Empress Feng Qing was an 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...

/Xianbei

Xianbei

The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...

 dynasty Northern Wei

Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...

. She was Emperor Xiaowen

Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei

Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei , personal name né Tuoba Hong , later Yuan Hong , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei....

's first empress.

Feng Qing was a daughter of Feng Xi (馮熙) the Prince of Changli, who was a brother of the powerful Grand Empress Dowager Feng

Empress Feng (Wencheng)

Empress Feng , formally Empress Wenming was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Her husband was Emperor Wencheng...

, the wife of Emperor Wencheng

Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei

Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Jun , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

 and regent over his son Emperor Xianwen

Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei

Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Hong, was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

 and grandson Emperor Xiaowen. (Through her father, she was therefore also a great-granddaughter of the Northern Yan

Northern Yan

The Northern Yan was a state of Han Chinese during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.The second Emperor of Northern Yan, Feng Ba, was Han chinese.All rulers of the Northern Yan declared themselves "emperors".-Rulers of the Northern Yan:...

 emperor Feng Hong

Feng Hong

Feng Hong , courtesy name Wentong , formally Emperor Zhaocheng of Yan , was the last emperor of the Chinese state Northern Yan. He seized the throne in 430 when his brother Feng Ba was ill, and he used the title "Heavenly Prince"...

.) Her mother was probably Feng Xi's wife Princess Boling. She had two older sisters (by Feng Xi's concubine Lady Chang) who were concubines of Emperor Xiaowen — Feng Run

Empress Feng Run

Empress Feng Run , formally Empress You was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

 and an unnamed sister, but the unnamed sister died early, and after Feng Run had a major illness, she left the palace and became a Buddhist nun.

In 493, Emperor Xiaowen took Feng Qing as his empress. She initially was much favored. However, after Emperor Xiaowen found out that Feng Run had recovered, he took Feng Run back as a concubine. (There is some evidence, but not conclusive evidence, that Feng Qing might have been involved in her sister's being returned to the palace.) Feng Run, because she was Emperor Xiaowen's concubine earlier and an older sister, refused to submit to Feng Qing, and tried to undermine Feng Qing's position as an empress, including accusing her of being against Emperor Xiaowen's Sinicization

Sinicization

Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, is the linguistic assimilation or cultural assimilation of terms and concepts of the language and culture of China...

 program. In 496

496

Year 496 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paulus without colleague...

, Emperor Xiaowen deposed Feng Qing. Because Feng Qing was virtuous and much interested in Buddhism, she became a Buddhist nun and remained one for the rest of her life.
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