Qapaghan Qaghan

An army sent by Wu Zetian, commanded by Wang Xiaojie and Lou Shide against Tufan in spring 696, is soundly defeated by Tufan generals, the brothers Lun Qinling and Lun Zanpo.

As a result, the empress demotes Wang to commoner rank and Lou to be a low level prefectural official, although she eventually restores both of them to general positions.

In April of the same year, Wu Zetian recasts the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, symbol of ultimate power in ancient China, to reinforce her authority.

A much more serious threat arises in summer 696.

The Khitan chieftains Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong, brothers-in-law, angry over the mistreatment of the Khitan people by the Zhou official Zhao Wenhui, the prefect of Ying Prefecture (roughly modern Zhaoyang, Liaoning), rebels, with Li assuming the title of Wushang Khan.

Armies that Wu Zetian sends to suppress Li and Sun's rebellion are defeated by Khitan forces, which in turn attack Zhou proper.

The Eastern Tujue Khan Ashina Mochuo (Qapaghan Qaghan) meanwhile offers to submit, and yet is also launching attacks against Zhou and Khitan—including an attack against the Khitan base of operations in winter 696 shortly after Li's death at this time that captures Li's and Sun's families and temporarily halts Khitan operations against Zhou.

Sun, after taking over as khan and reorganizing Khitan forces, again attacks Zhou territory and has many victories over Zhou forces, including a battle during which Wang Shijie is killed.

Wu Zetian tries to allay the situation by making peace with Ashina Mochuo at fairly costly terms—the return of Tujue people who had previously submitted to Zhou and the provision of Ashina Mochuo with seeds, silk, tools, and iron.

In summer 697, Ashina Mochuo launches another attack on Khitan's base of operations, and this time, after his attack, Khitan forces collapse, and Sun is killed in flight, ending the Khitan threat.

Meanwhile, also in 697, Lai Junchen, who had at one point lost power but had then returned to power, falsely accuses Li Zhaode (who has been pardoned) of crimes, and then plans to falsely accuse Li Dan, Li Zhe, the Wu clan princes, and Princess Taiping, of treason.

The Wu clan princes and Princess Taiping act first against him, accusing him of crimes, and he and Li Zhaode are executed together.

After Lai's death, the reign of the secret police largely ends, and many of the victims of Lai and the other secret police officials are gradually exonerated posthumously.

Meanwhile, around this time, Wu Zetian begins to engage herself with two new lovers—the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who become honored within the palace and are eventually created dukes.

Wu Chengsi and another nephew of Wu Zetian's, Wu Sansi the Prince of Liang, are making repeated attempts to have officials persuade Wu Zetian to create one of them crown prince—again citing the reason that an emperor should pass the throne to someone of the same clan.

However, Di Renjie, who by now has become a trusted chancellor, is firmly against the idea and instead proposes that Li Zhe be recalled.

He is supported in this by fellow chancellors Wang Fangqing and Wang Jishan, as well as Wu Zetian's close advisor Ji Xu, who further persuades the Zhang brothers to support the idea as well.

In spring 698, Wu Zetian agrees and recalls Li Zhe from exile.

Soon, Li Dan offers to yield the crown prince position to Li Zhe, and Wu Zetian creates Li Zhe crown prince, soon changing his name back to Li Xiǎn and then Wu Xian.

Later, Ashina Mochuo demands a Tang dynasty prince for marriage to his daughter, part of a plot to join his family with the Tang, displace the Zhou, and restore Tang rule over China (under his influence).

When Wu Zetian sends a member of her own family, grandnephew Wu Yanxiu, to marry Mochuo's daughter instead, he rejects him.

Ashina Mochuo has no actual intention to cement the peace treaty with a marriage; instead, when Wu Yanxiu arrives, he detains Wu Yanxiu and then launches a major attack on Zhou, advancing as far south as Zhao Prefecture (in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) before withdrawing.