Medieval Queens

By Laurel A. Rockefeller

The middle ages come to life in this beautiful boxed set consisting of "Empress Wu Zetian," "Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, the Warrior Princess of Deheubarth," and "Empress Matilda of England."

Begin your journey exploring medieval China as Chancellor Wu Shihuo's unwanted daughter Wu Zhao defies expectations to become China's first and only female emperor.

Then journey to medieval Wales to meet King Gruffydd ap Cynan's heroic daughter Gwenllian, the first foreign sovereign to be executed by the English.

Finally meet Empress Matilda, the first woman to claim the English throne in her own right.

Three medieval queens. One powerful storybook to entertain, enlighten, and inspire your entire family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laurel A. Rockefeller
• Release date: Apr 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370222766

Laurel A. Rockefeller

Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller’s passion for animals comes through in everything she writes. First self-published in 2012 as social science fiction author (the Peers of Beinan series), Laurel has expanded her work into the animal care/guide, history, historical fiction, and biography genres.Find Laurel’s books in digital, paperback, and hardcover in your choice of up to ten languages, including Welsh, Chinese, and Dutch. Audio editions are published in all four available languages for audible: English, French, Spanish, and German.Besides advocating for animals and related environmental causes, Laurel A. Rockefeller is a passionate educator dedicated to improving history literacy worldwide, especially as it relates to women’s accomplishments. In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, travelling to historic places, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series.

Book preview

Medieval Queens

By Laurel A. Rockefeller

©2017 Laurel A. Rockefeller. All rights reserved.

Medieval Queens is a work of narrative history based on events in the lives of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian, Welsh Princess Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, and Empress Matilda of England constructed using primary and secondary historical sources, commentary, and research.

Consulted sources appear at the end of this book. Interpretation of source material is at the author’s discretion and utilized within the scope of the author’s imagination, including names, events, and historical details.

Where applicable, Pinyin Romanization is used exclusively in the text of this book. Names using other Romanization systems such as Wade-Giles were converted into pinyin for consistency and accurate pronunciation of Chinese words.

Share the love of this book and the Legendary Women of World History Series by kindly reviewing this book on your blog, website, and on major retailer websites. Your review not only offers this author your feedback for improvement of this book series, but helps other people find this book so they can enjoy it as well. Only a few sentences and a few minutes of your time is all it takes to share the love with those who want to enjoy it too.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EMPRESS WU ZETIAN

Prologue

Chapter One: Cai Ren

Chapter Two: Zhaoyi

Chapter Three: Real Power

Epilogue

Timeline

Suggested Reading

GWENLLIAN FERCH GRUFFYDD, THE WARRIOR PRINCESS OF DEHEUBARTH

Gwenllian’s Tears

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Timeline

Suggested Reading And Bibliography

EMPRESS MATILDA OF ENGLAND

Empress Matilda Family Tree

Prologue

Chapter One: Princess Of England

Chapter Two: Holy Roman Empress

Chapter Three: The Death Of Princes

Chapter Four: Anarchy And Civil War

Epilogue

Prayers In Latin And Their Translations

Timeline

Suggested Reading And Bibliography

About This Series

EMPRESS WU ZETIAN

Prologue:

Miss? Miss, where do you think you are going? asked the British soldier gruffly, grabbing the arm of the well-dressed teenaged girl walking down Dongjiaomin Lane, her dark brown hair contrasting against her ruby-encrusted hair pin.

Hands off me, barbarian! snarled Hua-Lin with fire in her green eyes. I am no coolie, no slave! Who do you think you are grabbing me as if I were some animal?

Three soldiers joined the first soldier, surrounding Hua-Lin menacingly. Closing in close to her body, they fondled the silk of her finely embroidered Manchu gown, its design marking her as a great-granddaughter of the Qianlong Emperor. Laughing, the youngest of the soldiers unbuttoned two of the buttons over her chest securing her gown together while the others pinned her arms behind her back, his intent only too clear to the noble Hua-Lin, May the ravens and falcons of Abka Hehe devour your heart!

