THE GLORIAN POST (TGP)ARTICLE SECTION : WOMEN AND POWER
CHAPTER FIVE : THE HAN DYNASTY
EMPRESS LÜ ZHI OF HAN
In all Imperial Women in the History of China, Wu Ze Tian was the very worst? Surprisingly not, a wise fatale, a conniving woman, a daring beauty and an ambitious schemer perhaps even Cixi herself would bear witness was their greatest foremother Lü Zhi.
Over the years throughout the History of Imperial China Wu Ze Tian was the reason women were banned from interfering in politics during the latter dynasties and whereas Empresses by Confucian principles were supposed to be very kind and reserved there were four Outspoken women that dominated the Annals of Chinese History like Emperors themselves and these were Lü Zhi of Han, Wu Ze Tian of Tang, Liu Of Song and Cixi of Qing although of these only one Wu Ze Tian realised that dream of being EMPEROR and became a climax that was never reached but the others laid a similarly stiff competition as well to have been noticed and perhaps praised and identified to have reigned as well.
A chicken can not announce the day but surprisingly more than fifty women in Imperial China proved otherwise functioning either alongside weak and incompetent husbands, infant children or even puppet rulers that they themselves aided to acquire the throne and whereas the very first prominent stateswoman recorded in the History of Imperial China was Queen Dowager Xuan and also the very first Regent there was, the first De Facto Female Emperor in China was Dowager Empress Lü Zhi who though not Emperor in name and title she governed as one for unprecedented fifteen years from 195-180BC.
Lü Zhi was known even by Historians like Sima Guang to be a very competent ruler and she was perhaps the greatest inspiration to the latter Tang Dynasty's Wu Ze Tian in a Quest for power while her story though not humble was one which was filled with schemes, bloodshed, gore, ruthlessness and inhumanity.
THE COURTIERS DAUGHTER
Where as it's not clear what type of person her father was, Lü Zhi was born as Lü Exu, the second Daughter and fourth child of Lü Wen who was a Courtier during the time of the warring states and at the time in the Chu state. Born in 241 BC to a humble noble family in Shandong, Lü Exu’s father, Lü Wen, relocated the family to Pei county in Jiangsu in order to flee from personal enemies in Court as the Magistrate in Pei was a bossom friend if his and he was assured of protection along with his family, it was in Pei county that the young Lü Exu grew up and perhaps unbeknownst to many since she came from a privileged family, she had access to literature and was a well educated young girl whereas her father being a political target of aggression, her childhood though not silent allowed her to quell her ambition and is perhaps most responsible for her ambition in the latter years of her life.
A GOOD BRIDE AND A PROSPECTIVE GROOM
Lü Exu was lively and surprisingly she was a very beautiful young woman and her father having been a very influential man there were very many people that often visited him but we're charmed by the young girl who at first showed signs of gracefulness but was also not short of some ambition and independence when she wanted something she spoke, where she disliked she hated, never gambling in between she was very decisive with her decisions and straightforward all of which were qualities less exhibited by women at the time but moreso attracted the eyes if very many people as she was known to be very proud from a young age and not to the surprise of many, her father Lü Wen fervently cherished her.
Young girls at the time were deemed ready for marriage at the age of fourteen and above and considering her father's career, many influential men in the town of Pei and some surrounding areas always came to visit Lü Wen at his house while he was a hospitable man and beloved by the people, Xiao He, then an assistant of the magistrate was in charge of the seating arrangement and collection of gifts from guests at a banquet in his house.
One day, Xiao He announced that, "Those who do not offer more than 1,000 coins in gifts shall be seated outside the hall." which move unbeknownst to many was bound to decide the fate of the young Lü Exu, one bold patrol officer at the time a very young and handsome able man who had a good body build named Liu Bang known as Zhang'Er by his closest friends and a son to Liu Taigong and Liu Ao stepped up and offered a single coin saying, "Here I am offering 10,000." To the event and it was at that time that slowly, Lü Wen invited him into the hall impressed at the very first sight to sit beside him and Xiao He only discrediting and saying that Liu Bang was not serious, Liu ignored him and chatted with Lü who found the conversation to be quite interesting.
