Empress Dowager Xuan, Empress Dowager Zhao, Empress Dowager Deng, Empress Dowager Chu, Empress Dowager Lu, Empress Dowager Xiao, Empress Dowager Liu, Empress Dowager Ling? Empress Dowager Wu Zetian Cixi

Empress Dowager Xuan

The earliest people in China who listened to politics behind the curtain were the Warring States Period During this period, the mother of King Zhao of Qin State was Queen Mother Xuan.

In 306 BC, the seventeen-year-old King Zhao of Qin succeeded to the throne. His mother, Queen Mother Xuan, began a 41-year regency career in the name of her son's young age, and thus unveiled the harem's involvement in politics. the first of its kind.

In the past 40 years, the Queen Mother Xuan has always been the de facto supreme ruler of the Qin State. In Huayang and Jingyang, I don’t even hear that there is a king”.

King Zhao could not tolerate his mother's long-term exclusive power in the court.

In the end, he followed Fan Ju's suggestion, took back all power, expelled the "Four Nobles" outside the pass, and appointed Fan Ju as prime minister. This completely ended the long-term situation of Empress Dowager Xuan's influence on Qin's political affairs.

Empress Dowager Zhao

The second person to listen to politics behind the curtain was Empress Dowager Zhao of Zhao State during the Warring States Period.

In 266 BC, the king of Zhao, King Huiwen, died, and his son, King Xiaocheng, inherited the throne. Because he was too young, the Queen Mother was in charge.

Empress Dowager Zhao is the famous Empress Zhao Wei. When she answered the envoy of Qi, she once said the eternal saying "If you have no age, how can you have a people? If you have no people, how can you have a king." She was a very capable old lady. Madam, the famous article in our middle school Chinese textbook "Touch the Dragon and Talk about the Queen Mother Zhao" is about her story.

Empress Dowager Deng

Deng Sui, the empress of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was known as Empress Dowager Deng in history.

In the first year of Yuanxing (105), Emperor He died at the age of 27.

Queen Deng herself had no sons, but she knew that there were two sons born in the harem who were fostered among the people.

One is older, but frail and sick, and cannot succeed; the other is a newborn baby who has just turned 100 days old.

She established herself as the emperor, the Emperor Shang of the Han Dynasty, and respected Empress Deng as the empress dowager, who attended the court and listened to politics behind the curtain.

In the first year of Yanping (AD 106), Emperor Shang died young, and Deng Suiding established Liu An, King of Qinghe, as Emperor An of Han Dynasty. He was less than 13 years old, and Queen Mother Deng continued to serve as emperor.

She died of illness in the second year of Yongning (AD 121) and listened to politics behind the curtain for 16 years.

Empress Dowager Chu

As the empress dowager of a country, she accompanied five emperors in her life. She came out to listen to politics behind the curtain three times, and each time she played a different role: mother, aunt, hall. Sister-in-law; she was appointed to the throne three times, and major events in the country were all promulgated and implemented in the form of "Edicts of the Empress Dowager"; she came to court three times to listen to politics, and three times she retired to return to power. This is unique in Chinese history.

Sima Dan succeeded to the throne at a young age, and Chu Suanzi was promoted to the empress dowager and came to power.

In 357 AD, Empress Dowager Chu returned to power her son.

In 361 AD, Sima Dan died of a sudden illness, and Sima Pi was made emperor. The curtain fell again.

In less than a year, Sima Pi "ascended to immortality" and left, making Sima Pi's younger brother Sima Yi the emperor. Sima Yi died in the West after only eight months in power, leaving his son Sima Yao to succeed him. Garlic comes out for the third time.

Queen Lu

Lu Pheasant has been beautiful and intelligent since she was a child, and is known for her decisiveness and cruelty.

In the early Han Dynasty, Liu Bang favored Qi Ji and had the idea of ??deposing Empress Lu and establishing a new empress. In order to keep her throne as queen, Empress Lu took the queen's seal into her hands and thought of various strategies.

Empress Lu designed to trick Han Xin into the palace, ordered someone to wrap him up in a cloth, and assassinated Han Xin with a bamboo stick. From then on, Empress Lu's position became even more unshakable.

