From ancient times to the present, the demeanor of beautiful women has always been a fascinating topic. When beauty and intrigue are intertwined, the story is even more gripping and legendary. Let's go back to September 2013, when there was a sensational news in the archaeological community in Shaanxi, a high-grade ancient tomb was discovered in Xianyang New District, with a row of five patios leading directly to the Yongdao, and the regulations were quite strict, just like the representative of large tombs in the Tang Dynasty.
The patio structure was a symbol of large tombs in the Tang Dynasty, and the greater the number of patios, the more noble the tomb owner. Compared to the six patios found in the Tang Dynasty Princess Yongtai Tomb, this newly discovered tomb is even more striking because it has five patios, suggesting at least one royal tomb. And the identity of the owner of this tomb has caused widespread speculation.
In the process of archaeological excavation, Li Ming, an associate researcher of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, was pleasantly surprised to find that the epitaph cover was engraved with nine characters of "Shangguan's inscription of the Tang Dynasty". These nine words allow archaeologists to confirm that this tomb belongs to Shangguan Wan'er of Zhaorong in the Tang Dynasty. Shangguan Wan'er is an important figure around Wu Zetian, known as the "Prime Minister of Women", and is the imperial concubine of Tang Zhongzong. This discovery made the archaeologists excited, because Shangguan Wan'er had a prominent status and held great power during her lifetime, and became a legendary figure in history.
Shangguan Wan'er's tomb means a wealth of treasures, and it also makes people more curious about her legendary experience. However, the story of Shangguan Wan'er's life has been a mystery since ancient times. The relationship with Wu Zetian is even more confusing. According to the archaeologists, Shangguan Wan'er's grandfather Shangguan Yi was the prime minister of Tang Gaozong and was deeply appreciated by Gaozong. However, Gaozong's marriage with Wu Zetian has been full of twists and turns, and Wu Zetian dominates the affairs of the palace and the imperial court, which makes Gaozong dissatisfied.
Gaozong once endured it silently because he was afraid of his wife, but after all, he couldn't bear it anymore. During a quarrel between husband and wife, Gaozong decided to seek a solution, so he summoned Shangguan Yi to discuss. However, Shangguan Yi's excitement complicated the whole situation, and he even suggested that Gaozong depose the queen. In a fit of rage, Gaozong agreed to this suggestion and ordered someone to draft an edict after the abolition.
However, at this critical moment, Wu Zetian learned of the plan of the abolition queen and hurried there. When she saw the edict that had been written, she was furious. Seeing this, Tang Gaozong hurriedly changed his words and said that it was the idea of Prime Minister Shangguan in an attempt to calm Wu Zetian's anger. This time, Shangguan Yi became the scapegoat of the matter and paid a heavy price for his advice.
In 664 A.D., there was a political storm in the long river of history. The crown prince Li Zhong plotted a rebellion, and Wu Zetian issued an edict in order to stabilize his rule. In this coup, Shangguan Yi participated in the conspiracy and was beheaded by the raider. And not only Shangguanyi, but also Wan'er's father and many others were killed. All this also made Xiao Wan'er, who had just been born, be caught up in the whirlpool of the court and become an orphan.
Wan'er's fate seems destined to be spent as an official slave. However, she did not lose her pursuit of knowledge because of her humble origins. On the contrary, she showed extraordinary talent. At the age of five or six, she was able to write poetry and showed an amazing literary talent. The talented girl in this small town quickly became a sensation, and her talent spread all over the local area.
This news reached Wu Zetian's ears, and Wu Zetian became interested in the talented girl among the official slaves. She decided to inspect the aura girl for herself. So, he ordered someone to summon Shangguan Wan'er for an interview to test her talents. It is said that after Wu Zetian read Wan'er's poems, she nodded frequently, expressing her great satisfaction. In this way, Wan'er's fate began to turn, and she was left by Wu Zetian's side and among the intrigues of the imperial court.