How a Nun Became China's Only Female Emperor - Wu Zetian (Part 1)
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
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Ah yes, guess I'm officially a Historytuber now.
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Info Sources:
The Old Book of Tang 旧唐书
The New Book of Tang 新唐书
Tang Huiyao 唐会要
Zizhi Tongjian 资治通鉴
Meng Man Talks Wu Zetian
蒙曼说武则天 • 《百家讲坛》蒙曼 女皇武则天 01 不要问我...
Empress Wu Portrait in Thumbnail: Art by 朽铂, commisioned by me
C-Dramas the Actor Representations Were Taken From:
Wu Zetian 武则天 (1995)
Secret History of Wu Zetian 武则天秘史 (2011)
Empress of China 武媚娘传奇 (2014)
Peace in Palace, Peace in Changan 天下长安 (Yet to Air)
Get my #1 NYT bestselling debut novel IRON WIDOW, a sci-fi reimagining of China's only female emperor Wu Zetian (with giant mechas!), out now!! ironwidow.com/
My Chinese Percy Jackson meets Yugioh book, ZACHARY YING AND THE DRAGON EMPEROR, is now also available! zacharyying.com/
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My Chinese History & Culture Tweet Collections: xiranjayzhao.co...
SO MANY LI'S TO KEEP TRACK OF, SMH TANG DYNASTY
ikr
btw when will part 2 be out just wondering so i can be online
Me: hey, how many li’s are there?
Tang Dynasty: *_yes_*
Wu killed quite a few already
Love your new profile picture.
It's g O L d e N
Taizong: becomes Emperor through a coup
His son: attempts a coup
Taizong: *surprised pikachu face*
Tbf almost every new generation in court had mini-coups and fratricide. As well as extra struggles within the harem.
Chinese imperial history has quite a few similarities to ottoman history in a weird way.
As an example, Suleiman the Magnificent's dad became Sultan by using the army to coup Suleiman's grandfather. So when his own oldest son Mustafa got really popular with the army and randomly mobilized a contingent of soldiers loyal to him to join the Sultan while he was campaigning in Persia, he got suspicious. And when the grandvizier told Suleiman that Mustafa was planning to overthrow and kill him, he took no chances. Mustafa got fucking merc'd by a goonsquad of soldiers the second he stepped foot in his old man's command tent.
Only it turns out the grandvizier was the one who told Mustafa to visit his dad in the first place, because he was also the son-in-law of Suleiman's favourite wife and she wanted Mustafa dead to protect her own sons. Whoops.
@@sherlocksmuuug6692 This is why the harem system is always a bad idea, imagine having to constantly bury your kids cuz they're all either fighting for the throne or trying to survive. I would be so sad.
@@wajeehahmumin1675 to be fair they only loves and like the kids from the favorite wife the other can eat dirt.
@@ragsrare3771 Well, thats unfair...😨
Patriarchy: *exists
Wu Zetian: And then I took it personally
Historians: And then we took it personally
Xiran: And then I took it personally!
@@planclops
Me:"and I watched it personally!"
This thread is gold
@@goldenbunnies4143 this thread took it personally
@@theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella FAHJDKF
“I heard you told my brother to kill me”
“And he’d still be alive if he listened”
😂😂😂
Gets me everytime
I cackled
*No,no... He's not wrong.*
Ok but he was right😂😂
That was the first black sassy grandma in recorded history.
"This will be genetically relevant" is a phrase that should be used more when talking about dynastic/monarchical history.
love your pfp
"Henry VIII had trouble making legitimate children. This will be genetically relevant."
"Taizong pulled a coup to take the throne. This will be genetically relevant"
"So. Heard you told my brother to kill me."
"YEAH AND HE'D STILL BE ALIVE IF HE'D LISTENED"
ancient Chinese scholars absolutely shredding it.
I love all your history / culture videos and I am learning SO MUCH from them
"Indulge in the gay as a hobby"
That's almost an Oscar Wilde thing to say, I must admit
They can have a little sausage, as a treat.
Tbh, when you're a ruler of something, indulge in gay definitely on check list 😂
Idk, it's also very Greco-Roman.
@@WowUrFcknHxC very fitting consider Wilde diddled young boys
@@vincentmalasawmkimajongte7489 oh sheez
Getting history lessons from Xiran is the best thing ever.
Agreed. I want all the history lessons. This is absolutely amazing.
History gossip is the best gossip.
Yeessssss! Please teach me more!
It beats the hell out of learning from Dynasty Warriors games. Which I have to admit did spark an interest.
Yasss
God I love Chinese imperial history. It’s simultaneously so well documented and yet so wildly exaggerated.
It's almost like they knew people would be bored of reading facts, so they embellished it to enjoy and remember it
@@lelnel6242 The Chinese imperial historians know what's going on.
I'm now kinda starting to wonder, like 20k years from now, once the historians of that time, read ironwidow, will they think that is also a viable source of chinese history? 😏😏
The originators of Fan Fiction.
A lot of history is exaggerated. Just ask anyone in Europe who claimed to have divine right, like their blood is supposed to be different than that of commoners just because they're royal, lol.
I've seen/heard people call her "China's first empress" or "China's only empress", but there were many empresses before and after her. So thank you for specifically calling her the "China's only female emperor" because it's not the same thing. Love the in depth history on your channel though, you eally spill all the tea and I appreciate that.
