Empress Wu the Great : Tang dynasty China / / X L. Woo

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910809820803321
• Autore: Woo X. L
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: New York, : Algora Pub., c2008
• ISBN: 9786611793883; 1-281-79388-4; 0-87586-662-X
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (184 p.)
• Disciplina: 951/.017092; B
• Soggetti: Empresses - China; China History Tang dynasty, 618-907
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di contenuto: Origins of a future sovereign -- The Wu family -- Wu's father rises from a merchant to a nobleman -- Mr. Wu marries up -- Mr. Wu becomes a governor -- Mr. Wu departs this realm -- The establishment of the tang dynasty -- Mr. Wu's sponsor becomes the second emperor of the tang dynasty -- Empress Changsun and a few of the courtiers -- Miss Wu becomes an imperial concubine -- The sons vie for the succession -- Selecting the crown prince -- Introduction to the crown prince -- Sent to a nunnery -- The new emperor reigns -- Empress Wang gets Wu back to the palace -- Empress Wang and concubine Xiao unite against concubine Wu -- Concubine Wu fights back -- The courtiers take sides -- Empress Wang and her supporters take a mis-step -- Empress Wang and the crown prince are removed -- Wu becomes empress -- From empress to empress dowager -- Advancing supporters and annihilating opponents -- Taking part in politics -- The pleasures of traveling -- Relationship with her children -- The empress dowager consolidates her power -- Standing at the top -- View from the summit -- Rebellions -- The largest rebellion -- The rebellions of the Princes Li -- Other rebellions -- Abuse of power at every level -- Picking favorites -- Naming a successor -- Empress Wu's favorites -- Relations with other nations -- Tibet -- Korea -- The Tujue clan -- ; Japan and Arabia -- Famous legends about Empress Wu -- Face reading -- Flowers blooming in winter -- Other legends.
• Sommario/riassunto: Europe and Great Britain have had many sovereign queens in the course of history. In ancient China, there was none of that. Only one Empress ever ruled China in her own name - Empress Wu. Given her startling performance in a world of deadly intrigue and shifting loyalties, Wu is still respected as an effective and clear-sighted ruler.