Li Youdao
Li Youdao (李游道) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor. Despite Li's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the ''Old Book of Tang'' or the ''New Book of Tang''.See the Table of Contents for the ''Old Book of Tang'' and the Table of Contents for the ''New Book of Tang''. It is known that his clan was a prominent one, from what was one point Zhao Commandery (趙郡, roughly modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), that traced its ancestry all the way back to the great Warring States period Zhao general Li Mu. Li Youdao's ancestors later served as officials through the Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin Dynasty (266–420), Former Yan and/or Later Yan, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty. His father Li Shushen (李叔慎) served as a deputy minister during Tang.''New Book of Tang'', vol. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Tang dynasty from 665 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) in her own right. From 665 to 690, she was first empress consort of the Tang dynasty (as wife of the Emperor Gaozong) and then, after his death, empress dowager (ruling through her sons Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong). Unprecedented in Chinese history, she subsequently founded and ruled as empress regnant of the Wu Zhou dynasty of China from 690 to 705. She was the only female sovereign in the history of China widely regarded as legitimate. Under her 40-year reign, China grew larger, becoming one of the great powers of the world, its culture and economy were revitalized, and corruption in the court was reduced. She was removed from power in a coup and died a few months later. In early life, Wu was the concubine of Emperor Taizong. After his death, she married his ninth son and successor, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties. Described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change", the Northern Wei dynasty is particularly noted for unifying northern China in 439, bringing to an end the chaotic Sixteen Kingdoms period, and strengthening imperial control over the rural landscape via reforms in 485. This was also a period of introduced foreign ideas, such as Buddhism, which became firmly established. The Northern Wei were referred to as "Plaited Barbarians" (索虜 ''suolu'') by writers of the Southern dynasties, who considered themselves the true upholders of Chinese culture. During the Taihe period (477–499), Empress Dowager ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is arranged into 294 scrolls (''juan'' , equivalent to a chapter) totaling about 3 million Chinese characters. In 1065 AD, Emperor Yingzong of Song commissioned his official Sima Guang (1019–1086 AD) to lead a project to compile a universal history of China, and granted him funding and the authority to appoint his own staff. His team took 19 years to complete the work and in 1084 AD it was presented to Emperor Yingzong's successor Emperor Shenzong of Song. It was well-received and has proved to be immensely influential among both scholars and the general public. Endymion Wilkinson regards it as reference quality: "It had an enormous influence on later Chinese historical wri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lingnan
Lingnan (; Vietnamese: Lĩnh Nam) is a geographic area referring to the lands in the south of the Nanling Mountains. The region covers the modern Chinese subdivisions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as modern northern to central Vietnam. Background The area was inhabited by the Baiyue and was the base of the ancient kingdom of Nanyue. At that time, Lingnan was considered by the ancient Chinese court to be a tropical barbarian land that had lost contact with the Zhongyuan, which was the cultural cradle of Chinese culture. In the second century BCE, the Han conquest of Nanyue led to its absorption into the Han dynasty during its southward expansion, and its development was boosted once the Mei Pass was paved. The region was also the base of the Kingdom of Southern Han (917-971). Lingnan Jiedushi Lingnan Jiedushi or military command, were ruled by military governors during the Tang dynasty. List of jiedushis: *Song Jing 716 *Zhen Dan 717 *Pei Z ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wang Hongyi
Wang Hongyi () (died 694) was a secret police official during the History of China, Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. It is not known when Wang Hongyi was born, but it is known that he was from Hengshui. He was known as a hoodlum in his youth, and on one occasion, when he begged for melons from a farmer but the farmer refused, he falsely reported to the county magistrate that there was a white rabbit—then considered a sign of good virtue for the emperor—in the melon field; the magistrate sent soldiers into the field to hunt try to find the white rabbit, and the melon field was destroyed. On another occasion, when he went through the region of Zhao (趙州, part of modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) and Bei (貝州, roughly modern Xingtai, Hebei), he happened to see the country people putting on a vegetarian feast for Buddhist monks, and he falsely reported that they were plotting a rebellion. More than 200 people were killed. As of 690, Wu Zetian, then empre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Li Yuansu