Empress Regnant.
@@prestonjones1653 read the video title
@@dotdotdot...176
I did. The actual term, in English anyway, is Empress Regnant as opposed to Empress, Mrs. Emperor.
@@prestonjones1653 the thing is though, she wasn't _just_ regent, she then ruled in her own right and technically started her own dynasty
@@dotdotdot...176
You do realize there is a difference between regent and REGNANT right?
Regnant means "ruler"
Regent means "babysitter"
The lack of edit cuts shows how much she loves talking about all this, it's inspiring. I know very few UA-camrs that can rock this smooth speaking
There is a reason why so much of the history of Dynastic China was turned into soap operas: so much of it was utterly dramatic without even the over-exaggeration.
I knowwww right? That’s why I keep watching her videos, it’s like having a conversation with someone talking about what they’re genuinely interested in.
yeah! and they use they/them pronouns btw
@@jjjm7322 xiran uses any pronouns casually, but prefers they/them on official bios, which a youtube comment is not
Do you think her cat can teleport? Admittedly, it is a cool cat.
Xiran has such an amazing way of storytelling history, it’s a real talent.
I wholeheartedly agree! Not only does she has a talent of storytelling, she also writes her own scripts in comparison with other wonderful UA-camrs with a large budget and teams who writes for the talent. Xiran has such a rare talent!
Apologies for using the word "talent" so much...
Agreed! It’s like being told some fantastic gossip from your friends workplace: you don’t have any personal involvement, you just get to enjoy the ride
and my nerd brain is like: Having her as a GM in a Historical CHina setting with all the fables and mystical creatures as "real" would be awesome :-D
Yes! I wish she would do a podcast about badass women in Chinese history
Xiran tells a history lesson like they're your friend who's telling you all the latest gossip
*they, Xiran is nonbinary 💕
/nm
@@starsiadraws oh my bad I'll correct it
Honestly all history needs to be taught like this. History is interesting but it's hampered by piss poor storytelling. If all history was taught like this it would be everyone's favorite subject. Everyone likes to act like they hate gossip but everyone pays at least some attention to it when it starts.
@@razorflossrazor2937 I'd agree... conditionally. I think some stories of history might simply lack the context and ideas to be told like a gossip story. I mean, military history is usually told with epic proportions blessed by the gods or with righteous warriors fighting with superhuman might, and those sugarcoated stories often work as they are. I'd say that the way you do the storytelling as well as the effort/quality you put into the storytelling are both important.
I mean, whos to say Xiran isnt an immortal and saw it all go down and this *is* actually gossip.
Emperor Taizong: who can tame this horse?
Wu Zetian: I can! And if I can't I slit the horse's throat!
Taizong: Oh...that's nice 👀😰
Taizong: ua-cam.com/video/L3aDgq5HQeM/v-deo.html
poor taizong lol.
his underlings: was trying to kill him
his sons: want to kill his own sons
his wife: want to slit his horse throat
he sound like he's surrounded by psycho lol
You have to admire her problem solving skills, as savage as they were. She would have been a ruthless CEO in modern times.
@@mushroomexpress3049 and Taizong killed his brothers....not much different
@@ataventurine7515 I mean its under self defense. while his surrounding esp his sons has a pretty weird reason to kill (atleast the reasoning are not something we can understand on modern society)
37:11 I love that Li Ji was just like "This is your family problems man, i dont care" Dude legit dodged so many stress bullets by not attending the meetings and just let people battle it out since he ain't gonna get favors by either sides anyway.
Actually, he means ' Your majesty, I will support you whatever.' He was dodging first because he wasn't sure how far the Emperor would like to go when confronting zhangsun, the Emperor's own teacher and uncle.
“Chengfei: consort of the polar star” its always amazed me how much information can be conveyed with so few syllables in Chinese languages
Words in Chinese language are more like hieroglyphic symbols to describe the stuffs they are talking about.
^ syllables!
Maybe it's better translated as "PolarisConsort". Not two syllables, but at least you can pronounce it in one breath...
@@roelin360says who? Efficient based on what?
One of the reasons I started learning Chinese is that because I think this language is beautiful
"you can have a little gay after marriage and children, as a treat" ~ ancient china
No gay until you finish your responsibilities as a husband and father
@@user-ie7vo1hj3j well they have exceptions too....gay before and after marriage
@@ataventurine7515 yeah gay and all but where baby??
@@nyooom3299 are you wordblind or something? I literally just mention the word “marriage”, you illiterate
Mom says it’s my turn to do the Gay
They say historians are the biggest fans of gossip, and as a historian realizing how deeply I am into this video like it was the newest scandal, I had never felt more in tune with that statemet. It feels like watching a telenovela, Im at the edge of my seat Xiran!
yes this is literally me. I'm also a historian and every time i learn some fun stories like this i'm like ooooohh girl the drama!
I'm not a historian, but I'm really into gossip and secrets, so from that perspective it also checks out.
That feels especially true with this kind of history of nobility, where it is pretty gossipy.
I’m really into the Golden Age of Piracy and every time I learn new things everybody has to hear about it like this is the newest and most exciting gossip xD
Historians are just gossipers that got upset they missed the biggest bits of gossip that happened before they were even born.