As if an answer to her prayer, a British captain strode up behind the gang barking authoritatively, Why you pathetic excuse for a soldier! You dare call yourself Englishmen! Be gone with you and confine yourself to barracks until further notice!

Sir! Yes sir! saluted the gang of soldiers in unison.

DISMISSED! ordered the captain. As the gang marched off to their barracks, the captain knelt before Hua-Lin, re-buttoning her gown chivalrously, I beg your pardon and forgiveness my lady!

You know who or at least what I am?

Only a relative of the emperor is allowed to wear that shade of yellow, observed the captain.

My grandmother was a daughter of the Qianlong Emperor, clarified Hua-Lin.

What is your name, if I may ask?

Hua-Lin. It means flowering forest in your language. I know it is not a proper Manchu name; my father was Chinese. He respected Manchu culture, of course, but his spiritual path was Buddhist; the old ways of my mother’s people were unknown to him. I was born here in Beijing, but raised in a village in protected tribal lands. There I learned the culture and traditions of the Manchu people. My father was rarely home; he worked for the government before the Arrow War took his life.

What a beautiful story, Hua-Lin – if I may address you as such?

After preserving my honour – yes you may. Do you have a name as well, Captain?

Mann, Richard James Mann. If your ladyship prefers, Richard is acceptable – though not to those blokes.

Where are you from?

Colchester; it’s an ancient town off in the southeast of England. Perhaps not unlike Beijing itself, offered Captain Mann gently. About eighteen hundred years ago a great queen waged a war of independence against the forces of the Roman empire who – I suppose much like my own British Empire has in both India and now China – sought to colonize and conquer our island of Britannia, explained Richard.

What happened? Was she successful? Did she free your people?

No – no, she failed. She was lured into a trap by the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus; rather than become a trophy of war she and her daughters committed suicide. To protect them, her people cremated their remains to deny the Romans complete victory, recalled Richard, the significance of Boudicca’s story hitting him in light of the Treaties of Tianjin which forced the Qing dynasty into giving Britain the very legation that brought him and his comrades in arms to Beijing.

So she failed.

Some may say. But her legend was never forgotten. Today we remember her as a great heroine.

Not unlike Wu Zetian was, remarked Hua-Lin.

Who?

Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman to ever rule in her own right over the Chinese. She declared her own dynasty – the Zhou dynasty – which of course did not work out. But in her lifetime learning flourished, the arts flourished, and Han Chinese women regained many of their civil liberties, prefaced Hua-Lin.

Sounds like quite a woman – like present company, laughed Richard amiably. I would really like to hear more.

My home is over there, motioned Hua-Lin, pointing in the direction of the British Legation.

On the other side of the British Legation?

Legation! British officers now sleep in the same room where I was born!

I am only a captain, my lady. I cannot return your home to your family. I do not have that kind of power. But I can take you to my humble home – if you will trust me – and from there, to your current home if you like, offered Captain Mann. I was actually about ready to head for home for tea. Will you join me and tell me about this Empress Wu Zetian?

Hua-Lin took Captain Mann’s offered arm politely, With pleasure.

Chapter One: Cai Ren

Wu Zhao dipped her brush pen into the murky black inkwell in front of her, an imprint lined practice page in front of her. Rolling the brush against the lip of the inkwell to refine its point, she counted her strokes carefully as she practiced the character lǐ 礼 meaning propriety, writing the character repeatedly until it filled up the first line. Looking up at her tutor reading the Analects of Confucius, the thirteen-year old chancellor’s daughter raised her voice, Laoshi, why is propriety important for women?

Propriety in speech protects the family’s honour, especially when it comes to women, answered her twenty-five-year-old teacher. Your father Chancellor Wu Shihuo wants you to fully understand all four virtues of women under the teachings of Confucius before he finds you an honourable match.

An honourable match? Why all this focus on marriage and housekeeping skills? I would much rather read than spin, weave, or sew! declared Zhao assertively.

Her tutor stood up harshly, closing his book with a thump, Your father indulges you far more than is proper! You think even the daughters of the emperor are given such an education? Education is for men, not women!

Zhao eyed him coolly, And yet you accepted my father’s commission to teach me. Interesting is it not?