Empress Lu was in power for sixteen years. It is reported that when she came to power, there was a very prosperous South Vietnam country in today's Guangzhou. In order to restrict the development of South Vietnam, Empress Lu issued an order banning the sale of ironware, horses and cattle. to South Vietnam in order to impose an economic blockade on South Vietnam.

This was the Queen's Seal that Queen Lu used to issue orders at that time.

Empress Dowager Xiao

Empress Dowager Xiao, nicknamed Yanyan.

She is the queen of Yelv Xian of Emperor Jingzong of Liao Dynasty. She is known as the "Queen Mother Chengtian" in history. She is a famous female politician and military strategist in the history of Liao Dynasty.

In September of the fourth year of Qianheng, Liao Jingzong died, Liao Shengzong came to the throne, and Xiao Yanyan was honored as the empress dowager and regent.

In June of the first year of Tonghe, Liao Shengzong led a group of officials to confer the title of "Empress Dowager Chengtian" on Xiao Yanyan.

As Empress Dowager Chengtian, Xiao Yanyan took charge of the military and state affairs, and thus began the famous "Regency of Empress Chengtian" period in the history of the Liao Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Liu

Empress Xianmingsu, named Liu E, was the empress of Zhao Heng, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty. She was the first regent empress dowager in the Song Dynasty. She had great achievements and was often associated with Empress Lu of the Han Dynasty. , Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty were also called, and history books said that she had "Lu Wu's talents but not Lu Wu's evil".

?In February Jiayin of the first year of Qianxing (1022), 54-year-old Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng died of illness in Yanqing Hall. The edict said: Prince Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, and Queen Liu became the empress dowager. Military and state affairs were important. "Quantity" to punish the empress dowager.

The young emperor Zhao Zhen was only eleven years old at this time, so Liu E actually handled government affairs.

After Ding Wei was demoted, Liu E began to listen to political decisions together with Renzong Zhao Zhen, and officially closed the curtain.

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Empress Dowager Ling?

In the late Northern Wei Dynasty, when Emperor Suzong Xiaoming Yuanxu came to the throne, he was only 6 years old, and his biological mother, the Empress Dowager Ling, could only handle the affairs of the court. , in charge of the imperial power.

During the reign of Queen Mother Ling, the Northern Wei Dynasty intensified its exploitation of the people, which intensified social conflicts and broke out the massive Six Towns Uprising and the Peasant Uprising led by Ge Rong. Er Zhurong, chief of the Qihu tribe, Taking the opportunity to attack Luoyang, he killed the Queen Mother Ling and the young emperor she had established, and killed more than 2,000 princes and officials. This is known as the "Heyin Incident" in history.

Soon, the Northern Wei Dynasty fell.

Wu Zetian

During the Tang Dynasty, the famous Empress Wu Zetian also practiced listening to politics behind the curtain before proclaiming herself emperor.

In the first year of Linde (664), Wu Zetian executed Shangguan Yi.

Start listening to politics behind the curtain, moving from behind the scenes to the front desk.

It is different from most people in history who listened to politics behind a curtain.

When Wu Zetian listened to politics behind the curtain, the person sitting in front was not the little emperor, but her husband, who was also called the Second Saint.

From then on, whether the political situation was good or bad, the role of Queen Wu could no longer be ignored.

The bureaucrats became accustomed to bowing to a woman, and finally watched with complicated emotions as this woman gradually reached the pinnacle of power.

Empress Dowager Cixi

In the late Qing Dynasty, the behind-the-curtain system reached its peak and formed a strict, systematic and complete political system.

Empress Dowager Cixi’s administration behind the curtain is the most famous in history. She was also the last female ruler in China’s feudal society. She also directed a thrilling scene on the political stage at that time.

Later, the "1898 Reform" failed, Guangxu was imprisoned, Cixi came to power for the third time, and successive leaders controlled the Qing Dynasty for 48 years.

With the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the system of listening to government behind the curtain that had lasted for more than two thousand years came to an end.