Someone used the phrase "an extraordinary person does extraordinary things, achieves extraordinary success, and leaves behind an extraordinary legacy" to describe Empress Wu Zetian. Upon careful reflection, one can see that this statement holds much truth. Without even discussing how she manipulated two generations of emperors—Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong—or her remarkable feat of overcoming opposition to ascend the throne as the only female emperor in Chinese history, simply considering how she sought male companionship after becoming empress is enough to reveal the extraordinary charm of this extraordinary woman.
Wu Zetian was the second daughter of Wu Shihuo, a founding minister of the Tang Dynasty. At the age of fourteen, she entered the palace and was bestowed the title of Cairen (a rank for concubines) by Emperor Taizong, who also gave her the name Mei, hence she was known as Wu Meiniang. After Emperor Taizong's death, according to custom, Wu Zetian became a nun at Ganye Temple. When Li Zhi ascended the throne as Emperor Gaozong, he recalled Wu Zetian to the palace, where she was granted the title of Zhao Yi and later promoted to Chenfei, rivaling Empress Wang and Consort Xiao for favor within the harem. At just twenty-six years old, Wu Zetian demonstrated cunning strategies, ruthlessness, literary knowledge, and talent that left Empress Wang and Consort Xiao far behind. Soon after, Wu Zetian gave birth to her first daughter. According to the *Zizhi Tongjian*, shortly after her daughter's birth, after Empress Wang had visited the newborn, Wu Zetian suffocated her own child—"strangled and killed her." Enraged, Emperor Gaozong demoted Empress Wang to commoner status. In the sixth year of Yonghui (655 AD), Emperor Gaozong established Wu Zetian as his empress. In the first year of Shangyuan (674 AD), Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong were jointly referred to as "Heavenly Emperor" and "Heavenly Empress." In the first year of Hongdao (683 AD), Emperor Gaozong passed away, and Li Xian ascended the throne as Emperor Zhongzong, with Wu Zetian as Empress Dowager, ruling from behind the scenes and changing her name to Zhao.
When people talk about emperors, they often think first of the "three palaces and six courtyards," or "thousands of beauties." Although Empress Wu Zetian did not have "three palaces and six courtyards" or "thousands of handsome men," her harem still included many male lovers. These male lovers served the same purpose as the beauties in a male emperor's harem: to provide Wu Zetian with pleasure. Among those favored by Wu Zetian were Xue Huaiyi, Zhang Yizhi, and Zhang Changzong brothers, as well as Shen Nanmiu and Liu Liangbin. However, once Wu Zetian gained sexual freedom, it was impossible for her to be satisfied with just a few male lovers. She began indulging herself freely, seeking gratification through various unconventional means. So what were these unconventional channels through which Wu Zetian acquired her male lovers?
**First Unconventional Channel: Self-Seeking**
At the age of fourteen, Wu Zetian entered the palace and became a concubine of Emperor Taizong, but soon she became a shared lover between Emperor Taizong and his son. After Emperor Taizong’s death, Wu Zetian entered a nunnery and began a period of lonely life as a nun. During this low point in her life, she unexpectedly met Feng Xiaobao, a young monk from the nearby White Horse Temple, at a well. Moved by her plight, Feng Xiaobao often helped Wu Zetian draw water from the well, and gradually they became acquainted. Since both were forced into their religious lives, they could not resist worldly temptations. Moreover, Feng Xiaobao loved eating meat and would frequently bring mountain chickens to Wu Zetian, akin to modern dating advice that suggests "capturing someone's heart by capturing their stomach." Over time, Feng Xiaobao regularly brought delicious food to Wu Zetian secretly, and she would meet him under the guise of drawing water. Even after Wu Zetian returned to the palace, she maintained a secret relationship with Feng Xiaobao. After Emperor Gaozong's death and Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she openly took many male lovers in the palace. Feng Xiaobao changed his name to Xue Huaiyi and became her first male lover. She allowed him unrestricted access to the palace so they could spend every night together. However, Xue Huaiyi was a coarse man from the streets, arrogant and unfaithful, which eventually caused Wu Zetian to grow weary of him. Ultimately, Wu Zetian "killed her own kin" and disposed of Xue Huaiyi, her first male lover. It is rumored that after being beaten to death, his body was sent to the White Horse Temple, burned to ashes, and mixed into mud to construct a pagoda.
**Second Unconventional Channel:**...