The Twilight of an Extraordinary Reign

In the final years of Empress Wu Zetian’s unprecedented rule over China’s Zhou Dynasty (690-705), the once-shrewd monarch who had broken the ultimate glass ceiling found herself increasingly isolated. Now in her eighties, the aging empress retreated into the inner palace, delegating state affairs while indulging in pleasures with her infamous “Two Zhangs” – the handsome brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.

This royal favoritism created dangerous fractures in the court. The Zhang brothers, initially mere entertainers, began meddling in politics – blocking memorials, manipulating appointments, and even orchestrating the deaths of Crown Prince Li Xian’s children. As historian Meng Man describes, their actions “mixed national enmity with personal hatred” against the Tang imperial family. Meanwhile, Wu’s declining health reduced her famed political control, allowing factionalism to flourish between Zhang loyalists and their opponents.

The Gathering Storm: Conspirators Unite

The crisis reached its climax when legal attempts to remove the Zhangs failed due to Wu’s protection. This impasse birthed a daring solution: a palace coup. Two groups had most to lose from the Zhangs’ rise:

1. The Tang Royals: Crown Prince Li Xian, his brother Li Dan, and sister Princess Taiping faced existential threats if succession plans changed
2. Anti-Zhang Officials: Ministers like the 80-year-old newly appointed chancellor Zhang Jianzhi saw the brothers as corrupting state governance

Zhang Jianzhi, though indebted to Wu for his late-career promotion, embodied Confucian ideals of righteous governance. His leadership would prove pivotal in organizing what became known as the Shenlong Coup (神龙政变).

Engineering a Rebellion: The Coup’s Meticulous Preparation

The elderly chancellor executed a three-pronged strategy with military precision:

### Securing Military Support
Zhang persuaded right imperial guard commander Li Duozuo by appealing to his loyalty to the Tang: “Your honors came from Emperor Gaozong. Will you now watch his son be harmed?” Li pledged his troops despite risks.

### Infiltrating the Guards
Using his ministerial authority, Zhang appointed allies to key guard posts, including left and right羽林军 (Imperial Forest Army) positions controlling palace access.

### Royal Coordination
Through intercepted meetings at the Xuanwu Gate – where Crown Prince Li Xian entered daily to pay respects – the conspirators gained the reluctant prince’s endorsement. Princess Taiping allegedly turned palace maids into informants, replicating Wu’s own famed spy network against her.

The Day of Reckoning: February 20, 705

On Shenlong 1’s 22nd day (正月二十二日), the plotters moved:

1. Four-Pronged Attack:
– Zhang Jianzhi’s group stormed the Xuanwu Gate
– Li Duozuo fetched the hesitant crown prince
– Princess Taiping’s maids neutralized palace alarms
– Prince Li Dan secured government offices

2. Critical Hiccups:
– Li Xian’s Cold Feet: The crown prince initially refused to leave his quarters until guards essentially threatened mutiny
– The Thousand Cavalry Standoff: Guard commander Tian Guidao blocked the Xuanwu Gate until Li Xian’s arrival forced compromise

3. The Decisive Moment:
– The Zhang brothers were killed mid-sleep
– Armed ministers confronted Wu in her bedchamber
– When the empress demanded explanations, Zhang Jianzhi declared: “The Zhangs plotted rebellion. We acted for the crown prince.”

Aftermath and Historical Legacy

The coup’s consequences rippled through Chinese history:

1. Limited Objectives Achieved:
– The Zhangs’ tyranny ended (their corpses were publicly mutilated)
– Wu peacefully abdicated to Li Xian (Emperor Zhongzong)
– The Tang restoration occurred earlier than Wu’s own plans

2. Paradoxical Outcomes:
– Wu’s intended succession transition was fulfilled… through forced retirement
– Key plotters like the “Five Shenlong Heroes” gained prominence
– Wu’s Wu clan relatives surprisingly faced no purge

3. A Fragile New Order:
– Emperor Zhongzong inherited competing power centers: coup leaders, his siblings (Li Dan, Taiping), and surviving Wu factionists
– These tensions foreshadowed future instability

As Professor Meng notes, the coup wasn’t anti-Wu per se, but “a product of cooperation between threatened Tang royals and ministers opposing the Zhangs.” Yet its success marked the close of China’s most extraordinary female ruler’s political life – not with gradual decline, but a calculated revolt blending loyalty, ambition, and the relentless machinery of Tang dynasty politics.

The Shenlong Coup demonstrates how even the most formidable rulers become vulnerable when personal indulgence clouds political judgment – a timeless lesson in power’s fragility.