Lu Lingxuan (陸令萱) (died 577) was 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 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 Qi Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It ruled the eastern part of northern China ...

dynasty. As she served as the

wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...

to the emperor

Gao Wei Gao Wei (高緯) (29 May 556 – November 577According to volume 10 of ''History of the Northern Dynasties'', Gao Wei was killed in the 10th month of the 6th year of the ''Jiande'' era of Yuwen Yong's reign. This corresponds to 28 Oct to 25 Nov ...

, she became exceedingly powerful during his reign, at times eclipsing in importance his mother Empress Dowager Hu and was often criticized by historians for her corruption and treachery.

Life

It is not known when Lu Lingxuan was born, she was ethnically

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...

. Her husband was named Luo Chao (駱超), who was a general of

origin as well and was executed after he was accused of treason. Lady Lu and their son, Luo Tipo were taken into the palace to serve as servants. After Gao Wei, the son of then-Prince of Changguang Gao Zhan and Gao Zhan's wife Princess Hu, was born in 557, Lady Lu became his

. She was described as intelligent and devious and became a favorite of Princess Hu. She might have also nursed Princess Hu's second son, Gao Yan.

Court official

Gao Zhan became emperor (as Emperor Wucheng) in 561 AD after the death of his brother Emperor Xiaozhao, and he created Princess Hu

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

and Gao Wei

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 ...

. In 565, in order to deflect ominous astrological signs, he passed the throne to Gao Wei, although he retained imperial powers as ''

Taishang Huang In Chinese history, a ''Taishang Huang'' or ''Taishang Huangdi'' is an honorific and institution of a retired emperor. The former emperor had, at least in name, abdicated in favor of someone else. Although no longer the reigning sovereign, ther ...

'' (retired emperor). Lady Lu brought Luo Tipo into the palace to serve as a playmate for Gao Wei, and they carried out many activities together. After Emperor Wucheng's death around the new year 569, Retired Empress Hu became

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 ...

, and Lady Lu became a particular confidant and very powerful within the palace. Empress Dowager Hu created her a lady of a commandery, and powerful officials, including Empress Dowager Hu's lover

He Shikai He Shikai (和士開) (524–571), courtesy name Yantong (彥通), was an official of the History of China, Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was a close associate of Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi, Emperor Wucheng (Gao Zhan) prior to Emperor Wucheng ...

and

Gao Anagong Gao Anagong (高阿那肱) (died November 18, 580Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 174.) was a Xianbei official of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. He was a close associate of the emperor Gao Wei, and lat ...

, flattered her and were willing to treat her as mother. Because the female servant of Gao Wei's wife

Empress Hulü Empress Hulü (; personal name unknown) was an empress of the Northern Qi dynasty of China. She was Gao Wei's first empress, and she was a daughter of the general Hulü Guang. Her family was one of the most prominent military families in Northern Q ...

Mu Sheli Mu Sheli (穆舍利), originally named Mu Yeli (穆邪利), nickname Huanghua (黃花), was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. She was Gao Wei's last empress. Background Mu Sheli's mother Mu Qingxiao (穆輕霄) was initially a serva ...

was particularly favored by Gao Wei, Lady Lu, in order to affirm her own power, volunteered to be her adoptive mother and endorsed her to become an official imperial consort. She went as far as having Luo Tipo change his name to Mu Tipo. As of 569, she was also in an alliance with the official

Zu Ting Zu Ting (; ; ?-?), courtesy name Xiaozheng (孝征), was an official of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty (550–577). He was renowned for his literary and administrative talents. Background Zu Ting's father Zu Ying (祖瑩) was a general during ...

. Her son Mu Tipo also became a powerful official in his own right. In 570, Consort Mu gave birth to Gao Wei's first son,

Gao Heng Gao Heng (; 570–577), often known in history as the Youzhu of Northern Qi (, meaning 'child ruler'), was briefly an emperor of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. In 577, Northern Qi was under a major attack by rival Northern Zhou. Gao Heng's fa ...

. Lady Lu wanted to have Gao Heng become

and inherit the throne one day, but was afraid that Empress Hulü would oppose it, so she gave Gao Heng to Empress Hulü for her to raise. Later in 570, Gao Heng was created crown prince. In summer 571, Gao Wei's younger brother Gao Yan the Prince of Langye, angry at the hold He Shikai and Mu Tipo had on power, killed He Shikai, and then gathered his troops. He then tried to use trickery to draw Lady Lu out of the palace so that he could murder her as well but was unable to. He was soon himself captured when the general

Hulü Guang Hulü Guang () (515–572), courtesy name Mingyue (明月), was an ethnic Tiele general of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. During the late years of the dynasty—the reigns of Emperor Wucheng and Gao Wei, traditionally viewed as a period of corru ...

(Empress Hulü's father) refused to side with him, and it was at least partially at her instigation that Gao Wei put Gao Yan to death in fall 571. In winter 571, after Empress Dowager Hu was found to have had an affair with the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monk Tanxian (曇獻), Gao Wei put her under house arrest. Zu proposed that, in the precedence of the preceding dynasty

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 ...

's title of

nurse empress dowager Nurse empress dowager () was an honorific title given to emperors' wet nurses of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Wei dynasty. The existence of the title owed itself to a peculiar institution of Northern Wei—that when a son of the emperor were ...

for wet nurses, Lady Lu be created empress dowager to replace Empress Dowager Hu. Gao Wei did not do so, but the authority that Empress Dowager Hu had was effectively displaced by Lady Lu.

