In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary rise of Wu Zetian, the only woman in more than 3,000 years of Chinese imperial history to rule as emperor. Beginning as a teenage concubine in the Tang dynasty court, Wu survived palace politics, exile to a Buddhist convent, aristocratic opposition, and violent factional struggles before ultimately dismantling the patriarchal power structure of imperial China and founding her own dynasty.

This episode traces Wu Zetian’s transformation from the daughter of a wealthy merchant family into one of the most controversial rulers in world history. We examine her unusual education in politics and governance, her calculated return to court after the death of Emperor Taizong, her relationship with Emperor Gaozong, and the palace rivalries that reshaped the Tang dynasty forever.

The episode  ...