Road to Empress places you in the shoes of Wu Yuanzhao, a low-ranking consort who must navigate the deadly politics of the Sheng Dynasty imperial court. But the game’s fictional world is no accident — it mirrors one of the most extraordinary power struggles in all of Chinese history: the rise of Wu Zetian, the only woman to ever rule China as emperor in her own right. If you are looking for the Road to Empress real history behind the story, this guide examines how the game draws from actual Tang Dynasty events, which characters are based on historical figures, and where the narrative diverges from the historical record.
The protagonist of Road to Empress, Wu Yuanzhao, is directly inspired by Wu Zhao — better known to history as Wu Zetian (624–705 CE). Like her in-game counterpart, the real Wu Zhao entered the Tang imperial palace as a Cairen, a low-ranking consort of Emperor Taizong. She was approximately fourteen years old when she was summoned to the palace around 637 CE, and she spent roughly twelve years in this modest position without bearing the emperor any children.
This detail is faithfully represented in Road to Empress. The game’s early chapters show Wu Yuanzhao as a Cairen with limited influence, struggling to survive in a court where one wrong word could mean death. The real historical record confirms that Wu Zhao’s time as a Cairen under Taizong was largely unremarkable — she was not favored, and her political significance only emerged after Taizong’s death.
What happened next is where history becomes extraordinary. When Emperor Taizong died in 649 CE, Wu Zhao was sent to Ganye Temple to become a Buddhist nun, as was the custom for consorts who had not borne children. Road to Empress recreates this pivotal moment with dramatic precision — the Ganye Temple chapters are among the most tense in the entire game, and for good reason. In reality, this temple exile should have been the end of Wu Zhao’s story. Instead, it became the beginning of her ascent.
For a deeper look at the characters who shaped this era, see our complete character guide.
Road to Empress features three princes whose rivalry drives much of the plot: Li Chengqian the Crown Prince, Li Tai the Prince of Wei, and Li Zhi the ninth son. All three are based on real Tang Dynasty princes, and the succession crisis depicted in the game reflects genuine historical events.
Li Chengqian (李承乾) was indeed the Crown Prince and eldest son of Emperor Taizong. Historically, he became crown prince at age eight but grew increasingly unstable as an adult. By 643 CE, he was caught plotting to seize the throne and was deposed. The game captures this tension in the early chapters, where Li Chengqian’s erratic behavior threatens the stability of the court.
Li Tai (李泰), the Prince of Wei, was Taizong’s fourth son and the most politically ambitious. After Li Chengqian’s fall, Li Tai aggressively campaigned to be named the new crown prince. He was intelligent, well-educated, and had significant support among court officials. Road to Empress portrays Li Tai as a calculating and dangerous figure — and history supports this characterization. Li Tai’s maneuvering ultimately backfired when Taizong realized that naming Li Tai as heir would mean the deaths of Li Zhi and Li Chengqian, as Li Tai had implied he would eliminate his brothers once on the throne.
Li Zhi (李治), the ninth son, was the eventual victor. Historically, Taizong chose Li Zhi as crown prince specifically because he was gentle and would not murder his brothers. This is the Li Zhi we meet in Road to Empress — a kind, somewhat indecisive prince who becomes the most important political ally Wu Yuanzhao can make. The game’s portrayal of Li Zhi as sympathetic but politically vulnerable aligns closely with historical accounts.
Explore each prince’s full story and route strategy in our dedicated guides: Li Zhi, Li Tai, and Li Chengqian.
The female characters in Road to Empress are not fictional inventions — they are based on real women whose political battles shaped the course of Chinese history.
Empress Wang came from one of the most prestigious families in the Tang court. Historically, she brought Wu Zhao back from Ganye Temple to serve as a weapon against Consort Xiao, who had been monopolizing Emperor Gaozong’s affection. This is one of the most consequential miscalculations in history: Empress Wang’s own ally would become her greatest rival. Road to Empress faithfully depicts this dynamic in the early-to-mid chapters, where Wu Yuanzhao must choose between aligning with or betraying the empress who saved her from temple exile.
Consort Xiao was the favored consort of Emperor Gaozong before Wu Zhao’s return. Historically, she and Empress Wang were bitter enemies, and both would eventually be destroyed by Wu Zhao after she rose to become empress. The game presents Consort Xiao as a rival whose resentment creates dangerous political traps — a portrayal that reflects the real historical tension between these women.
