Final answer:
Empress Wu Zetian was a powerful Chinese ruler who founded her own dynasty and faced opposition primarily due to her gender in a patriarchal society. Despite this, she was competent, promoted good governance, and advanced the civil service examinations to allow for a more meritocratic government.
Step-by-step explanation:
Empress Wu Zhao, also known as Wu Zetian, was the exception to the argument that few Chinese women had any power. She became the only female emperor during the Tang Dynasty after assuming power from her husband, Emperor Gaozong, in 665. Despite her intelligence and capable rule, Empress Wu faced opposition from the aristocracy because she was a woman, and there were societal norms at the time which dictated more restricted roles for women in governance. Empress Wu founded her own dynasty, the Wu Zhou, in 690 and declared Buddhism as the state religion. Her reign was significant, yet controversial, as she had to navigate her rule amid the patriarchal structure of ancient Chinese society.
Empress Wu was a deviation from the norm in her time, but she was not the only female ruler in East Asia, blending well into the patterns of East Asian rulership as described in historical records. She faced resistance, in part, due to her gender, but also because her actions, such as founding her own dynasty and taking imperial titles, were considered usurpation by many. Her rule was described by some as a reign of terror among aristocratic families, though she maintained broader goals of good governance and promoted the use of civil service examinations to advance talented men from lower ranks.