Consort Yang (Wenzong)
Encyclopedia
Consort Yang, imperial consort rank Xianfei (楊賢妃, personal name unknown) (died February 12, 840), was an imperial consort of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. She was a concubine of Emperor Wenzong
who became involved in the selection process of his heir and who died as a result of her involvement.
or the New Book of Tang
. However, in an allegation that Emperor Wenzong
's brother Emperor Wuzong
later made against her (posthumously) and the chancellor Yang Sifu
, Emperor Wuzong stated that Yang Sifu had written a letter to her urging her to assume regency
as an empress dowager
in which Yang Sifu referred to her as an aunt. This allegation, if true, would suggest that she was a daughter of Yang Sifu's grandfather Yang Taiqing (楊太清), who served as a county magistrate, and a sister to Yang Sifu's father Yang Yuling (楊於陵), who was an honored official during the reign of Emperor Wenzong's father Emperor Muzong
. (However, it should also be noted that Emperor Wuzong also referred to a younger brother of Consort Yang as Yang Xuansi (楊玄思), and it would have been somewhat unusual, although not highly so, for Yang Xuansi and Yang Yuling to be brothers but not share a character in their personal names.)
, she was an imperial consort with the rank of Zhaorong (昭容), the sixth highest rank possible for imperial consorts. In 837, she was promoted to the rank of Xianfei (賢妃), the fourth highest rank for imperial consorts, while fellow imperial consort Consort Wang, the mother of Emperor Wenzong's oldest son Li Yong
, was promoted from the rank of Zhaoyi (昭儀) (fifth highest rank) to Defei (德妃) (third highest rank). There was no indication as to whether she was involved in Yang Sifu's becoming chancellor in 838
.
By 838, it was said that Consort Wang, who was not favored by Emperor Wenzong, had been killed at Consort Yang's instigation after Consort Yang made false accusations against her. It was further said that Li Yong, who was then Crown Prince
, himself favored games and feasting and had become close to scoundrels, leading to Consort Yang's continually making accusations against him. As a result, in 838, Emperor Wenzong put Li Yong under arrest and convened a group of high level officials, announcing that he was intending to depose Li Yong from his position as Crown Prince. The officials and eunuch
s largely opposed the move, and Li Yong was at that time spared, although a large number of his associates were executed. (Li Yong himself died later that year, and some historians, include the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
, believed that he was assassinated at the implicit approval of Emperor Wenzong and Consort Yang.)
After Li Yong's death, Consort Yang repeatedly recommended Emperor Wenzong's younger brother Li Rong
the Prince of An as the new crown prince. (As Emperor Wuzong later would allege, he believed that Li Rong flattered Consort Yang in order to receive her favor.) When Emperor Wenzong asked for the chancellors' opinions, however, Li Jue
opposed this, so Emperor Wenzong instead created Li Chengmei
the Prince of Chen, the son of his older brother Emperor Jingzong
, as Crown Prince.
, Emperor Wenzong grew seriously ill, and he had Yang Sifu and Li Jue summoned to the palace, intending to entrust Li Chengmei to them. However, the powerful eunuchs Qiu Shiliang
and Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志), who had no input in Li Chengmei's being made crown prince, opposed Li Chengmei. They forged an edict in Emperor Wenzong's name deposing Li Chengmei (on the excuse that LI Chengmei was too young) and naming another younger brother of Emperor Wenzong's, Li Chan the Prince of Ying, crown prince. After Emperor Wenzong died soon thereafter, Qiu persuaded Li Chan, then still carrying the title of Crown Prince, to issue an order that Consort Yang, Li Rong, and Li Chengmei commit suicide.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. She was a concubine of Emperor Wenzong
Emperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
who became involved in the selection process of his heir and who died as a result of her involvement.
Background
Little is known about Consort Yang's background, as there was no biography of her among the biographies of the empresses and imperial consorts in either the Book of TangBook of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
or the New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
. However, in an allegation that Emperor Wenzong
Emperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
's brother Emperor Wuzong
Emperor Wuzong of Tang
Emperor Wuzong of Tang , né Li Chan , later changed to Li Yan just before his death, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, reigning from 840 to 846. Emperor Wuzong is mainly known in modern times for the religious persecution that occurred during his reign...
later made against her (posthumously) and the chancellor Yang Sifu
Yang Sifu
Yang Sifu , courtesy name Jizhi , nickname Qingmen , formally Count Xiaomu of Hongnong , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong and the reign of Emperor Wenzong's brother Emperor Wuzong...
