Qianling lies on Mount Liangshan in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, 80 kilometers from Xi'an. It is the only tomb in China that lies two rulers of two different dynasties. They were Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty and Empress Wu Zetian of the Great Zhou Dynasty. They were also couples. Wu Zetian was the only female to rule as emperor all through the Chinese history. Before her tomb, there stands a huge tombstone with nothing written on it, nothing telling of her legendary life, not even a name.

Born in 624, Wu Zetian was first the concubine of Emperor Tai Tsung, Gaozong's father. She displayed her brave and firm character long before she entered the political life. Tai Tsung had a horse that no one could tame. Wu said she could do it if the emperor gave her a knife and an iron whip. She'd first whip it. If it still did not bow to her, she'd thrust the knife into its throat. This displeased Taizsung, but his son, Li Zhi, the later Gaozong was secretly in love with her.

After Taizsung's death, Li Zhi ascended to the throne and made Wu Zetian his favorite concubine and she later became the empress. Legend has it that Wu Zetian managed to eliminate Gaozong's former empress by suffocating her own newborn daughter and claiming that it done by the former empress.

Wu gradually took over the administrative duties of the court from Gaozong and began to participate in political affairs despite the opposition of women being included in politics. She managed to dethrone her two sons and eventually established a new dynasty, the Great Zhou Dynasty and declared herself emperor of China at the age of 67.

She created a secret police force to spy on her enemies, and cruelly jailed or killed anyone who stood in her way.

A former military official, Xu Jingye, of the former Tang Dynasty rebelled. He had Luobin Wang, a great poet of the time to write an article detailing Wu Zetian's crimes. Wu Zetian read the article with smile and greatly approved of the writer's literary grace. She said it was the fault of her prime minister to neglect such a talent. Nonetheless, she suppressed the rebellion and killed the rebels.

Nonetheless, she ruled the country successfully during one of China's more peaceful and culturally diverse periods.

In spite of her ruthless rise to power, her rule proved to be benign. She found the best people she could to run the government, and treated those she trusted fairly. Wu also was fair to peasants, lowering oppressive taxes, raising agricultural production, and strengthening public works.

She died at the age of 82 and was buried in QianLing, beside Gaozong. Mysteriously, she has a beautifully carved wordless gravestone above her grave. There are several versions over the tombstone. Some say Wu want to show that her achievements and contribution to the country was beyond words. Others guess she was ashamed she had overthrown the male-rule tradition. Another guess is she was at a loss as to the title to herself, whether it be "Empress of Gaozong" or "Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou Dynasty". Lastly, people believe that she knew she would have many interpretations of her life and deeds. Therefore, he empty tombstone represents the story untold.