Empress Dowager Lu Huinan
Encyclopedia
Empress Dowager Lu Huinan (路惠男) (412
– February 24, 466), formally Empress Dowager Zhao (昭太后, literally "accomplished empress dowager"), semi-formally Empress Dowager Chongxian (崇憲太后), was an empress dowager
of the Chinese
dynasty Liu Song. She had been a concubine of Emperor Wen
, and she became empress dowager because her son Liu Jun
later became emperor (as Emperor Xiaowu).
prime minister Wang Dao
). Her brother Lu Qingzhi (路慶之) definitely was a Wang clan servant. She grew up in the Jin and Liu Song capital Jiankang
, and she was selected as an imperial consort
for Emperor Wen, for her beauty. She had one son, Liu Jun the Prince of Wuling, but was not otherwise favored by Emperor Wen, and as Liu Jun grew and became rotated as a provincial governor throughout his father's reign, Consort Lu often accompanied Liu Jun to the provinces rather than stay in the palace. She also raised another son of Emperor Wen, Liu Yu
the Prince of Xiangdong, whose mother Shen Rongji (沈容姬) had died early. After she had given birth to Liu Jun, she carried the rank of Shuyuan (淑媛), the fifth rank for imperial consorts.
the Crown Prince
had assassinated Emperor Wen and taken the throne himself, Liu Jun rose against his brother from his defense post at Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi
and Fujian
) and headed east to attack the capital Jiankang. Consort Lu remained at the capital of Jiang Province, Xunyang (尋陽, in modern Jiujiang
, Jiangxi
) and did not accompany her son on his campaign. Later in the year, after he had defeated and killed Liu Shao and taken the throne himself as Emperor Xiaowu, he had his brother Liu Hong (劉宏) the Prince of Jianping escort both her and his wife Princess Wang Xianyuan
to Jiankang. Emperor Xiaowu honored his mother as empress dowager. Because Emperor Xiaowu often stayed in his mother's bedchambers, rumors grew that he was having an incest
uous affair with his mother, but there was no conclusive evidence of such an affair.
Empress Dowager Lu occasionally involved herself in her son's administration, and her nephews Lu Qiongzhi (路瓊之), Lu Xiuzhi (路休之), and Lu Maozhi (路茂之) became honored, although not particularly powerful, officials. On one occasion in 458, Lu Qiongzhi visited the noble Wang Sengda (王僧達), a descendant of Wang Dao, and he sat on Wang's bench—which Wang then ordered thrown out, because he felt dishonored that Lu Qiongzhi, a son of one of the Wangs' servants, would sit on his bench. Lu Qiongzhi informed Empress Dowager Lu of this and, angry that her family was being disrespected, she told her son to punish Wang. At this time, there was a rebellion led by Gao Du (高闍), and Emperor Xiaowu therefore falsely accused Wang of being Gao's supporter, and had him arrested and forced to commit suicide.
There were only two additional historical references to Empress Dowager Lu during her son's reign. In 460, when her daughter-in-law Empress Wang presided over a ceremony where Empress Wang personally fed mulberry
leaves to silkworms to show the imperial household's attention to farming, Empress Dowager Lu was present. In 461, when Emperor Xiaowu toured South Yu Province (南豫州), she accompanied him.
, who took the throne as Emperor Qianfei. He honored his grandmother as grand empress dowager. She did not appear to have much influence over her impulsive and cruel grandson, who was assassinated in a coup d'etat
in 465. The mutineers supported Emperor Xiaowu's younger brother Liu Yu, whom Empress Dowager Lu had raised, as Emperor Ming.
Initially, the imperial officials, who apparently viewed Empress Dowager Lu in low esteem, wanted to have her empress dowager title stripped, and for her to be moved out of the palace. Because Liu Yu was raised by her, however, he instead had her be given the title Empress Dowager Chongxian (because she lived at Chongxian Palace) and continued to have her treated as empress dowager. She died in 466.
However, how Empress Dowager Lu died is a matter of controversy. Historical accounts indicate that there was a rumor, allegedly from reliable sources but not conclusive, that after her grandson Liu Zixun
the Prince of Jin'an had been declared emperor in 466 at his defense post at Jiang Province in competition
with Emperor Ming, Empress Dowager Lu was secretly pleased. On a feast she hosted for Emperor Ming, she spiked the wine with poison
and intended to kill Emperor Ming. However, Emperor Ming's attendants realized this and warned him, and he instead offered the wine back to her. She could not refuse it, so she drank the wine and died.
Empress Dowager Lu was buried with honors due an empress dowager. However, after her burial, her body was disinterred as a magic
al means of cursing
her grandson Liu Zixun. It was only in 468, long after Liu Zixun had been defeated, that she was reburied.
412
Year 412 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius...
– February 24, 466), formally Empress Dowager Zhao (昭太后, literally "accomplished empress dowager"), semi-formally Empress Dowager Chongxian (崇憲太后), was 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...
of the Chinese
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 Liu Song. She had been a concubine of Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Liu Song
Emperor Wen of Liu Song , personal name Liu Yilong , nickname Che'er , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He was the third son of the dynastic founder Emperor Wu . After his father's death in 422, Liu Yilong's eldest brother Liu Yifu took the throne as Emperor Shao...
, and she became empress dowager because her son Liu Jun
Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song
Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song , personal name Liu Jun , courtesy name Xiulong , nickname Daomin , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He was a son of Emperor Wen. After his older brother Liu Shao assassinated their father in 453 and took the throne, he rose in rebellion and overthrew Liu...
later became emperor (as Emperor Xiaowu).
