. Her nephew He Lan Minzhi, who had inherited her father’s ducal title, fell from grace after suspicions arose regarding his knowledge of his sister’s poisoning (likely by Wu herself). His subsequent immoral behavior during mourning periods – including sexually assaulting the bride selected for Crown Prince Li Hong – gave Wu justification to exile and execute him.

Wu then turned to other relatives, recalling her exiled nephew Wu Chengsi to inherit the Zhou ducal title. These maneuvers revealed Wu’s growing political sophistication – eliminating unreliable kin while cultivating loyal family members who had experienced hardship and thus valued her patronage.

The Precarious Succession

The court’s attention turned increasingly to succession matters:
– In 672, 21-year-old Crown Prince Li Hong began supervising state affairs
– By 674, Gaozong elevated ancestral titles while adopting new ones for himself (天皇 “Heavenly Emperor”) and Wu (天后 “Heavenly Empress”)
– This “Two Saints” arrangement masked Wu’s still-limited actual power compared to historical precedents like Empress Dugu

Gaozong maintained careful control, demonstrated by his rehabilitation of长孙无忌 (Zhangsun Wuji) – the uncle he had previously allowed Wu to destroy. One by one, Wu’s early allies met grim fates:
– Li Yifu died in exile (663)
– Xu Jingzong’s posthumous reputation was tarnished (670)
– Other collaborators faced distant postings or death

The Turning Point: 675 CE

This pivotal year saw two critical developments:
1. Gaozong’s alleged proposal to abdicate to Wu was blocked by ministers citing Confucian propriety
2. Crown Prince Li Hong’s sudden death at 24 sparked rumors of poisoning

Historical analysis suggests Li Hong likely died naturally from chronic illness. Gaozong’s profound grief manifested in unprecedented honors – posthumously declaring his son an emperor (孝敬皇帝). The emperor’s meticulous succession planning collapsed with Li Hong’s death, creating a power vacuum Wu would increasingly fill.

The Unraveling of Control

Subsequent years witnessed:
– The rise and fall of new heir apparent Li Xian (exiled 680 over alleged treason)
– Gaozong’s desperate measures to secure succession for Li Zhe (later Emperor Zhongzong), including creating a “grandson heir apparent” – an unprecedented move
– Continued natural disasters compounding political instability

By 683, as Gaozong lay dying, his final arrangements revealed deep mistrust of Wu. The testament instructed:
1. Immediate accession for Li Zhe
2. Wu only to be consulted on unresolved major matters

This carefully limited role reflected Gaozong’s late recognition of his empress’s ambitions. Yet as he breathed his last in the贞观殿 (Zhenguan Hall – poignantly named for his father’s glorious reign), the stage was set for the coming tempest. The instruments of control Gaozong had crafted over decades would soon be wielded by the very woman he sought to restrain, proving the ultimate futility of his calculations against the tides of history and human ambition.

The years following Gaozong’s death would witness Wu Zetian’s unprecedented rise to become China’s only female emperor – a transformation made possible by the institutional changes and political precedents established during Gaozong’s tumultuous reign, even as he struggled in his final years to prevent precisely this outcome. The drought-stricken years of the 670s thus marked not just a natural disaster, but the beginning of one of Chinese history’s most remarkable political transformations.