The Ascent of a Political Mastermind

Wu Zetian’s rise to power was neither accidental nor unchallenged. Though the Tang aristocracy did not passively accept her authoritarian rule, her influence grew steadily—fueled by a carefully cultivated network of loyal officials known as the “North Gate Scholars.” These bureaucrats, handpicked and trained by Wu Zetian herself, gradually occupied key government positions, displacing the old guard.

Her strategy was deliberate: dismantle the Tang power structure by systematically removing those with close ties to the imperial family. Among those targeted was Li Jingye, grandson of the revered Tang general Li Ji (Li Shiji), who was demoted from a prestigious governorship to a minor post in Liuzhou. His brother, Li Jingyou, was stripped of his position entirely. These moves were not random but calculated provocations, designed to incite rebellion that Wu Zetian could then crush to justify further purges.

The Revolt of Li Jingye and the Art of Provocation

In 684, Li Jingye and his faction rebelled in Yangzhou, just months after Emperor Gaozong’s burial. Their manifesto, penned by the poet Luo Binwang, contained the famous line: “The earth on his grave is not yet dry, and where is the orphaned heir?”—a scathing indictment of Wu Zetian’s sidelining of Gaozong’s sons.

Wu Zetian’s response was swift and brutal. She mobilized 300,000 troops to crush the rebellion, then used the chaos to eliminate political rivals like Chancellor Pei Yan, who was executed on dubious charges of collusion. This purge was part of her broader campaign to erase Tang loyalists and pave the way for her own dynasty.

The Manipulation of Religion and Public Perception

Wu Zetian’s reign was marked by shrewd propaganda. She relocated the political center from Chang’an to Luoyang, renaming it the “Divine Capital” (神都), ostensibly to escape the ghosts of past rivals like Consort Xiao but more likely to distance herself from Tang symbolism.

Her most audacious move was leveraging religion to legitimize her rule. She elevated her lover, the former street performer Feng Xiaobao (renamed Xue Huaiyi), to abbot of the prestigious White Horse Temple and tasked him with constructing the Mingtang—a grand ceremonial hall symbolizing Zhou Dynasty legitimacy. More crucially, Xue Huaiyi fabricated the Great Cloud Sutra, a Buddhist text proclaiming the advent of a female savior-ruler (“the Pure Light Heavenly Maiden”). When a “miraculous” stone inscribed “The Holy Mother descends to rule; eternal prosperity for the imperial enterprise” appeared in the Luo River, Wu Zetian’s divine mandate seemed confirmed.

The Zhou Dynasty and the Reign of Terror

In 690, Wu Zetian formally declared herself “Holy and Divine Emperor” of the new Zhou Dynasty. To suppress dissent, she institutionalized terror:
– Encouraged informants: Citizens received rewards for denouncing “traitors,” even if accusations were baseless.
– Employed brutal enforcers: Officials like the sadistic Lai Junchen perfected torture techniques to extract confessions.
– Neutralized Tang royalty: Forced rebellions by regional princes (e.g., Li Zhen’s revolt in 688) allowed her to eliminate them piecemeal.

Paradoxically, while the aristocracy suffered, commoners experienced stability. No peasant uprisings occurred during her reign—a testament to her dual strategy of elite suppression and mass appeasement.

Legacy: The Ambivalence of Power

Wu Zetian’s reign defies easy judgment. She shattered gender barriers yet ruled through fear; she patronized Buddhism while cynically manipulating it. Her Zhou Dynasty collapsed after her death, but her tactics—centralized authority, state propaganda, and controlled opposition—echo in authoritarian regimes to this day. As China’s sole female emperor, she remains a polarizing figure: a tyrant to some, a pioneer to others, and forever a masterclass in political survival.