Li Zhaode, who had become powerful after Wu Chengsi's removal, was himself thought to be too powerful, and Wu Zetian had removed him in 694.

Around this time also, the empress had become highly impressed with a group of mystic individuals—the hermit Wei Shifang (on whom she bestows a chancellor title briefly), who claims to be over three hundred and fifty years old; an old Buddhist nun who claims to be a Buddha and capable of predicting the future; and a non-Han man who claims to be five hundred years old.

During this time, Wu briefly claims to be and adopts the cult imagery of Maitreya, the future Buddha, in order to build popular support for her reign.

However, in 695, after the imperial meeting hall and the Heavenly Hall are burned by Huaiyi (who is jealous at Wu Zetian's taking on another lover, the imperial physician Shen Nanqiu, Wu Zetian becomes angry at these individuals for failing to predict the fire; the old nun and her students are arrested and made into slaves; Wei commits suicide; and the old non-Han man flees.

Subsequently, she also puts Huaiyi to death.

After this incident, she appears to pay less attention to mysticism and is even more dedicated than before to the affairs of state.

However, Wu Zetian's administration is soon in for various troubles on the western, then the northern, borders.

A patrician by the name of Symbatius had proceeded to rebel in Armenia in the meantime, and opened up the province to the Arabs, who proceed to conquer it in 694–695.

The reestablishment of Umayyad rule in the Islamic realms is at first more apparent than real.

The Kharijites are still either restless or in open revolt.

The Kharijites in Persia, who are especially dangerous, capture Mosul in 695 and occupy large areas of central Iraq.

Abd al-Malik had also resumed campaigns against the Empire in Anatolia in 692, but no permanent conquest ensues.

These campaigns are partly designed to keep the Syrian troops fit.

The Muslim Arabs, under the Umayyad dynasty of Damascus, introduce their first coinage in 695 to replace the modified Eastern Roman and Sassanian coins that have been used until now.

Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, governor of the Muslim caliphate’s eastern provinces, sends his celebrated Peacock Army (so named for its colorful uniforms) into the region of present southeastern Afghanistan to regain the Muslim position after the Afghans had checked the advance of a smaller force.

Both the native Berbers and the imperial forces in North Africa oppose the Arabs.

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.