16:33
"Taizong, notable brother-and-nephew-murderer went, 'Wth is wrong with my sons'"
I died
I wonder if there's a specific Chinese word for "brother-and-nephew-murderer"? lol
@@davidshi451 Guess no in modern Chinese, but may had been created in the past cuz of the flexibility of the Chinese language system. Rather then creating new word or import vocabs from other languages like European languages usually does, Chinese usually creates new yet short vocabs by combining different Chinese characters. i.e. physics = 物理 = 物(object, substance) + 理(reason, theory, principle) = principles of substances; democracy = 民主 = 民(civilian, citizen, people) + 主(master, dominate, lead) = citizen-leading system.
So in this case, the “brother-and-nephew-murderer” could be “弒親者” = 弒 (to murder, killing people of higher social/family ranking, used in classical literature) + 親 （family) + 者 (-er/ person) = family murderer, cuz in Chinese, people tend to keep vocab short. However, you still can created something like “兄姪殺手” = 兄 brother + 姪 nephew + 殺手 killer (殺 = kill, 手 = -er/ hand), people still get it when seeing the word written but might be confused when first hearing that.
BTW, I am not from where Chinese communist ruled, but I want to mention that “gay people” are translated as “同志” in Chinese, originally used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, which I found it funny. Cuz while 同 = same and 志 = aim/will/ambition, “同志” is commonly referenced in Chinese Communist Party as “comrade”. So when Taiwanese/HKer see any film involving historical Chinese/ Soviet communist in the past, it’s kinda hilarious that they are calling each other “my gay fellow” in war or tense scenes unintentionally lol. PS. Homosexual = 同性戀 = 同 same + 性 sex + 戀 love = same-sex love, also commonly used even in the Japanese language but more formal.
@@billylee6062 I mean as for the gay/comrade thing have you seen the Sino Soviet friendship posters. Ain't nothing straight about those
@@sarahluise3153 Ohhhhhhhhhh yeh the posters hahaha, then their choice of word makes sense LOL
"to pay his DISrespects!" It is so enjoyable to watch you tell these stories!
Empress wang: what do you see your self in 5 years?
Wu zetian: in your position
She didn't spend 12 lonely years as the emperor's forgotten concubine, she was grooming his youngest son to be her man puppet... You have to admire her ability to play a very long game.
I mean, the way it's told in the video it seems that Wu Zetian didn't start her affair until after Li Zhi became crown prince. No one could have predicted that the emperor's third son with the queen would eventually take the throne, especially when Wu Zetian first joined the harem, when Li Zhi wasn't even a teenager and both of his older brothers were promising heirs.
Did she groom him..? I wouldn't say so. The power imbalance was heavily in his favor, he was probably already married when their affair began, and just because she clearly had influence over him doesn't mean he was groomed. That's my interpretation, anyway.
Reminds me of the Old Testament.
@@benjamintillema3572 From what I could tell in the interpretation of this video, yeah I agree with your assessment. He already had kids with like 3 other concubines and he'd been married to his future empress since they were 13-14, he certainly had a lot more power and agency than she did though it's clear she knew how to manipulate him emotionally.
@@benjamintillema3572 ‘grooming’, in very specific circumstances, can have a neutral connotation between a master and a student. If she was helping him gain power by helping him learn and navigate palace politics, she could be said to be grooming him to rule (and planning to use his gratitude/reliance on her to gain her own power alongside him). In this circumstance, the only power imbalance is within a larger group using skill and experience (and maybe social connections), not any sort of power imbalance between two people. It isn’t at all the same sort of gross s3xuaI grooming that most people think of, despite what might have been happening in bed between them (which at it’s most mercenary is just the normal cultivating a connection/winning hearts that you would expect in a harem).
Li Zhi was the youngest son of Empress Zhangsun, but I don't think he's the youngest one (there were probably younger ones whose mothers were concubines).
This made Wu's "grooming" strategy even more impressive. She knew that Li Zhi had a much higher chance of getting on the throne than all his half-brothers around his age. While the older princes were busy fighting with each other, Wu placed her bet on Li Zhi instead. Then she very skillfully won his affection and respect to the point that he decided to make her the empress.
I believe that Li Zhi truly saw something in her that's different from all the beautiful young noble ladies around him. He had a number of concubines since a young age (it's a tradition for young princes to be assigned a bunch of concubines, mostly as political alliance between the emperor family and the noble families). So it's not like he was very inexperienced with women and could be easily manipulated by an older woman.
Apart from the grooming experience, he probably also realised that Wu was an incredible strategist that could support and advise him in his reign. His father set a good example of respecting the opinions of his wife. It makes sense that he would also value extremely intelligent women like Wu. His high regard of her over decades of marriage was a testimony to Wu's political genius and capabilities.
“You know what the supposed soft boy was actually doing while his dad was on his death bed? Banging concubine Wu”
🤣🤣🤣 This is the greatest thing I have ever heard
Wang: "Why not bring that nun you like here?"
Gaozong: "Oh boy, my sex mommy is coming home! Now I can get married FOR REAL!"
Wang: "I've made a huge mistake."
yoo!!!!!
I love yoo fan yeee
What do you think Nol will do as a plot twist?
