13 Facts About Shangguan Wan'er

Shangguan Wan'er was a Chinese politician, poet, and imperial consort of the Wu Zhou and Tang dynasties.

Under Empress Wu, Shangguan Wan'er exercised responsibility for drafting imperial edicts and earned approbation for her writing style.

Shangguan Wan'er retained her influence as consort to Wu's son and successor, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, holding the imperial consort rank of Zhaorong.

Shangguan Wan'er was highly esteemed for her talent as a poet.

In 710, after Emperor Zhongzong's death, Shangguan Wan'er was killed during a palace coup that ended the regency of Empress Dowager Wei.

Shangguan Wan'er performed marvelously, and the Empress was so impressed that she appointed Wan'er her personal secretary.

Shangguan Wan'er wrote half of the Imperial decrees, and took on the task of accepting most of the proposals and petitions of the officials.

Shangguan Wan'er was a member of the Empress Literary Society and oversaw the cultural and political works given by the Empress Wu.

At that time, Shangguan Wan'er became an imperial consort, as a powerful concubine of Emperor Zhongzong, carrying the rank of Jieyu, the 14th rank for an imperial consort.

Shangguan Wan'er then attacked the palace, seeking to arrest Consort Shangguan.

Shangguan Wan'er often held feasts that would serve as literary competitions, and he had Consort Shangguan serve as the judge at these competitions.

When Li Longji's soldiers, commanded by his associate Liu Youqiu, reached the pavilion where Consort Shangguan Wan'er lived, Consort Shangguan Wan'er came out of the pavilion to greet Liu and Li Longji, presenting to them the original will of Emperor Zhongzong that she had drafted, seeking to be spared.

Sometime after Emperor Ruizong in turn yielded the throne to Li Longji, Princess Taiping had Consort Shangguan Wan'er's works collected into a 20-volume collection, and had the chancellor Zhang Yue write the preface to the collection.