The woman in question was Zhang, the empress of Tang Suzong. If we examine the entirety of the Tang Dynasty’s harem, Zhang was one of the most ruthless and ambitious empresses. She stopped at nothing, employing schemes and forming factions to subtly manipulate power.
Empress Zhang had immense political ambitions and longed to become a second Wu Zetian or Wei Empress, capable of controlling the court. However, she was confined to the inner palace, unable to connect with the outside world. Thus, she began her search for an accomplice to execute her schemes.
After some time, Zhang found her partner in Li Fu Guo, the first eunuch to become a chancellor in the Tang court. Zhang used Li Fu Guo to first harm the prince and then target the crown prince, intending to collaborate with him to overthrow the crown prince and install her son on the throne.
But Li Fu Guo was not easily manipulated. While he outwardly cooperated with Zhang, he secretly considered her a pawn and laid traps for her. Given Zhang’s arrogant and haughty nature, she found this difficult to accept.
Eventually, the relationship between Zhang and Li Fu Guo broke down. Not only did her plan to depose the crown prince fail, but she also incurred Li Fu Guo’s hatred, who plotted to have her killed. When Tang Daizong ascended the throne, he demoted Zhang from her position as empress to that of a commoner, sealing her fate.
However, as a child, Zhang was not like this. Born into a prestigious family, she was intelligent, witty, and eloquent from a young age. When Suzong Li Heng was still the crown prince, she was brought into his palace and became his favored concubine. Later, witnessing the Tang Dynasty’s weakness after the Anshi Rebellion, she believed she had an opportunity to seize power and made it her goal.
Nonetheless, during the reign of Tang Suzong, eunuchs’ interference in state affairs caused significant troubles for the imperial family, threatening the dynasty’s survival. Therefore, Tang Daizong decided to demote Zhang as a warning to other concubines, preventing them from manipulating court affairs. In conclusion, given her crimes, Zhang’s punishment was just, and her death was not undeserved.
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