@@raycearcher5794 It was at this moment she knew, she fucked up
@@raycearcher5794 not “sex mommy” 😆
"Women can't become emperors"
Wu Zetian: Haha. *No* 💅
Pretty much.
Charlotte Linlin, Empress of the Sea
what if you
wanted to only no women in power
but Wu ZeTian said "lmao, XD"
Well, she didn't become emperor either - she was an empress.
So that statement is technically correct... The best kind of correct!
I liked this comment too much.
Empress Wang was one of the saddest person I have heard of, she wasn't infertile, she didn't have any children because her husband didn't give a damn about her, how sad.
I'm also not infertile, buf also I don't give a damn, so-
Yeah consider Li Zhi’s favouring of the seductive and ambitious “femme fatale” type of women like Wu and Xiao, I think Empress Wang was just really really not his type.
Arranged political marriages are just sad🥲
Nah it wasn't like that at all. Empress Wang came from THE most prominent family in China at the time. She had the backing of the most powerful political coalition and was nobody's frumpy housewife. She routinely missed Empress/wife duties just because she didn't feel like it, and her family never even bowed to the Emperor when they came to the palace. Their marriage was nothing but a political alliance. It was very unlikely that she was truly in love with Gaozong judging from historical records. It was more likely that she actually looked down on Gaozong and the Li clan because they were noveau riche and half breed.
I think the sadder thing is that she would have been happier had she actually had the chance to be with a partner who actually loved her as she was.
yea, she definitely got screwed over by fate. she was unfortunately the perfect woman paired with a man who didn't want then-society's standards for perfect women.
"His other sons thought they deserved everything because they had penises" is basically the entire history of humankind, summarized.
Also, I greatly appreciate the images to keep track of who's who, as someone who completely sucks at remembering names.
I looked at your ppf out of the corner of my eye, and thought: "Wow looks like the Wendy's wants to learn history."
@@ed_sheerans_left_toe lmaoooo
Agreed! They really help to establish who these people were beyond just a name, too. I'm wondering where the images come from, they look like they're from some major historical drama, which would be huge fun to watch but I'm guessing it doesn't come with English subtitles.
You ignore the fact that prior to bronze age, matriarchy what's also common, pharaohs married their sisters because they had the power.
Cringe
I wanted to say as a person who is terrible with keeping track of a large cast with English names let alone forren ones I really appreciated the use of images to help us keep track of who you are talking about.
Honestly same. Even WITH the pictures I got lost several times due to the dang similarities of names and had to go back to my last checkpoint where I wasn't confused. Absolutely stunning video! Cannot WAIT for part two!!!
I had to watch it a few times. Granted history is not my strong suit and even if these were western names I would have still have had the issue. So it’s not a reflection of this video and honestly watching over and over again is super enjoyable.
Same the pictures are so helpful in recognizing them
I also appreciate that she used the C-drama pics not old paintings bc i watched the drama lmao
Yes! I was so glad to have a face to match to a name while watching and rewatching this. Made it so much easier!
Like you said, I think it's highly unlikely she murdered her daughter. Babies are very fragile, and even if she wasn't obviously sick, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome could have been what happened.
If the baby died of SID, she might even have genuinely believed her rivals did it. People look for easy explanations in time of grief, especially if the explanation comes with someone/something to dump all your anger on.
@@duceagle6625 That's a good point. I hadn't thought of that.
I also heard somewhere that her baby could've suffocated because of being near a coal brazier, and the carbon monoxide poisoned her (since it was cold in the palace, and ventilation was poor).
@@duceagle6625 Thats actually a really good point. I doubt it was clear to them all that they need to fix the conditions of their hones to stop their babies from dying so that mightve been a real possibility in her head
It's the male historians who made up this story to make her look bad.
Chengxin's name was given to him by Li Chengqian, literally meaning "belonging to (my) heart". It's so heartbreaking honestly
All I could think of was Li Chengqian saying "ugh, dad, did you seriously murder my boyfriend?" and flipping his bangs like a 2006 emo kid.
In all seriousness, it's sad that he wasn't able to be with his love in the long term because of tradition.
I cant blame him for his reaction to the murder of his beloved.
It would have destroyed me were I in his place.
Did someone say Cheng Xing?? As in that gay one
That's not very accurate. "称心" means "content in heart". It's notorious because aristocrats generally treat their "male concubines" as sex toys.
@@starsiadraws🎉
35:50 - "THEN HE THREW HIS JADE TABLET- Officials in ancient China held these long jade tablets in their hands when they went to imperial council meetings- HE THREW THE TABLET ON THE GROUND AND KOWTOWED UNTIL HIS FOREHEAD BLED."
thank you for adding that, Xiran, i found it hilarious
feel like reality TV in ancient China would've been absolutely wild
Real
Ah, Wu Zeitan was the middle daughter, that explains everything.
It really explains that burning desire to climb the ladder and prove herself🔥😂
The middle child really does get the worst end of everything. Good for Wu Zeitan.
24:54 I was a janitor for a time and i can say with 100% confidence, we know EVERYTHING that is going on in our place of work. So for her to buddy up to the palace servants was a move of genius.
And you fly under the radar, too.
Wow, this court drama has all my favorite things. Queer romance, strong women using the power structures available to them, respect for the value of the working class. This is far more captivating than any story I've heard about European royals (though I'm sure there's good ones I haven't heard)
I feel you on this!
