★ As China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian embodies an extraordinary convergence of power, gender, strategy, and legend. This book offers a compelling case study on how a woman can shatter the constraints of a male-dominated political system—a timeless narrative of ambition, resilience, and transformation.
★ The work constructs a complete narrative arc—from "palace intrigue" to "courtly statecraft"—and draws insightful parallels with modern competitive environments. More than just an epic of political maneuvering, it stands as a classic manual of life strategy with enduring relevance.
★ The author combines rigorous academic credentials with exceptional storytelling ability, delivering a historical biography that is both authoritative and highly readable.

A systematic biography of the legendary life of Wu Zetian, the only orthodox female emperor in Chinese history.

Organized chronologically, the book follows Wu Zetian from her early days as a young girl entering the imperial harem, through her first display of ambition during the horse‑taming incident, her patient endurance at Ganye Temple, her comprehensive political maneuvering after re‑entering the palace, her transformation from Imperial Consort Zhao to Empress, her ascent to co‑ruling the court with the emperor, and finally to her enthronement as emperor at age 67 and her abdication at 82, returning the Zhou dynasty to Tang rule. It presents the full arc of this legendary woman’s extraordinary life.

Grounded in historical facts, the book fully demonstrates how Wu Zetian, with her extraordinary stratagems and wisdom, broke through the limitations of her era. Her ability to seize opportunities, decisively employ capable people, and clearly steer the currents of power offer profound lessons even today. Her legend is both an epic of power politics and a classic of strategic wisdom for life.

Dong Yanshou
Ph.D. in History from Nankai University.
Expert of the Heluo Think Tank, Curator of the Luoyang Gujuzhai Art Museum. He has long cultivated research in history and culture, particularly on the Three Kingdoms period and its key figures.
He has published over 20 works, including historical biographies such as The Lying Dragon Strategist Zhuge Liang: Great Things Start with Difficulty, Small Things Start with Ease ; Wu Zetian: The Path from Imperial Harem to Dragon Throne.