Asking because I'm writing a paper on her and I think a lot of you like Chinese history/politics. Please don't shoot me for being non-Hexbearian.
Do you like the way she ruled? Was she a positive influence? Do you agree with the critics or people who praise her?
Yeah, that makes sense. I actually think the distinction between female emperor and empress is interesting, because (I think) it suggests becoming an empress in the first place wasn't possible due to the patriarchal structures. I am looking to research how she affected female gender roles / the view of women since becoming a ruler. I believe those in her closest political circles were all women, which must suggest she did it on purpose because she knew that hadn't been possible before?