China’s Only Female Emperor Took the Throne by Force

She entered the Tang palace as a young concubine, survived the deadly politics of the imperial court, returned from a Buddhist convent, rose beside Emperor Gaozong, and eventually did what no woman in Chinese history had ever done before or after: she became emperor in her own name. To some, Wu Zetian was a ruthless usurper. To others, she was one of the most capable rulers of the Tang era. Her story is filled with ambition, palace rivalry, political survival, Buddhist prophecy, secret police, family tragedy, and the blank stele that still refuses to explain her legacy.