Lü Wen was very popular when it came to seeing through people and he was exceptionally smart that it was at that event he clearly realised the ambition of the young Liu Bang who was just as outspoken and fluent, very confident and serious, at the end Lü Wen remarked saying, "I used to predict fortunes for many people but I've never seen someone so exceptional like you before." and quite surprisingly as a reward, it was at the end when Lü Wen offered to Liu Bang the hand of his beautiful daughter Lü Exu in marriage and perhaps a privilege and blessing that came to Liu Bang so soon, he wasn't going to let go and agreed so immediately, the two were wed not so long after.
THE HONOURABLE MRS. LIU
In maternity, Lü Exu excelled and not so long after her marriage as a mother she welcomed her first child a daughter and shortly after her first pregnancy resulting into such a success, her second a son she'd given Liu Bang an heir to his house.
Lü Exu's husband at the time with his remarkable military skills had gradually rose through the ranks from a patrol officer to a military General and already being married to the daughter of an influential man Lü Wen, he was further ushered into the political circle at the time that the warring States period was climaxed by continuous rivalry and Mrs. Liu (Lü Exu) in contrary to other ordinary women her first show was to escort her husband to war on some military campaigns which in nature was something that was unheard of during the Confucian society.
Whereas it was never pointed out historically that Liu Bang loved his wife or that she loved him in return, their marriage having entirely aimed at forging favourable affiliations is only widely viewed as having been a successful one as Lü Exu was a dignified woman and her husband honourable the couple nonetheless had popularity from the people and was entirely worshipped by both families and whereas the two were tolerant of each other and perhaps used, it eliminated some kind of rivalry in it's early years.
In 209 BCE, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the anti-Qin Dazexiang Uprising. The magistrate of Pei County considering the thought of joining the rebellion and on the advice of Xiao He and Cao Shen invited Liu's group to the county to support him through an invitation which was transmitted by Fan Kuai howwever, the magistrate changed his mind and rescinded the offer ordering Xiao and Cao to be killed lest they open the gates for Liu, but the two escaped and joined Liu while Lü Exu sheltering them and On Xiao and Lü Exu's advice, Liu secured the aid of commoners from the county through written appeals delivered by arrows fired across the border a move which was calculated to provoke the peasants and excite them into resistance and the results positively resulted into the peasants killing the Pei County magistrate and welcoming Liu's return while the Lü family at their daughter's aid were saved it was there that Liu became known as the self styled "Duke of Pei" and Lü Exu's name changing to Lü Zhi she received her first noble and Honorary title of "Duchess of Pei" being her husband's most legal wife and primary Consort.
Grateful for the support of his wife while she showed to be a wise woman in her judgement, Liu Bang then started to foster an ambition aided by her family's support while he continued his campaigns and left the governance of Pei to his wife who proved competent as much as he was.
In 208 BC, the Qin Dynasty faced rebellions that sought to restore the states conquered during the wars of unification and at the urging of Lü Zhi and some of his fellow supporters, Liu Bang Engaged himself in these wars as well. In Wu County, the uprising of Xiang Liang a commoner and son of a Chu general succeeded and it installed Xiong Xin as "King Huai II" of Chu. Liu joined Xiang Liang's uprising soon afterward to foster his military career and after Xiang Liang was killed at the Battle of Dingtao, Huai II sent Xiang Yu Xiang Liang's nephew and minister Song Yi to lead an army to reinforce the Zhao state against the attacking Qin while a military vacuum had been created and at the urging of Lü Zhi still, he pushed for a much higher position.
Eventually Liu Bang was made "Marquis of Wu'an" and his wife "Marquess" and at once he was ordered to lead an army against Guanzhong in the Qin heartland at Huai II's promise to grant the rulership of Guanzhong as "King of Guanzhong" to whoever entered that region first. The race involved other esteemed Generals and In 206 BC, Liu Bang won the race to Guanzhong over Xiang and arrived outside Xianyang, the then Qin capital. There, the last Qin ruler, Ziying, surrendered the city without any resistance and Liu Bang's occupation policies were informed by Fan Kuai who had then become his right hand man and most trusted bodyguard and Zhang Liang become his strategist.
Lü Zhi good at winning hearts suggested along with Zhang Liang that troops be forbidden from mistreating the population and looting and as a sign of a much positive change which was desired the very inconsiderate and harsh Qin laws were abolished as murder, robbery and burglary remained subject to strict punishments. Order was quickly restored in the city, and Liu won the respect of the Guanzhong population along with his wife as Xiao He ordered the collection of all legal documents in the Qin palace and government facilities for preservation and a seemingly good Victory at the time in the end marked the beginning of a bitter political struggle that would go down in the annals of history.
