Lady Wu: The First Empress

Lady Wu: The First Empress, also known as The Great Empress or Empress Wu Meiniang, is a 2003 Chinese television series based on the biography of Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to assume the title of Empress Regnant. The series was first broadcast on CTS in Taiwan in 2003 under the Chinese title 武媚娘傳奇 (Wu Meiniang Chuanqi; literally: The Legend of Wu Meiniang).

Plot
This story revolves around the romance between Wu Meiniang and Li Junxian, a fictional Tang dynasty general. The series begins with Wu Meiniang's early life as a commoner, and ends with her ascension to the throne. It is set in the Zhenguan era of the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, and contains many significant historical events such as Wang Yingzhen's rebellion, the war between the Tang Empire and the Tujue, and the taming of the Yellow River.

Wu Meiniang is in love with Li Junxian, but she is the cairen of Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong's son Li Zhi is madly in love with Wu Meiniang. After Emperor Taizong's death, Li Zhi rescues her from being a nun for the rest of her life. Wu Meiniang is brought to the palace, where she encounters Consort Xiao, Empress Wang, and Xu Yingying who try to harm her. She is saved countlessly by Li Junxian and Li Zhi, and she eventually becomes the Empress.

Throughout the series Wu Meiniang is portrayed as a simple, intelligent and kind woman who persists in love at all costs. Although she is framed by her enemies, she has never been afraid of them. Because of her fate, she has experienced various kinds of love and hatred and has been involved in intrigues in the inner palace ever since she stepped in there. After the death of her two husbands and lover, she finally takes on the responsibilities of constructing her empire.

Cast

 * Alyssa Chia as Wu Meiniang
 * Vincent Zhao as Li Junxian
 * Ji Tianfu as young Li Junxian
 * Kou Zhenhai as Emperor Taizong of Tang
 * Bao Jianfeng as Emperor Gaozong of Tang
 * Sun Xing as Zhangsun Wuji
 * Yang Tongshu as Xu Yingying
 * Tian Zhong as Qian Xiaoduo
 * Sze Yu as Duan Changde
 * Zhang Guoqing as Jia Jinyuan
 * Zhang Tong as Empress Wang
 * Jessie Chang as Consort Xiao
 * Zhang Mingjian as Di Renjie
 * Yue Yueli as Wu Shiyue
 * Dai Chunrong as Wu Meiniang's mother
 * Wang Dongfang as Yuanbao
 * Wu Qiang as Shiquan
 * Ye Qing as Dongshi
 * Fang Yuan as Ling Jing
 * Ji Qilin as Li Yuanji
 * Xu Shouqin as Shangguan Yi
 * Li Li-chun as Yuan Tiangang
 * Zhang Danlu as Shangguan Wan'er
 * You Jin as Xiao Yu
 * Hu Dagang as Tian Sheng
 * Wei Yibo as Colonel Wang
 * Yu Jianguo as Chuai Fantian
 * Wang Ning as Shi Yaoqian