History UsefulNotes / WuZetian

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Varies between this and HistoricalVillainUpgrade, depending on the time period. Confucian historians of the time demonized her as a monstrous tyrant for being a woman who "ruined" the natural order by ascending to a throne that had been reserved exclusively for men. Modern works tend to be more sympathetic towards her and give her a humanized portrayal by emphasizing the need to be ruthless to survive in a cutthroat court of men (to the point that ''Series/TheEmpressOfChina'' was criticized for being a little ''too'' positive towards her to the point of making her borderline IncorruptiblePurePureness)... The overly negative evaluations of Wu focus on her bloody purges while ignoring her reforms, while overly positive ones frame Wu as an innocent woman forced to kill to survive, emphasising her reforms while ignoring her {{secret police}} and penchant for murdering members of her family. The truth is probably somewhere in between; Wu was by no means an innocent angel, but she was not a bloodthirsty despot either. Though she was cruel and ruthless, her reign was one of the better ones for average commoners.

* Wu Zetian appears in the Chinese historical drama ''Series/YoungSherlock'', taking place before she became Gaozong's empress, where she's played by Ruby Lin.

Wu Zetian (武則天; 624–705)[[note]]Wu's birth name has been lost to history; 'Zetian' is part of her posthumous title(s); 'Mèi' (媚, "charm" or "glamorous") was the art name given to her by Taizong. After she crowned herself Emperor, she created the character "Zhao" (曌) as her name[[/note]] is the only [[SheIsTheKing female Emperor]] in the history of ImperialChina, reigning from 690 to 705 AD.

* OffingTheOffspring: In traditional historical records, she is recorded to have strangled her infant daughter, poisoned her eldest son, exiled and killed her second son, and murdered two of her grandchildren.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Varies between this and HistoricalVillainUpgrade, depending on the time period. Confucian historians of the time demonized her as a monstrous tyrant for being a woman who "ruined" the natural order by ascending to a throne that had been reserved exclusively for men. Modern works tend to be more sympathetic towards her and give her a humanized portrayal by emphasizing the need to be ruthless to survive in a cutthroat court of men (to the point that ''Series/TheEmpressOfChina'' was criticized for being a little ''too'' positive towards her to the point of making her borderline IncorruptiblePurePureness)... The overly negative evaluations of Wu focus on her bloody purges while ignoring her reforms, while overly positive ones frame Wu as an innocent woman forced to kill to survive, emphasising her reforms while ignoring her secret police and penchant for murdering her family. The truth is probably somewhere in between; Wu was by no means an innocent angel, but she was not a tyrant either. Though she was cruel and ruthless, her reign was one of the better ones for average commoners.

* She appeared in the ''Series/HorribleHistories'' episode "Awesome Alfred The Great", in a parody of ''Series/ImACelebrityGetMeOutOfHere'' , where's she's portrayed by Sophie Wu. It's a bit of AnachronismStew since Wu would be long dead by the time Alfred exists and reigned long before Alfred's birth. There was controversy over the segment as Australian Chinese viewers claimed racism due to Wu trying various animals as food.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Varies between this and HistoricalVillainUpgrade, depending on the time period. Confucian historians of the time demonized her as a monstrous tyrant for being a woman who "ruined" the natural order by ascending to a throne that had been reserved exclusively for men. Modern works tend to be more sympathetic towards her and give her a humanized portrayal by emphasizing the need to be ruthless to survive in a cutthroat court of men (to the point that ''Series/TheEmpressOfChina'' was criticized for being a little ''too'' positive towards her to the point of making her borderline IncorruptiblePurePureness)... The overly negative evaluations of Wu focus on her bloody purges while ignoring her reforms, while overly positive ones frame Wu as an innocent woman forced to kill to survive, emphasising her reforms while ignoring her secret police and penchant for murdering her family. The truth is probably somewhere in between; Wu was by no means an innocent angel, however she was not a tyrant either. Though she was cruel and ruthless, her reign was one of the better ones for average commoners.