THE EIGHTEEN KINGDOMS
Xiang Yu who had disliked losing the race to Guanzhong on the ill advice of Fan Zeng his advisor and Cao Wushang an informer from Liu's camp he planned to hold a banquet in which he would assassinate Liu and his household and further persuaded by Xiang Bo, his uncle and a close friend of Zhang Liang, not to order the assassination during the banquet. Frustrated by the indecision, Fan Zeng ordered Xiang Zhuang, Xiang Yu's cousin, to perform and kill Liu during a sword dance which according to ancient rules in case one was injured during this performance, the injuring party was held blameless but surprisingly, this was stymied by Xiang Bo joining the dance and protecting Liu in the end as Zhang Liang slipped away and summoned Fan Kuai who arrived at the banquet in full armor and scolded Xiang Yu for the sinister plot. Embarrassed by Fan Kuai's accusation, Xiang Yu ordered the sword dance to stop and rewarded Fan Kuai for his bravery. Liu Bang escaped Xiang Yu's camp after pretending to go to the latrine, and then led his army westward with Xiang Yu then sacking Xianyang and burning the Epang Palace it was clear that he had no intentions of fostering peace with Liu.
After occupying Xianyang, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and split the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms. He gave Guanzhong to three former Qin generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin and Dong Yi instead of to Liu who received the isolated Bashu region (Sichuan Basin and upper Han River valley), then a place used for exiling prisoners as Xiang Yu further claimed that Bashu was part of Guanzhong.
Zhang Liang, who was leaving for his native state of Han, negotiated a better arrangement on Liu's behalf after bribing Xiang Yu through Xiang Bo. To Liu, Xiang Yu added Nanzheng, the surrounding rift valley region around the middle Han River, and thus with a domain of his own Liu Bang created himself the "King of Han" and His wife Lü Zhi was titulary elevated to the position of "Queen of Han" and Liu's army escorted across the Qinling Mountains by a detachment of Xiang Yu's army, On Xiao He's advice, Liu burned the gallery roads behind him to prevent attack by Xiang Yu, and to reassure Xiang Yu that he would not return when in actual sense he started to boil rage and opposition which the beautiful Lü Zhi was going to use to her very best advantage.
THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN.
Throughtout Chinese History, the most absolute authority of an Emperor came with a variety of governing duties and moral obligations and the primary failure to uphold these was thought to remove the dynasty's Mandate of Heaven and to justify its overthrow in the end by another which could suit the people's deepest desires and could defend itself. In practice, Emperors and Kings sometimes avoided the strict rules of succession and dynasties' ostensible "failures" were detailed in official histories written by their successful replacements in the end and one of the best examples of these would come at the door of Liu Bang.
From 206 to 202 BC, Liu Bang engaged Xiang Yu in a power struggle historically known as the Chu–Han contention for supremacy over China, while simultaneously attacking and subjugating the other kingdoms.
Firstly, Liu Bang's migration into Nanzheng was far from pleasant and his followers were mostly from the Wu and Chu flatland regions and had adapted poorly in the mountainous Bashu lands, as deserters grew on a daily basis and Liu Bang also grew temperamental as he was very unhappy with his own predicament.
One night, rumor arrived that Xiao He also disappeared, and Liu Bang almost had a nervous breakdown. When Xiao He returned the following morning, Liu Bang furiously confronted him and demanded an explanation. Xiao He revealed that he was in a rush chasing back an extremely talented military strategist named Han Xin, who was then merely a low ranking officer only recently recruited into Liu Bang's army.
Xiao He then introduced Liu Bang to Han Xin, who laid out his strategic plan to conquer the states. Impressed and convinced, Liu Bang formally assigned Han Xin as the supreme commander of his army and meanwhile, Xiang Yu's overbearing and arbitrary handling over the enfeoffments created much anger among the rebel leaders that merely four months after Liu Bang's departure into Bashu, a rebellion broke out in the Qi kingdom in late 206 BCE, and Xiang Yu left Western Chu to suppress the revolt. Under Han Xin's advise, Liu Bang sent men to pretend trying to repair the previously burnt gallery roads, drawing away the attention of the Three Qins. At the same time, Han Xin used the distraction to take the great Guanzhong by surprise through Chencang, and he quickly defeated Zhang Han in a surprise attack. Following that, Sima Xin and Dong Yi both surrendered to Liu Bang, and by 205 BC the Three Qins became part of Liu's Kingdom of Han while his Kingdom had grown large enough to finally match up to the full strength against Xiang Yu's Chu.
