Current Series
Wu Zhao
For series 14, we're headed further back in history than we ever have before -- all the way back to the 7th century. We're also covering a figured from China, an area of the world we have yet to explore. In accordance with Chinese custom at the time, three months after her birth she was given the name Wu Zhao. Her childhood would be short lived, however, as at the tender age of 13, she would be taken by the Emperor of China to serve as a concubine in the royal harem. She would use the situation to her advantage, ultimately marrying the son of her first Emperor, and becoming Empress. Over the course of 30 years, she would slowly and methodically gain control over the Kingdom of China, and establish new sets of laws that favored the commoners, and stripped favor away from the elite class. Eventually, her tactical genius would take her all the way to the seat of the Emperor, making her the only woman in the history of China to officially be named "The Daughter of Heaven." Upon ascending the throne, she would establish her own dynasty, and take up the royal name of Wu Zetian, but her reign would be relatively short lived, and for centuries following her downfall, Chinese historians did everything they could to smear her name. The truth of her life is murky, but her name has lived on in history books for more than 1300 years.