This article traces Wu Zetian’s rise from a former concubine to China’s only female emperor. It covers her political struggle against loyal ministers, her joint rule with Emperor Gaozong, the suppression of rebellions, and her founding of the Zhou Dynasty. It also notes her use of secret police and favorites, as well as her…
The Master said, “The governance of Lu and Wei is like that of brothers.”
The Master said:“I can speak of the rites of the Xia dynasty, but the state of Qi provides insufficient evidence.I studied the rites of the Yin dynasty; remnants still exist in the state of Song.I studied the rites of the Zhou dynasty – they are in use today – so I follow the Zhou.”
Mencius said: “When the world is governed by the Dao, those of lesser virtue serve those of greater virtue, and the less worthy among the virtuous serve the more worthy.But when the world is without the Dao, the small are enslaved by the great, and the weak are dominated by the strong.”
Mencius said: “The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties gained the empire through benevolence, and they lost it when benevolence was abandoned.The rise, fall, survival, or collapse of any state follows the same principle.”
This article details the Tian Clan’s usurpation of the Qi state, a pivotal event marking the transition from the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States era. It traces the Tian clan’s origins from Prince Chen Wan of Chen to their rise in Qi, where they gained immense popularity by lending grain with…