Empress: Atrocious

The Atrocious Empress: Power, Cruelty, and the Shadows of History

1. Infanticide: She allegedly smothered her own infant daughter to frame the Empress Wang, securing her position as Emperor Gaozong’s favorite.
2. Extreme torture: She employed the "trio of horrors"—a rack that dislocated limbs, a perforated iron collar that crushed the skull, and a cylinder lined with spikes that slowly crushed the victim’s torso.
3. Flesh and wine: She reportedly forced two of her rivals to be amputated and drowned in a vat of wine, declaring they were "bone and fluid drunkards."

Conclusion: Monsters or Mirrors?

Keeping this lens in mind, let us look at three empresses who wear the "atrocious" label like a scarlet letter. atrocious empress