Later historians were not kind to Wu Zetian, as they were Confucian, and Confucianism was dead set against female rulers. As well, she had promoted Buddhism over Confucianism and Taoism to legitimise her rule, as Buddhism was the most friendly ideology towards female rulers. She also engaged in magnificent construction projects in the name of Buddhism that were said to have been over-extravagant. As for the famous "Wordless Stele", it was left wordless by her descendants, who couldn't decide on the epitaph to be carved upon it.[[note]]It was a Catch-22 of Confucian morality, the epitaph couldn't praise her because that meant praising a woman ruler and usurper, but it couldn't denounce her either since that meant disrespecting an Imperial ancestress and mother of an Emperor.[[/note]]

As a sidenote, women dominated politics for ten years after she died. During his second reign, Zhongzong was [[HenpeckedHusband dominated by his wife Empress Wei]]. Empress Wei promoted her and Zhongzong's favourite daughter Princess Anle as crown princess, the first and only time a princess inheriting the throne from her father was on the cards. Zhongzong refused. Empress Wei and Princess Anle had Zhongzong poisoned, and Empress Wei placed his youngest son Li Chongmao on the throne as a PuppetKing, intending to become emperor herself like her mother-in-law with Anle as crown princess. However, Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji (the future Emperor Xuanzong and son of Ruizong) launched a counter-coup -- known as the "Tanglong Rebellion" (唐隆政變/唐隆政变) after the era name used by Li Chongmao -- and she was executed and Ruizong put on the throne. Also powerful during Zhongzong's reign and executed in the counter-coup was Wu Zetian's secretary turned Zhongzong's concubine Shangguan Wan'er. Princess Taiping reigned supreme in politics during Ruizong's and the first part of Li Longji's reign, before Li Longji forced her and her associates to commit suicide in yet ''another'' coup -- the "Xiantian rebellion" (先天政變/先天政变), named after Xuanzong's first era name. Many of the important officials during Xuanzong's early reign had in fact been discovered by Wu; this includes two of Xuanzong's early chancellors: Yao Chong (姚崇) and Song Jing (宋璟).[[note]]Many equate Yao and Song to Fang Xuanling (房玄齡/房玄龄) and Du Ruhui (杜如晦), two of Tang Taizong's best chancellors.[[/note]]

Later historians were not kind to Wu Zetian, as they were Confucian, and Confucianism was dead set against female rulers. As well, she had promoted Buddhism over Confucianism and Taoism to legitimise her rule, as Buddhism was the most friendly ideology towards female rulers. She also engaged in magnificent construction projects in the name of Buddhism that were said to have been over-extravagant. As for the famous "Wordless Stele", it was left wordless by her descendants, who couldn't decide on the epitaph to be carved upon it.[[note]]It was a catch-22 of Confucian morality, the epitaph couldn't praise her because that meant praising a woman ruler and usurper, but it couldn't denounce her either since that meant disrespecting an Imperial ancestress and mother of an Emperor.[[/note]]

By the late 690s, the purges had died down, and many of the secret police officials had found themselves executed, and Wu had to worry about her succession. By now in her mid-70s, Wu had not designated a crown prince, as she was hesitating between her nephews Wu Chengsi (武承嗣) and Wu Sansi (武三思) and her sons. However, the officials and the people were in favour of reinstating the Tang dynasty after her death, and according to Chinese custom her nephew would be unlikely to pay respect to her, while Zhongzong would be required to as her son, and she was persuaded to recall Zhongzong from exile, and made him the crown prince. Wu Chengsi died soon after, and the conflict waned. Wu chose to [[KissingCousins marry the younger generation of the clans to each other]]. One of Zhongzong's daughters, Princess Yongtai married one of Wu Chengsi's sons, and another daughter Princess Anle married Wu Sansi's son, and after Wu's death, another of Wu Chengsi's sons.