Chen Shuozhen's family and background are not entirely known, though her skill with warfare suggests she may have come from a family with martial experience.[6] She may have come from a humble background, as she is sometimes referred to as a peasant.[2]
In the early years of Tang Gaozong, the Zhejiang area went through successive periods of famine. The peasants were living in precarious conditions, due to hunger and also the oppression of the nobles. Because of this, there was an increasing discontent with the feudal lords and the Empire. This may have inspired Chen Shuozen to rebel, and may have encouraged people to join her. [6]
In 653 AD, less than four years after the death of Emperor Taizong, a large-scale peasant uprising occurred in Zhejiang during the fourth year of Tang Gaozong's Yonghui era. Chen Shuozhen was the leader of this rebellion, she claimed to return to the world from heaven. She gathered a large number of believers with enchanting people. In early 653, she started her own army and claimed to be "Emperor Wenjia"; and appointed her brother-in-law (Zhang Shuzeng) as her prime minister.[6]
Emperor Wenjia led two thousand people to capture Chenzhou and Yuqian County, she also attacked Zhangzhou but failed. After several battles the whole army was wiped out. She was also killed in November of that year, and tens of thousands of people surrendered.
Emperor Wenjia's reign lasted only two months, with the last of her 14,000 troops surrendering in late 653. Her story survives though as she's said to have inspired Fang La's uprising at the end of the Northern Song dynasty and remains prominent in Zhejiang folklore.
Historian Jian Bozan (翦伯赞) recognized Chen Shuozhen as the first empress-regnant in Chinese history.[7]
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