Wǔ Shìyuē (; 559–635 CE) was the father of

Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...

, the only woman in the history of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

to assume the title of

Empress Regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigni ...

. He was posthumously honored the title of King Zhongxiao. Wu was the son of Wu Hua and became a timber merchant. He was also known as the Duke of Ying and King of Wei serving as army commander of Yingyang Prefecture during the final years of

Emperor Yang of Sui Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), was the second emperor of the Sui dynasty of China. Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but he was rena ...

(r. 605–618 CE) and subsequently as Minister of Revenue and superintendent of Jingzhou City,

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

during the reign of

Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty fo ...

(r. 627–649 CE). Initially, Wu married a woman from the Xiangli family, who gave birth to two sons named Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang. Later he remarried a woman from the noble Yang family of the Hong Nong region. She was daughter, niece, and sister to several ministers and a close relation of the imperial family. By her, Wu had three daughters: Wu Shun (later the Lady of Han), Wu Zhao (Empress

) and the Lady of Guo. After Wu died in 635 CE, his two sons were rude to their stepmother; after Wu Zetian came to power, she banished her half-brothers from the imperial court. At the same time she named Helan Minzhi, the son of her sister Wu Shun, as heir to her father. However, Wu Zetian became displeased with Helan Minzhi's conduct and sent him into exile where he died. Thereafter she recalled Wu Yuanshuang's son,

Wu Chengsi Wu Chengsi (; 649-July 22, 698), courtesy name Fengxian, formally Prince Xuan of Wei (魏宣王), was a nephew of the Chinese sovereign Wu Zetian and an imperial prince of the Zhou dynasty (690–705), Wu Zhou dynasty. He participated in her planni ...

, from exile and made him Wu Shiyue's successor. Posthumously, Wu Shiyue received the titles of Zhou Zhongxiao Emperor and Supreme Founding Emperor of the Southern Zhou Dynasty (690–705).

Family

*Furen, of the Xiangli clan () **Wu Yuanqing, Prince Xian of Liang (武元庆梁宪王), first son **Wu Yuanshuang, Prince De of Wei (武元爽魏德王), second son *Empress Xiaomingao, of the Yang clan (孝明高皇后) ** Wu Shun, Lady of Han (武顺韓國夫人), first daughter ***Married Helan Yueshi (賀蘭安石) and had issue (one son and one daughter Lady Helan) ** Wu Zetian, Empress Tang and Zhou (武則天), second daughter ***Married

Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder ...

(李世民), the second son of

Li Yuan Emperor Gaozu of Tang (7 April 566 – 25 June 635), born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude, was the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 618 to 626 CE. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern- ...

(李淵) ***Married Li Zhi (李治), the ninth son of

(李世民), and had issue (four sons and two daughter) **Lady Wu, Lady of Guo (郭孝慎), third daughter

References

{{Reflist Tang dynasty generals Sui dynasty government officials 559 births 635 deaths Political office-holders in Hubei