Following his execution, Wu had her daughter murdered, framing the deposed queen in the process, and embarked on a bloodletting consuming princes, relatives, and officials, all eliminated so that she might consolidate her power.
果不其然，此後朝中「殺」機頻現：她扼殺女兒，嫁禍王皇后；冊封為後之後，為了鞏固權力，立刻廢太子李忠，陸續撲殺長孫一幫重臣，禍事一直延及宗室、親族，終於為自己塑造了殘暴的形象。