History's Worst Mom | The Life & Times of Wu Zetian

Okay, so this is a bit late considering it came out on Overly Sarcastic Productions on Friday, but it's before the 22nd so I guess that counts as early if you think about it. Welcome to the life story of Wu Zetian, a cold-blooded killer queen guaranteed to blow your mind. She's killed rivals, officials, sons, step-sons, grandsons, daughters-in-law, maybe a husband? She's been heavily vilified since her death so it can be tricky to separate fact from rumor, but in any case you do not want to mess with her.

Footnotes:

1:15 This is actually the Mukden Palace in Shenyang, used by the Ming Dynasty. The Daming palace used by the Tang dynasty is unfortunately in ruins, the only reconstructions I could find were of the Tang's forbidden city as a whole, as well as the exterior of the Danfeng Gate.

5:30 You might notice from this picture that there are, in fact, words on it. These were written in the Song and Jin dynasties.

5:32 I have heard alternative explanations for the stele's lack of words. Some say it's because her accomplishments were too grand for words, some say she was so unprecedented that only future generations could begin to approach the subject of her legacy. But personally, it strikes me as akin to damnatio memoriae, though as far as I know she wasn't purged altogether. Here's a smithsonian article supporting that position: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/

5:35 I have not read the Zizhi Tongjian and am not an authority on Sima Guang's perspective on Zhongzong and Ruizong

Music:

0:00 Fisherman's Song at Dusk
6:09 Onion Capers by Kevin Macleod

Видео History's Worst Mom | The Life & Times of Wu Zetian канала Jack Rackam