1300 years ago, Diem Thuc Vi, a great loyalist with meritorious services to Vo Tac Thien, ascended the throne and became the first queen of the Chinese feudal dynasties. catastrophic way.
This shocking secret was discovered only after his family’s grave was unearthed in Xi’an city, China.
Hidden in a cave, Diem Thuc Vi’s tomb contains the remains of both him and his wife. On the stele, there are also inscriptions recording the life of each member of his family, as well as the ups and downs of this general who wholeheartedly served Vo Tac Thien.
Vo Tac Thien, reigned from 690 to 705. (Photo: Public Domain).
After Emperor Cao Tong died due to old age and weak health, Empress Vo Tac Thien with her power took the throne and ruled the country in 690 AD. From being just a concubine in the palace, Vo Tac Thien was promoted to Thien Empress before gradually becoming the first and only Empress in China’s 4,000-year feudal history. It was thanks to her that the Zhou Dynasty was established, although this dynasty lasted only 15 years.
The inscriptions on the tombstone reveal a very important political event. After the death of Tang Cao Tong and soon after that Vo Tac Thien announced the regent with his son Due Tong, not everyone responded and approved of that arrangement. From Duong Chau, Ly Kinh Nghiep expressed disapproval when he dared to rebel against the young court of Vo Tac Thien.
The image of soldiers is depicted on the mural inside the tomb of Ly Hien – the son of general Diem Thuc Vi, who was later exiled – in 706, now on display in Qianling. (Photo: Public Domain).
Under that chaotic period, Diem Thuc Vi was only a minor general, but he clearly showed his will not to submit to the rebel rebels of Ly Kinh Nghiep. Instead, he vowed to be loyal to Vo Tac Thien to fight to protect the capital to the end.
On the stele it is written: “He (referring to Diem Thuc Vi) deliberately broke his arm to refuse the temptation of the partisans, expressing his absolute and unshakable loyalty to the court”.
The tombstone was found in the tomb of the Diem Thuc Vi family. (Photo: Chinese Cultural Relics).
Thanks to great merit in defeating the enemy, Diem Thuc Vi was promoted to the official Lang Khe district, Mong Son province and was granted the title of great minister. However, he could not have imagined that this was the moment that marked the darkest time in his life later.
After becoming Emperor, Vo Tac Thien actively consolidated his power and great minister Diem gradually became her effective right-hand man in government affairs. Any threat to the throne was resolved by this general in an instant, helping to maintain Zhou rule.
Quote from the tombstone says: “He is a strict person like the morning dew in autumn, warm as the winter sun, knows how to touch others, teaches them how to improve themselves, thereby establishing order. society”.
Diem Thuc Vi continued to serve Vo Tac Thien for another 9 years, until one day when disaster suddenly descended from nowhere.
“Although there is no clear evidence, but General Yan’s younger brother, Diem Tru Vi, has a heart to betray the emperor. Due to being accused of being an accomplice, Yan Thuc Vi also has to suffer the same penalty of losing his family “. “All members of the Yan family were executed by guillotine.”
Except for General Yan’s wife, who died in 691, everyone else was executed. Until his death, the body of this loyalist was still buried in a very sketchy way, as if it was an act of contempt, preventing the burial ceremony of the dead according to traditional customs.
After Vo Tac Thien was deposed by her own son who exiled her many years ago, she fell ill and died not long after. At this time, the Zhou Dynasty officially collapsed and the Tang Dynasty was restored. This helped the reputation of Diem Thuc Vi be vindicated and the burial ceremony for this general was carried out more solemnly, this time he was buried with his own gentle wife.
When Diem Thuc Vi’s tomb was unearthed, most of the remains were left with nothing, except for artifacts collected since 2002, including a series of shiny ceramic figurines depicting spirits. objects, knights or grave-keepers. In addition, people also found a piece of gold mirror, stone slabs engraved with rare words and a broken mandarin hat.
The ancient temple was built during the reign of Vo Tac Thien.
What Vo Tac Thien left for China is not only the achievement of unifying the country, but also creating many controversies related to this woman’s brutal and domineering personality. Such cases of extermination of the whole family were common during the reign of Vo Mi Nuong, partly because she wanted to destroy the opposing factions through capital punishment or exile. In addition, Vo Tac Thien also indirectly controlled the religion in the country, distributed leaflets to strengthen his political position as well as assembled a separate army of insiders dedicated to eliminating the dangers that could shake the country. his golden throne.
However, to be fair, a lot of the details in the stories of Vo Tac Thien are just oral folk tales. Currently, scientists are still debating and debating the veracity of these stories.