How to treat Wu Zetian's wordless tablet?
The success or failure of right and wrong is fleeting, and who wins or loses is left to future generations to comment. Unexpectedly, Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty set up a "wordless tablet" for herself, leaving a mystery for later generations. Ganling, located in Ganxian County, Shaanxi Province, is the burial tomb of Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, the third emperors of the Tang Dynasty. The stone tablet of Wu Zetian and the stone tablet of Tang Gaozong are juxtaposed on the pyramid-shaped mound. An inscription in the West praises Tang Gaozong's literary martial arts, while the East is Wu Zetian's "wordless tablet". Some scholars believe that the Queen's "Wordless Monument" is to show off her achievements, because when she was in office, she was honest and harmonious, and the country was rich and strong, and was known as the "Great Zhou Empire". It shows that her achievements are beyond words. Some scholars believe that Wu Zetian's "no word tablet" is because she knows that her sin is too great, so it is wise not to write an inscription. Some people think that it is a wise practice for Wu Zetian to set up a monument without words and let future generations comment on merits and demerits. But at best, the above views are just Wu Zetian's "wordless tablet", and no one can make it clear so far. Wu Zetian, the first and only female emperor in China's history, broke through the trap of male superiority and female inferiority, broke the shackles of feudal times and ascended the throne of the emperor. She was the only person who ruled this country before her death, and she did not leave any words on her tablet after her death, which is intriguing. Tombstone is a unique cultural treasure house in China. It goes without saying that history and archaeology should study it and use it; Tombstones are also invaluable in literature and calligraphy. There has been a custom of erecting monuments since ancient times. However, Empress Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty set up a "wordless tablet" for herself, which is still beside the tomb of Wu Zetian in Ganling. Ganling is the burial tomb of Li Zhi, the third emperor of Tang Dynasty, and Empress Wu Zetian. It is located in Liangshan, Ganxian County, northwest of Xi. The pyramid-shaped mound descends step by step along Liangshan, and life-size stone statues are arranged on both sides. On the wide terrain of Zhuquemen, two tombstones about six meters high stand side by side. On the west is the "Imperial Monument", written by Wu Zetian and Tang Zhongzong, praising Tang Gaozong's literary martial arts; To the east is Wu Zetian's tablet without words. The "tablet without words" is carved with stone. There are nine dragons wrapped around the tablet, and there is a raised picture on each side of the tablet. On the front of the tablet is a picture of a lion and a horse. The horse bends its hoof and bows its head, and the lion stands tall. Exquisite carving is rare for tombstones in past dynasties. In fact, the "tablet without words" is not without words. Look carefully, there are many words engraved on it, which were added by people since Song and Jin Dynasties because of the regret of "no words". Wu Zetian set up a biographical monument for Tang Gaozong. Why doesn't she write a biography of herself? Since the Tang Dynasty, people have had various opinions about it for more than 1000 years. The first view is that Wu Zetian's "tablet without words" is used to brag and show his boundless merits. Wu Zetian became queen in 655 AD and was forced to abdicate in 705 AD. She participated in and held the supreme power for fifty years. If it is counted from Tang Gaozong's death, it will be 2 1 year. She is the only outstanding female emperor in the history of China. She attacked the powerful family politically, and through the development of the imperial examination system, a large number of talents entered the political arena and suppressed the monopoly of powerful people. She rewarded farming and mulberry, built water conservancy projects, lightened corvee, and rectified the system of land equalization, which made the social economy rise and the number of households increase. She knows how to make good use of people, makes an exception in employing people, encourages officials at all levels to recommend talents, and is also very modest about the position of capable minister, which is why she was "used by many people in the past." She strengthened the frontier defense of feudal countries and improved relations with all ethnic groups on the border. In a word, Wu Zetian is a person full of political talents and ideals. During her reign, she did many things in line with the interests of the people, stabilized and developed the "Zhenguan Rule", pushed history forward a big step, and played a connecting role in the later "Kaiyuan Rule". The second view is that Wu Zetian set up a "wordless tablet" because she knew that she was guilty of a heinous crime and felt that it was better not to write an inscription. First, Wu Zetian gained trust by flattery, changed from a low-ranking "talent" to a powerful queen, and finally stole the throne. Second, cultivate henchmen, establish a traitor's palace group, and eliminate dissidents in Li Tang under the banner of "facing the DPRK". Third, appoint cruel officials and implement the terrorist policy of informers and abuse of punishment. Fourth, the social and economic development in the early Tang Dynasty was saddle-shaped, and Wu Zetian was at the lowest point when he was in power. Fifth, during his administration, he lost four towns in Anxi, which endangered the unity of the country. Wu Zetian can't make a biography for herself, so she can only set the tone for future generations with the "tablet without words". The third view is that Wu Zetian is a self-aware person, and it is smart to set up a monument without words. It is the best way for future generations to comment on merits and demerits. Because Wu Zetian has both positive and negative aspects. During the reign of Wu Zetian, the economic development trend since Zhenguan continued; In dealing with the complicated situation before and after Tang Gaozong's death, she showed extraordinary personal talent; Even many feudal orthodox people are amazed at the two points of "teachability" and "employing people" However, Wu Zetian's negativity is also very prominent. In order to consolidate her personal status, she appointed "cruel officials" and killed innocent people, believed in Buddhism and was extravagant and wasteful. Especially in the later period of rule, government politics became increasingly corrupt, and a group of new privileged nobles were connived and supported by Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian was forced to hand over power and regain power in Tang Zhongzong. She knew that people would have all kinds of comments on her life, and it was difficult to write a good or bad inscription, so she decided to set up a "wordless tablet" for future generations to evaluate. There are still a few people who think that it is difficult for Wu Zetian to be buried with Tang Gaozong after her death, and it is also difficult to claim to be the emperor or queen, because it is an unavoidable fact that Wu Zetian once reigned as the king in the world, regardless of his pride or modesty. After weighing, it is more appropriate to use a wordless tablet. In a word, Wu Zetian's erection of this "tablet without words" can give future generations a difficult problem, and people still can't guess the true intention of the queen. It is worth mentioning that there is a minority character on Wu Zetian's wordless tablet. This long-abolished minority script is regarded as "the mystery of the 20th century" by Japanese scholar Hiroaki Hiraoka Yamamoto.