Empress Wu (died September or October 245),[a] personal name Wu Xian (Chinese: 吳莧), formally known as Empress Mu (literally "the Just Empress"), was an empress of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. She was the last wife and the only empress of Liu Bei, the founding emperor of Shu Han, and a younger sister of Wu Yi.
| Empress Wu 吳皇后 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empress dowager of Shu Han | |||||
| Tenure | 16 June 223 – September or October 245 | ||||
| Empress consort of Shu Han | |||||
| Tenure | 19 June 221 – 16 June 223 | ||||
| Successor | Empress Jing'ai | ||||
| Born | Unknown Kaifeng, Henan | ||||
| Died | September or October 245[a] | ||||
| Spouse | Liu Mao Liu Bei | ||||
| |||||
Life
editLady Wu was from Chenliu Commandery (陳留郡), which is around present-day Kaifeng, Henan. She was born sometime in the late Eastern Han dynasty. She had an elder brother, Wu Yi (吴懿). The siblings lost their father at a young age. However her father, whose name is not recorded in history, was a friend of Liu Yan, therefore Lady Wu followed him into Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) when Liu Yan was made the governor in 188. Liu Yan had imperial ambition and knew that a physiognomist once assessed that Lady Wu would rise to high nobility. Because of this prediction and due to the friendship between her father and Liu Yan, she was married to Liu Yan's son Liu Mao (劉瑁) who accompanied him. After Liu Mao's death, she did not remarry.[2][b]
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, the younger sister of Sun Quan. 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.[c] In order to convince Liu Bei, Fa Zheng reminded Liu that Duke Wen of Jin was betrothed to Huai Ying, even though he was the brother of her previous husband, Duke Huai of Jin. Therefore, Liu Bei agreed and he married Lady Wu.[3]
Xi Zuochi 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."[4]
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 in late 220 (with Emperor Xian's abdication to Cao Pi), 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 honoured her as empress dowager. She died in 245 and was buried at Huiling along with Liu Bei in the imperial tomb.[5] However the Records of the Three Kingdoms is inconsistent in stating whether she, or Liu Shan's mother Lady Gan, was buried with Liu Bei.[d]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Liu Shan's biography in the Sanguozhi recorded that Empress Dowager Wu died in the 8th month of the 8th year of the Yanxi era of Liu Shan's reign.[1] This month corresponds to 9 September to 8 October 245 in the Gregorian calendar.
- ^ Liu Mao died between late 208 and 214.
- ^ Liu Mao was also a brother of Liu Zhang, the original governor of the Yi province whom Liu Bei had recently conquered. There is ambiguity in the birth order of Liu Zhang and Liu Mao in Sanguozhi. In Liu Yan's biography, Liu Mao was recorded as being Liu Yan's youngest son. However, in Liu Zhang's biography, Liu Mao became Liu Zhang's elder brother.
- ^ Lady Gan's biography also state that she was buried with Liu Bei. It is possible that both were buried with Liu Bei.
References
edit- ^ ([延熙]八年秋八月，皇太后薨。) Sanguozhi vol. 33.
- ^ (先主穆皇后，陳留人也。兄吳壹，少孤，壹父素與劉焉有舊，是以舉家隨焉入蜀。焉有異志，而聞善相者相后當大貴。焉時將子瑁自隨，遂為瑁納后。瑁死，后寡居。) Sanguozhi vol. 34.
- ^ (先主既定益州，而孫夫人還吳，群下勸先主聘后，先主疑與瑁同族，法正進曰：「論其親疏，何與晉文之於子圉乎？」於是納后為夫人。) Sanguozhi vol. 34.
- ^ (習鑿齒曰：夫婚姻，人倫之始，王化之本，匹夫猶不可以無禮，而況人君乎？晉文廢禮行權，以濟其業，故子犯曰，有求於人，必先從之，將奪其國，何有於妻，非無故而違禮教者也。今先主無權事之偪，而引前失以為譬，非導其君以堯、舜之道者。先主從之，過矣。) Xi Zuochi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 34.
- ^ (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.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.