张易之
By 703, because Wei's unwillingness to yield to the wishes of Zhang Yizhi and his brother Zhang Changzong, also Wu Zetian's lover, including his punishment of their brother Zhang Changyi () and refusal to promote another brother, Zhang Changqi (), Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were angry at him. At that time, Wu Zetian happened to be somewhat ill, and the Zhangs were fearful that if she died, Wei would kill them, and therefore falsely accused Wei and Gao Jian (), a favorite official of Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping, of having said that she was too old and that it would be better for them to support the Crown Prince (Li Zhe, who had by now been recalled from exile to serve in that role and renamed Li Xian and then Wu Xian, and on whose staff Wei also served). Wu Zetian, in anger, arrested Wei and Gao, and was ready to interrogate them before her. The Zhangs persuaded Wei's subordinate Zhang Shuo to corroborate their accusations, but Zhang Shuo, having been persuaded by his colleagues Song Jing, Zhang Tinggui (), and Liu Zhiji that he needed to speak the truth, when reaching Wu Zetian's presence, instead revealed that he had never heard Wei say anything of that nature and that he had been asked by Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong to testify that he had. As a result, Wei escaped death, but was exiled to be the sheriff of Gaoyao County (高要, in modern Zhaoqing, Guangdong), while Gao and Zhang Shuo were reduced to commoner rank and exiled as well. Before Wei departed, he said to Wu Zetian, "I am old now, and now I am going to Lingnan. There is less than a 10% chance that I will survive, but Your Imperial Majesty will think of me one day." When she asked why, he pointed to Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong and said, "These two boys will create a disaster." The Zhangs quickly kneeled and claimed that Wei's accusation was false, to which Wu Zetian merely stated, "Wei Yuanzhong, you may go now."