Princess Pingyi (馮翊公主), later honored as Empress Wenxiang (文襄皇后), formally posthumously honored as Empress Jing (敬皇后, literally "the respected empress") by Northern Qi, was a princess 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 va ...

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

dynasty and its branch successor state

Eastern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Eastern Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty. One of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, the Eastern Wei ...

. She was the sister of

Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei ((東)魏孝靜帝) (524 – 21 January 552), personal name Yuan Shanjian (元善見), was the only emperor of the Eastern Wei – a branch successor state to Northern Wei. In 534 Emperor Xiaowu had fled the capita ...

, and the wife of Eastern Wei's paramount official

Gao Cheng Gao Cheng (; 521–549), courtesy name Zihui (子惠), formally Prince Wenxiang of Bohai (勃海文襄王), later further posthumously honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Wenxiang (文襄皇帝) with the temple name Shizong (世宗), was the paramou ...

, son of

Gao Huan Gao Huan () (496 – 13 February 547), Xianbei name Heliuhun (賀六渾), formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王), later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu (獻武皇帝), then as Emperor Shenwu (神武皇帝 ...

. It is not known when she was born to Yuan Dan (元亶) the Prince of Qinghe, a grandson of

Emperor Xiaowen An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, but what is known is that during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu (532-535), she was created the Princess Pingyi. In 534, Emperor Xiaowu, seeking to escape the grasp of Gao Huan, fled west from the capital

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

to the domain of the independent general

Yuwen Tai Yuwen Tai () (505 – 21 November 556According to Yuwen Tai's biography in ''Book of Zhou'', he died aged 52 (by East Asian reckoning) on the ''yihai'' day of the 10th month of the 3rd year of the reign of Emperor Gong of Western Wei. This corre ...

. Gao Huan subsequently made her brother Yuan Shanjian emperor (as Emperor Xiaojing), signifying a division of Northern Wei into Eastern Wei (with Emperor Xiaojing as emperor) and Western Wei (with Emperor Xiaowu as emperor). She was subsequently given to Gao Huan's son Gao Cheng as his wife, although the date of the marriage is not known. Princess Pingyi was said to be both beautiful and virtuous. In 541, she bore Gao Cheng a son, Gao Xiaowan (高孝琬). Emperor Xiaojing personally visited Gao Cheng and her to congratulate them. Later, she also bore him two daughters. Gao Cheng was assassinated by his servant Lan Jing (蘭京) in 549, and Gao Cheng's brother Gao Yang took over his position of power. In 550, Gao Yang forced Emperor Xiaojing to yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and starting Northern Qi (as its Emperor Wenxuan). Emperor Wenxuan honored Gao Cheng as Emperor Wenxiang, and thus honored her as Empress Wenxiang, settling her at Jingde Palace (靜德宮). In 555, with Emperor Wenxuan growing increasingly unstable in his mental state, he forced her to move out of Jingde Palace. Further, alleging that Gao Cheng had previously forced his wife

Empress Li Zu'e Empress Li Zu'e () was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi, known at times semi-formally as Empress Zhaoxin () (due to her residence being Zhaoxin Palace). Her husband was Emperor Wenxuan (Gao Yang), the first emperor of Northern Qi. L ...

to have sexual relations with Gao Cheng, Emperor Wenxuan forced her to have sexual relations with him. Nothing further concrete was recorded about her in history. She died sometime between 570 and 576 and was buried with Gao Cheng with honors due an empress.

References

* '' Book of Northern Qi'', vol. 9. * '' History of the Northern Dynasties'', vol. 14. * ''

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.

158 Year 158 ( CLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tertullus and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 911 '' Ab urbe ...

163 Year 163 ( CLXIII) was a common 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 Laelianus and Pastor (or, less frequently, year 916 '' Ab urbe con ...

. Northern Wei people Northern Qi people 570s deaths Year of birth unknown Chinese princesses {{China-royal-stub