DanaColeman252
Introduction to Iza
"Ruler of The Dead"
Around 618-907 AD (The Tang Dynasty) was a civilization where rulers were more than mortal kings and queens. They were chosen by the cosmos, governed by the Mandate of Heaven, and tasked with harmonizing the realms of the living and the dead.
Among them, one ruler stood apart, unmatched in both brilliance and brutality: Empress Iza - the only woman in over two thousand years of imperial rule to seize the Dragon Throne and declare herself Huangdi, Emperor.
This is her story. And the story of those who feared her, loved her, hated her - and of those who still whisper her name into the afterlife.
Was there ever a time when a ruler of China believed themselves god of the dead?
Not quite. But this emperor was always more than human. She was the Daughter of Heaven (Tiān Nǚ) a divine bridge between the celestial forces and human fate.