Pang E
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Pang E () or Zhao E () was a Chinese noble woman from the
Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
to the
Three Kingdoms period 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 ...
. Born in
Gansu province Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibeta ...
, she was the mother of the
Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' < : *''ŋjweiC'' <
politician, Pang Yui. She murdered her family's killer before turning herself in. Her case was recorded in Huangfu's ''
Biographies of Exemplary Women The ''Biographies of Exemplary Women'' () is a book compiled by the Han dynasty scholar Liu Xiang c. 18 BCE. It includes 125 biographical accounts of exemplary women in ancient China, taken from early Chinese histories including '' Chunqiu'', ' ...
'' () which was supposed to be an instructional text for Confucian women. Due to her act of extreme bravery, she was immortalized as one of the memorable acts of courage and virtue performed by a woman in
Chinese history 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 chapter ...
. Zhao E was famous as one of the heroines depicted in the
Wu Shuang Pu ''Wu Shuang Pu'' () is a book of woodcut prints, first printed in 1694, early on in the Qing dynasty. This book contains the biographies and imagined portraits of 40 notable heroes and heroines from the Han Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, all acco ...
(無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang.


Life

Zhao E was married to a member of the Pang family. In 179 AD her father, Zhao An, was killed by his fellow countryman Li Shou. Other members of the Zhao household took ill and died. She and her three younger brothers plotted to avenge him only for the latter three to die from the plague before they could take action, days later her husband also died. When Li Shou learned of their misfortune, he held a banquet to celebrate his personal victory over the Zhao household, haughtily saying:
''"All the strong ones of the Zhao clan are now dead and only a weak daughter remains. I need worry no longer."''
These words were heard by Pang Yui, the son of Zhao E, and told to Zhao E, so that it inspired her to commit revenge. When Li Shou heard that Zhao E wanted to kill him, he rode a horse with a sword into the street to protect himself against it. Because of his fierce personality, the villagers feared Li Shou. Her neighbors feared that Zhao E would not be able to defeat Li Shou, trying to dissuade her, but she still insists on not letting go of her revenge. She secretly bought a sword and sharpened it day and night, hoping to defeat her enemy, the advice of her family and neighbors made her more determined to kill Li Shou, so she left her family affairs and focused on waiting for the opportunity to kill him. One morning in early February 179, Zhao E armed herself with a sword and set out to find him. She encountered Li Shou in broad daylight and stabbed his horse, causing him to fall from it. She then fought with Li Shou and killed him, then cut off his head. While holding Li Shou's head, she immediately turned herself in to the authorities and asked to be executed. Despite awaiting the execution of her act, she was pardoned by officials who were sympathetic to her cause. It is said that Magistrate Yin Jia did not want her to be punished upon learning of her circumstances to the point that he was willing to relinquish his office so that she could live. Yin Jia was going to resign so as not to judge her, but Yan Chen firmly accepted the accusation. The people heard the news, and they came in greater and greater numbers, and all supported her. The district lieutenant did not dare arrest Zhao E, implicitly advised her to leave
Tang County Tang County or Tangxian () is a county under the jurisdiction of Baoding prefecture-level city, in west-central Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Administrative divisions Towns: * Renhou (), Wangjing (), Gaochang (), Beiluo (), Baihe ...
, and forced her to go home. Zhao E's insistence on obeying the law earned her many admirers who escorted her home, her legacy was spread throughout the nation and she was greatly revered. An amnesty was issued thus she was able to escape punishment honorably. In admiration of her sense of duty the provincial authorities set up a stele at her gate while such courage and enterprise displayed by a woman were reported to the court and celebrated across the empire. Her son, Pang Yu, also earned a reputation for his courage and loyalty, he was appointed ''Marquis of Guannei'' during the reign of
Emperor Wen of Wei 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 so ...
.


See also

*
Xiahou Lingnu Xiahou () is a Chinese compound surname from the Spring and Autumn period. After the State of Qi was destroyed by Chu, Duke Jian of Qi's ( 杞简公) younger brother, Prince Tuo (公子佗), fled to the State of Lu. Duke Dao of Lu ( 鲁悼 ...
, another woman from the Three Kingdoms who was inserted in the Hungfu Mi's ''Biographies of Exemplary Women.''


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:E, Pang People from Jiuquan People of Cao Wei People during the end of the Han dynasty Women in ancient Chinese warfare 2nd-century Chinese women 2nd-century Chinese people Legendary Chinese people