*Sips in the mountains of chineese court drama series*
You're going to love historical Chinese dramas then
This story is kinda similar to hurrem sultan's story with Suleiman, I watched the series a while ago and I immediately thought of her and her struggle in the harem
@@Fisinocean can you tell me some good ones?
I love it how she shifts from casual English to a correct Chinese pronunciation on a whim.
they*
@@NightOwlReader2790 they who?
@@Mateus_Pereira_Silva xiran uses they/them pronouns mostly. At least they prefer those. But they do use any pronouns so.... anyway they = xiran.
That’s just how bilingual people works
@@axelNodvon2047 I grew up speakig two languages and I can't pronounce neither of them like she does.
I love the way this is told. I want MORE history time!
Also, General Li Ji sounds like such a chilled out bro, with no time for Emperor Bullshit.
XD yea-
He survived bc he knew better than to mess with politics
My man was like "bro don't ask the chancellors. This is a personal thing. I really don't care"
If any of my history classes were this entertaining I might've paid more attention in my lectures
Yeah, I learn more from UA-cam then I did from my school curriculum.
No school is ever truely engaging
I feel a bit sorry for my kids. Seems like history classes are going to get more restrictive in my neck of the woods.
@@eldorados_lost_searcher How so?
@@hhoi8225
Let's just say that the state government leans more to heroic myth than fact.
The timing, the inflection, the storytelling! Literally if my history classes had been this fun to listen to, I'd have majored in it in uni! I legit clicked the video as something to listen to in the background, but got sucked into the story and couldn't focus on anything else until the video ended. Absolutely loved this, can't wait for part 2.
Imagine if your teacher just stopped and said, "and today's lesson is sponsored by Surfshark..."
@@bananakitofinternetclan8350 tbh that would be hilarious
@@bananakitofinternetclan8350 That would be a real power move.
not to mention her amazing historical costume
This is better than any soap opera. My goodness, this is so darn entertaining. Just one cup of boiling hot tea after the other. And the way you present it, Xiran, is so fun and engaging.
I don’t know if she will talk about the warring periods in ancient China, but I really hope she does. There were sooooo many of them (bless the civilians for suffering through so much…), not just the famous Three Kingdom period. Game of Thrones is child’s play compared to them. The “main characters” in those Chinese wars died for all sorts of reasons all the damn time. You couldn’t root for any of them😂
Hold on, the kettles done. Let me get my tea.
That's why Chinese just watch period dramas. There's literally so many Game of Thrones storylines to choose from every dynasty LOL.
Xiran goes by they/them, you might want to edit your comment
Ikr
i really disliked the interpretation of some c-dramas that wu xetian is this innocent girl who is morally pure and always the victim. some of the c dramas i watched made wu zetian extremely passive and reactive: bad things happen to her, but she herself doesn’t do many bad things, OR when she does do bad things, it’s usually without her knowledge and accidental. these modern producers just write that wu zetian is framed, or she’s tricked into killing someone, or it’s an accident or coincidence, while the historical wu zetian likely did a lot of terrible shit. how on earth did they take this morally vague, extremely ambitious person and think “oh poor girl look at the terrible things that HAPPENED to her, that she definitely didn’t do herself”??
there’s this traditional idea that women are always pure, and the mental gymnastics they do to justify any historically ambiguous events honestly diminishes how ambitious and long-sighted she was. more importantly, it reinforces the idea that women are demure and submissive, and the bending-over-backwards that they did to make her morally perfect is lowkey just another form of patriarchal propaganda
Yeah Empress of China tv series was guilty of this. I hate its portrayal of Wu Zetian :))) she was such a dumbass Mary Sue
Y'all check out her novel. The MC is based off of Wu and she does some "terrible" shit to reach her goals.
Interesting bc the ones i come across always have her as an evil selfish goal oriented woman. 🤷🏻♀️
@@kotorisama3080 well at least they are accurate than the innocent Wu Zetian ones.
And how in the end it's the "Patriarchal Propaganda"? When logically speaking it's more akin to " Feminist Propaganda"?
About 10 minutes in I changed from watching on my phone to watching on my TV. This was deserving of more than my phone screen could offer. A few minutes after that, I decided this needed popcorn and wine as I watched. Can't wait to figure out what happens next. 🤗
LMAOOO I’m dead
Okay but so true
same😂😂😂
If my zoom history classes were taught like this I would be a straight A student
Fr, we just have hungover two-year college grads trying to teach us like they were teached.
Only class I would actually attend and would pass
Xiran is the only person I genuinely listens to regarding VPN ads. I mean, I also watch comedians ads, but it's more for the bit. With Xiran I'm like "Okay, this person obviously has use for that product." That, and the "I'm blocked by a whole government" from a few vids ago made me chuckle, although it is a serious issue.
You know its funny that you say that because I feel the same way. Lol. When other UA-camrs do it I just skip through that part but I've actually listened to the entire ad on Xiran's videos. XD
we are but small rebels helping her flout the Chinese government
23:23
Relationships 101 with Xiran
"It's not about what you do for a man or how hard you try to please him. No, it's about whether you and him have a genuine connection and whether he truly respects you.
A while back someone on Twitter said they're telling their child their first time should be with someone who respects them regardless if love is involved, and I'm thinking that's extremely good advice.
I love how fluidly she can just tackle these names, I would be butchering these SO badly. It’s really enjoyable to hear how they’re supposed to be said. Alright now all that aside, THIS EMPRESS IS MY NEW HERO OMFG
@Babba Yaaga You realize your being sarcastic over me showing appreciation at the language of another culture. That makes you look like a real ass
Xiran is chinese... so of course its not difficult
They use they/ them. :)
@@kidscovez seconded
@@kidscovez xiran uses any pronouns casually, but prefers they/them on official bios, which a youtube comment is not.
The only good legacy of Disney's live action Mulan was bringing me here to your channel.
Im
I've been digging the Wu Zetian history for months now, but never seen a video, even from channels dedicated to history, with such DEPTH into her story. Im amazed and SO grateful for that 💜💜💜💜💜
"A mystical version of judging someone by their looks" 😂😂😂💀 So real
Those eyebrows have some real ambience, don't they?
This title essentially means “I know there’s already an empress - but her, consort Wu - that’s my real top ho right there.”
Just finished Iron Widow! Really cool to see how you kept things like the nicknames "Charming Lady" and "Polar Star". Tbh I wasn't really able to watch this video before I read the book because there're so many names (mostly Li's), hard to remember who's who. AFTER reading though, I can be all "OH! THAT'S THE GUY SHIMIN WAS BASED ON!" and "YAY OUR SOFT BOI YIZHI!" - weird learning the originals were father and son, but that's why Iron Widow's only ~loosely~ inspired by history, I see. Can't wait for book 2! Quite the cliffhanger!
The funny thing is that Li Shimin from Iron Widow shares the same name as Emperor Taizong (his birth name is Li Shimin). But Yizhi, though he shares a lot of characteristics with soft boi Emperor Gaozong, got his name from Zhang Yizhi, Wu Zetian's lover
“He started acting out in all sorts of weird ways “
Oh like being disrespectful?
“he sent an assassin after his tutor”
WHAT. 😨
"Oh he just started yelling at his da- OH"
16:11 Aww, just when you thought Li Chengqian was separating himself from his family, turns out he was just following in his father's footsteps of planning a coup against your dad and brothers. I love it when kids adopt the family tradition all on their own- it's so heartwarming!
Well, it's probably a notorious story passed around. These princes had advisors themselves and they could have instilled the idea into their heads!
to be fair, his dad did kill his boyfriend. If web novels taught me one thing, it's that aristocrats get really fucking dramatic about their boyfriends
Ancient China sounds like a perfect drama I never knew I needed in my life
The most popular tv shows in China and Taiwan are actually historical dramas. It's like Game of Thrones, but with thousands of years worth material to work with.
A great Chinese drama is The Untamed
the untamed and word of honour are great😍 I love cdramas so much esp historical ones
There is a lot of historical Chinese drama in UA-cam. Also a lot of harem drama.
I recommend Nirvana in Fire.
Well harems were common back in ancient China & the Middle East. China needs to make me some reverse harem shows.
I have yet to make time to watch NiF. Heard it’s good and I LOVE Wu Lei, but he’s way too young for me in that one. He grew up into a super fine hottie in The Long Ballad, though, and now he has that new ongoing show I’m currently watching ✨❤️🔥✨. Also loved The Untamed and so many more 💕
I love when historical events legit sound like a drama series.
That's why they make so many cdramas about court intrigues
I think the people recording the history also enjoyed them sounding like dramas lol
Theres a show on prime and i swear it has to be based off of this.
@@annie-tu1oy empresses in the palace - the complete series. It’s on Amazon prime for free !
We Zetian is honestly one of my all time favorite historical figures and I'm really excited to see the rest of this!
You achieved the art of an interesting history lesson and keeping it under an hour. Thank you. It was enjoyable. The next thing, are you going to do a video on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings? It would be interesting to hear your take on it.
17:49
Soft Boy Li Zhi: Wow, Dad, thanks for having faith in me! Why are you taking out your sword? Oh, no.
"Father, l love this boat. But l didn't bring my bathing suit. And what are those cinderblocks for?" ~ The Small Victorian Boy About to Be Murdered, by Danny Avidan during Game Grumps.
Li Zhi: DAD NO I SWEAR I CAN EXPLAIN WHY I WAS BANGING CONCUBINE WU
Less than 10 seconds in and I’m blessed with “Have you ever failed at achieving your dreams at a young age?”
Alternate title: "The Deep Concerned Stares of the Tang Empire"
And you put as the thumbnail Xiran's expressions.
HELP 😂
I'd love an "accuracy report" from Xiran on the historical drama series 'Empress of China'
That drama is 70% fiction
Very unrealistic, even by the crazy Chinese overly exaggerated standard of history.
Pure fiction but the costumes in the series are incredible
@@JollyWanker _THIS._ Those robes were _gorgeous_ 😭
Jay Zhao 🤝 me, a Brazilian
"It's funnier in my native language I swear"
"What the hell is wrong with my sons? I certainly had nothing to do with this."
it’s so rare to find interesting, informative videos in english on chinese history! i’m pretty illiterate in chinese and my parents didn’t think it was important to tell me anything about chinese history/culture so i’ve been trying hard to basically reclaim my cultural roots and i’m so happy that you have started doing history video essays! thanks so much :)
can relate but with Indian + Bengali history ;-;
Man, Xiran's hyperfixation on China's Only Female Emperor is really something to watch
@@NWolfsson 😂
@@NWolfsson if I had money I would 100000% buy it
@@batgrrrlcock I am basing this on my U.S. region, but if you have a good library system you can request purchases and if there is enough buzz or the whims of the purchasing team will buy the item.
Or my library is linked to other libraries in the region, so if my library does not have an item and will not purchase it, sometimes libraries within the region will loan out items (not new ones tho)
@@NWolfsson we can assume this hyper-fixation started WAAAAY before they even started writing the book.
@@TehMomo_ I think at that point it’s not a hyperfixation but rather a special interest. Either way the passion for this topic is great to see.
i'm usually bored out of my mind by history, but this video had me in a chokehold. i will not rest until part 2 is out
omg hi?? also chinese and named mandy!!
4:01
What Wu Shiyue was hoping for: emperor buddy gives him a young noblewoman and they have many, many children together, mainly sons who can continue his family's legacy, so that he can see them rise up the ranks and strengthen the Wu family.
What Wu Shiyue actually got: a noblewoman older than him from the very dynasty he helped topple, with whom he has three daughters before unceremoniously dying.
Also I don't know about the timing of his first wife's death. It seems suspiciously convenient that she would die right when he could pull some strings to join the aristocracy through marriage. Maybe Wu Zeitan got her brutal pragmatism from her father as well.
hold on u onto some shit
At every pause, I’m waiting for you to cut in with “And THEN... she began to pilot mechs 😏” I am SO excited for Iron Widow!
My dad's tendency to stay up reading til late at night: *This will be genetically relevant.*
This needs to be a series spanning the Chinese history
Omg she should do the historical Chinese female figures! I knew of this badass female poet roasted bunch of male poets that would make incredible content by her storytelling lol!
I wonder if she'll get to Empress Cixi some time.
@@anirudhviswanathan3986 I'm personally hoping for something on Step Empress Ula-Nara Ruyi
There is a series
@@joshsun1446 pls, tell her name.
I love when someone talks history and manages - actually manages - to make it entertaining in a way that isn’t just from the topic being “interesting” but by doing it with passion and fire. Like this!
Please do more like this with more historical people after we finish the epic saga of Wu Zetian 😁
( ps. this kept me awake - and alert - on a bus ride at close to midnight, which just doesn’t happen otherwise)
I'm excited for part two! I love stories of women managing to rise to power despite a patriarchal society. I also ordered Iron Widow
12:56 that moment when you think having barely-teenaged girls as concubines will make them docile and easy to control and one of them cheerfully suggests bludgeoning a horse. A story which I totally buy, that is exactly the kind of thing teenagers say, especially to screw with adults.
I'm not saying Taizong got real karmic retribution for his bloody rise to power, but I'm glad that between Wu Zetian and Wei Zheng at least he wasn't comfortable.
is this sarcasm
@@tori4770 have you dealt with the edgy little shits that identify as teenagers?
@@tori4770 being related to four of them, it is very possible for one of them to say ridiculous things just to provoke a reaction.
But also there’s the very real possibility that she made up this story in a “well it’s what I WOULDA said” way later to make herself sound like more of a badass because they also did that lol
@@tori4770 lol thank you
Lol yeah I wanna think it did happen just cuz that would be so awesome
I'm grinning for two things:
1) Historical deep dive ftw
2) KITTY CAMEO! NEW KITTY!
I’ve missed Kokochin ❤️
I was so distracted by all the kitty cameos, lol
@@misslangleysoryuisiconic
What happen to that one? Been away from the internet on this side.
@@thgritic102 same here
@@misslangleysoryuisiconic
No wait! 25:06 made an appearance there. We all Gucci now 😆
It is funny (well, sad but still), how Empress Wang’s plan backfired so spectacularly.
And the world was better for it.
Empress Wang: I'll invite this nun into the palace to distract the emperor. what could possibly go wrong?
Also Empress Wang: Why do I hear boss music?
I lowkey feel bad for her. Especially when she was known for being nothing but nice.
Miss these videos 🥹
I’ve probably come back to watch them all again at least 10 times❤ hope she’ll come back and make more of these soon. They are so informative but also wonderfully paced, witty and relaxing ❤️
So Taizong killed his entire family then found his biggest hater and instigator of an assassination attempt then asked him to follow him around as a totally not gay tsundere assistant. That’s so much sigma energy I feel conflicted
So my sister was once really ashamed of her family name (she was the only Korean girl in an entirely Slavic school) and I brought up Wu Zetian (we're not actually Wu but our surname is the Korean equivalent).
Turns out that her actual surname is entirely unrelated but hey, it worked!
You don’t have the same last name as your sister? Or did you mean cousin?
@@Zhishan929 We have the same family name, yeah
I understand how she got that way given her circumstances. Hopefully she's proud of what she is now
@@dunzhen She is a lot more at peace with her identity these days, I'd say
@@principetnomusic Probably still some deep seeded feelings of inferiority... very common for Asian diaspora. She needs to genuinely fall in love with her culture and people...going to S. Korea would help if she hasn't
Here to faithfully ask that you review JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES and AMERICAN DRAGON: JAKE LONG. I hope one day this will be seen by you! Please and thank you!!
