Early Tang: I Contend with Wu Zetian for the Throne

Due to the special circumstances of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Li Ye dared not relinquish power to his sons. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, and history is full of examples of empress dowagers interfering in politics. Li Ye thought that the empire would ultimately belong to their own family, so he granted Wu Zetian immense power.

As the author, I've briefly summarized Wu Zetian's reign. To put it nicely, and perhaps more charitably, her dynasty, the Wu Zhou, was a bridge between the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras. To put it bluntly, the Kaiyuan era of prosperity didn't arrive until after her reign, and its collapse was entirely due to her misrule.

A large number of readers will leave this book in the later stages. After reading over a hundred chapters, it's still just about investigating cases and going to the capital for a funeral; the characters haven't even taken up their posts in their fiefdoms yet... (I wrote some sensitive words and got banned, so I'll stop writing now.) What a waste of a title! I wouldn't have clicked to read this book if it weren't for the title!

Having read half of it, I really don't know what the protagonist wants. If he's pursuing fame and fortune, his identity is too sensitive; he could easily be ruined! If he's pursuing immortality through cultivation, he's getting too caught up in all sorts of worldly affairs, making him just a fake Taoist.

Wasn't Wu Zetian famous because she was a female emperor? If you look at all the emperors in history, she's at most a median number (there were just too many absurd emperors in some eras, which lowers the bar). And yet some people still call her one of the greatest emperors of all time? What kind of anti-intellectual talk is that? They actually said she was the worst, just like Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. Does she deserve that title?

While Wu Zetian couldn't compare to Qin Shi Huang or Tang Taizong, she was still far better than many other emperors, at the very least mediocre. If she hadn't ascended the throne as a woman, causing constant infighting within the court, her governing policies would have been sound. Unfortunately, she lacked capable advisors.

I dare not watch it. I'm afraid that orthodox history will be turned into martial arts and cultivation novels. I hate this kind of history that's just a cover-up. Human beings are limited. How could they possibly fly over rooftops and split mountains and rocks?

Here's a joke: In terms of historical status, this woman is on par with Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Zhu Yuanzhang. The main reason is that she was an empress. In terms of political achievements, she was slightly better than Zhu Qizhen, but still a level above Zhu Qizhen. She was a cruel official and a terrible military commander.

Is it a mystery/crime game disguised as fantasy with a fictional historical setting?

Brothers, I have a question: Did the protagonist add Wu Zetian to his harem or kill her? I really want to know, because I'm afraid I'll get so caught up in the exciting part that I'll stumble upon a toxic plot point. 🙂🙂