Empress Dowager Xiao (Wenzong)
Encyclopedia
Empress Dowager Xiao (died June 1, 847), formally Empress Zhenxian (貞獻皇后, "the virtuous and wise empress"), known at times in her life as Empress Dowager Jiqing (積慶太后), was an empress dowager
of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. She was the mother of Emperor Wenzong
and a concubine of Emperor Muzong
.
, Fujian
). She became a concubine of Li You
, a son of Emperor Xianzong
, while Li You was the Prince of Jian'an. At the time she left home, her parents had already died, and the only family member remaining at her home was a younger brother. She bore Li You a son, Li Han
, in 809, when he was the Prince of Sui. In 821, by which time Li You's name had been changed to Li Heng and he had become emperor (as Emperor Muzong), Li Han was created the Prince of Jiāng, although it is not known what title she carried during Emperor Muzong's reign or the subsequent reign of Li Han's older brother Emperor Jingzong
following Emperor Muzong's death in 824.
players, led by Su Zuoming (蘇佐明). The eunuch Liu Keming (劉克明) initially supported Emperor Muzong's younger brother Li Wu
the Prince of Jiàng (note different tone) to succeed Emperor Jingzong, but soon the eunuch army commanders Wang Shoucheng
, Yang Chenghe (楊承和), Wei Congjian (魏從簡), and Liang Shouqian (梁守謙) killed Liu and Li Wu, supporting Li Han instead (as Emperor Wenzong, with his name changed from Li Han to Li Ang). Emperor Wenzong honored his mother empress dowager
while honoring Emperor Jingzong's mother Empress Dowager Wang
"Empress Dowager Baoli" ("Baoli" (寶曆) being Emperor Jingzong's era name). There were thus three empresses dowager in the palace at the time (along with Emperor Muzong's mother and Emperor Wenzong's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Guo
). It was said that Emperor Wenzong was filially pious and honored the three empresses dowager properly. Whenever he received valuable food items, he would first submit them to the ancestral temples, then the empresses dowager, before receiving them himself.
Emperor Wenzong created Empress Dowager Xiao's older sister the Lady of Xu. He also ordered that the governor of Fujian Circuit carry out a search for Empress Dowager Xiao's younger brother, whom she had not seen since her departure from home. The governor, however, could not locate her younger brother. There happened to be a worker at a tea shop, Xiao Hong (蕭洪), who claimed to have a lost sister. The merchant Zhao Zhen (趙縝) introduced Xiao Hong to the Lady of Xu's son-in-law Lü Zhang (呂璋) and through him, Xiao Hong met the Lady of Xu. The Lady of Xu could not tell whether he was their brother or not, and further introduced him to Empress Dowager Xiao. Emperor Wenzong came to believe that Xiao Hong was in fact his uncle, and therefore made him a member of the staff of the Crown Prince
in 828. Xiao Hong later served as a general of the imperial guards, then as the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
, Henan
) and then of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an
, Shaanxi
).
Later, however, Emperor Wenzong's chancellor Li Xun
came to find out that Xiao Hong was not truly Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. Xiao Hong, fearful that Li Xun would report him, ingratiated Li Xun by inviting Li Xun's brother Li Zhongjing (李仲京) as a staff member. At that time, whenever the eunuch-commanded Shence Army (神策軍) officers went sent out to serve as military governors, the other Shence Army officers paid for their travel expenses but required that they pay back threefold after they took office. One of Xiao's predecessors as the military governor of Fufang was a Shence Army officer, but died before he could pay back. The creditors were not satisfied and wanted Xiao to pay for his predecessor, but Xiao refused. When the creditors tried to collect from the predecessor's son, Xiao taught the son to seek intervention from Li Xun. Li Xun subsequently ruled that the son could refuse to pay the debts. After Li Xun was killed in the Ganlu Incident
—a failed attempt by Emperor Wenzong, Li Xun, and Zheng Zhu
to massacre the eunuchs—in 835, the powerful eunuch Qiu Shiliang
, who commanded one of the two Shence Armies, thus came to resent Xiao Hong deeply.
Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother remained at Fujian Circuit, but was said to be so weak in personality that he did not dare to assert himself as her brother. One of his acquaintances, Xiao Ben (蕭本), through conversations with him, came to know details about the names of his family members. Xiao Ben informed Qiu and accused Xiao Hong of falsely claiming to be Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. In 836, Xiao Hong was thus exiled to Huan Prefecture (驩州, in modern Nghe An Province, Vietnam
), but before he could reach Huan Prefecture, he was ordered to commit suicide. Emperor Wenzong, believing Xiao Ben to be his real uncle, made Xiao Ben a member of the staff of his son and crown prince, Li Yong
.
