Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
period of China. She was married to
Cao Rui
Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later rem ...
, the second emperor of Wei.
History
Lady Mao hailed from a poor family from
Henei
Henei Commandery ( zh, 河內郡) was a commandery of China from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in modern Henan province, to the north of Yellow River.
In ancient China, Henei ("Inside the Yellow River") referred to the land north of the low ...
; her father Mao Jia () was a carpenter in the Department of Public Works. She became a concubine of Cao Rui during the reign of his father,
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
when Cao Rui was Prince of Pingyuan and Lady Yu, also from Henei, was the chief wife. However Cao Rui was noted to show great favour to Mao, often sharing a carriage with her.
When Cao Rui became emperor in 226 following his father's death, Mao was made a Noble Lady and it wasn't till late 227 that the new Emperor picked who would be Empress, with grain given out to those who had lost their spouse, the childless, orphans and the helpless. Mao was made Empress, to the annoyance of Lady Yu who told Rui's grandmother, the Empress Dowager Bian, that the Cao clan's failure to pick an Empress from a proper background would bring down the state. Lady Yu was promptly sent away. Soon after, Cao Rui ennobled her father Jia and gave her brother Mao Zeng (毛曾) a court position, and would continue to show the family great favour. However when Cao Rui ordered officials to go to Mao Jia's house for banquets and events, Mao Jia's foolish behaviour including calling himself "Lordly Person" made him a mockery at court.
Over time, Consort Guo became Cao Rui's favoured concubine and Empress Mao began losing favour. Things came to a head in 237 when Cao Rui hosted a party in the Rear Palace for the senior concubines with music and merriment. Consort Guo requested that Empress Mao be invited to join as well, but Cao Rui refused and further ordered that no news about the feast be given to Empress Mao. However, Empress Mao knew of the party and pointedly asked the next day, "Was yesterday’s party in the northern garden pleasant?". Cao Rui believed someone had leaked the news to Empress Mao; the usually tolerant Emperor killed over ten of his attendants then ordered Empress Mao to commit suicide on 22 September 237.(帝以左右泄之，所杀十馀人。赐后死...) ''Sanguozhi'' vol.5. She was buried on 25 October 237 with honours befitting an empress, and her family remained honoured.
In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''
Empress Mingdao is introduced in chapter 105 as the novel sets out Cao Rui's opulence and lack of restraint. Her background is ignored; initially beloved by Cao Rui, she becomes empress as soon as he becomes emperor. Neglected when he became more interested in Consort Guo, when Guo urges Cao Rui to invite the empress, he replied that he would eat or drink nothing if Mao was at the garden feast. With Cao Rui then missing for a month, Empress Mao and her ladies come to the Blue Flower Pavilion to entertain themselves when they hear music in the Fragrant Forest Park. Mao makes enquiries and is saddened to have heard what her husband had been up to. The next day, she spots Cao Rui from her carriage and enquired about the party. Scared by Cao Rui's violent reaction, she returns to her palace. Cao Rui then orders her death and immediately makes Guo empress; the court officials are too frightened to protest.
The next chapter, after the destruction of
Gongsun Yuan
Gongsun Yuan () (died September 238Cao Rui's biography in ''Sanguozhi'' indicated that Sima Yi laid siege to Xiangping on the ''bingyin'' day of the 8th month of the 2nd year of the ''Jing'chu'' era. However, there is no ''bingyin'' day in that ...
, Cao Rui is awoken during the middle of the night by a cold wind and in the darkness, he sees Empress Mao and some attendants. They come to his bed and demand his life; the frightened emperor then becomes mortally ill.