While he was away on his conquests, it was necessary that his kingdom had someone to govern it and protect it from falling prey to his enemies and Lü Zhi being his wife and perhaps his most trusted ally was the best to govern as regent with his son, a move in which Lü Zhi gave the world a very good example of her political astuteness and she started to actively take part in all politics attending Court and also supervising the officials and also the state projects that were being undertaken to which she actively excelled beyond his expectations and the expectations of his followers.
At the time Lü Zhi was known to be wise and diligent and she was very calculative and even with the King away there was order in the state and it was at this time that perhaps some of the Courtiers having spotted her ability started to curry favour with her very well.
In 203 BC, while Xiang Yu was retreating eastward, Liu Bang, acting on the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, renounced the Treaty of Hong Canal which had been signed to call for a military truce and he ordered an attack on Western Chu to show his clear frustration to the agreement and he also requested assistance from Han Xin and Peng Yue to attack Xiang Yu simultaneously from three directions much as they did not mobilise their troops and Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling and was forced to retreat and reinforce his defences.
His ambition didn't recover and at the advice of Lü Zhi it was at that very same time, he sent messengers to meet Han Xin and Peng Yue again, and promised to give them land and titles if they joined him in attacking Xiang Yu, and they finally agreed that merely three months later in 202 BC, Han forces led by Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Western Chu from all three directions and the Chu army running low on supplies, reinforcements and morale while Xiang Yu was trapped in Gaixia, Han Xin ordered his troops to sing Chu folk songs to create a false impression that the Chu homeland had fallen to Han forces and the Chu army's morale furthermore plummeted as many soldiers deserted in the end.
Xiang Yu attempted to break out the siege, and after fighting out of repeated traps was left with only 28 men when he reached the northern bank of the Wu River it was there that he made a last stand and managed to slay several Han soldiers before eventually committing suicide and consequently with his own death in 202 BCE, Liu Bang received the Mandate of Heaven and was enthroned as the Emperor with support from his subjects and continuous pampering from his ambitious wife even though he expressed his reluctance to take the throne.
The "Han Dynasty" was thus established and himself historically known as "Emperor Gaozu" (or "Emperor Gao"). He established his capital in Luoyang and instated his official spouse Lü Zhi as the first Empress of China and their son Liu Ying as the crown prince and Lü Zhi with her ambition achieved and her position secure, upon that most fertile ground she was by fate bound to actively take part in the politics of China for the next twenty years.
EMPRESS OF CHINA
Even after Emperor Gaozu (Liu Bang)'s victory over Xiang Yu, there were still unstable areas in his newfounded empire and that being the case, requiring the new government to launch military campaigns to pacify these regions thereafter, it was necessary that the Emperor left someone in charge and it was here that Gaozu placed Empress Lü Zhi and the crown prince Liu Ying (Lü Zhi's son) in charge of the new capital Chang'an and making key decisions in court to which Lü Zhi took a more supreme power though assisted by the chancellor Xiao He and other ministers.
Given her earlier involvements as Queen of Han, it was during this time Lü Zhi proved herself to be a more competent administrator than before in domestic affairs, and she quickly established strong working relationships with many of Gaozu's officials, who admired her for her capability and feared her for her ruthlessness, after the war ended and Emperor Gaozu returned, she remained her power and she was always influential in many of the country's affairs.
As it was a common practice for Kings to take Concubines, it was necessary that Emperor Gaozu established his own Harem of Imperial wives, Consorts and Concubines to expand the Imperial Dynasty and as it is that he had a number of children there were four women that were rather outstanding and these were Consort Bo, Consort Cao, Consort Qi and Lady Zhao and as tradition demanded that the most senior Consort of the Emperor the Empress be in charge of the Harem, after years of being in the marriage alone Empress Lü felt threatened when the Emperor took in more Concubines.
Already in her forties Empress Lü felt stiff competition from the young and Charming women and especially Consort Qi who was her husband's favourite, the birth of a son alone elevating her in favour threatened Empress Lü's position and moreso her quest of power.
While she proved to be bent on governing the country and expanding her political dominion, she fell short of her husband's favour who becoming closer with Consort Qi she sought to redefine order and that was when she took on a more ruthless nature as it was seen.