As imperial consort
Lu Huinan came from a humble background, and her father appeared to have been a servant to the powerful Wang clan (descendants of the JinJìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
prime minister Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
). Her brother Lu Qingzhi (路慶之) definitely was a Wang clan servant. She grew up in the Jin and Liu Song capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
, and she was selected as an imperial consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
for Emperor Wen, for her beauty. She had one son, Liu Jun the Prince of Wuling, but was not otherwise favored by Emperor Wen, and as Liu Jun grew and became rotated as a provincial governor throughout his father's reign, Consort Lu often accompanied Liu Jun to the provinces rather than stay in the palace. She also raised another son of Emperor Wen, Liu Yu
Emperor Ming of Liu Song
Emperor Ming of Liu Song , personal name Liu Yu , courtesy name Xiubing , nickname Rongqi , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song...
the Prince of Xiangdong, whose mother Shen Rongji (沈容姬) had died early. After she had given birth to Liu Jun, she carried the rank of Shuyuan (淑媛), the fifth rank for imperial consorts.
As empress dowager
In 453, after Emperor Wen's oldest son Liu ShaoLiu Shao (Liu Song)
Liu Shao , courtesy name Xiuyuan , posthumously known as Yuanxiong , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song...
the 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....
had assassinated Emperor Wen and taken the throne himself, Liu Jun rose against his brother from his defense post at Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
and Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
) and headed east to attack the capital Jiankang. Consort Lu remained at the capital of Jiang Province, Xunyang (尋陽, in modern Jiujiang
Jiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) and did not accompany her son on his campaign. Later in the year, after he had defeated and killed Liu Shao and taken the throne himself as Emperor Xiaowu, he had his brother Liu Hong (劉宏) the Prince of Jianping escort both her and his wife Princess Wang Xianyuan
Empress Wang Xianyuan
Empress Wang Xianyuan , formally Empress Wenmu , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. Her husband was Emperor Xiaowu .- Background :...
to Jiankang. Emperor Xiaowu honored his mother as empress dowager. Because Emperor Xiaowu often stayed in his mother's bedchambers, rumors grew that he was having an incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous affair with his mother, but there was no conclusive evidence of such an affair.
Empress Dowager Lu occasionally involved herself in her son's administration, and her nephews Lu Qiongzhi (路瓊之), Lu Xiuzhi (路休之), and Lu Maozhi (路茂之) became honored, although not particularly powerful, officials. On one occasion in 458, Lu Qiongzhi visited the noble Wang Sengda (王僧達), a descendant of Wang Dao, and he sat on Wang's bench—which Wang then ordered thrown out, because he felt dishonored that Lu Qiongzhi, a son of one of the Wangs' servants, would sit on his bench. Lu Qiongzhi informed Empress Dowager Lu of this and, angry that her family was being disrespected, she told her son to punish Wang. At this time, there was a rebellion led by Gao Du (高闍), and Emperor Xiaowu therefore falsely accused Wang of being Gao's supporter, and had him arrested and forced to commit suicide.
There were only two additional historical references to Empress Dowager Lu during her son's reign. In 460, when her daughter-in-law Empress Wang presided over a ceremony where Empress Wang personally fed mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
leaves to silkworms to show the imperial household's attention to farming, Empress Dowager Lu was present. In 461, when Emperor Xiaowu toured South Yu Province (南豫州), she accompanied him.
As grand empress dowager and Empress Dowager Chongxian
In 464, Emperor Xiaowu died and was succeeded by his son Liu ZiyeEmperor Qianfei of Liu Song
Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song , personal name Liu Ziye , nickname Fashi , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. His brief reign as a teenager was known for his violent and impulsive acts, including the slaughter of many high level officials and his sexually immoral behavior...
, who took the throne as Emperor Qianfei. He honored his grandmother as grand empress dowager. She did not appear to have much influence over her impulsive and cruel grandson, who was assassinated in a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 465. The mutineers supported Emperor Xiaowu's younger brother Liu Yu, whom Empress Dowager Lu had raised, as Emperor Ming.
Initially, the imperial officials, who apparently viewed Empress Dowager Lu in low esteem, wanted to have her empress dowager title stripped, and for her to be moved out of the palace. Because Liu Yu was raised by her, however, he instead had her be given the title Empress Dowager Chongxian (because she lived at Chongxian Palace) and continued to have her treated as empress dowager. She died in 466.
However, how Empress Dowager Lu died is a matter of controversy. Historical accounts indicate that there was a rumor, allegedly from reliable sources but not conclusive, that after her grandson Liu Zixun
Liu Zixun
Liu Zixun , courtesy name Xiaode , was an imperial prince and pretender to the throne of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song, who received claims of allegiance from most provinces of the state during the year 466 after his staff made a claim to the throne on his behalf, rivalling that of his uncle...
the Prince of Jin'an had been declared emperor in 466 at his defense post at Jiang Province in competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
with Emperor Ming, Empress Dowager Lu was secretly pleased. On a feast she hosted for Emperor Ming, she spiked the wine with poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
and intended to kill Emperor Ming. However, Emperor Ming's attendants realized this and warned him, and he instead offered the wine back to her. She could not refuse it, so she drank the wine and died.
Empress Dowager Lu was buried with honors due an empress dowager. However, after her burial, her body was disinterred as a magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
al means of cursing
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
her grandson Liu Zixun. It was only in 468, long after Liu Zixun had been defeated, that she was reburied.