Empress Zhong (鍾氏; given name unknown) (died 965), posthumously named Empress Guangmu (光穆皇后), was an empress consort and

empress dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother) () is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was also g ...

imperial China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...

's short-lived

Southern Tang Southern Tang () was a state in Southern China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which proclaimed itself to be the successor of the former Tang dynasty. The capital was located at Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu Province ...

Dynasty during the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 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 concu ...

period. She was married to Li Jing (né Xu Jingtong, Emperor Yuanzong), the second ruler of Southern Tang and gave birth to Li Yu, the third ruler.

During Wu

It is not known when Lady Zhong was born, but it was known that she was the second daughter of Zhong Taizhang (鍾泰章), who was a general of

's predecessor state Wu (also known as Hongnong or Huainan). Zhong Taizhang had been instrument in the coming to power of

Xu Wen Xu Wen () (862''New History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 61. – November 20, 927''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Dunmei (), formally Prince Zhongwu of Qi (), later further ...

(Lady Zhong's eventual grandfather-in-law) — as Xu and a colleague, Zhang Hao, had assassinated Wu's then-prince

Yang Wo Yang Wo () (886 – June 9, 908), courtesy name Chengtian (), formally Prince Wei of Hongnong (), later further posthumously honored King Jing of Wu () and then as Emperor Jing of Wu () with the temple name Liezu (), was the first independent ruler ...

in 907, but then began to have a power struggle. Xu and another official,

Yan Keqiu Yan Keqiu (嚴可求) (died November 19, 930''Zizhi Tongjian'', :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷277, vol. 277.

, then invited Zhong to lead a group of soldiers to ambush Zhang. Zhong agreed and was able to kill Zhang, allowing Xu to take over the reins of the state as the regent for Yang Wo's brother and successor

Yang Longyan Yang Longyan () (897 – June 17, 920), né Yang Ying (), also known as Yang Wei (), courtesy name Hongyuan (), formally King Xuan of Wu (), later further posthumously honored Emperor Xuan of Wu () with the temple name of Gaozu (), was a king of t ...

. However, it was said that Zhong was not well-rewarded for his actions, and, while he was quiet about his resentment, was resentful. Nevertheless, when Zhong was accused of improprieties in 923, Xu Wen was reluctant to, as his adoptive son, the junior regent Xu Zhigao suggested, punish Zhong, noting to Xu Zhigao his belief that had not for Zhong, he himself would have died at Zhang's hands. Rather, he ordered Xu Zhigao to take a daughter of Zhong's to be the wife of Xu Zhigao's son Xu Jingtong, leading to the marriage.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 272. It was said that when Xu Wen first saw Lady Zhong, he commented, "Only this boy is fit for this girl." During Wu (i.e., during the successive regencies of Xu Wen and Xu Zhigao, although the timing was not clear), Lady Zhong first received successive greater lady titles. She bore Xu Jingtong his first son Xu Hongji, and (later, during Southern Tang) would bear him his sixth son Xu Congjia and ninth son Li Congqian (李從謙). (His seventh son Li Congshan (李從善) was said to be her son in Li Congshan's biography in the ''

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 ...

'', but said to be the son of his concubine Lady Ling in Lady Ling's biography.)

During Southern Tang

In 937, Xu Zhigao had the Wu emperor,

Yang Pu Yang Pu ( zh, 楊溥; 900 – January 21, 939), formally Emperor Rui of Wu (), was the last ruler of Wu, and the only one that claimed the title of emperor. During his reign, the state was in effective control of the regents Xu Wen and Xu Wen' ...

, yield the throne to him, ending Wu and starting a new state of

. He created Xu Jingtong (who shortly after was renamed Xu Jing) the Prince of Wu, and then the Prince of Qi. Lady Zhong, as the wife of the Prince of Qi, received the title of Princess of Qi. (Xu Zhigao and Xu Jing, along with the rest of the imperial family (and therefore, including Empress Zhong's children) changed their family names from Xu to Xu Zhigao's birth name of Li in 939, with Xu Zhigao taking on the new name of Li Bian.) In 943, Li Bian died and was succeeded by Li Jing. Li Jing created Princess Zhong empress.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283. It was said that Empress Zhong, although she grew up in an honored household, did not favor entertainment, and did not wear luxurious clothing. Whenever the emperor rewarded her, she would first distribute the rewards to his concubines, and then to the other palace personnel. During the war that Southern Tang's rival

Later Zhou Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei (E ...

waged against Southern Tang late in Li Jing's reign (955-958) that eventually led to Southern Tang's yielding to Later Zhou as a vassal state,See ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vols.

292 __NOTOC__ Year 292 ( CCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hannibalianus and Asclepiodotus (or, less frequently, year ...

293 __NOTOC__ Year 293 ( CCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequently, ...

, 294. Empress Zhong reduced the amount of meals served in her palace, and forbid the playing of music for months. Li Jing died in 961, and Li Congjia, who was the

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

at that point (his older brothers, including Li Hongji, had predeceased him), succeeded to the throne (and changed his name to Li Yu). He was set to honor Empress Zhong as

— traditionally, ''Huang Taihou'' (皇太后). However, as Empress Zhong's father's name was Zhong Taizhang, that title was deemed inappropriate due to

naming taboo A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly r ...

. Rather, she was honored with the title of ''Sheng Zunhou'' (聖尊后).''Xu Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 2. When she subsequently became ill, Li Yu attended to her day and night. She died in 965.

Notes and references

Sources

* * ''

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 ...

'', vols. 272,

283 Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe cond ...

. * ''

Xu Zizhi Tongjian ''Xu Zizhi Tongjian'' (續資治通鑑; "Continuation to ''Zizhi Tongjian''") was a book chronicling Chinese history of the Song dynasty between 960 and 1279 and the Yuan dynasty between 1279 and 1370. Credited to Bi Yuan (畢沅; 1730–1797), a ...

'', vol. 2. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhong, Empress Southern Tang empresses 10th-century births 965 deaths Year of birth unknown Yang Wu people People from East China 10th-century Chinese people 10th-century Chinese women