Because Empress Wu became emperor 7 years after Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty Li Zhi died, many people take it for granted that Empress Wu suppressed Tang Gaozong everywhere when Emperor Gaozong was alive. Tang Gaozong's uncle and uncle Changsun Wuji was also killed by Empress Wu, even as a relative. , The treatment of the Wu family is far better than that of the Changsun family. However, as far as the records in various historical materials are concerned, in the marriage between Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu, the leader of the marital relationship is obviously Tang Gaozong rather than Empress Wu.
For example, Emperor Gaozong advocated pro-sericulture, so Empress Wu’s number of pro-sericulture is the most in Tang Dynasty; for example, Emperor Gaozong advocated frugality, so Empress Wu took the initiative to put thirteen on the queen’s skirt The number of folds was changed to seven; for example, Emperor Gaozong of Tang was afraid of his relatives sitting large, so Empress Wu "set by example", and when Tang Gaozong was alive, the Wu family's children were almost absent from the court.
Even if Tang Gaozong entrusted part of the political affairs to Empress Wu because of his poor health, Empress Wu could only "declare everything under his decree" and deal with it according to Tang Gaozong's will, without the right to make decisions. So when Empress Wu’s valued Li Yifu, Yuan Gongyu and others were demoted and killed, Empress Wu dared not speak to persuade him, nor was he qualified to change Tang Gaozong’s decision. Even facing the prosperous fate of Fang Yi, the clan brother of the old enemy King Queen, in the Tang Gaozong period, Empress Wu could only bite her teeth and hate and could not stop it.
Then why did Tang Gaozong have to kill his uncle, the grandson Wuji? This starts with the identity and status of Changsun Wuji.
After Tang Gaozong ascended the throne, he faced a group of high-ranking and eager clan kings. Although his uncle and eldest grandson Wuji was a supporter of Tang Taizong’s purpose for his son, he was destined to be a foreign relative and an auxiliary minister. This means that Tang Gaozong can never fully trust and rely on this uncle-even if the grandson Wuji has no military power. In Tang Gaozong's heart, only the pros who he promoted can really use him. This is why the core figures of the Changsun family were demoted and killed in the fourth year of Xianqing.
However, ancient China advocated filial piety to govern the country. Tang Gaozong also knew that the Changsun family was his own mother clan after all, and no one could kill his own mother clan. So less than four years after the death of Changsun Wuji, his The grandson and grandson Sun Yan returned to the capital and became a fifth-rank Beijing official. Tang Gaozong recovered the official and noble grandson Wuji and buried him with Zhaoling.
So although some people like to compare the treatment of the elder-grandson family with the treatment of Empress Wu’s deceased elders, in an effort to prove that Tang Gaozong treats Empress Wu’s family much better than his mother’s elder-grandson family, but in Tang Gaozong In his heart, he is also a relative, the mother clan elder Sun is the object of his guard, why is his wife Wu clan? So everyone saw such an interesting phenomenon: Tang Gaozong showed no mercy to the capable people alive or in the prime of life among his relatives, but he was quite generous to the elders who had passed away among his relatives.
So Tang Gaozong could recover the nobleman of Changsun Wuji, bury him with Zhaoling, and restore the sacrifice of Sun Sheng, the elder of Qi Xian; the same was true for the Wu family. Tang Gaozong could give the elders who died in the Wu family generous treatment and chase after him. The princess of the county is nothing to say.
As for the brothers and nephews of the Wu family who were in their prime of life, Tang Gaozong didn't even need to act on their own, because Empress Wu had already "thoughtfully" expelled all the Wu family's nephews and nephews who were in their prime. What's more, like Wu Siyuan, Wu Zhaoyi had just taken the position of queen, and her cousin was relegated to a remote place and died in depression. As for the other Wu family relatives who were relegated to life or death, he took office. It's up to them to rely on providence.
Therefore, Tang Gaozong was not only "strictly managing his wife", but also "strictly managing his wife"!
