Chapter 03 of 5
The People’s Empress
Wu's meritocratic reforms that challenged the old aristocracy.
- Social Shift
Empress of the Commoner
Wu Zetian realized that the old noble families were her greatest threat. To bypass them, she sought support from the scholars and the peasantry.
- Political Strategy
Breaking the Bloodline
For centuries, the 'Nine-Rank System' ensured only those with high-born parents held power. Wu set out to dismantle this hereditary stranglehold.
- Reform
The Examination Revolution
She radically expanded the Imperial Examination system. Success was now based on literary talent and knowledge rather than family name.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which of these was a specific reform Wu Zetian used to empower commoners and weaken the aristocracy?
👑 Was Empress Wu a Monster?
- 01The Lowly ConcubineWu’s entrance into the Tang court and her early survival strategies.
- 02The Price of the ThroneDark rumors of infanticide and the elimination of the Empress.
- 03The People’s EmpressWu's meritocratic reforms that challenged the old aristocracy.
- 04Reign of the Secret PoliceThe terrifying surveillance state Wu built to crush dissent.
- 05The Unmarked TombstoneHow male historians shaped the monster we remember today.