Tang Dynasty Princess- Female Minister: 唐代李倕公主 | 上官婉儿

 

Reenactor: 小何力

Music: The Precept and the web

A princess of Tang Dynasty: her extremely prominent "Feng Guan" 凤冠 Phoenix Crown is based on the excavated example from the tomb of Princess Li Zhui. Her clothing are based on that of a mural depicting female court official close to the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. 

Phoenix Crown or "Feng Guan" 凤冠 of a Tang dynasty Princess: The bottom of the crown is a circle of pearls with ruby ​​pendants as the fringe of the forehead. In the middle is a pair of peacock shaped flowers made of gold pieces, covered with small gold beads less than 0.015 cm. The sumptuous top layer is inlaid with turquoise, mother of pearls and other luxurious gems. 

Mural of woman in an official's robe bearing a document and a brush ink pen.

Dragon's Armory has dedicated biographical coverage of both Princess Li Zhui and her Phoenix Crown in question, as well as the broad sweeping coverage of Empress Wu's rise to become the power behind the throne, as well as her tumultuous yet brilliant reign. This article will explore Li Zhui's life briefly as well as details regarding her phoenix crown- after which will be followed with a coverage of Shangguan Wan'er, Empress Wu's right hand woman and China's first Prime Minister.

A FORGOTTEN PRINCESS 

Princess Li Zhui 李倕 was a fifth generation descendant of the founding Tang Emperor Gaozu: Li Yuan, and her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are all dukes of the Tang Dynasty. She was found to be about 1.6 meters tall, had a broad nose and round face from the skull excavated from her tomb. She was married to a low level (七品) Tang official of Xianbei descent named Hòu Mòchén 候莫陈- the position was more akin to a university professor today. At the time. The two of them were considered to be a good match, with unusual affection for each other considering the nature of political marriages. 

At the time they lived in the Shengyefang district, located to the east of the imperial city and to the west of Xingqing Palace where Emperor Xuanzong handled government affairs. It was a residence exclusively reserved for the nobles. 

When she was 25 years old, Li Zhui gave birth to a baby boy. However, around the time her son was born, Li Zhui became ill and died of illness in her mansion on the 7th day of the first month in the 24th year of Kaiyuan (736.) It was speculated that she might have prematurely died due to dystocia. 

A HEARTBREAKING EPITAPH

Her husband Hou Mochen was devastated. In Li Zhui's tomb there was an epitaph personally written for her: He described her as a punctual and polite woman, full of nobility becoming of her lineage, then end with the date of her death and the sad arrangement for her funeral, including a very personal ending.

"The baby wrapped in swaddling,

the sight is agonizing,

The wilderness is full of weeds, 

and the long future's full of sorrow." 

The loss of his beloved wife, looking at the infant child, his heartache is as stinging as a knife cut. Through these words in the tomb, strangely we are left with the enduring pain of a man who loved her and misses her as he began to wade into a world without her. Such a strange thing that words does with time. That upon hearing of the speaker's plight we are placed- even for a moment as him. Let us hope that Hou and his new born son (ever new born to the listener) managed to scrap something wholesome in their own ever- approaching everafter.

THE FEMALE PRIME MINISTER- THE HOUND OF THE EMPRESS

The second personage who is thought to have dressed in this fashion was the famous Shangguan Wan'er, Empress Wu's female secretary who rose in immense prominence during the female Emperor's reign. Chronologically she would have lived a generation before ^ the aforementioned princess and would have died 2 years before the princess was born.

Reenactor: 金角大魔王

One of the key aspects about Empress Wu Zetian's long political career is the fact that for the most part she was able to recognize talented individuals and make use of them. Her rewards and punishments were often decisive and if needed~ ruthless. Both side of that were exemplified in the personage of Shangguan Wan'er, Wu's Female Prime Minister. Beautiful, capable, with boundless literary and administrative talents, Shangguan Wan'er was often the brain of the Empress. Ruthlessly loyal, ruthlessly bound to her path, she often exemplified both the Empress's benevolence and also severity. 

Music: Lamplight

Reenactor in the robe of a Zhou era female official. Reconstructed from tomb mural

Gilded Tang dynasty sachet with chain

Despite her beauty, according to the "New Book of Tang" the side of her face was tattooed 墨刑 like that of a criminal. Once while serving the empress, Shangguan Wan'er had disobeyed her orders and would be executed for the offense. However Wu took pity on such a talent and spared her life- ending with only tatooing Wan'er's face. In more than one way, Shangguan Wan'er was branded to be Wu's loyal hound.

Art: 白人阿又. Empress Wu Zetian at the time of her ascension as Emperor

In a way, Shangguan Wan'er's life was inextricably riveted to her mistresses' - despite whatever her preferences. Her origin began with extreme tragedy. When she was only a child, her grandfather was Gaozong Emperor's influential Chancellor Shangguan Yi, the Shangguan were a clan of talented scholars and greatly favored by Taizong. Shangguan Yi attained his position after Wu's own previous recommended Chancellor was caught with massive corruption. In those years Gaozong began to share power with Wu as co-rulers and transferred great power upon her. However in 664, when Gaozong was angered by her meddling and her outreach and sulked on the matter, Shangguan Yi suggested that Gaozong depose Wu. 

