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Princess Anle
Princess Anle (; 684? – 21 July 710), personal name Li Guo'er (), was a Chinese princess of the Tang Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhongzong and his wife Empress Wei. Popular history holds that she was doted upon heavily by her parents and siblings, which contributed to her later drive for power. After gaining power, she became extremely arrogant, corrupt, extravagant, and immoral, and ruled with her mother Empress Wei and the corruption of the two almost pushed the administration of Emperor Zhongzong to the brink of bankruptcy. Eventually, after Emperor Zhongzong died in 710 — a death that traditional historians assert was due to poison, and carried out by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er — Empress Wei seized the throne and elevated Li Guo'er to the position of crown princess. A coup led by Li Guo'er's cousin Li Longji, the Prince of Linzi, and Princess Taiping, Li Guo'er's paternal aunt, overthrew and killed Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. Background Li Guo'er ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Ruizong Of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang (22 June 662 – 13 July 716), personal name Li Dan, also known at times during his life as Li Xulun, Li Lun, Wu Lun, and Wu Dan, was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty. He was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong and the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu. He was wholly a figurehead during his first reign when he was controlled by his mother, and he was the titular and puppet ruler of the Tang Empire from 684 to 690. During his second reign after his mother's death, significant power and influence was exercised by his domineering sister Princess Taiping. In February 684, Li Dan's mother Empress Wu demoted his older brother Emperor Zhongzong (Li Xian) who had attempted to rule free of his mother and named him emperor (as Emperor Ruizong). Emperor Ruizong, however, was a hollow figurehead under control of his mother and had no real power, even nominally, his name was not included in the issued documents or orders. He was not e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wei Yuanzhong
Wei Yuanzhong (魏元忠) (died 707), né Wei Zhenzai (魏真宰), formally Duke Zhen of Qi (齊貞公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. Background It is not known which year Wei Yuanzhong was born,However, Wei Yuanzhong was said to be "in his 70s" when he died in 707 – and based on the traditional Chinese age nomenclature, could thus be anywhere from 69 to 78 at the time of his death. but it is known that his family was from Songzhou. He was originally named Wei Zhenzai, but later changed his name to observe naming taboo for Lady Yang, the mother of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian).Lady Yang's name is not recorded in history, and therefore it is unclear which character of the name "Zhenzai" conflicted with her name. He was a student at the imperial university in his youth, and was said to be unrestrained in his behav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Li Shouli
Lĭ Shǒulĭ (672–741) () was the second son of Li Xián who was also known as Crown Prince Zhanghuai of Tang. Born Li Guangren (李光仁), during the Chuigong era of his youngest uncle Emperor Ruizong of Tang's reign when his grandmother Wu Zetian held the real power, he was renamed Shouli and given the post Crown Prince Xima (''Taizi Xima'' 太子洗马). Childhood Li Guangren's father, Li Xián, as the heir apparent to his father Emperor Gaozong of Tang, was once created Crown Prince but failed in a power struggle against his ambitious mother Wu Zetian. He was deposed and exiled to Ba Prefecture with his family, and eventually was forced to commit suicide in 684. In 685, Wu Zetian restored Li Xián to his former title Prince of Yong and recalled his family back to the capital Chang'an, created Guangren Prince of Yong, appointed him as ''Taizi Xima'' and changed his name to Shouli. When Wu Zetian claimed imperial title, she bestowed Li Shouli as well as his elder brothe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shangguan Wan'er
Shangguan Wan'er (664–21 July 710) was a Chinese politician, poet, and imperial consort of the Wu Zhou and Tang dynasties. Described as a "female prime minister," Shangguan rose from modest origins as a palace servant to become secretary and leading advisor to Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou. Under Empress Wu, Shangguan exercised responsibility for drafting imperial edicts and earned approbation for her writing style. She retained her influence as consort to Wu's son and successor, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, holding the imperial consort rank of ''Zhaorong'' (). Shangguan was also highly esteemed for her talent as a poet. In 710, after Emperor Zhongzong's death, Shangguan was killed during a palace coup that ended the regency of Empress Dowager Wei. Childhood Shangguan Wan'er's grandfather Shangguan Yi had become a prominent official early in the reign of Emperor Gaozong and had become chancellor in 662. In 664, Emperor Gaozong was angry at the very above level of controllin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubinage was a formal and institutionalized practice in China until the 20th century that upheld concubines' rights and obligations. A concubine could be freeborn or of slave origin, and their experience could vary tremendously according to their masters' whim. During the Mongol conquests, both foreign royals and captured women were taken as concubines. Concubinage was also common in Meiji Japan as a status symbol, and in Indian society, where the intermingling of castes and religions was frowned upon and a taboo, and concubinage could be practiced with women with whom marriage was considered undesirable, such as those from a lower caste and Muslim women who wouldn't be accepted in a Hindu household and Hindu women who wouldn't be accepted in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuan Shuji
