Shangguan Wan'er

Shangguan Wan'er (664 – 21 July 710) was a Chinese politician, poet, and imperial consort of the Wu Zhou and Tang dynasties. Described as a "female prime minister," Shangguan rose from modest origins as a palace servant to become secretary and leading advisor to Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou. Under Empress Wu, Shangguan exercised responsibility for drafting imperial edicts and earned approbation for her writing style. She retained her influence as consort to Wu's son and successor, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, holding the imperial consort rank of Zhaorong. Shangguan was also highly esteemed for her talent as a poet. In 710, after Emperor Zhongzong's death, Shangguan was killed during a palace coup that ended the regency of Empress Dowager Wei. Childhood Shangguan Wan'er's grandfather Shangguan Yi had become a prominent official early in the reign of Emperor Gaozong and had become chancellor in 662. In 664, Emperor Gaozong was angry at the very above level of controlling influence that his second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) was exerting over policies, disregarded the emperor's decisions, and violated the law, and he consulted Shangguan Yi, who recommended that he depose Empress Wu. However, when Empress Wu discovered this, Emperor Gaozong changed his mind and instead blamed Shangguan Yi. At Empress Wu's instigation, her allies, the chancellor Xu Jingzong falsely accused Shangguan Yi of plotting with Emperor Gaozong's son Li Zhong, on whose staff Shangguan had served at one time, as well as the eunuch Wang Fusheng (who had earlier reported Empress Wu's wrongdoing to Emperor Gaozong) against Emperor Gaozong. Li Zhong was forced to commit suicide, while Wang, Shangguan Yi, and Shangguan Wan'er's father Shangguan Tingzhi were put to death on January 3, 665. After that, Empress Wu's political power and influence was unavoidable and she ruled in practice instead of her husband. After Shangguan Yi's and Shangguan Tingzhi's deaths, Shangguan Wan'er and her mother Lady Zheng—an elder sister of the official Zheng Xiuyuan – were spared, but became slaves in the inner imperial palace. As Shangguan Wan'er grew older, she read extensively and showed a talent for writing prose and poetry at an early age, as well as in matters of civil service regulations. After Empress Wu stumbled upon poems written by the 13-year-old Shangguan Wan'er, Empress Wu summoned Shangguan Wan'er and asked her to compose an essay based on a given theme right on the spot.