In August of the fourth year of Chang 'an, Wu Zetian was bedridden.
At the beginning of September, there was a sudden change in the weather. It snowed heavily in Chang 'an. The strange weather caused a lot of rumors.
As early as late August, the Turkic general who had previously submitted to Wu Zhou, Chile Wenchong, suddenly rebelled. The news reached Chang 'an in mid-September. After Wu Zetian listened to the military reports from her sickbed, she immediately issued a decree, appointing Prime Minister Yao Chong as the Lingwu Dao's ambassador to pacify the rebellion.
Although Yao Chong was a civil official, he had practiced martial arts since childhood and knew about military affairs. Back when the Khitans had rebelled, Yao Chong had submitted many petitions to the Empress. His analysis of the military situation was very thorough, and he was always right on the mark. Wu Zetian had thought of him as a genius, which was why she had promoted him to the position of Assistant Minister of the Xia Empire, and now he was the Prime Minister.
Therefore, it was reasonable for Wu Zetian to send him to lead the army. At this time, no one realized that this was the second wave of counterattack launched by Wu Zetian against the officials. The bedridden Wu Zetian did not give up her desire for power. After careful consideration, she was about to start a series of personnel appointments. She wanted to adjust the power structure of the imperial court according to her vision.
Yao Chong was about to lead the army, so there was a vacancy in the Prime Minister's position. According to tradition, Wu Zetian had to ask the Prime Minister who had retired or left their posts due to other accidents. In fact, the Political Affairs Hall was overcrowded with Prime Ministers. There had never been so many Prime Ministers in the past.
But how many Prime Ministers could be as smart and capable as Cen Zhangqian, Ren Zhigu, Pei Xingben, Di Renjie, and Wei Yuanzhong? The current Prime Minister was either a flatterer like Yang Zaisi, who sat in his position without doing anything, or a treacherous person like Su Weiwei, who was hesitant and ambiguous.
On the other hand, Wu Zetian was old and weak. She did not have enough energy to deal with so many affairs of the country. She now relied on the Prime Ministers more than ever, so she needed someone who could really do things. Yao Chong recommended Assistant Minister Qiu Guan Zhang Jianzhi to Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian recalled that Elder Di had also recommended him, so she gladly agreed.
Of course, Wu Zetian knew that since Yao Chong recommended Zhang Jianzhi, then Zhang Jianzhi must have the same aspirations as Yao Chong. However, she also knew that she needed such a person to govern the country. No matter what, Zhang Jianzhi had just become the Prime Minister and was ranked last among the Prime Ministers. He should not be as extreme as Yao Chong.
After a period of time, when the foundation of this invitation was gradually established, like Yao Chong, when he was too big to be removed, she could just replace him. In the twenty years that she had been in power as the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, she had changed more than seventy Prime Ministers. Since ancient times, there had never been an Emperor who changed their Prime Ministers as frequently as she did. She had long been familiar with this move.
What's more, Zhang Jianzhi was the same age as her and was already eighty years old. She did not have many days left to live. Zhang Jianzhi was so old, what kind of storm could he stir up? Therefore, Wu Zetian relaxed her vigilance against him. After Yao Chong led the army into battle, Zhang Jianzhi was appointed as the Administrator of Luantai of the Phoenix Pavilion. He entered the Political Affairs Hall and became the current Prime Minister.
The day Zhang Jianzhi paid his respects to the Prime Minister was the twenty-second day of the tenth month in the fourth year of Chang 'an.
On the twenty-third day, Wu Zetian appointed Wei Sili, the Assistant Minister of the Phoenix Pavilion, as the Administrator of Wei Province.
On the thirtieth day, Wu Zetian appointed Fang Rong, the Assistant Minister of Huaizhou, as the Administrator of Wei Province.
On the fifth day of the eleventh month, Wu Zetian appointed Wei Chengqing, the Assistant Minister of Heavenly Official, as the Assistant Minister of the Phoenix Pavilion.
The series of appointments was like an airtight combination of punches, mercilessly punched out.
