Zhou Ehuang (周娥皇) ( 936 – 8 December 964), posthumously named QueenHer title ''guohou'' (國后; literally "kingdom's consort") is frequently translated in English-language literature as "empress". This translation does not differentiate between her title and her mother-in-law

Empress Zhong Empress Zhong (鍾氏; given name unknown) (died 965), posthumously named Empress Guangmu (光穆皇后), was an empress consort and empress dowager of imperial China's short-lived Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ...

's title of ''huanghou'' (皇后; literally "empire's consort", or "empress"). In 959, in order to end invasions by the Later Zhou Dynasty, the Southern Tang ruler Li Jing (Zhou Ehuang's father-in-law) relinquished all imperial trappings, including his claim as an emperor. From that point, Southern Tang became a nominal vassal state of the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Song Dynasty which succeeded Later Zhou in 960, and the terminologies used reflected this relationship. Zhaohui (昭惠國后), was a queen consort of

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 ...

state during the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period 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 conc ...

. Her husband was Li Yu, Southern Tang's third and last ruler. She is best known as Queen Zhou the Elder (大周后) to distinguish from her younger sister Queen Zhou the Younger whom Li Yu married after her death. A musical genius and

pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rang ...

virtuoso, she is suspected to be the subject of many of Li Yu's enduring love poems.

Biography

Zhou Ehuang was the daughter of

Zhou Zong Zhou Zong (), courtesy name Juntai (), was an official of the History of China, Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Southern Tang. Zhou was a close associate of its founding emperor Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang, Emperor Liezu an ...

, an official to Emperor Yuanzong. She had a younger sister named Zhou Jiamin, who was 14 years younger than her. She studied the book of history, mastered the rhythm of music, and played

xiangqi ''Xiangqi'' (; ), also called Chinese chess or elephant chess, is a strategy board game for two players. It is the most popular board game in China. ''Xiangqi'' is in the same family of games as '' shogi'', '' janggi'', Western chess, '' ch ...

. As a musical genius, she played the pipa for Emperor Li Jing on his birthday, and he rewarded her with a pipa as a present. He married her to his son, Li Yu Prince of Wu. After Li Jing died, Li Yu ascended to the throne as emperor and honored her as Queen. Her younger sister, then 5 at the time, was allowed to visit the palace frequently. As queen, she gave birth to two sons, Li Chongyu and Li Chongxuan. Her younger son, Li Chongxuan, was playing in front of a statue when a lamp suddenly fell down on him. Li Chongxuan was frightened and eventually died of shock at the age of three. Queen Zhou was saddened, and she eventually fell ill. She lamented to her husband about their son, and Li Yu was greatly saddened too. During her last days, Li Yu carried out an affair with her younger sister, who was 14 at that time. Queen Zhou heard about this and died out of sadness. Li Yu was very regretful, and wrote a poem for her. Soon, Queen Zhou's mother in law, Empress Dowager Zhong succumbed to illness. After their funerals, Queen Zhou's younger sister Jiamin became the new queen of Li Yu. Jiamin would be known in history as Queen Zhou the Younger and would accompany Li Yu until his death.

Notes and references

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhou the Elder, Queen Southern Tang empresses Year of birth uncertain 930s births 964 deaths Southern Tang musicians