Empress Wu (died September or October 245), personal name Wu Xian (), formally known as Empress Mu (literally "the Just Empress"), was an empress of the state of
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Three Kingdoms
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 Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period. She was the last wife and the only empress of
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...
, the founding emperor of Shu Han, and a younger sister of Wu Yi.
Life
Lady Wu was from Chenliu Commandery (陳留郡), which is around present-day
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
. She was born sometime in the late
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 ...
. Along with her elder brother, Wu Yi. They lost their father at a young age. However her father, whose name is not recorded in history, was a friend of Liu Yan, and therefore Lady Wu followed Liu Yan into
Yi Province
Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a '' zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong, Ba, Guanghan, Shu, Wenshan, Jianwei, ...
(covering present-day
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
and
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
) when Liu Yan was made the governor. Liu Yan had imperial ambition and knew that a physiognomist once assessed that she would rise to high nobility. Because of this and due to the friendship between her father and Liu Yan, she was married to Liu Yan's son Liu Mao () who accompanied him. After Liu Mao's death, she did not remarry.
When Liu Bei seized Yi Province from Lady Wu's brother-in-law Liu Zhang in 214, he had been effectively divorced from his wife
Lady Sun
Lady Sun (180s - 211), also known as Sun Ren in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' and Sun Shangxiang in Chinese opera and contemporary culture, was a Chinese noblewoman who lived during the late Eastern Han dyna ...
, the younger sister of
Sun Quan
Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime es ...
. Many of Liu Bei's subordinates encouraged him to take Lady Wu as his wife. However, he was hesitant due to the fact that Liu Mao and him were of the same clan. In order to convince Liu Bei, Fa Zheng reminded Liu that
Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Wen of Jin (697–628BC), born Chong'er (literally "Double Ears"), was a scion of the royal house of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. He famously endured a long period of exile from his realm before finally bei ...
was betrothed to
Huai Ying
Huai Ying (650 BC - 620 BC), was the Duchess consort of Duke Huai of Jin (r. 637).Lily Xiao Hong Lee, A. D. Stefanowska, Sue Wiles. 2007.
She was the daughter of the Duke Mu of Qin. She married Duke Huai of Jin in a marriage arranged by her fat ...
, even though he was the brother of her previous husband,
Duke Huai of Jin
Duke Huai of Jin (died 637BC), personal name Yu, was briefly the duke of Jin (.637BC) during the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou dynasty.
Life
Yu's father was the future Duke Hui of Jin, who married a princess of Liang during his exile ...
. Therefore, Liu Bei agreed and he married Lady Wu.
Xi Zuochi
Xi Zuochi (after 316 – 384), courtesy name Yanwei, was a Jin dynasty historian native to Xiangyang, Hubei. He is principally remembered for being the first historian to regard the Wei dynasty as an illegitimate successor to the Han dynasty.
...
disapproved of Liu Bei's decision; he commented: "Human relations begin with the marriage between two individuals, It is the socle of a ruler's influence. The common people must abide to the ancestral customs, even more for someone who wishes to act as their ruler. Duke Wen of Jin abolished those customs and used his personal power to serve his career. Therefore, Hu Yan rightfully chastised him. This was not without reason for he violated the common rule. In Liu Bei's situation, he wasn't forced to be so quick in his decision, yet his subordinate by mentioning a previous fault as an example didn't serve his ruler the way ancient customs teach us. And Liu Bei, in following his advice, made a mistake."
When he claimed for himself the title of the "Prince of Hanzhong" in 219, he made Lady Wu his queen consort. After the fall of 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 ...
in 220 (with
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
's abdication to
Cao Pi
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 son ...
), Liu Bei claimed for himself the Han imperial title in 221, establishing Shu. Later that year, he made her empress. After his death in 223, his son and successor
Liu Shan
Liu Shan () (207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Lia ...
honoured her as
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 ...
. She died in 245 and was buried at Huiling along with Liu Bei in the imperial tomb.(建安二十四年，立為漢中王后。章武元年夏五月，策曰：「朕承天命，奉至尊，臨萬國。今以后為皇后，遣使持節丞相亮授璽綬，承宗廟，母天下，皇后其敬之哉！」建興元年五月，後主即位，尊后為皇太后，稱長樂宮。壹官至車騎將軍，封縣侯。延熙八年，后薨，合葬惠陵。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 34. However the ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
'' is inconsistent in stating whether she, or Liu Shan's mother
Lady Gan
Lady Gan (died 210) was a concubine of Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China and Liu Shan's mother. She was later posthumously honoured as Lady Huangsi which means "the Lady whom the Emperor ...
, was buried with Liu Bei.
See also
*
Shu Han family trees This article contains the family trees of members of the Liu clan, who ruled the state of Shu Han (221-263) in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in China. They were related to the House of Liu, the imperial clan of the Han dynasty.
Liu Bei's ance ...
*
Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
The following are lists of people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. Their names in Mandarin pinyin are sorted in alphabetical order.
Fictional characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of ...
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
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 ...