Historically she is depicted to have been a very jealous, greedy, envious and poisonous woman and not to the surprise of many disorder erupted in the harem consequently as the Imperial wives that went against her lost their lives one after another in schemes that were presumably orchestrated by her.
Empress Lü is really in charge in the end truimphed over her opponent but discontent of her victory that having marked the end of the dispute over the succession and affirmed Liu Ying's role as crown prince, she was still going to find a way to get back at her in the not si distant future.
In 196 BC, Gaozu left the capital Chang'an to suppress a revolt in Julu started by Chen Xi, the Marquis of Yangxia. A year before, Chen Xi had met Han Xin before departing from Chang'an for Julu, and it was alleged that Han Xin was involved in the rebellion.
As it was the case that the doing of the Empress wasn't pleasant to everyone and considering the fact that she was the de facto ruler of the Empire while the Emperor was away and her son being thought to be weak which could have justified a rebellion, Lü Zhi became wary of Han Xin who had a sounding Fame when it came to military tactics, and after consulting the chancellor Xiao He, she orchestrated a plot to consolidate her power and she had Xiao summon Han to meet her in the Changle Palace. Han unaware of Lü Zhi's real intention she had him taken by surprise, captured and subsequently executed in a torturous manner and to make sure that none of his descendants exacted their Revenge, Lü Zhi also ordered his family and relatives to be put to death as well which marked a warning to all other Courtiers who could have plotted against her and she consolidated her place on the throne.
Meanwhile when Gaozu was putting down Chen Xi's revolt, he requested reinforcements from Peng Yue but the latter claimed that he was ill and sent his subordinates to assist Gaozu instead so after Chen Xi's rebellion was quelled, Gaozu heard rumours that Peng Yue was plotting against him too, and he had Peng arrested and out of kindness he stripped off his titles demoted him to the status of a commoner and exiled him to the remote Qingyi County.
Lü Zhi claiming not to be weak in her own nature wouldn't spare a national traitor at all regardless of his past contributions and it was during his journey to Qingyi that Peng Yue encountered Lü Zhi who wanting to have him killed he pleaded with her to spare his life and let him return to his hometown in Changyi and the Empress by then a good liar pretended to agree only days later having him brought to Luoyang, he was subsequently charged with treason and here even Gaozu couldn't spare him as he was killed and Lü Zhi ordered Peng Yue's body to be mutilated and had his clan exterminated as well.
Whereas people worshipped the Emperor they feared Lü Zhi who was the real power on the throne and such an example quelled what would be an internal resistance of any form against her that she had a very firm grip on the Han Empire that in the seven years that she spent as the Empress Consort, she primarily functioned as the de facto ruler while her husband was merely the conquerer.
Consort Qi who was her rival in life made a fatal mistake of going against her and even if she realised it was much too late and the damage had been done because Lü Zhi had already vented out her anger and she made it known and as their hatred deepened, Consort Qi became daring and accompanied the Emperor on his campaigns while Lü Zhi who was left back in Chang'an governed the state and it was during these campaigns that Emperor Gaozu realised that his son Liu Ying by Empress Lü was weak in nature and at most likely the urging of Consort Qi, he desired to replace him with the infant but strong looking Liu Ruyi who was her son.
When word reached Lü Zhi, she felt further threatened and since Lü Zhi had strong rapport with many of the ministers which was attributed to her husband's absentia from the Court, she feared that if Liu Ruyi became Emperor and his mother Consort Qi would become the Dowager Empress thus Lü's supporters sure to fall with her, they generally opposed Gaozu's decision but the emperor seemed bent on deposing Liu Ying nonetheless and Consort Qi was too proud about it as Liu Ruyi who was instated as Prince of Zhao in 198 BC had displaced Lü Zhi's son-in-law Zhang Ao who was her daughter (Princess Yuan of Lu's) husband, she approached Zhang Liang who was an old and smart influential Courtier for help but he was ignored, so he retired on the excuse that he was ill. Shusun Tong (the crown prince's tutor) at the time and Zhou Chang also strongly objected to the Emperor's decision to replace Liu Ying with Liu Ruyi with Zhou Chang saying, "I am not good in arguing, but I know this is not right. If Your Majesty deposes the Crown Prince, I won't follow your orders any more," and the latter analysed that Gaozu was changing the succession on grounds of favouritism rather than the Confucian Principles of seniority which was a setback in Emperor Gaozu's plans. Zhang Liang determined to protect the inheritance of his Mistress whom he believed to be able invited the "Four Whiteheads of Mount Shang", which was a group of four reclusive wise men and Lü Zhi very much aware of their influence on the masses jointly intervened to persuade Gaozu to change his decision as he was surprised to see them having previously declined to join the civil service when he invited them.
