She broke the glass ceiling, but she was the only one to walk through it. Who was the first and only woman to rule China?

After Emperor Gaozong died, his son became emperor. He was too young, however, so his mom, Empress Wu, became regent, holding all the power without the title...that is, until Wu forced her son to step down and took charge in what she declared was the Zhou Dynasty. As official empress, she maintained power through the use of secret police who spied on other powerful people and reported back who was loyal and who was not. The Empress was an objectively good and intelligent ruler, surrounding herself with talented advisors who helped her expand China's borders, improve farming techniques, and better the quality of life for peasants.

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