The Dawn of the Yonghui Era

In the first year following Emperor Taizong’s death (650 AD), the new era name “Yonghui” was proclaimed, marking the ascension of the 23-year-old Emperor Gaozong. His reign began with the formal elevation of his consort, Lady Wang, to the position of empress—a seemingly routine transition. Yet beneath the surface, the Tang dynasty’s imperial court simmered with intrigue, a legacy of Taizong’s complex and often controversial rule.

Though Taizong’s 23-year reign is celebrated as the “Zhenguan Golden Age,” his personal life was marred by scandal. His decision to take Yangshi, the widow of his slain brother Li Yuanji (a victim of the Xuanwu Gate Incident), into his harem was widely criticized. The imperial family’s dysfunction extended to his children, many of whom were embroiled in disgraceful affairs. Among them, Princess Gaoyang—married to Fang Yi’ai, son of the revered statesman Fang Xuanling—stood out for her notorious behavior.

The Scandal of Princess Gaoyang and the Fall of a Monk

Princess Gaoyang’s arrogance and defiance of social norms were legendary. After Fang Xuanling’s death, she instigated a bitter feud between her husband and his elder brother over inheritance. The conflict escalated when a stolen treasure—a pillow gifted by the princess to the young monk Bianji—was discovered during a robbery investigation. Bianji, a brilliant disciple of the famed monk Xuanzang (of Journey to the West fame), had been her secret lover.

Emperor Taizong, enraged by the affair, ordered Bianji executed by waist-cutting—a brutal punishment—but spared his daughter. Princess Gaoyang, however, never forgave her father. When Taizong died, she showed no grief. Under Gaozong’s reign, she reignited the inheritance dispute, falsely accusing her brother-in-law of impropriety. The case spiraled into a political purge orchestrated by Gaozong’s powerful uncle, Zhangsun Wuji.

The Purge of the Imperial Court

Zhangsun Wuji, a shrewd strategist, saw the scandal as an opportunity to eliminate rivals. His primary target was Li Ke, Prince of Wu—Taizong’s third son and a widely admired figure. Though Li Ke’s mother was a daughter of the Sui dynasty’s Emperor Yang, his competence and popularity had once made him a contender for the throne. Zhangsun, favoring his own nephew Gaozong, had blocked Li Ke’s rise.

Under interrogation, Fang Yi’ai implicated Li Ke in a fabricated conspiracy, claiming the prince had exchanged secret letters with the plotters. Despite Gaozong’s reluctance, Li Ke and others—including Princess Gaoyang, her sister Princess Baling, and their allies—were sentenced to death. Li Ke’s final words were a curse: “If the spirits of the ancestors are just, the Zhangsun clan will soon perish!” The public mourned his unjust fate, and historians later condemned the affair as a blatant power grab.

The Quiet Storm: Wu Zetian’s Return

Amid these upheavals, a subtler drama unfolded. Empress Wang, desperate to counter Gaozong’s favoritism toward Consort Xiao, hatched a risky plan. At the suggestion of an elderly servant, she arranged for the return of a former concubine of Taizong—Wu Zetian, then a nun at Ganye Temple.

Wu had caught Gaozong’s eye during a memorial service for Taizong, where their tearful reunion hinted at an old attachment. Empress Wang, blind to the danger, believed Wu would merely distract Gaozong from Consort Xiao. Instead, Wu’s intelligence and ambition would eclipse them all.

Legacy of the Yonghui Transition

The early Yonghui era exposed the Tang dynasty’s fragility beneath its golden veneer. Zhangsun Wuji’s purge, while consolidating his power, sowed seeds of distrust. Meanwhile, Wu Zetian’s reentry into the palace set the stage for her unprecedented rise to sovereignty. These events underscored a paradox: Taizong’s “Golden Age” had bequeathed a court rife with vendettas, where personal rivalries could reshape an empire.

For the common people, such scandals were distant affairs. Yet the machinations of Gaozong’s court would ultimately redefine China’s imperial history, proving that even the most stable dynasties could be undone by the passions of a few.