Princess Gaoyang, one of the most memorable characters in Road to Empress, is also a real historical figure. She was a daughter of Emperor Taizong who defied her father by maintaining a relationship with the Buddhist monk Bian Ji. When Taizong discovered the affair, he ordered Bian Ji executed — an event that the game recreates as a pivotal turning point. Historically, Princess Gaoyang never forgave her father for this, and her grief turned to political hostility. The game captures this beautifully, showing Gaoyang as a tragic figure whose personal loss fuels her later political actions.
Learn more about these women in our character pages: Empress Wang, Consort Xiao, and Princess Gaoyang.
While Road to Empress is remarkably faithful to the broad strokes of Tang Dynasty history, it does take creative liberties in several important areas.
The role of player choice. The most obvious divergence is the choice-driven narrative itself. In reality, Wu Zetian’s rise was not a series of discrete decisions but a decades-long process of political maneuvering, alliance-building, and occasional ruthlessness. The game compresses this into a series of dramatic moments where a single choice can lead to survival or ruin. This is a necessary simplification for gameplay, but it can give the impression that Wu Zetian’s path was more contingent on individual decisions than it actually was.
The fictional “Sheng Dynasty.” Road to Empress uses the name “Sheng Dynasty” rather than “Tang Dynasty,” and some character names are slightly altered. This is likely a legal and creative decision to avoid claiming historical accuracy for a fictional narrative. The parallels are unmistakable, however — the Sheng Dynasty maps directly onto the early Tang period under Emperors Taizong and Gaozong.
The timeline compression. Wu Zetian’s actual rise from Cairen to emperor took approximately fifty years (637–690 CE). Road to Empress compresses this into a narrative that can be experienced in hours rather than decades. Events that were years apart in real history — such as the fall of Empress Wang and the elimination of Chancellor Zhangsun’s faction — sometimes occur in quick succession in the game.
The moral framework. Historical accounts of Wu Zetian were written primarily by her political enemies — male Confucian scholars who viewed a female ruler as fundamentally illegitimate. These sources emphasize her cruelty and downplay her achievements. Road to Empress gives players the agency to shape Wu Yuanzhao’s moral character, which is a powerful narrative device but one that departs from the more deterministic view of traditional historiography.
For a comprehensive walkthrough of every choice and its consequences, visit our chapter-by-chapter guide.
Chancellor Zhangsun in Road to Empress is based on Zhangsun Wuji (长孙无忌), who was Emperor Taizong’s brother-in-law and one of the most powerful ministers in Tang history. When Taizong lay dying, he entrusted Zhangsun Wuji with guiding the young Emperor Gaozong — an event the game recreates with dramatic weight.
Historically, Zhangsun Wuji’s opposition to Wu Zhao becoming empress was a defining political conflict. He represented the old aristocratic order that viewed Wu Zhao — a woman of relatively modest family background — as unsuitable for the highest position in the empire. His eventual downfall and forced suicide in 659 CE marked the end of the old guard and the beginning of Wu Zetian’s unchallenged dominance at court.
Road to Empress captures this power struggle through the character of Chancellor Zhangsun, who serves as one of the primary antagonists in the mid-game chapters. The game’s portrayal of the conflict between Wu Yuanzhao and the chancellor reflects the real historical tension between a rising political outsider and an entrenched bureaucratic establishment.
See our Chancellor Zhangsun character page for his full role breakdown and strategy tips.
Road to Empress succeeds because it does not merely use history as a backdrop — it makes history the engine of its gameplay. Every choice the player makes echoes the real dilemmas faced by Wu Zetian and the people around her. Should you trust the prince who shows you kindness, or the one who offers you power? Do you ally with the empress who saved you, or do you pursue your own ambition? These are not just game mechanics; they are the same questions that determined the fate of the Tang Dynasty itself.
For players interested in going deeper, the real history of Wu Zetian is as dramatic as anything in the game. The Cambridge History of China provides the definitive academic treatment, while the Steam page for Road to Empress offers the latest updates on the game itself. Whether you approach Road to Empress as a game or as a window into one of history’s most remarkable stories, understanding the real history behind it makes every choice feel weightier and every ending more meaningful.
This article is part of Palace Ledger’s ongoing series exploring the world of Road to Empress. For complete chapter walkthroughs, visit our guide index. For a full roster of every character in the game, see our character directory.