Wei Sili and Wei Chengqing were brothers. When the two brothers entered the Cabinet at the same time to pay their respects to the Prime Minister, it caused a sensation. What made people wary was that these two brothers were close to the Second Zhang.
As for Fang Rong, the Assistant Minister of Huaizhou, he had once participated in the compilation of the "Pearl of the Three Schools" and was now part of the Second Zhang faction.
While Wu Zetian was making these changes, she had been bedridden the entire time. These edicts had all been issued through the internal court, causing the people to grow increasingly suspicious. Many people said that these edicts had not been issued by the Empress, that the Empress was already seriously ill and unconscious, and that this was the Second Zhang's fake edicts to expand his own power.
In truth, although Wu Zetian was bedridden and had even stopped attending court, she was not so weak that she could not see things. At the very least, she had summoned the Prime Ministers in front of her. She had spoken clearly and thought clearly in front of them.
However, the Crown Prince's Faction, the Prince of Xiang's Faction, the Prince of Liang's Faction, and the other factions naturally would not stand out to refute these rumors. These rumors were beneficial to them, and they were happy to see them. Many of these rumors had actually been fabricated and spread by their own people.
When Wu Zetian promoted three of the Second Zhang's henchmen into the political faction, she set out to remove the second thorn in her side. Ever since Wei Yuanzhong had been demoted, Yao Chong had become the highest representative of the anti-Zhang faction in the Political Affairs Hall, the first thorn in Wu Zetian's eyes.
Now that Yao Chong had been dispatched to Lingwu to quell the rebellion, the second important leader of the anti-Zhang faction, Song Jing, had become a thorn that she urgently needed to remove. Wu Zetian issued an edict ordering Song Jing to go to Yangzhou, Youzhou, Longyou, and Bashu.
Of these four places, one was in the east, one was in the north, one was in the west, and one was in the south. If Jiaozhi was added, then Song Jing would have to go around the borders of the Wuzhou Empire. Even if Song Jing wanted to go through these four places, it would take him at least a year or two.
Song Jing knew that Wu Zetian wanted to transfer him out of the capital. He was the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Censor. Once he left, the empress could replace the important position of the Imperial Censor with the Second Zhang's faction. At that time, the Second Zhang's position would be even harder to shake. Therefore, Song Jing brazenly resisted the edict and refused to leave.
Song Jing ran into the palace and stood in front of Wu Zetian. He righteously and sternly refused, "As the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Censor, I have the responsibility of supervising the hundreds of officials, and the imperial court is the center of the hundreds of officials. Therefore, the Deputy Minister cannot leave the imperial court unless it is an important matter of the country. If it is not an important matter of the country, I cannot leave!"
Song Jing's act made Wu Zetian very angry. However, Wu Zetian did not want to make her purpose too obvious, so she could only swallow her anger. However, with her series of actions in this short period of time, as long as one was not blind, who could not see what she wanted to do?
Facing the Empress's counterattack, the officials were in fear and trepidation. What they were most worried about was that Wu Zetian's illness had not improved. Every day, only Second Zhang could serve the Emperor. The time that the officials could see the Emperor was getting less and less. They were worried that Second Zhang would take the risk and forge an imperial edict when the Empress was in danger.
If such a scene really happened, even if they could still control the situation, they would not be able to stand on their feet in the law. In the history books, they would definitely be marked as "rebels and traitors". This was something they could not tolerate.
Prime Minister Cui Xuanwei could not hold back and went to the harem to see the Empress. He suggested to her, "The Crown Prince and the Prince of Xiang are Your Majesty's biological sons. They are benevolent, filial, and good enough to serve Your Majesty's soup and medicine. Your Majesty should order the two princes to serve by your side. It is better not to let people of different surnames freely enter and exit the palace."
Wu Zetian smiled faintly and said, "Prime Minister Cui's good intentions, I am grateful for your hospitality."
However, Wu Zetian did not accept Cui Xuanwei's suggestion. The officials became even more anxious. They were already completely opposed to Second Zhang, but now the sword that should belong to the Emperor was in Second Zhang's hands. No one could predict what would happen next.
The sword was already hanging over their heads. They only had one choice: rise up and resist!
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