Empress affair

In 572, Zu falsely accused Hulü Guang of treason—an accusation that Lady Lu concurred in—and Gao Wei killed Hulü Guang and most members of his clan. Empress Hulü was deposed. Lady Lu wanted to have Consort Mu, her adoptive daughter, created empress, but at that time, Gao Wei favored Empress Dowager Hu's niece Consort Hu. Empress Dowager Hu wanted her niece created empress, but felt she had insufficient persuasive power, and she gave gifts to Lady Lu, referring to her as sister, and requested her help. Lady Lu reluctantly agreed, and she jointly with Zu suggested that Consort Hu be created empress. Consort Hu became empress in fall 572. However, Lady Lu did not relent in her hopes of making Consort Mu empress, stating to Gao Wei, "How can a son be crown prince and a mother be a servant girl, a concubine?" But as Gao Wei favored Empress Hu, she could not carry out her wishes. She therefore engaged witches to use witchcraft on Empress Hu. It was said that within a month, Empress Hu began to show symptoms of psychosis, often mumbling to herself or laughing without cause. Gao Wei began to fear and dislike her. In winter 572, Lady Lu put Consort Mu in empress clothing and put her in a tent, surrounded with magnificent jewelry, and then told Gao Wei, "Let me show you a holy woman." When Gao Wei saw that it was Consort Mu, Lady Lu stated, "For a woman this beautiful not to be empress, who would be qualified to be empress?" Gao Wei agreed with her, and he created Consort Mu "Right Empress" and gave Empress Hu the title "Left Empress. Around the new year 573, Lady Lu further falsely told Empress Dowager Hu that Empress Hu had denigrated Empress Dowager Hu's moral character—and Empress Dowager Hu, in anger, without verifying the information, ordered Empress Hu expelled from the palace, and then had Gao Wei depose her. Thereafter, it was said that Lady Lu and Mu Tipo were so powerful and so corrupt that they were openly taking bribes and selling the imperial offices, and all that they wished were carried out. In spring 573, Right Empress Mu became sole empress. As Empress Mu treated Lady Lu as mother and Mu Tipo as brother, Lady Lu was honored with the title "Grand Lady" (太姬, ''taiji''), typically reserved for an empress's mother, and Empress Mu ignored her own mother Mu Qingxiao (穆輕霄). When Mu Qingxiao tried to see Empress Mu, Lady Lu prevented the meeting.

Deposition of Zu

Meanwhile, the alliance between Lady Lu and Zu was breaking up. Zu, after he achieved even greater power after Hulü Guang's death, wanted to reorganize it to make it more efficient, reducing duplication in official responsibilities and wastefulness. He also wanted to remove incompetent and/or corrupt officials as well as reducing the ranks of

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

s—but Lady Lu and Mu Tipo opposed. He therefore entered an alliance with Empress Hu's brothers Hu Junyu (胡君瑜) and Hu Junbi (胡君璧), promoting them and hoping that they would assist him. He also had his associate Li Bolü (麗伯律) accuse Mu Tipo's associate Wang Zichong (王子沖) of accepting bribes—knowing that if Wang were convicted, both Mu Tipo and Lady Lu would be implicated. Lady Lu, however, figured out what was happening, and found ways to have Hu Junyu and Hu Junbi demoted. (This was happening at the same time that she had Empress Hu deposed.) At the same time, with the eunuchs accusing Zu of crimes, Gao Wei asked Lady Lu what her opinions were, and she initially intentionally refused to answer, and then eventually stated: :''This old servant woman of your should die. Before, He Shikai told me that Zu Ting was knowledgeable and very capable, and I thought that he was a good man, so I recommended him. Based on my observations of his recent activities, however, he is wicked. It is difficult to know a man. I should die 10,000 times.'' Another favorite official of Gao Wei,

Han Zhangluan Han Zhangluan (), formal personal name Han Feng (), was an official of the Chinese Northern Qi, Northern Qi dynasty. He was initially a guard commander for Gao Wei when Gao Wei was crown prince, and became a close associate of Gao Wei after Gao Wei ...

, also despised Zu, and together they had Zu demoted to a provincial governorship. Zu would not return to the central government for the rest of his life.

Death

In winter 576, rival

Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty and ...

launched a major attack on Northern Qi. Around the new year 577, after a major defeat at Pingyang (平陽, in modern

Linfen Linfen is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shanxi province, China, bordering Shaanxi province to the west. It is situated along the banks of the Fen River. It has an area of and according to the 2020 Census, a population of 3,976,4 ...

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

), Gao Wei abandoned the secondary capital Jinyang (晉陽, in modern

Taiyuan Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...

) and fled back to the capital Yecheng. However, Mu Tipo did not follow Gao Wei back to the capital, but instead headed west and surrendered to Northern Zhou. When Lady Lu heard this, she committed suicide. Her family members were all executed or taken as servants.

Media

*Lu Lingxuan is portrayed by

Zhao Liying Zhao Liying (, born 16 October 1987), also known as Zanilia Zhao, is a Chinese actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in television series ''Legend of Lu Zhen'' (2013), ''Boss & Me'' (2014), ''The Journey of Flower'' (2015), ''The My ...

in the Chinese television series ''

Legend of Lu Zhen ''Legend of Lu Zhen'' () is a 2013 Chinese television series based on the novel ''Female Prime Minister'' (女相) by Zhang Wei. Directed by Li Huizhu, Zheng Wei'en and Liang Guoguan and produced by Yu Zheng and Mu Xiaohui, the series stars Zhao Li ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lu, Lingxuan Northern Qi politicians 577 deaths Year of birth unknown Suicides in Northern Qi Chinese ladies-in-waiting Wet nurses 6th-century Chinese women 6th-century Chinese people