Yuan Shuji (袁恕己) (died 706), formally Prince Zhenlie of Nanyang (南陽貞烈王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner. Background It is not known when Yuan Shuji was born. His family was from Cang Prefecture (滄州, roughly modern Cangzhou, Hebei) and traced its ancestry to the late Han Dynasty warlord Yuan Shao. Both Yuan Shuji's grandfather Yuan Lingxi (袁令喜) and father Yuan Yihong (袁異弘) served as prefectural officials. During Wu Zetian's reign Sometime during Wu Zetian's ''Chang'an'' era (701-704), Yuan Shuji served as assistant chief judge of the supreme court (司刑少卿, ''Sixing Shaoqing'') and military advisor to Wu Zeti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan (桓彥範) (653–706), courtesy name Shize (士則), formally Prince Zhonglie of Fuyang (扶陽忠烈王), briefly known during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang as Wei Yanfan (韋彥範), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner. Background Huan Yanfan was born in 653. His family was from Run Prefecture (潤州, roughly modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) and traced its ancestry to the Jin Dynasty (266–420) general Huan Chong. His grandfather Huan Fasi (桓法嗣) and father Huan Simin (桓思敏) both served as officials during Tang Dynasty, and on account of this heritage, Huan Yanfan was made an officer of the imperial guards when he was young ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jing Hui
Jing Hui (敬暉) (died 706), courtesy name Zhongye (仲瞱), formally Prince Sumin of Pingyang (平陽肅愍王), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and killed in exile in a cruel manner. Background It is not known when Jing Hui was born, but it is known that his family was from Jiang Prefecture (絳州, part of modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). He had several ancestors who served as officials for Tang Dynasty and its predecessor Sui Dynasty as well as the earlier dynasty Northern Qi, and it is known that his father Jing Shansong (敬山松) served as a county magistrate during Tang.'' New Book of Tang'', vol. 75, part 1. All that is known about the early part of Jing Hui's career is that he pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cui Xuanwei
Cui Xuanwei (崔玄暐; 638–706), né Cui Ye (崔曄), formally Prince Wenxian of Boling (博陵文獻王), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705, but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and died in exile. Background Cui Chu was born late in the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was from "The elder house of Boling" of the prominent Cui clan of Boling.His father Cui Xingjin (崔行謹) served as the magistrate of Husu County (胡蘇, in modern Dezhou, Shandong), and his uncle Cui Xinggong (崔行功) was the head of the Palace Library. During the ''Longshuo'' era of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, he passed the imperial examinations and became a low-level official at the ministry of treasury (庫部, ''Kubu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhang Jianzhi
Zhang Jianzhi (張柬之) (625Zhang's birth year of 625 is based on his biographies in the '' Old Book of Tang'' and the '' New Book of Tang'', both of which indicated that he was 81 at the time of his death in 706. However, the ''New Book of Tang'' also indicated that he was in his 70s when he was summoned to the capital in 689 which, if true, would make him born in the 610s. See ''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 91 and ''New Book of Tang'', vol. 120.-706), courtesy name Mengjiang (孟將), formally Prince Wenzhen of Hanyang (漢陽文貞王), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. He was a key figure in the coup that overthrew Wu Zetian and restored Emperor Zhongzong in 705 but was later exiled due to false accusations instigated by Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and died in exile. Background Zhang Jianzhi was born in 625, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu. His fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi (died August 7, 707), known posthumously as Prince Xuan of Liang (), was a Chinese prince and politician of the Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties. Wu Sansi served as a chancellor and imperial prince during the reign of his aunt, Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou, and was again a powerful chancellor during the second reign of Empress Wu's son, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. He was aided in navigating the fraught period that followed Emperor Zhongzong's restoration by successive affairs with the influential consort Shangguan Wan'er and the powerful Empress Wei. Although he amassed significant authority and enjoyed the trust of Emperor Zhongzong, he was killed during an unsuccessful rebellion by the crown prince Li Chongjun in 707. Background It is not known when Wu Sansi was born. His father Wu Yuanqing (武元慶) was a half-brother of Wu Zetian—both had, as father, the early Tang dynasty general Wu Shihuo (武士彠), but Wu Yuanqing and his brother Wu Yuanshuang (武元爽) were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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