, Emperor Wuzong stated that Yang Sifu had written a letter to her urging her to assume regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
as an empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
in which Yang Sifu referred to her as an aunt. This allegation, if true, would suggest that she was a daughter of Yang Sifu's grandfather Yang Taiqing (楊太清), who served as a county magistrate, and a sister to Yang Sifu's father Yang Yuling (楊於陵), who was an honored official during the reign of Emperor Wenzong's father Emperor Muzong
Emperor Muzong of Tang
Emperor Muzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li You , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 821 to 824. Emperor Muzong was the son of Emperor Xianzong...
. (However, it should also be noted that Emperor Wuzong also referred to a younger brother of Consort Yang as Yang Xuansi (楊玄思), and it would have been somewhat unusual, although not highly so, for Yang Xuansi and Yang Yuling to be brothers but not share a character in their personal names.)
As imperial consort
It is not known when Consort Yang became Emperor Wenzong's concubine, but it is known that as of 837837
Year 837 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pietro Tradonico is elected Doge of Venice.* Uen succeeds Drest IV as king of the Picts....
, she was an imperial consort with the rank of Zhaorong (昭容), the sixth highest rank possible for imperial consorts. In 837, she was promoted to the rank of Xianfei (賢妃), the fourth highest rank for imperial consorts, while fellow imperial consort Consort Wang, the mother of Emperor Wenzong's oldest son Li Yong
Li Yong (prince)
Li Yong , formally Crown Prince Zhuangke , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wenzong.- Background :It is not known when Li Yong was born...
, was promoted from the rank of Zhaoyi (昭儀) (fifth highest rank) to Defei (德妃) (third highest rank). There was no indication as to whether she was involved in Yang Sifu's becoming chancellor in 838
838
Year 838 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantine emperor Theophilos is heavily defeated at the Battle of Anzen by the Abbasids...
.
By 838, it was said that Consort Wang, who was not favored by Emperor Wenzong, had been killed at Consort Yang's instigation after Consort Yang made false accusations against her. It was further said that Li Yong, who was then Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, himself favored games and feasting and had become close to scoundrels, leading to Consort Yang's continually making accusations against him. As a result, in 838, Emperor Wenzong put Li Yong under arrest and convened a group of high level officials, announcing that he was intending to depose Li Yong from his position as Crown Prince. The officials and eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
s largely opposed the move, and Li Yong was at that time spared, although a large number of his associates were executed. (Li Yong himself died later that year, and some historians, include the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
Bo Yang
This article is about the Chinese writer. His name in Western languages is homonymic with Bó Yáng .Boyang , also sometimes called Baiyang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan...
, believed that he was assassinated at the implicit approval of Emperor Wenzong and Consort Yang.)
After Li Yong's death, Consort Yang repeatedly recommended Emperor Wenzong's younger brother Li Rong
Li Rong (prince)
Li Rong , formally the Prince of An , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, being a son of Emperor Muzong.- Background :...
the Prince of An as the new crown prince. (As Emperor Wuzong later would allege, he believed that Li Rong flattered Consort Yang in order to receive her favor.) When Emperor Wenzong asked for the chancellors' opinions, however, Li Jue
Li Jue (Tang Dynasty)
Li Jue , courtesy name Daijia , formally Duke Zhenmu of Zanhuang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Wenzong and Emperor Wenzong's brother Emperor Wuzong...
opposed this, so Emperor Wenzong instead created Li Chengmei
Li Chengmei
Li Chengmei , formally the Prince of Chen , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as Crown Prince during the reign of his uncle Emperor Wenzong.-Background:...
the Prince of Chen, the son of his older brother Emperor Jingzong
Emperor Jingzong of Tang
Emperor Jingzong of Tang , personal name Li Zhan , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 824 to 827...
, as Crown Prince.
Death
In spring 840840
Year 840 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.-Europe:* After the death of Louis the Pious, his sons Lothar, Charles the Bald and Louis the German fight over the division of the Holy Roman Empire, with Lothar succeeding as Emperor.-Asia:* Tang Wu Zong succeeds Tang Wen Zong...
, Emperor Wenzong grew seriously ill, and he had Yang Sifu and Li Jue summoned to the palace, intending to entrust Li Chengmei to them. However, the powerful eunuchs Qiu Shiliang
Qiu Shiliang
Qiu Shiliang , courtesy name Kuangmei , formally the Duke of Chu , was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, becoming particularly powerful after the Ganlu Incident — an event in which Emperor Wenzong tried, but failed, to seize power back from powerful eunuchs by slaughtering...
and Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志), who had no input in Li Chengmei's being made crown prince, opposed Li Chengmei. They forged an edict in Emperor Wenzong's name deposing Li Chengmei (on the excuse that LI Chengmei was too young) and naming another younger brother of Emperor Wenzong's, Li Chan the Prince of Ying, crown prince. After Emperor Wenzong died soon thereafter, Qiu persuaded Li Chan, then still carrying the title of Crown Prince, to issue an order that Consort Yang, Li Rong, and Li Chengmei commit suicide.