Li Yuansu (李元素) (died October 26, 696) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor. Li Yuansu was the younger brother of Li Jingxuan, who served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang. It was said that he, like Li Jingxuan, showed abilities as an official. He was, at one point, the magistrate of Wude County (武德, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), when his superior, Li Wenjian (李文暕) the prefect of Huai Prefecture (roughly modern Jiaozuo) was set to collect gold and silver from the people to make barrels to offer to the emperor, and the people resented it. Other subordinates of Li Wenjian did not dare to speak about it, but Li Yuansu opposed it vehemently. Li Wenjian stopped collecting gold and silver from the people and, as he believed that Li Yuansu needed financial support, paid Li Yuansu out of his own pocket. As of 692, during Wu Zetian's reign, Li Yuansu was acting deputy minister of treasury (地 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cui Shenji
Cui Shenji (崔神基), formally the Duke of Qingqiu (清丘公), was a Chinese official of the Tang dynasty and the Wu Zhou dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign. It is not known when Cui was born, but it is known that his family was from Bei Prefecture (貝州, part of modern Xingtai, Hebei). His father Cui Yixuan (崔義玄) had served as a general and official under Tang's first three emperors -- Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Gaozong (Wu Zetian's husband) and had been created by Emperor Gaozu as the Duke of Qingqiu. When Wu Zetian was a favorite concubine of Emperor Gaozong, Cui was part of a court faction that supported her in her effort to displace Emperor Gaozong's first wife Empress Wang and later, after she did become empress, assisted in her effort to take vengeance on officials who opposed her ascension, including Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji. After Wu Zetian became "emperor" in 690, she remembered his contributions t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yuan Zhihong
Yuan Zhihong (袁智弘) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor. Despite Yuan high status, little is firmly established about his background or career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the ''Old Book of Tang'' or the ''New Book of Tang''.See the Table of Contents for the ''Old Book of Tang'' and the Table of Contents for the ''New Book of Tang''. It is also known that his family was from Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), but nothing else is known about his ancestors.''New Book of Tang'', vol. 74, part /ref> As of 692, Yuan was serving as the minister of justice (秋官尚書, ''Qiuguan Shangshu''), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor ''de facto''. Seven months later, however, he, along with other chancellors Li Youdao, Wang Xuan, Cui Shenji, Li Yuansu, and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wang Xuan (Second Zhou)
Wang Xuan (王璿) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor. Despite Wang's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the ''Old Book of Tang'' or the ''New Book of Tang''.See the Table of Contents for the ''Old Book of Tang'' and the Table of Contents for the ''New Book of Tang''. It is known that his clan was a prominent one, from what was one point Langye Commandery (琅邪, roughly modern Linyi, Shandong), that traced its ancestry all the way back to a descendant of the original Zhou dynasty's imperial house, then to officials of the Qin dynasty, Han dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin dynasty (266–420), Liu Song, Liang dynasty, and Chen dynasty. Wang Gui's great-grandfather Wang Meng (王猛, not to be confused with the great Former Qin chancellor of the same name) served as a provincial governor during Chen and carri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is also applied to the entirety of China proper. Henan is a birthplace of Han Chinese civilization, with over 3,200 years of recorded history and remained China's cultural, economic and political center until approximately 1,000 years ago. Henan Province is home to many heritage sites, including the ruins of Shang dynasty capital city Yin and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang, Anyang, Kaifeng and Zhengzhou, are in Henan. The practice of tai chi also began here in Chen Jia Gou Village (Chen style), as did the later Yang and Wu styles. Although the name of the province () means "south of the ellowriver.", approximately a quarter of the province lies north of the Yellow River, also known as the Hu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia (; postal: Sanmenhsia) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Henan Province, China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Henan, Sanmenxia borders Luoyang to the east, Nanyang to the southeast, Shaanxi Province to the west and Shanxi Province to the north. The city lies on the south side of the Yellow River at the point where the river cuts through the Loess Plateau on its way to the North China Plain. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 2,034,872 inhabitants (2,234,018 in 2010). However, as of the 2010 census 947,588 lived in the built-up area made of Hubin, Shanzhou urban districts and Pinglu County in neighboring Shanxi (269,188 inhabitants), now within the agglomeration. Names and History The city's name in Chinese () means "The Gorge of Three Gateways" and is derived from two islands that split the Yellow River into three parts. According to Chinese mythology, Yu the Great used a divine axe to cut the mountain ridge three times, creating the Sanmenxia go ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |