Wu Zhao was born in 624 into a wealthy and politically connected family. Unlike most girls of her time, she was educated. She learned to read classical texts, understood poetry, and absorbed political discussions from her father's household.
At fourteen, she was selected to enter the imperial palace as a low-ranking concubine of Emperor Taizong.
The palace was not a place of romance. It was a battlefield without swords.
Thousands of women competed for influence. Rank determined survival. Favor meant security. A son meant power.
Wu Zhao bore Taizong no children. She was observant, quiet, and ambitious—but not yet powerful.
When Taizong died in 649, tradition required that childless concubines shave their heads and become Buddhist nuns.
Wu Zhao was sent to Ganye Temple.
Most women disappeared from history at that point.
She did not.