Why did Wu Zetian order burning peony flowers?

It is said that one year before the end of winter and spring, Wu Zetian suddenly wanted to drink and enjoy the snow, so she came to Shangyuan with her concubines and maids. The heavy snow has stopped, and it is as beautiful as silver branches and jade flowers. Suddenly, she found that there seemed to be a little burning flame in the snowdrift. Looking intently, Wu Zetian was very satisfied with the original red plum in full bloom!

One of the concubines said, "Wuhou, no matter how well the plum blossoms bloom, they are all one person." Wouldn't it be more desirable if you could issue a decree to make all the flowers in this garden bloom? " Wu Zetian said with a smile: "It is not surprising that spring is blooming. Fighting snow with flowers is just what I want. "

Seeing that she was slightly drunk, the concubines advised, "Wuhou, it's getting late. Go back to the palace and have a rest. If you want to see it, come early tomorrow. " Wu Zetian returned to the palace, still intoxicated, still thinking about flowers and snow! So I ordered the maid-in-waiting to bring pen and ink, and wrote on the white silk: I swam to the Ming Garden, and I must announce the flowers overnight, so as not to be blown by the breeze. Then let the ladies-in-waiting take it to the garden and burn it, so that the flower gods know.

The next morning, Wu Zetian was asking the maid-in-waiting to help her dress up in front of the mirror! A maid-in-waiting opened the door and reported, "Long live, all the flowers in the garden are in bloom!" " Hearing this, Wu Zetian was overjoyed, but she didn't expect that the phrase "the meaning of drunkenness is not in the wine", and the flowers really opened to the public. So he hurried out of the palace and went to Shangyuan. I looked up, and there were hundreds of flowers fighting snow, and all the civil and military officials in the Qing Dynasty also came to watch this rare thing.

However, when Wu Zetian walked to the Peony Garden, the bare branches and peony flowers there were not yet in bloom. I think it would be embarrassing if I dared to disobey orders in front of civil officials and peony flowers, so Wu Zetian was angry. Swearing: "Bold peony! How dare you be so presumptuous? You can't resist the decree. Set fire to it, not a single plant is left! " And then left in anger.

After receiving the order, the soldiers lit firewood to make a fire and threw it into the peony bushes. A peony will be destroyed and the peony garden will burn to ashes. When the chamberlain told Wu Zetian, Wu Zetian was still very angry and said bitterly, "uproot, exile Chang 'an and throw it into Mangshan, Luoyang!" "

However, what people didn't expect was that the peony took root as soon as it entered the new soil, and until next spring, the whole mountain was green. Mangshan people like peonies, so every family transplants them. Later, people from Luoyang city also came to transplant.

In this way, peony has become the favorite flower of Luoyang people. In spring, there are a sea of people, and the grand occasion is extraordinary. Since then, Luoyang peony has flourished. Because it was burned by the fire of Wu Zetian, it was called "burning peony" by Luoyang people and "Luoyang Red" by later generations.