In 837, Fujian Circuit submitted a report that one Xiao Hong (蕭弘, note different character than the Xiao Hong referred to above) claimed to be Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother. Emperor Wenzong ordered an investigation by the office of the imperial censors (御史台, Yushi Tai). Later that year, the office of the imperial censors concluded that Xiao Hong's claim was fraudulent. Emperor Wenzong sent him home but did not punish him. In 839, Liu Congjian
the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi
, Shanxi
), where Xiao Hong had gone subsequently, submitted a petition vouching for Xiao Hong and claiming that the prior investigators ruled against him because Xiao Ben had the backing of the Left Shence Army (左神策軍). Emperor Wenzong ordered further investigations by not only the office of the imperial censors, but also by the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu) and the supreme court (大理寺, Dali Si). Later in the year, the three agencies submitted reports concluding that neither Xiao Ben nor Xiao Hong was Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. Xiao Ben was exiled to Ai Prefecture (愛州, in modern Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
), while Xiao Hong was exiled to Dan Prefecture (儋州, headquartered in modern Danzhou
, Hainan
). Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother remained in Fujian, and was never able to meet her.
. Empress Dowager Xiao moved to Jiqing Hall (積慶殿) and thereafter became known as Empress Dowager Jiqing. She died in 847, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong's successor (a younger brother of Emperor Muzong's) Emperor Xuānzong
.
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 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 the mother 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...
and a concubine of 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...
.
Background
It is not known when the future Empress Dowager Xiao was born, but it is known that she was from Fujian Circuit (福建, headquartered in modern FuzhouFuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, 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...
). She became a concubine of Li You
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...
, a son of Emperor Xianzong
Emperor Xianzong of Tang
Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
, while Li You was the Prince of Jian'an. At the time she left home, her parents had already died, and the only family member remaining at her home was a younger brother. She bore Li You a son, Li Han
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...
, in 809, when he was the Prince of Sui. In 821, by which time Li You's name had been changed to Li Heng and he had become emperor (as Emperor Muzong), Li Han was created the Prince of Jiāng, although it is not known what title she carried during Emperor Muzong's reign or the subsequent reign of Li Han's 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...
following Emperor Muzong's death in 824.
During Emperor Wenzong's reign
In 826, Emperor Jingzong was assassinated, purportedly by his poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
players, led by Su Zuoming (蘇佐明). The eunuch Liu Keming (劉克明) initially supported Emperor Muzong's younger brother Li Wu
Li Wu
Li Wu , né Li Liao , formally the Prince of Jiàng , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, after the assassination of his nephew Emperor Jingzong, was poised to take the throne, but was then himself killed in the armed conflict between the eunuchs who supported him and...
the Prince of Jiàng (note different tone) to succeed Emperor Jingzong, but soon the eunuch army commanders Wang Shoucheng
Wang Shoucheng
Wang Shoucheng was a powerful eunuch of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, wielding substantial powers during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Muzong, Emperor Jingzong, and Emperor Wenzong...
, Yang Chenghe (楊承和), Wei Congjian (魏從簡), and Liang Shouqian (梁守謙) killed Liu and Li Wu, supporting Li Han instead (as Emperor Wenzong, with his name changed from Li Han to Li Ang). Emperor Wenzong honored his mother 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...
while honoring Emperor Jingzong's mother Empress Dowager Wang
Empress Dowager Wang (Jingzong)
Empress Dowager Wang , formally Empress Gongxi , known during her lifetime at times as Empress Dowager Baoli then as Empress Dowager Yi'an , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
"Empress Dowager Baoli" ("Baoli" (寶曆) being Emperor Jingzong's era name). There were thus three empresses dowager in the palace at the time (along with Emperor Muzong's mother and Emperor Wenzong's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Guo
Empress Dowager Guo (Muzong)
Empress Dowager Guo , formally Empress Yi'an , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
). It was said that Emperor Wenzong was filially pious and honored the three empresses dowager properly. Whenever he received valuable food items, he would first submit them to the ancestral temples, then the empresses dowager, before receiving them himself.
Emperor Wenzong created Empress Dowager Xiao's older sister the Lady of Xu. He also ordered that the governor of Fujian Circuit carry out a search for Empress Dowager Xiao's younger brother, whom she had not seen since her departure from home. The governor, however, could not locate her younger brother. There happened to be a worker at a tea shop, Xiao Hong (蕭洪), who claimed to have a lost sister. The merchant Zhao Zhen (趙縝) introduced Xiao Hong to the Lady of Xu's son-in-law Lü Zhang (呂璋) and through him, Xiao Hong met the Lady of Xu. The Lady of Xu could not tell whether he was their brother or not, and further introduced him to Empress Dowager Xiao. Emperor Wenzong came to believe that Xiao Hong was in fact his uncle, and therefore made him a member of the staff of 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....
in 828. Xiao Hong later served as a general of the imperial guards, then as the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) and then of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an
Yan'an
Yan'an , is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province in China, administering several counties, including Zhidan County , which served as the Chinese communist capital before the city of Yan'an proper took that role....