This political scheme was fruitful winding up with the four men promising to assist Liu Ying in future if he became emperor, and Gaozu was pleased and content to see that Liu Ying had their support while Liu Ruyi lacked that backing. Gaozu then told Consort Qi, "I wanted to replace (the crown prince). Now I see that he has the support of those four men; he is fully fledged and difficult to unseat."
THE GREAT EMPEROR GAOZU
Ying Bu rose up with his arms and at the urging of Empress Lü, Emperor Gaozu marched out of Chang'an with his troops to wage war leaving Lü in charge of the Capital once again. Though winning Emperor Gaozu was wounded by a stray arrow during the campaign and he became seriously ill and remained in his inner chambers for a long period of time ordering his guards to deny entry to everyone who tried to visit him which concerned the Courtiers that after several days, Fan Kuai barged into the chambers only to see the emperor and the other subjects following behind him they saw Emperor Gaozu lying on his bed and attended to by a eunuch. It was here that Fan Kuai said, "How glorious it was when Your Majesty first led us to conquer the empire and how weary we are now. Your subjects are worried when they learn that Your Majesty is ill, but Your Majesty refuses to see us and prefers the company of a eunuch instead. Has Your Majesty forgotten the incident about Zhao Gao?" and the Emperor hearing he laughed and got out of bed to meet his subjects but the recovery was brief.
Soon enough, Emperor Gaozu's health deteriorated later so Empress Lü Zhi hired a famous physician to heal him which by Historians is considered one of the moments in which she was a compassionate wife, when Emperor Gaozu enquired about his condition, the physician told him that his illness could be cured, but the emperor was displeased and he scolded the physician saying, "Isn't it Heaven's will that I managed to conquer this empire in simple clothing and with nothing but a sword? My life is determined by Heaven. It is useless even if Bian Que is here." thus refusing to continue with the treatment and sending the physician away.
While Lü Zhi took care of all state affairs at the time but merely months later the country was prepared to lay him to rest so before his death, he decided that he was going to reform the government and said that Cao Shen could succeed Xiao He as the chancellor after Xiao died and that Wang Ling could succeed Cao Shen. He also said that Wang Ling might be too young to perform his duties so Chen Ping could assist Wang, but Chen was also qualified to assume the responsibilities of a chancellor all by himself as he also named Zhou Bo as a possible candidate for the role of Grand Commandant.
At last on 1 June 195 BCE, he died in Changle Palace, Chang'an and was succeeded by Liu Ying, who became historically known as Emperor Hui and to the surprise of many, Lü Zhi was to become the Empress Regent even when the new Emperor was already past his legal maturity.
EMPRESS DOWAGER AND REGENT
Emperor Gaozu was undoubtedly one of the best Han Emperors and also it's greatest but during his regime by the time of his death most of the Courtiers though Honouring him had sworn their loyalty and fidelity to his wife Empress Lü and whereas at some point during his life she was confined in her policies, upon his death her power erupted into what was a political flood that took Chang'an by surprise.
Immediately upon Prince Ying's ascension to the throne as Emperor Hui, Empress Lü, then Empress Dowager, became the effective lead figure in his administration and at last Consort Qi's primary defense having perished and fearing her as a threat, she sought to carry out a plot of revenge against her and her son Ruyi so she first arrested her on unknown false charges of treason and put her in a prison garb (shaved head, confined by stock, and wearing red clothes) and she was forced to work hard for sustenance as Lü Zhi further summoned Liu Ruyi to the capital which was an attempt that was initially resisted by Ruyi's chief of staff Zhou Chang whom she respected because he was one of the officials who insisted on Liu Ying being the rightful heir who responded to Lü Zhi's order saying that "The Prince of Zhao is ill and unfit for travelling over long distances."
Instead of directly moving against Zhou and Liu Ruyi, though, Lü circumvented Zhou by first summoning him to the capital, and then summoning Liu Ruyi, Emperor Hui tried to save Liu Ruyi's life before he could get to the capital intercepting him at Bashang and received him into his own palace where they dined together and slept together.
