Empress Wu Zetian

The most hated woman in Chinese history!Travel back in time over one thousand years and meet the first and only female emperor of China. Born Wu Zhao and given the reign title "Zetian" just weeks before her death in 705 CE, Empress Wu was the unwanted daughter of Chancellor Wu Shihuo -- too bright, too educated, and too politically focused to make a good wife according to contemporary interpretations of the Analects of Confucius.Married off at age 14 as a low-ranking concubine to Emperor Taizong, Wu's intelligence, beauty, and charm won her a place as his secretary and protégé, political experience that would empower her to transform the lives of countless billions.Explore the life of Empress Wu and discover why the world is a vastly different place because she dared what no woman in China before or since ever dreamed of. Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA, Laurel A. Rockefeller's passion for animals comes through in everything she writes. First self-published in 2012 as a social science fiction author (the Peers of Beinan series), Laurel has expanded her work into the animal care/guide, history, historical fiction, and biography genres. But she is best known for her biographies, particularly "His Red Eminence" (2020 Godiva Award winner) and the thirteen biographies (and counting) of the Legendary Women of World History series.Find Laurel's books in digital, paperback, and hardcover in your choice of up to ten languages, including Welsh, Chinese, and Dutch. Audio editions are published in all four available languages: English, French, Spanish, and German. Most of them feature period music performed by actor-musicians. You can also hear Laurel sing on three of the audiobooks.Besides advocating for animals and related environmental causes, Laurel A. Rockefeller is a passionate educator dedicated to improving history literacy worldwide, especially as it relates to women's accomplishments. In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, travelling to historic places, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series. History comes alive in this thoughtful narrative biography series of women from across history whose lives still touch ours today.