Li Chunyan (; died August 29, 939?''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'', vol. 282.

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...

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) was an empress of the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

state

Min Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Am ...

. Her husband was

Wang Jipeng Wang Jipeng () (died August 29, 939), used the name Wang Chang () from 935 to 939, formally Emperor Kangzong of Min (), was an emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Min. He inherited the throne after his father Wa ...

(also known as Wang Chang during his reign, Emperor Kangzong).

Background

It is not known when or where Li Chunyan was born, and the traditional histories also gave no indication as to her family background. It is known that she became a

lady in waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

in the palace of Wang Jipeng's father Wang Lin (né Wang Yanjun). She was said to be very beautiful, and at one point, Wang Jipeng, then the Prince of Fu, started an affair with her. In 935, he went to Wang Lin's wife (his stepmother), Empress Chen Jinfeng, asking for her help. Empress Chen spoke on his behalf, and Wang Lin gave Li Chunyan to him, albeit reluctantly.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 279.''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', vol. 94. Wang Jipeng's younger brother Wang Jitao became displeased, and considered killing him — suggesting that Wang Jitao might have also had designs on her. Later in 935, Wang Lin, Empress Chen, and Wang Jitao were killed in a coup that was led by the officer Li Fang (李倣) and Wang Jipeng. Wang Jipeng took the throne and changed his name to Wang Chang. He created Li Chunyan the imperial consort title ''Xianfei'' (賢妃), while his wife

Lady Li Lady Li (李夫人, died between 104 and 101 BC), also rendered as Li Fu-jēn, was a Han dynasty concubine of Emperor Wu. Civil unrest broke out between her family and Wei Zifu's family. Moreover, her siblings defected to the Xiongnu and became ...

only carried the title of Lady of Liang. He spent day and night with her, riding the same wagon and sitting on the same couch. His

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Ye Qiao tried to remind him that Lady Li was his wife and was of an honorable birth (as the daughter of his aunt and her husband, the chancellor Li Min (李敏)). Wang Chang did not listen, however, and eventually forced Ye into retirement.

As empress

In 936, Wang Chang created Consort Li empress, at the same time that he honored his grandmother (Wang Lin's mother)

Empress Dowager Huang Empress Dowager Huang (, personal name unknown), referred to semi-formally as Empress Dowager Longqi () after her son Wang Yanjun's ''Longqi'' era name, was an empress dowager of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Min. She wa ...

grand empress dowager.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280. In 937, Wang built a new Ziwei Palace (紫微宮), adorned with crystals, with far greater effort going into its construction than even his father Wang Lin's opulent Baohuang Palace (寶皇宮).''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. It became the palace where Empress Li would stay. Meanwhile, Wang's favoring of a new elite corps of the imperial guard troops, the Chenwei Corps (宸衛), over two corps that his father Wang Lin had favored — the Gongchen (拱宸) and the Anhe (按鶴) — had caused much fear and anger among the ranks of those two corps, and he had also suspected one of their commanders, Lian Chongyu, of being complicit in the arson of the northern palace in 939, and thus considered killing Lian. Hearing of this, Lian started a coup later in 939, declared Wang Chang's uncle (Wang Lin's brother)

Wang Yanxi Wang Yanxi () (died April 8, 944), known as Wang Xi () during his reign, formally Emperor Jingzong of Min (), was an emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min. He became Min's ruler after a coup that overthrew his ne ...

emperor, forcing Wang Chang to flee. Wang Chang was captured in his flight, however, and killed by strangulation. It was said that Empress Li, his sons (it is not known whether they were by Empress Li, Lady Li, or other women), and his younger brother Wang Jigong (王繼恭) were also killed.

Notes and references

* ''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

''
vol. 94
* ''

'', vols. 279,

280 __NOTOC__ Year 280 ( CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 '' ...

282 Year 282 (Roman numerals, CCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1 ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Chunyan 939 deaths Min Kingdom empresses Executed Min Kingdom people People executed by Min Kingdom Year of birth unknown Murdered royalty