Empress Dowager Lü wanting to kill Liu Ruyi, but afraid that any attempt might also harm her own son therefore could not carry out her plot for several months she got her chance in winter 195 BC when one morning, Emperor Hui was out hunting and wanted to take Liu Ruyi with him but the young prince then only 14 years old refused to get up from bed, and Emperor Hui left for the hunt on his own. Empress Dowager Lü hearing this she immediately sent an assassin into the Emperor's palace to force poisoned wine down the prince's throat and upon Emperor Hui's return, he found the young boy dead as a political contender for her son had been tackled she went ahead to now give Consort Qi what Historians consider the most cruel and inhumane death.
Largely discredited for her overbearing jealousy, Dowager Empress Lü then had Concubine Qi's limbs chopped off, blinded her by gouging out her eyes, cut off her tongue and her nose, cut off her ears, forced her to drink a potion that made her mute and dumb with toxins, and locked her in the pigsty calling her a "Human Swine" and while Emperor Hui beheld the sight and human swine with his eyes, He cried so loudly and became ill for a long time where he requested to see his mother and said, "This is something done not by a human. As the Empress Dowager's son, I'll never be able to rule the Empire." and from then onward Emperor Hui indulged himself in carnal pleasures and ignored state affairs which Dowager Empress Lü ceased to her advantage and striking the foreign, out of the love of Han she became it's Sole Ruler.
AS "ACTING EMPEROR" OF CHINA
For the next fifteen years, Dowager Empress Lü ruled as Emperor though never recognized as so in name and her best example of this was when she passed decrees and issues decrees in her own name, assumed the title of "Your Majesty" instead of "Your Highness" and her seal became an Equivalent to the Emperor's seal while she held the Emperor's seal right next to her.
She attended Court in most cases alone although when she did with the Emperor she sat in the real Ruler's position as opposed to what was expected of Regents and further more she ruled not behind a lowered screen which meant that her presence was just to be felt throughout the land.
Such attributes made her worshipped when Courtiers swore paths of fidelity in her name and not the Emperor's and she presided over Religious ceremonies in Imperial dragon robes which was supposed to be the Emperor's duty making her the first woman in Imperial Chinese history to do and certainly not the very last.
Her power was so overwhelming and her presence felt as her carriage rode ahead of the Emperor's on special occasions all features which pointed to her supremacy above him which in turn would make her the third most powerful woman in Chinese History and However much she was thought to be cruel but she was kind to her subjects and some of her husband's other Concubines and Consorts.
In 192 BC Lü Zhi received a marriage proposal from the Xiongnu chanyu Modu, who wrote as follows in a letter meant to intimidate and mock her saying, "I'm a lonesome ruler born in marshes and raised in plains populated by livestock. I've visited your border numerous times and wanted to tour China. Your Majesty is now alone and living in solitude. Since both of us are not happy and have nothing to entertain ourselves, I'm willing to use what I possess to exchange for what you lack." which made Lü Zhi infuriated at the rude proposition, and in a heated court session, her generals advised her to rally an army and exterminate the Xiongnu immediately.
As she was about to declare war, an outspoken attendant named Ji Bu pointed out that the Xiongnu army was much more powerful than the Chinese and at Ji Bu's words, the court immediately fell into a fearful silence with her rethinking her plans, Lü Zhi rejected Modu's proposition humbly writing saying, "Your Lordship does not forget our land and writes a letter to us, we fear. I retreat to preserve myself. I'm old and frail, I'm losing hair and teeth, and I struggle to maintain balance when I move. Your Lordship has heard wrongly, you shouldn't defile yourself. Our people did not offend you, and should be pardoned. We've two imperial carriages and eight fine steeds, which we graciously offer to Your Lordship." and thus the Xiognu justification to a war against her people was curbed.
However she continued implementing the heqin policy of marrying Han princesses to Xiongnu chieftains and paying tribute to the Xiongnu in exchange for peace between both sides
In 191 BC, at Lü Zhi's insistence, Emperor Hui married his niece Zhang Yan (Princess Yuan of Lu's daughter) and made her Empress and as a result they did not have any children because he couldn't settle in the marriage happily that It is alleged that Lü Zhi told Zhang Yan to adopt eight boys and have their mothers killed.