Thus Gaozong had Shangguan draft an edict to put into effect. However disastrously, Wu caught Gaozong red handed with edit in hand and tearfully protested her innocence. The indecisive Gaozong then hastily blamed everything on Shangguan Yi- resulting the extermination of most of the Shangguan clan except Shangguan Wan'er and her mother. They were made slaves inside the imperial palace, but still given an education. 

They were made slaves inside the imperial palace, but still given an education. 

When Shangguan Wan'er was 14, her great literary talents were recognized and she was listed as a soaring talent. Her literary wit were formidable and she was able to perform secretarial functions with great efficiency. She also proved to be a great poet and was able to assume the persona of various figures and ghostwrite in their voice with profound eloquence. In time she rose to become the perfect servant of the woman that had executed her whole family. It was also in those decades she received her branded tattoo. Later, despite her beginnings as as slave, she rose to be the prime minister of the empire.

Reenactor: 曾嚼子

In time, Wu trusted Wan'er with increased power, and she not only would draft imperial edicts but also could publish policies on her own volition. As Prime Minister, she fostered popular policies by advising Wu to reduce administrative bloat and reduce days of corvee labor and reduce severe corporal punishments. Shangguan Wan'er also implemented the broad outlines of increased meritocracy and the elevation of a new scholar- bureaucracy risen from talented but less privileged position into power. Because on the domestic front Wu continued the general prosperity and rising living standard realized from the early Tang periods achieved by Taizong and Gaozong, and because of the perception that upward mobility was possible and those rose in great power due to proven skills were well rewarded with exorbitant salaries, for the commoners Wu maintained popular support.

Complication arose when Wu reached over the age of 80. When Empress Wu became apparently terminally sick, and with a strong chance she may pass the throne to her 2 young lovers and endanger one of her puppet sons: Zhongzong, the son, his wife, as well as various ministers plus Shangguan Wan'er launched a coup that simultaneously killed the 2 lovers and then forced Wu to step down from power and retire. Her son became the restored Tang emperor. Wu soon died after this transition of power. During Zhongzong's reign Shangguan Wan'er became his lover- and it was reputed she was also a lover to his Empress~ Empress Wei as well. During this time women still had immense political influence in the Tang court. 

Tang women's polo match, Tang women enjoyed athletic outdoor sports, including equestrian ones like polo. Tang women could retain property on to themselves but also pass them on at their choosing. They conducted social activities and carried on business independently. Some also cross-dressed and ventured as scholars and students- while others took jobs as Daoist abbesses and practiced martial arts. 

The age of high prominence of women rule did not end with Wu, it continued for another decade where powerful and ambitious women like Empress Wei, Princess Anle, Princess Taiping (the favorite daughter of Empress Wu- and Zhongzong's sister) held sway and backed malleable emperors and at times acted as their kingmakers. 

This was also an age rife with intrigue, feeling insecure of their hold on power, Zhongzong's wife Empress Wei and his ambitious daughter conspired to have many of Zhongzong's brother's families purged to secure their hold on power. Unfortunately Zhongzong suddenly died one day after attending his court. Suspicion soon fell on Empress Wei and it was rumored she had him poisoned. Seeing their grip on the power loosen, Empress Wei and Princess Anle conspired with Shangguan Wan'er and have a minor son of Zhongzong appointed as throne, meanwhile Empress Wei (now Dowager Empress) and Anle attempted to have many of Zhongzong's male relatives and their lines exterminated. It was just in this moment of crisis that their intended victims actually preempted them. 

Tang dynasty commander in cape. He carries a long single edged cutting sword with ringed pommel (Tangdao- ancestor of Heian Japanese swords Chokutō and katana,) a bow (in leopard skin wrap) and circular arrow case is strapped to his belt. Tang military boasted significant cavalry contingents- he carries a riding whip in his right arm. 

The once young Prince Longji came from a minor branch of the Tang imperial line of succession, because of his painful childhood where his mother was wrongfully slain by his paranoid grandmother- the notorious Empress Wu Zetian, he actively took up the leadership of his father's household- often dragging his own shy and inept father to political victories over the other branches of the Tang imperial clan until his father- then him respectively became Emperors. 

A capable nephew of the late Zhongzhong, (whose father was marked for death) instead preempted the extermination of his family by joinging forces with the powerful Princess Taiping and together stormed the palace with bribed imperial guards. The assassins swiftly slew both Empress Wei and Princess Anle in the early morning chaos. Then the nephew and his guards surrounded Shangguan Wan'er's residence. Shangguan Wan'er left calmly- but was informed she would be slain. The conspirators then led her out and had her beheaded. Thus died one of the most influential and talented women of her age. Her tomb was discovered in in September 2013 with a stele bearing her name, however it was empty. 

Despite the tragic nature of the end of Shangguan Wan'er as well as that of the age of powerful Tang imperial women: this nephew later would end up in cold war with his powerful aunt Princess Taiping and outmaneuver her- forcing her suicide. The nephew would rise to become one of Tang's greatest emperors- becoming Emperor Xuanzong and ushering the "High Tang" 盛唐- the apex and golden age of the dynasty. 

Perhaps the most significant Tang Emperor of all, Xuanzong Emperor Li Longji's long reign alone marked the period known as "High Tang" 盛唐- the apex and golden age of the dynasty. It was during his rule that Princess Li Zhui lived- west of the palace where he daily handed government affairs.

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