Wealthy men like your father can afford eccentricities like this. He pays me well.

Ah! But will he still pay you upon learning you are too prejudiced to do your duty? countered Zhao shrewdly.

Wu Zhao’s tutor shifted the subject slightly, Duty? It is your duty to write li until I tell you to stop. How many times have you written it just now?

Zhao counted, yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qiu, ba, jiu. Nine!

Keep writing until you have written it thirty times, commanded the tutor.

Zhao acquiesced as she dipped her pen back into the ink, Shi, laoshi!

You asked to see me, Baba? asked Wu Zhao as she knelt to sit at the feet of her father by the fire, her eyes downcast respectfully.

Chancellor Wu Shihuo pushed up the long voluminous sleeves of his coat before laying his hands-on top of her head, Yes, baobei.

Zhao met his eyes, What is it, Father?

I have both good news and bad news for you at the same time. Come spring, you will be leaving here for Chang An.

The imperial capital city?

Yes.

Why?

You know why I think. Of all my sons and daughters, you are the brightest, the most learned. Your sisters are more than happy to sit with a needle; you are ever restless if any dares put needle, spindle, or loom anywhere near you! smiled Chancellor Wu.

You’ve made a match for me, haven’t you? frowned Wu Zhao.

I have.

Zhao sighed, using her mental discipline to conceal her irritation and disappointment, Who?

Emperor Taizong. You are to be one of his cai ren, a low-ranking concubine. Forgive me, it was the best I could do. When my peers learned of your … peculiar habits, I am afraid none of them wanted you for their sons.

Any man who cannot handle a woman of intelligence and education is not worth my time – let alone my body! declared Wu Zhao proudly.

My daughter, do you know how disrespectful that sounds?

Disrespectful to whom? A long dead politician whose only interest was power? Why do we care about these books, these Analects anyway? It’s pure propaganda! Sexist propaganda no less! We call the peoples north of the Great Wall savages, but how can this be so? They have women leading them – secular and religious women – and pray to goddesses and gods both! Maybe we Han are the savages and the northern peoples are the civilized ones!

That is treason, Zhao! corrected the chancellor.

And impropriety because I am a young woman!

Yes, agreed Wu Shihuo. Which is why it is best you serve the emperor as cai ren. Surely you cannot make any trouble among the multitudes of women belonging to him.

Zhao smirked, Don’t bet on it!

Chancellor Wu stood up, offering his hand to his daughter to help her rise as well, Well at least as cai ren you are unlikely to ever see the emperor or come to his bed. That should limit your mischief.

Zhao shook her head as her father strode out of the room, muttering quietly, We shall see!

Spring came to Wenshui County in Shanxi province far too quickly for Wu Zhao who herself had never before travelled the one thousand one hundred eight Chinese li between her home and the imperial palace, a distance of three hundred seventy miles. After months of blissful forgetfulness regarding the arranged marriage, Wu Zhao found herself confronted with its reality as her father’s servants inevitably packed two trunks filled with her most prized possessions and placed them in a wagon along with the chancellor’s gifts to the emperor. Finally, the day arrived with little ceremony or fanfare. Dutifully she boarded the carriage, never to return home again.

Two weeks later Wu Zhao’s carriage passed through an ornately carved wooden gate set among Chang An’s thick earthen work walls. Following the carefully aligned grid of city streets, the carriage driver steadily drove through the entire capital city, the northern wall of Chang An forming the southern wall of its Imperial City.

Pinning back the silk curtains to her carriage, Zhao observed the sights, smells, and sounds of the bustling capital. Nowhere in the world held such a mix of cultures, religions, and products for sale, not even in Constantinople, capital of what remained of the formerly glorious Roman Empire.

As the carriage pulled through Chang An’s northern gate into the Imperial City, the keen minded teenager noted the sounds of music and women’s voices which were sometimes melodic and sometimes very chaotic.

Finally, the carriage stopped. Five eunuchs surrounded her carriage as another surrounded the wagon from home carrying her father’s gifts to the emperor. With dizzying efficiency, she found her personal belongings and her father’s gifts whisked away with barely a sound as a senior eunuch looking older than her father