Wu Zetian: The Road to Power in the Purple Palace

From Fifth-Rank Talented Lady to empress, she turned the palace walls and court of the Tang dynasty into her own chessboard!

She entered the palace at fourteen and languished in obscurity for twelve years. Sent to become a nun at Ganye Temple, she turned the tide with a single tear. She was a ruthless player in the imperial harem, a hardline political operator, and the only female emperor in Chinese history. She advanced step by step through a world of flashing blades and took command of the realm amid swirling political intrigues. Some condemned her for killing her daughter and deposing her sons, calling her heartless and ruthless; others praised her for selecting worthy officials and laying the foundations for the Kaiyuan golden age. Open this book and see how Wu Zetian, a woman in an age dominated by men, carved out an unprecedented path to legend!

The glazed tiles of Zichen Hall reflected the rise and fall of the Tang dynasty and etched the tale of a woman who broke through a thousand years of constraints to seize power. Using Zichen, a place central to Wu Zetian's years in power, as its guiding thread, and grounding the account in abundant historical sources, this book brings her rise from palace lady to empress vividly to life. It unlocks the secrets of power and the story of the only legitimate female emperor in Chinese history.