In Chinese history, Wu Zetian, as the only female emperor, reigned over a period full of intrigue and bloodshed. The incident where the prime minister was accused of writing the words "Qing E" and then executed by Wu Zetian along with his entire family highlighted the cruelty of power struggles in that era. This article will explore the reasons and impacts behind this historical event.

First, we need to understand the social background at that time. During Wu Zetian's reign, power struggles in the court were extremely fierce. To consolidate her position, Wu Zetian was willing to use any means necessary to suppress her political opponents. Against this backdrop, the prime minister's act of writing the words "Qing E" undoubtedly touched a sensitive political nerve.

According to historical records, there was a prime minister named Zhang Jianzhi who wrote the words "Qing E" during a gathering with friends. However, this action was reported to Wu Zetian. To Wu Zetian, the words "Qing E" implicitly referred to two ministers in the court, Pei Yan and Liu Yizhi, both of whom were her close associates and had been exiled for opposing her. Therefore, Wu Zetian believed that this was a conspiracy against her.

To safeguard her ruling position, Wu Zetian decided to take extreme measures. She ordered the execution of Zhang Jianzhi and his entire family, and also blamed other officials involved in the incident. This event shocked the entire court, making officials fearful for their own safety and reluctant to express dissatisfaction with Wu Zetian.

However, there were deeper reasons behind this event. As a female emperor, Wu Zetian always faced legitimacy issues in her reign. She needed to constantly prove that she was more capable than male emperors to eliminate doubts about her from both the court and the people. Therefore, she was extremely sensitive to any behavior that might threaten her position.

During her reign, Wu Zetian also vigorously promoted the imperial examination system, selecting officials from humble backgrounds. There were fierce conflicts of interest between these emerging forces and the traditional aristocratic families. Therefore, when Zhang Jianzhi wrote the words "Qing E," it was also seen as a challenge to the traditional aristocracy by the emerging forces.

In summary, the incident where the prime minister was accused of writing the words "Qing E" and then executed by Wu Zetian along with his entire family was both a product of power struggles and a result of Wu Zetian's oversensitivity to the legitimacy of her own reign. This event not only reflected the complex situation of the society at that time but also left us with profound historical lessons: in the face of power, humanity often appears fragile and incapable.

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