Empress Wei

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Empress Wei (Chinese: 韋皇后; pinyin: Wéi Huánghòu; personal name unknown; died July 21, 710) was an empress consort of the Chinese Tang dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong (Li Xian), who reigned twice, and during his second reign, she tried to emulate the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian in accumulating power to eventually take the emperor’s throne. From the beginning of Emperor Zhongzong’s second reign in 705, Empress Wei was de facto in charge of most governmental affairs, though formally not regent. Emperor Zhongzong's death in 710 — traditionally believed to be a poisoning she carried out together with her daughter Princess Anle (Li Guo'er) — made her the empress dowager, and she took formal power as regent de jure during the minority of Emperor Shang of Tang. After reigning for 17 days, she was overthrown and killed in a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Li Longji (later Emperor Xuanzong) and Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping. When Emperor Zhongzong was Crown Prince during the reign of his mother Wu Zetian, he took Empress Wei as his consort. In the first year of the Sisheng era (684), she was installed as Empress. However, Emperor Zhongzong’s attempt to assert independence from his mother, Wu Zetian—encouraged by Empress Wei—led to his deposition in the same year, and she accompanied him in exile to Fangzhou (present-day Fang County, Hubei). Empress Wei gave birth to Crown Prince Yide (Li Chongrun) and four princesses: Princess Yongtai (Li Xianhui), Princess Yongshou, Princess Changning, and Princess Anle (Li Guo'er). In the first year of the Shenlong era (705), after Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne, Empress Wei colluded with Wu Sansi and others to form an alliance known as the Wu-Wei clique, in order to gain power. Empress Wei became the de...