Not only that, Wu Meiniang also granted these two male consorts full authority.
The brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, under the empress's bottomless indulgence, madly expanded their influence, became arrogant, encroached on power, and gradually harmed the rights and interests of the Li and Wu families, forcing the direct descendants of both families to their deaths.
For a time, there was widespread discontent in the court. Many officials who disapproved of a woman in power even cursed the old woman in their hearts, calling her shameless for being in her seventies and still acting this way.
Little did they know, the empress's keeping of male consorts was not out of lust for men.
When she ascended the throne, she was already a sixty-seven-year-old woman. At this age, even her menstrual cycle had stopped, and her bodily functions were severely aged. Even if she wanted to engage in intimate activities with young men, not knowing heaven from earth, she lacked the ability.
Her reasons for doing this were, on one hand, to display imperial majesty.
When male emperors ascended the throne, they had their three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines. Now that she was the empress, she naturally had to have a few men. The possession of multiple members of the opposite sex was also a manifestation of imperial power.
But the deeper reason was to alleviate the conflict between the Li and Wu families and ensure a smooth transition of power.
By keeping male consorts and using them to disrupt the court and break the existing structure, the Li and Wu families, in the face of a common enemy, would inevitably put aside their grievances and cooperate wholeheartedly to protect their own interests.
Everything unfolded as the empress had predicted. Their own family members were killed by the male consorts, and the Li and Wu families were filled with bitter hatred.
Therefore, the two families abandoned their past grievances, united against the common enemy, launched the Shenlong Coup, executed the male consorts, and forced Wu Meiniang to abdicate.
After Li Xian ascended the throne, the Wu family was not purged. Instead, they continued to hold power, received high positions and generous salaries, and enjoyed wealth and honor.
From beginning to end, only the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, along with the wives of Li Xian and Li Dan, and Li Xian's two children, were sacrificed.
Despite the cruelty of forcing her own grandchildren to their deaths, Wu Meiniang had no choice.
The conflict between the two families had become irreconcilable. Sacrificing the fewest to achieve the greatest reconciliation was the best way to solve the problem.
Otherwise, once she passed away, the hatred between the two families would erupt, and more people would die.
Pitiable were the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who, thinking they had gained favor, were unaware that they were merely pawns used by the empress to resolve the enmity between the two families.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. In the face of greater threats, even wolves can cooperate with leopards.
This was the wisdom Wu Meiniang had accumulated through decades of palace experience.
After watching this segment, the audience was once again shocked by Wu Meiniang's intelligence.
【Holy crap! Amazing!】
【So the empress keeping male consorts and indulging them in encroaching on power had such a profound calculation behind it!】
【The screenwriter for this show is too awesome, seeing even this level of detail!】
【Brothers, didn't you also notice that this show never mentioned any competition for favor based on beauty? It's all about the clash of schemes and stratagems.】
【Noticed it. The empress in this show came to power not through beauty, but through wisdom.】
【It should be through beauty. The harem is never short of beauties. What is gained through beauty will be lost as one ages and loses their looks. Only wisdom, with increasing life experience, becomes deeper and clearer. Wu Zetian becoming the only female emperor in history truly relied on wisdom!】
【Right, whether it's a man or a woman, wisdom is the best weapon!】