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
).
Later, however, Emperor Wenzong's chancellor Li Xun
Li Zhongyan
Li Zhongyan , known as Li Xun in 835, courtesy name initially Zixun , later Zichui , pseudonym Hermit Wang during the mourning period for his mother, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
came to find out that Xiao Hong was not truly Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. Xiao Hong, fearful that Li Xun would report him, ingratiated Li Xun by inviting Li Xun's brother Li Zhongjing (李仲京) as a staff member. At that time, whenever the eunuch-commanded Shence Army (神策軍) officers went sent out to serve as military governors, the other Shence Army officers paid for their travel expenses but required that they pay back threefold after they took office. One of Xiao's predecessors as the military governor of Fufang was a Shence Army officer, but died before he could pay back. The creditors were not satisfied and wanted Xiao to pay for his predecessor, but Xiao refused. When the creditors tried to collect from the predecessor's son, Xiao taught the son to seek intervention from Li Xun. Li Xun subsequently ruled that the son could refuse to pay the debts. After Li Xun was killed in the Ganlu Incident
Ganlu Incident
The Ganlu Incident referred to an incident on December 14, 835, where then-reigning Emperor Wenzong of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, angry about the power that the powerful eunuchs had, conspired with the chancellor Li Xun and the general Zheng Zhu to slaughter the eunuchs...
—a failed attempt by Emperor Wenzong, Li Xun, and Zheng Zhu
Zheng Zhu
Zheng Zhu , probably né Yu Zhu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He became a trusted advisor to Emperor Wenzong due to treatments he provided Emperor Wenzong for the emperor's illnesses, and thereafter plotted with Emperor Wenzong and Li Xun to slaughter the powerful eunuchs...
to massacre the eunuchs—in 835, the powerful eunuch 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...
, who commanded one of the two Shence Armies, thus came to resent Xiao Hong deeply.
Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother remained at Fujian Circuit, but was said to be so weak in personality that he did not dare to assert himself as her brother. One of his acquaintances, Xiao Ben (蕭本), through conversations with him, came to know details about the names of his family members. Xiao Ben informed Qiu and accused Xiao Hong of falsely claiming to be Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. In 836, Xiao Hong was thus exiled to Huan Prefecture (驩州, in modern Nghe An Province, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
), but before he could reach Huan Prefecture, he was ordered to commit suicide. Emperor Wenzong, believing Xiao Ben to be his real uncle, made Xiao Ben a member of the staff of his son and crown prince, 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...
.
In 837, Fujian Circuit submitted a report that one Xiao Hong (蕭弘, note different character than the Xiao Hong referred to above) claimed to be Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother. Emperor Wenzong ordered an investigation by the office of the imperial censors (御史台, Yushi Tai). Later that year, the office of the imperial censors concluded that Xiao Hong's claim was fraudulent. Emperor Wenzong sent him home but did not punish him. In 839, Liu Congjian
Liu Congjian
Liu Congjian , formally the Duke of Pei , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who is most known for his term as the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit , during which he was viewed as a warlord who maintained a tight hold on the circuit but also as someone who served as a...
the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi
Changzhi
Changzhi is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It lies between the city of Huozhou in Shanxi and the city of Hebi in Henan....
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), where Xiao Hong had gone subsequently, submitted a petition vouching for Xiao Hong and claiming that the prior investigators ruled against him because Xiao Ben had the backing of the Left Shence Army (左神策軍). Emperor Wenzong ordered further investigations by not only the office of the imperial censors, but also by the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu) and the supreme court (大理寺, Dali Si). Later in the year, the three agencies submitted reports concluding that neither Xiao Ben nor Xiao Hong was Empress Dowager Xiao's brother. Xiao Ben was exiled to Ai Prefecture (愛州, in modern Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
), while Xiao Hong was exiled to Dan Prefecture (儋州, headquartered in modern Danzhou
Danzhou
Danzhou is a city in the northwest of the Chinese island province of Hainan. It is a County-level city administered directly by the province.- See also :* Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China...
, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
). Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Xiao's real brother remained in Fujian, and was never able to meet her.
During Emperor Wuzong's and Emperor Xuānzong's reigns
In 840, Emperor Wenzong died and was succeeded by his brother Emperor WuzongEmperor 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...
. Empress Dowager Xiao moved to Jiqing Hall (積慶殿) and thereafter became known as Empress Dowager Jiqing. She died in 847, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong's successor (a younger brother of Emperor Muzong's) Emperor Xuānzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
.