How a Nun Became China's Only Female Emperor - Wu Zetian (Part 1)

Ah yes, guess I'm officially a Historytuber now.

Shout out to my Patreon GUARDIAN LIONS:
Benji Sudolcan
Darion
do-it-out-of-spite
Jose Velazquez
Kakuga
Kytes Universe
Molly McAllister
Nikolas Coates
Pinkie the smart elf

Info Sources:
The Old Book of Tang 旧唐书
The New Book of Tang 新唐书
Tang Huiyao 唐会要
Zizhi Tongjian 资治通鉴

Empress Wu Portrait in Thumbnail: Art by 朽铂, commisioned by me

C-Dramas the Actor Representations Were Taken From:
Wu Zetian 武则天 (1995)
Secret History of Wu Zetian 武则天秘史 (2011)
Empress of China 武媚娘传奇 (2014)
Peace in Palace, Peace in Changan 天下长安 (Yet to Air)

[XiranJayZhao]

SO MANY LI'S TO KEEP TRACK OF, SMH TANG DYNASTY

[karenholl]

Taizong: becomes Emperor through a coup
His son: attempts a coup
Taizong: *surprised pikachu face*

[Dr_Sunshine]

“He started acting out in all sorts of weird ways “
Oh like being disrespectful?
“he sent an assassin after his tutor”
WHAT. 😨

[MakaylaTomasi]

The timing, the inflection, the storytelling! Literally if my history classes had been this fun to listen to, I'd have majored in it in uni! I legit clicked the video as something to listen to in the background, but got sucked into the story and couldn't focus on anything else until the video ended. Absolutely loved this, can't wait for part 2.

[daniela]

If any of my history classes were this entertaining I might've paid more attention in my lectures

[whateverandapathystudios]

I love when historical events legit sound like a drama series.

[timothyfarrington]

I love when someone talks history and manages - actually manages - to make it entertaining in a way that isn’t just from the topic being “interesting” but by doing it with passion and fire. Like this!
Please do more like this with more historical people after we finish the epic saga of Wu Zetian 😁

( ps. this kept me awake - and alert - on a bus ride at close to midnight, which just doesn’t happen otherwise)

[bluetube]

Less than 10 seconds in and I’m blessed with “Have you ever failed at achieving your dreams at a young age?”

[donkongo]

At every pause, I’m waiting for you to cut in with “And THEN... she began to pilot mechs 😏” I am SO excited for Iron Widow!

[meowzy]

1:57 *”Oh my Chinese gods, i feel the same!!”* 😭😭😭💀💀💀
fuck i’m crying😂😂 you’re such an entertaining and knowledgeable story teller, my first video of urs and i’m instantly hooked!!!

[flyingspagbowl]

I’m learning about the Tang Dynasty in history right now and damn did the textbook leave a lot out lmao 😂. Ah American school systems are something else-

[prettysunshyngrl]

I LOVE learning about Wu Zetian and this is one of my favorite videos on her now. You did an amazing job on both parts. So engaging! She's such an interesting historical figure and you brought her rise to power to life.

[ConfutoDespartus]

I really love this series and I cant wait to see more! Ive always been passably aware of how complex and interesting chinese history is but never had the time to really dig into it myself and I love learnign about it. You make it all feel very accessable and easy to follow. Your videos have really shown me some amazing parts of chinese culture (my favorite is how many traditional puns there are) Thank you for all your hard work!

[lampekartoffel]

I love the way you breath life into these stories😂
I love history, yet I don't think I've ever been this captivated by a story with this many characters before!

[donnguyen]

Oh I just realized Emperor Taizong of Tang (personal name Li Shimin) makes an appearance in a Time Warp Trio episode "Wushu Were Here." Basically these kids have a magic book that sends them through time and history.
Also get this, during the Sui dynasty, general and eventual emperor Wang Shichong of the Sui allied himself with Prince Dou Jiande of Xia who makes an appearance in the Romance of the Sui and Tang. The legend says Dou Jiande has a warrior princess daughter named Xianniang and after defeating an army of the Tujue, they take a soldier captive and that soldier is MULAN herself!
But Xianniang sees through Mulan's disguise and is delighted to meet a fellow warrior woman and the two then become sworn sisters until the Tang wins and Dou Jiande is captured by Emperor Taizong but Xianniang and Mulan come to him with knives in their mouths to express willingness to risk their lives pleading for Jiande's release. Taizong lets Jiande go.
Then Xianniang receives a letter addressed to a matchmaker from her forbidden lover Luo Cheng asking for Xianniang's hand in marriage. She gives Mulan a love letter to deliver to Luo Cheng as she leaves for home, but this is the version where Mulan's father dies while she's in the war, her mother remarries, her khan wants her as a concubine and she kills herself. But before she kills herself she has her sister Youlan deliver Xianniang's love letter disguised as a boy but Luo Cheng sees through Youlan's disguise and is smitten with her, but when Xianniang shows up, Youlan proves her virginity with a magic jade pendant and Xianniang, Youlan and Luo Cheng end up in a polyamorous marriage.
And YES Xianniang/Xian Lang is the official name of the witch in Mulan 2020. So you can kinda see why there's magic involved.

[CosmereInformant]

God damn it! I could hear the cliffhanger coming! I can’t wait for the next video, you do amazing work!

[misslangleysoryuisiconic]

_if Xiran becomes my history teacher, I won’t get myself absent to her class_

[Maybe_Roo]

I love how these videos feel like drama channel tea videos but for history

[Amayram]

Wu Zetian is the embodiment of Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss

[iprobablyforgotsomething]

I wonder if Li Yifu felt conflicted about the young Emperor at the moment when he fell for Li Yifu's supportive-sob story faster than a mic being dropped; like, relieved that Gaozong's not only not demoting him but instead is promoting him, but also thinking to himself, *'this* is the guy in charge of running the whole empire??!'