Empress Wang Shen'ai (王神愛) (384 – September or October 412), formally Empress Anxi (安僖皇后, literally "the peaceful and careful empress") was an empress of

Jin Dynasty (266–420) The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...

. Her husband was the developmentally disabled Emperor An. Wang Shen'ai was the daughter of the official Wang Xianzhi, the son of the famed official and

calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

Wang Xizhi Wang Xizhi (; ; 303 AD361 AD) was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, general and writer during the Jin dynasty. He was best known for his mastery of Chinese calligraphy. Wang is sometimes regarded as the greatest Chinese calligrapher in Chines ...

. Her mother Princess Xin'an was the daughter of Emperor Jianwen, making her and her husband cousins. In 396, while he was still

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 wi ...

under his father Emperor Xiaowu, they married, and she became crown empress. She was 12, and he was 14. As he was described to be so developmentally disabled that he could not speak or dress himself, or express whether he was full or hungry, it was unlikely that their marriage was consummated; in any case, they had no children. Later that year, after Emperor Xiaowu was killed by his

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

Honoured Lady Zhang Honoured Lady Zhang (367? - after 396) was a concubine of the Jin dynasty emperor, Xiaowu, whom she murdered in 396.Fang (648), volume 9 Biography Honoured Lady Zhang was Emperor Xiaowu of Jin's favourite concubine. She had no children and the ...

after humiliating her, Emperor An became emperor. On 3 May 397,According to Sima Dezong's biography in ''Book of Jin'', Lady Wang was made empress on the ''wuwu'' day of the 2th month of the 1st year of the ''Longan'' era of her husband's reign. However, in the same line, it was recorded that

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 ...

was made (grand) empress dowager on the ''jiayin'' day of the same month. The two days do not exist in the 2nd month of the 1st year of the ''Longan'' era, but do exist in the 3rd month of the same year. Thus, the (likely) correct date for Lady Wang's coronation corresponds to 3 May 397 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. 隆安元年二月)甲寅，尊皇太后李氏为皇太后。戊午，立皇后王氏。''Jin Shu'', vol.10 she was created empress. Very little is known about Empress Wang's life as empress. In 403, after Emperor An's throne was usurped by the warlord

Huan Xuan Huan Xuan (桓玄) (369 – 19 June 404), courtesy name Jingdao (敬道), nickname Lingbao (靈寶), formally Emperor Wudao of Chu (楚武悼帝), was a Jin Dynasty warlord who briefly took over the imperial throne from Emperor An of Jin and de ...

, she was effectively put under house arrest with her husband. In 404, after Liu Yu started a rebellion to reestablish Jin, Huan Xuan had her and her husband transported west with him after he resolved to flee west from the capital Jiankang, but on the way, Huan Xuan's brother-in-law Yin Zhongwen (殷仲文) rebelled against him and transported her and Emperor Mu's Empress He Fani back to Jiankang. Later that year, after Huan Xuan was killed and Emperor An was seized back from Huan Xuan's nephew Huan Zhen (桓振), he was reunited with her. She died in September or October 412 and was buried with honors due an empress.

References

, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wang Shen'ai, Empress 384 births 412 deaths Jin dynasty (266–420) empresses 4th-century Chinese women 5th-century Chinese women Huan Chu people 4th-century Chinese people 5th-century Chinese people