I'm over here asking for Three Delivery.
And Xiaolin Showdown
I am hard pressed to get Uncle's "One more thing..." out of my head.
@@ChristianNeihart I can’t get “MAGIC MUST DEFEAT MAGIC” with head wracking accompaniment out of mine.
Oh I'd pay good money to see her talk about American Dragon
Y'know, I've known most of this story before, but the way Xiran told it. Oh my *goodness*
I have literally never been more into political intrigue and Chinese history than in any point of my life omg-
Her stepbrothers bullying Wu Zetian = Sokka pissing off Katara and making her waterbend that iceberg
The rewatchability of the wu ze tian videos is insane. I wasn’t keeping track but this is at least the sixth time I’ve put the videos on in the background while I do chores.
When you released your first video I knew absolutely nothing about Chinese culture and history. Your channel really hooked me in and I've been eagerly waiting for you to start making this kind of videos that talk directly about history without a piece of media as reference. Again, as someone who's unfamiliar with this culture all of this is incredibly fascinating, and I'm glad your channel exists so an Eastern European like me can learn sth new. I'm looking forward to future parts of this series
I loved this , I need like 20 more of these Chinese history overview videos to binge nonstop. Thankfully there’s 5000 years worth of potential content.
Omg I got really into learning about Wu Zetian because you've mentioned her in your videos, and now you're making a whole video about her? I am SPOILED 😍
Same here :)
25:21 看到这儿我忽然想起来小时候在4399玩过一个皇帝模拟器，宫殿俯视图，然后每天晚上可以翻牌子选哪一个妃子睡，还能提拔妃子。。。哇，如果不是今天在这个视频里看到武则天被提成武昭仪，我可能这辈子都想不起这个回忆来了
You are the only person I would trust to write a novel or a show about this history. Netflix wish they had your passion
As an armchair historian of feudal times hearing "the previous regime was treated well after" is fucking crazy.
Meanwhile in Europe they were bashing babies against walls because that was how the transfer of power was "supposed to happen"
How well is subjective but they were never really starved or mistreated, really. So as long as they do not show signs of rebellion, they could even rise up to become high court officials. People can still trace their lineage that far back because of the customary tradition of allowing the previous dynasty's heirs to become Dukes.
Bro, Chinese dynasties weren't exactly angels either. Previous rulers and families were always at the risk of discreet accidents.
@@dylanrodrigues Only if the new Emperor has suspicion of them planning a coup, which is, surprisingly common. Li Shimin - Emperor Taizong is the Emperor who tolerated a lot of shit so he didn't lol.
Yeah instead of bashing babies heads, a little discreet poison could be used to get rid of the past
Yeah, imagine telling French revolutionaries to treat the king and the upper class well
This was super interesting! We didn't learn too much Chinese history in school, and your telling makes everything so easy to follow and engaging. Eagerly awaiting part 2!
I think I've read part of this story before, but the (white, American, male) writer of the version I read started in the middle and focused on the men, leaving out a lot of important background info. It's really great to fill in the gaps after so long! Really looking forward to part 2!
I can't believe I didn't put it together, I was watching this and thinking of Iron Widow (literally cannot wait to read it!!!) and didn't even realize you were the author! So exciting, I can't wait to watch all your videos :)
never ever have I been taught history in a more hilarious and informative way
I'm legit so happy you made your channel. As an American, I'm so ignorant of Chinese history and culture and you present them in such a fascinating ways!
Thank you!
Absolutely wild from start to finish can't believe I've never heard anything about this before. Ended up watching the whole thing in one sitting and immediately subscribed for part 2
This is only 0.0001% of the wildness of Chinese history😝
"Indulge in the gay as a hobby"
I know how i will come out as bisexsual.
"I like men, but i indulge in the gay as a hobby, mother."
I came to be lulled to sleep by Xiran's lovely voice and rewatch in the morning
It's 5am and I'm so enamoured with the historical tale they're telling, I can't sleep now
Edit: typo
Oh finally I understand how it was possible that a concubine of a previous emperor married his son. This was the missing piece of information I had. Thank you so very much for putting so much effort into explaining us the history of your ancestors
Wu Zetian doesn't just step on you, she kicks you off the damn cliff
She reminds me of Medea from Your Throne
@@your_dad_on_vacation absolutely! And Roxana from the way to save the female lead's older brother
I will let her
Xiran, I wish you were my history teacher: the way you are telling history stories is so engaging and entertaining, it's like watching a drama, but without unnecessary dragging :) the fact that Chinese history is full of drama like stories and characters do help though :))) Anyway, I love this and I am looking forward to the next part. Keep it going!
And when the world needed them most…they arrived with a PART ONE of a history lesson on Wu Zeitan. Glory be to Xiran.
1:57 *”Oh my Chinese gods, i feel the same!!”* 😭😭😭💀💀💀
fuck i’m crying😂😂 you’re such an entertaining and knowledgeable story teller, my first video of urs and i’m instantly hooked!!!
10:29 Empress Zhangsun reminds me of Sanza Stark with her quick thinking when she was hanging out with the Lannisters
Personally, I think she is more like Margaery Tyrell, a clever and intelligent politician who perfectly know how to push the buttons of men and stroke their egos in order to control them, gaining power behind the scene.