垂帘听政 Chuílián tīngzhèng Governing from behind the curtain

Explanation

指太后或皇后临朝听政，殿上用帘子遮隔。听：治理。指太后临朝管理国家政事。

Refers to the empress dowager or empress listening to politics in court, with curtains shielding the hall. 'Listening' here means 'governing'. It refers to the empress dowager governing state affairs in court.

Origin Story

唐高宗李治在位期间，身体不好，经常无法上朝处理政事。他的妻子武则天聪明能干，于是高宗就在御座后面挂上帘子，让武则天坐在帘后，听取大臣们的奏报，参与朝政的决策。武则天通过这种方式，实际上掌握了国家的权力。高宗死后，武则天又继续垂帘听政，直到自己称帝。这便是历史上著名的“垂帘听政”故事。 这段历史也反映了唐朝后期的政治局势复杂，皇权与后权的争夺激烈。垂帘听政虽表面上是辅助幼主，实质上却可能成为权力操控的工具。武则天垂帘听政的故事，给后世留下了深刻的警示。

Táng Gāozōng Lǐ Zhì zàiwèi qījiān, shēntǐ bù hǎo, jīngcháng wúfǎ shàngcháo chǔlǐ zhèngshì. Tā de qīzi Wǔ Zétiān cōngmíng nénggàn, yúshì Gāozōng jiù zài yùzuò hòumiàn guà shàng liánzi, ràng Wǔ Zétiān zuò zài lián hòu, tīngqǔ dàchénmen de zòubào, cānyǔ zhèngzhèng de juécè. Wǔ Zétiān tōngguò zhè zhǒng fāngshì, shíjìshàng zhǎngwò le guójiā de quánlì. Gāozōng sǐ hòu, Wǔ Zétiān yòu jìxù chuílián tīngzhèng, zhìdào zìjǐ chēngdì. Zhè biàn shì lìshǐ shàng zhùmíng de “chuílián tīngzhèng” gùshì. Zhè duàn lìshǐ yě fǎnyìng le Tángcháo hòuqī de zhèngzhì júshì fùzá, huángquán yǔ hòuquán de zhēngduó jīliè. Chuílián tīngzhèng suī biǎomiàn shàng shì fǔzhù yòuzhǔ, shízhì shàng què kěnéng chéngwéi quánlì cāokòng de gōngjù. Wǔ Zétiān chuílián tīngzhèng de gùshì, gěi hòushì liúxià le shēnkè de jǐngshì.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty, he was often ill and unable to attend court to handle state affairs. His intelligent wife, Wu Zetian, took over the reins of government. Thus, Gaozong had a curtain hung behind the imperial throne, allowing Wu Zetian to sit behind the curtain, listen to the ministers' reports, and participate in the decision-making of state affairs. In this way, Wu Zetian effectively controlled the power of the state. After the death of Gaozong, Wu Zetian continued this practice of governing from behind the curtain until she eventually proclaimed herself emperor. This is the famous historical story of “governing from behind the curtain”. This historical episode reflects the complex political situation of the late Tang Dynasty, where the struggle for power between the emperor and the empress dowager was intense. While ostensibly supporting a young emperor, “governing from behind the curtain” could, in reality, be a tool for manipulating power. The story of Wu Zetian's governance behind the curtain serves as a profound warning to posterity.

Usage

多用于历史故事或政治场合，形容女性当权者临朝听政。

Duō yòng yú lìshǐ gùshì huò zhèngzhì chǎnghé, xíngróng nǚxìng dāngquán zhě líncháo tīngzhèng.

Mostly used in historical stories or political contexts, describing female rulers who govern the court.

Examples

• 太后垂帘听政，摄国政于一身。

  Tàihòu chuílián tīngzhèng, shè guózheng yú yīshēn.

  The empress dowager listened to politics behind the curtain and took the power of the state into her own hands.

• 清朝的慈禧太后曾长期垂帘听政

  Qīngcháo de Cíxǐ Tàihòu céng chángqī chuílián tīngzhèng

  Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty once ruled behind the curtain for a long time

Related Idioms

• 临朝称制

• 问政于民

Opposite Idioms

• 袖手旁观

• 置之不理