Emperor Hui then died in 188 BC and was succeeded by Emperor Qianshao, one of the children Empress Zhang adopted and Then grandmother of the emperor, Lü Zhi retained her title as Empress Dowager and never claimed the title as Grand Empress Dowager and there was nothing much that changed about her power and presence in Court except the fact that rarely the Emperor attended Court with her. Emperor Gaozu had previously decreed that no non-imperial clan members could become princes (not including the vassal kings), a rule that Lü Zhi herself had a hand in creating but In spite of this, Lü Zhi attempted to install some of her kinsmen as princes. The Right Chancellor Wang Ling opposed her decision but the Left Chancellor Chen Ping and general Zhou Bo accepted this move and when Wang Ling rebuked Chen Ping and Zhou Bo in private for going against Emperor Gaozu's law, they rationalized that their compliance with the Empress Dowager's wishes was necessary to protect the empire and the Liu clan.
Lü Zhi promoted Wang Ling to the position of Grand Tutor but the latter claimed that he was ill and declined, so she ordered him to return to his marquisate (Wang Ling held the title of Marquis of Anguo) and she then appointed Chen Ping as Right Chancellor and her allegedly illicit lover Shen Yiji as Left Chancellor.
Lü Zhi then proceeded to make her kin nobles. Her first step was to install her maternal grandson Zhang Yan (Princess Yuan of Lu's son, Empress Zhang Yan's brother) as the Prince of Lu. Over the next few years she instated several of her nephews and grandnephews as princes and marquises. In an unprecedented move, in 184 BC, Lü Zhi also granted her younger sister Lü Xü the title of Marquise of Lingguang, in a separate fief from that of the latter's husband Fan Kuai and the first in her own right.
Her power became immense and she took charge of all Imperial troops across the Empire while she reinforced her country's defenses she firmly controlled the Empire and the Mandate of Heaven even though she wasn't recognized as the "Daughter of Heaven."
Around 184 BC Emperor Qianshao discovered that he was not Empress Dowager Zhang Yan's son, and his birth mother was executed by the Empress Dowager that he remarked that when he grew up he would make Empress Dowager Zhang pay for his mother's death which was a bad idea because when Lü Zhi heard about this, she had the young Emperor secretly confined in the palace and publicly announced that the Emperor was seriously ill and unable to meet anyone. After some time she told the imperial court that Emperor Qianshao was still sick and suffered from psychosis, and was thus incapable of ruling. She then proposed that the Emperor be replaced and the court complied with her wish moreso because many had no choice as it was Lü's reign afterall, and Emperor Qianshao was deposed and put to death suddenly and was succeeded by his brother Liu Yi who was renamed to Liu Hong and was also historically known as Emperor Houshao of Han.
By 180BC Empress Dowager Lü was the most powerful woman in the annals of Chinese History ruling over a vast mass off land and she had expanded the Empire beyond it's territorial boundaries, she was one of the best examples of vicious women that were plagued by an overwhelming desire for power and regardless of her many faults she was hailed for having been a greater leader for more than twenty years.
LEGACY
Lü Zhi died of illness at the age of 61 in 180 BC and was interred in Emperor Gaozu's tomb in Changling Near the end of Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty and by the time she had ruled very much like an Emperor in her own right though she was never declared so and Historians laud her efforts in centralizing the Han government especially when her husband was away on the consequent military campaigns leaving her in charge of the Capital and nominally as a Regent.
Her wisdom caused her to appoint lowly and able officials in Court and redefine the administration during her regency where she reduced the power of the Imperial clan and checked on its notorious nature that the Palace was in order.
She saw peace especially with the Xiognu who were a neighbouring rival state which by her death had negotiated with Han a truce and they had entered a friendly relationship which enabled her people to enjoy peace.
She additionally is commended for having reduced taxes and set up temples while strengthening the Han Dynasty defenses and despite being a ruthless woman she is one of the best examples where women's interference in politics was helpful and surprisingly after her Empress Dowager Bo who was the first Empress Dowager recorded in the History of China lived up to her legacy much as she never wielded much political power like she did.
Empress Lü as a result was followed by many other ambitious women like Empress Feng of Wei, Empress His, Empress Chengtian, Empress Wu Ze Tian, Empress Liu, Empress Cao, Empress Gao, Empress Méng, Empress Yang, Empress Wu of song, Empress Xie, Empress Cixi and many other women rose to power and reigned over Imperial China most of which proved as competent and sustained the Empire much longer than men ever did.
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