Wu Zetian, one of the most remarkable female monarchs in Chinese history, left a strong mark on her political achievements and leadership style in the Tang Dynasty. However, like other monarchs in the long course of history, she also experienced the twists and turns of the power struggle, and was finally forced to **. This scene is behind the applause of everyone in history, but only one person cried bitterly.
In the process of Wu Zetian**, everyone's celebration of this matter may come from their own political positions, but there is such a character, does his crying mean a deeper emotional entanglement? Who is this hero, and what is the story behind his tears?
If it weren't for the emperor's promotion, Yao would have been just a small official in Lang for a lifetime. Today, I am sad! On the night of the dragon in 705, the ministers enthusiastically congratulated Li Tang on his restoration, and Yao Chong, who wept alone, said. Who is this loyal celebrity? What kind of friendship did he have with the empress?
The young man is inactive, and the man is nameless.
Yao Chong was born in poverty, and when he was young, he was not interested in fame and fortune, and his life was decadent and carefree. A Jiangnan style describes his wandering life in his youth. Until he entered middle age, Yao Chong's life trajectory did not improve, but he was just a small official in the warehouse, a small official in Lang, and he was unremarkable.
If it weren't for the Queen's favor, there would be no change in his life. However, God destined him to have an indissoluble bond with Wu Zetian. Under the love of the empress, his life took a huge turn.
The Empress charted the trajectory of his life.
In 695, Wu Zetian officially assumed the throne and began to take power. In order to seek a militaristic plan, she re-examines the talents of the celebrities around her. When her eyes fell on Yao Chong, she was taken aback - this young official in Lang was so extraordinary!
It turned out that Zhao Wenhui's troops in the frontier failed, and the Khitan took advantage of the fire to rob. Wu Zetian sent a large army to crusade, at this time Yao Chong, with his excellent military acumen, participated in the planning, and suggested that Wu Zetian turn the war into a jade silk, and renamed the rebel Li Quanzhong as the king of Qinghai County. This move was decisive and effective, and put down the Khitan Rebellion in one fell swoop.
Wu Zetian praised it and began to reuse Yao Chong. She promoted him to the rank of Xia official and squire, and soon to the rank of prime minister. For a time, Yao Chong became the most powerful celebrity in Wu Zetian's mind.
Yao Chong's political career is closely related to Wu Zetian's fate trajectory. For 10 years, he was loyal and witnessed the rise and fall of the empress. Even if the power is no longer there, his sincerity will not be shaken.
Cool officials are rampant and arbitrary.
After ascending to the pinnacle of power, Wu Zetian began to transform. She indulged cool officials such as Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen to fabricate unjust cases and create countless unjust, false and wrongful cases. Yao Chong was deeply saddened to see too many innocent people killed.
Once, Wu Zetian gossiped with the minister, talking about these unjust cases, and his words revealed self-blame. At this moment, the loyal celebrity Yao Chong stepped forward with an arrow step forward to expose the various evil deeds of the cool officials, which shocked Wu Zetian. She immediately ordered the punishment of the cool officials and rewarded Yao Chong with a thousand taels ** as a reward for him.
However, the good times did not last long, and Yao Chong soon witnessed the transformation of the empress again. She began to be superstitious about Buddhism, and tried her best to build Buddhist temples such as Wanshou Wanfu Temple, which Yao Chong thought was contrary to the right path and tried his best to advise. This annoyed the empress Zhang Yizhi, so he designed to frame Yao Chong and belittle Yao Chong.
The red man is prosperous and withered, and his loyalty is unswerving.
Yao Chong, who was in a foreign country, was discouraged, and he thought about it repeatedly, why was he loyal, but he still couldn't escape the fate of debasement? He held back his grievances, but he had nowhere to tell.
Three years later, Wu Zetian re-examined Yao Chong, believing him to be loyal, honest, and talented, and decided to reinstate him as prime minister. For a while, Yao Chonghong made a comeback again. He lived up to the trust, and his career rose all the way, and finally paid homage to the prime minister.
However, the good times did not last long, and Zhang Yizhi set a trap again, designing to make Wu Zetian believe that Yao Chong was plotting rebellion. Wu Zetian was furious and once again deposed Yao Chong in a remote place. At this point, Yao Chong's life fell to the bottom, he didn't think about tea and dinner, he climbed high and distant every day, staring at the direction of the capital, and his heart was full of unwillingness and grievances.
In 705, the Shenlong coup broke out, and Yao Chong actively participated in the planning. He knew that Wu Zetian had the grace of knowing him, but he still chose to participate in it. What kind of motivation is this?
In 705, Wu Zetian was 80 years old, but he still had a hard time separating power. She relied on her favored ministers Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi to maintain her rule, and the government became increasingly corrupt and made enemies on all sides. At this time, Li Longji, the son of Ruizong Li Xian, joined forces with Wu Sansi, Zhang Khan Zhi and others to plot a coup d'état.
Yao Chong was actively involved in the planning of the coup, and he played a pivotal role in the coup. Finally, the Shenlong coup broke out, and Li Longji successfully seized power and rebuilt the Tang Dynasty. Wu Zetian signed the edict of abdication, and the dynasty changed hands.
The red man weeps goodbye to the benefactor.
The ministers rejoiced and celebrated the restoration of the dynasty, but Yao Chong wept silently. He couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion when he thought of his kindness.
Yao Chongben did not have to participate in the coup. But he knew that Wu Zetian was old, the government was declining, and the Tang Dynasty was at a critical juncture. He had to give up his small family and think of everyone to make such a decision.
Although he was grateful to the Empress, he valued the long-term interests of the country more than anything else. It was precisely out of loyalty and responsibility to the country that he was inseparable and chose to promote the change of dynasty in the Tang Dynasty. In this way, the celebrity Yao Chong and the benefactor Wu Zetian were separated from each other, and they became strangers from then on.
After the successful coup d'état, Yao Chong continued to serve as prime minister and assisted Li Longji in creating the prosperous era of Tang Xuanzong. And Wu Zetian died in Shangyang Palace, ending her legendary life.
Yao Chong grew up from an unknown official to a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty under the command of Wu Zetian. He has been loyal for ten years, witnessing the prosperity and decline of Wu Zetian. Even if he was belittled, his sincerity never changed. The change of the dragon, he is a small family for the country. It's just that at this moment of historical turn, he can't help but think back to the past, and it is difficult to hide his reluctance.
This inseparable evening feeling condenses loyalty and gratitude, power and country, the complexity of human nature and the impermanence of fate. It has become the most touching stroke in the life history of Yao Chong and Wu Zetian, and it is also a rare story in the long scroll of Chinese history.
Yao Chong, his life is like a flowing melody in the long river of history, full of twists and turns and wisdom. His political career spanned the four dynasties of Liang, Chen, Tang and Sui, witnessed the changes of history, and experienced countless ups and downs.
In the long river of history, Yao Chong's name was engraved in a drama during Wu Zetian's restoration. He cried bitterly for Wu Zetian and showed his loyalty to the old master, which was an expression of affection and respect. However, it was this loyal emotion that did not become a shackle that bound him, but rather highlighted his remarkable ability as a statesman.