The Chinese Concubine Who Allegedly Killed Her Own Baby to Frame a Rival - And Became Emperor

Empress Wu Zetian: China's Only Female Emperor and Her Reign of TerrorWu Zetian started as a 14-year-old concubine to Emperor Taizong with no power and little status. By the time she died at 81, she had become China's only female emperor, ruling with absolute authority for 15 years and wielding power for over 50. Her rise was paved with corpses - rivals strangled, poisoned, or driven to suicide; relatives exiled or executed; officials tortured by her secret police. The most shocking allegation: she allegedly smothered her own newborn daughter and blamed Empress Wang, leading to Wang's horrific execution and Wu's ascension to empress.The baby murder story defines Wu's ruthlessness. According to historical accounts, when Empress Wang visited Wu's infant daughter, Wu strangled the baby immediately after Wang left, then "discovered" the body and accused the empress of murder. Whether this actually happened is debated by historians, but Emperor Gaozong believed it. Empress Wang and former favorite concubine Xiao Shufei were imprisoned, brutally beaten, had their hands and feet cut off, and were thrown into wine vats where they slowly drowned in alcohol. Wu allegedly ordered this herself.Once empress, Wu consolidated power through terror and intelligence networks. She created the "Cruel Officials" - a secret police force that arrested, tortured, and executed anyone suspected of disloyalty. She invented new torture devices including the "human rack" and crushing people alive in giant vats. She encouraged informants to report on neighbors, creating a climate of paranoia. Thousands were executed or exiled during her purges. She killed or exiled dozens of members of the imperial family who threatened her position.But Wu was more than just murderous - she was brilliant. She reformed the bureaucracy, promoted talented officials regardless of birth, expanded the empire through successful military campaigns, supported Buddhism (building massive temples and statues), and presided over a cultural golden age. When her husband Emperor Gaozong suffered strokes, Wu essentially ruled in his name. After his death in 683, she ruled through puppet emperors (her sons) before finally declaring herself Emperor (not Empress) of a new Zhou Dynasty in 690 - the first and only woman to hold that title.Her reign lasted 15 years until she was forced to abdicate at age 81 in 705. She died shortly after, and the Tang Dynasty was restored. Historical judgment on Wu remains split - was she a capable ruler unfairly demonized by Confucian historians who hated female power, or a genuine monster who murdered her way to the top? The truth is probably both.This episode explores Wu's rise from concubine to empress to emperor, the alleged baby murder, her brutal purges and secret police, her torture innovations, her genuine political achievements, and why she remains one of history's most controversial rulers.Keywords: weird history, Wu Zetian, Empress Wu, female emperor, Tang Dynasty, Chinese history, women in power, ancient China, Chinese emperors, palace intrigue, secret police, Chinese empresses, ruthless rulersPerfect for listeners who love: Chinese history, powerful women, palace intrigue, political murder, moral complexity, and rulers who shaped empires through brilliance and brutality.Warning: This episode contains descriptions of infanticide, torture, execution, and political violence. Listener discretion advised.Another ruthless episode from Weird History - where China's only female emperor murdered her way to the top.