The Biography of Wu Zetian

Name: The Biography of Wu Zetian
ISBN: 9787301181942

胡戟Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.2

Word count: 105K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787301181942

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Summary

Empress Wu Zetian: A Biography is the life story of Wu Zetian, the celebrated female sovereign in Chinese history. For over a thousand years, opinions on her merits and faults, her character and conduct, have been fiercely disputed; praise and condemnation of her have reached extremes. In the study of ancient Chinese history, it seems no other figure has drawn such contradictory assessments from historians. The aim of this book is to start from the historical sources and examine, one by one, the many mysteries of Wu Zetian's life, in order to clarify facts that have been recklessly exaggerated and embellished, wash away the mud slung at her, and, on the basis of understanding her, to reflect and debate.

Editor's review

Wu Zetian is one of the most controversial political figures in Chinese history: her admirers hail her as an outstanding statesman, while her detractors denounce her as licentious and cruel. The value of this book lies in its refusal to take a predetermined stance; instead, it returns to the historical sources and examines one by one the many mysteries of Wu Zetian's life—from her entry into the palace and elevation to empress to her assumption of the throne and abdication—posing source-critical questions at every key juncture and distinguishing which records have evidentiary support from which are later layers of embellishment and stigmatization. The author, Hu Ji, has long engaged in research on Sui-Tang history; his writing is grounded in empirical evidence yet never dry, and his narrative carries an attitude of 'sympathetic understanding' toward historical figures: neither defending nor going along with condemnation, but measuring Wu Zetian against the political structures and historical context in which she lived. For readers accustomed to dramatized film and television or sensational popular history, this book offers a solidly grounded experience of 'disenchantment'; for readers with some training in historiography, the process of distinguishing authentic from inauthentic sources is itself methodologically instructive. It is a reliable introductory biography for understanding Wu Zetian and her era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Wu Zetian or Tang history who want the historical facts rather than dramatization
Students in history or ancient Chinese history programs, as a case study in biographical research
Speculative readers who enjoy scrutinizing the authenticity of sources and questions of how historical figures are evaluated
Teachers who need supplementary character detail and source-awareness for secondary-school history teaching

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting palace intrigue, power struggles, and highly dramatic narrative
Readers seeking definitive praise or blame and unwilling to confront controversy and source criticism
Readers wholly unfamiliar with Sui-Tang political institutions and historical background, lacking basic chronological and geographical orientation

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and introduction to grasp the author's central questions, then read the chapters examining particular mysteries as needed.
As you read, compare the material against your existing impressions of Wu Zetian and note where the sources overturn or revise them.
When you encounter quoted source material, you may skip the finer details at first and focus on the author's conclusions, returning to the source analysis on a second reading.
After finishing, review the power configuration during the reigns of Zhongzong and Ruizong in light of basic knowledge of Tang political institutions.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
作者简介
内容简介
写在前面——说不清的武则天
一寒门新贵——不够“高贵”的身份困扰
二广元流韵——第二故乡的不尽怀念
三太宗才人——被冷落的寂寞青春
四感业寺尼——青灯为伴的煎熬岁月
五昭仪专宠——前恭后倨的宫廷斗法
六皇后废立——以女儿为代价的“胜利”
七贬逐国舅——奏响门阀制度的挽歌
八诛杀上官——惊险度过的废黜危机
九天后参政——女政治家初露锋芒
十孝敬之薨——失爱的太子不以寿终
十一逊位之议——“女主临朝”的端倪闪现
十二章怀被废——皇帝“婚外恋”的难题
十三废黜中宗——被把玩于掌中的皇帝
十四扬州叛乱——失意官僚的无力挣扎
十五裴炎之死——杀鸡儆猴的驭臣之术
十六圣母神皇——践祚前的谨慎探试
十七宗室起兵——李唐诸王的垂死一搏
十八酷吏政治（一）——对异见者的残酷清洗
十九大周女皇——中国政治的乾坤倒转
二十酷吏政治（二）——异己尽，走狗烹
二十一复立庐陵——安抚唐臣的政治宏谋
二十二武周政绩——不让须眉的宏图伟业
二十三佞佛得失——只留下卢舍那在人间
二十四宠信二张——暮年女皇的情感是非
二十五五王政变——生命中的最后一“败”
二十六上阳正寝——一朝退位，油尽灯枯
二十七身后褒贬——盖棺不能论定，功罪任人评说
附记

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a scholarly biography?

It is a scholarly biography. The author examines the mysteries of Wu Zetian's life on the basis of historical sources, focusing on distinguishing authentic from inauthentic facts; the narrative is empirical rather than novelistic and largely avoids inventing plots or dialogue.

What stance does it take on Wu Zetian? Will I come away with a definitive verdict?

The book does not offer a simple verdict of praise or blame; it seeks to wash away the layers of mud applied by later generations, to understand her on the basis of clarified facts, and to leave room for reflection and debate. What readers gain is a reliable framework of facts and grounds for judgment rather than a one-line conclusion.

Can I understand it without a background in Tang history?

You can follow the main content; the author uses the examination of life's mysteries as a thread, and the narrative is relatively plain. But if Tang political institutions and court structure are entirely unfamiliar, it is advisable to acquire some basic knowledge of Tang history first for smoother reading.

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About the author

胡戟 Author

Hu Ji is an author whose publicly available information is limited, and whose name appears in Chinese book credits. Two of his works are included in the collection: A Biography of Wu Zetian and A Centenary Commemorative Volume for Wang Qian. The former belongs to the general biography category and centers on the historical figure Wu Zetian, suggesting the author has some engagement with Tang history and biographical writing; the latter is a commemorative volume, typically gathering recollections and scholarly essays, indicating his participation in academic commemorative publishing. As details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, education, and positions are not clearly recorded, little is known about his life. Based on the works at hand, Hu Ji's writing leans toward historical biography and academic commemoration, which gives readers a sense of his authorial profile.