Empress Guo Nüwang
Encyclopedia
Guo Nüwang formally known as Empress Wende (文德皇后; literally: "The Civil and Virtuous Empress"), was an empress of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. She was married to Cao Pi
(Emperor Wen), the first emperor of Cao Wei.
. She quickly became a favorite—so much so that he began to neglect his wife Lady Zhen, who was also known for her beauty. She gave Cao Pi shrewd political advice during the succession controversy that pitted Cao Pi against his brothers. Her biography goes further to state that when Cao Pi was finally designated heir, Guo Nuwang had a hand in planning it. She also further created tension between Cao Pi and Lady Zhen by planting seeds of suspicion in Cao Pi's mind that Lady Zhen's son Cao Rui
was not biologically Cao Pi's son, but rather the son of Lady Zhen's former husband Yuan Xi
, citing the fact that Cao Rui was apparently born only eight months after Cao Pi married Lady Zhen. Lady Zhen eventually lost Cao Pi's favor altogether by complaining that he favored other women over her, and after he became emperor of Cao Wei in 220 (after forcing Emperor Xian of Han
to abdicate to him), he forced Lady Zhen to commit suicide in 221. In 222, he made Lady Guo empress.
, she interceded on Cao Hong
's behalf, allowing Cao Hong to be spared his life even though Cao Pi had previous grudges against him.
Empress Guo had no sons or recorded children. Cao Pi's oldest son Cao Rui, by Lady Zhen, was therefore considered the presumptive heir, but because of his mother's fate was not created crown prince
, but only Prince of Pingyuan. (He was inconsistently described as having been raised by Empress Guo or by Cao Pi's concubine Consort Li.) While she was empress, she apparently had a cordial relationship with Prince Rui. There was no evidence that she opposed his candidacy when Cao Pi, seriously ill in 226, created him crown prince. Cao Pi died soon after, and Cao Rui ascended the throne (as Emperor Ming).
How Empress Dowager Guo came to die, however, is a matter of historical controversy. An apparently reliable historical account (although not conclusive one) states that at some point during Cao Rui's reign, Consort Li told him Empress Dowager Guo's role in Lady Zhen's death—and further told him that after Lady Zhen died, it was at Empress Dowager Guo's suggestion that she was buried with her hair covering her face and her mouth filled with rice grain shells—so that even after her death she would be unable to complain. Cao Rui became enraged and confronted Empress Dowager Guo—who could not deny her involvement directly. He then forced her to commit suicide, and, while he buried her with the honors due an empress, he had her face covered with her hair (so that she will never see sunlight ever again), and her mouth filled with rice grain shells (so that she can never say anything in the afterlife).
However, even after her death, her family continued to be favored by Cao Rui especially her cousin Guo Biao, who was granted succession to Guo Nuwang's father's posthumous fief and promoted to a general.
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Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
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...
. She was married to Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
(Emperor Wen), the first emperor of Cao Wei.
Family background and marriage to Cao Pi
Her father Guo Yong (郭永) came from a line of minor local officials. When she was young, she was known for her intelligence, and her father, impressed by her talent, gave her the unusual name Nüwang ("queen"). Her parents died when she was five, however, and she became a servant at the household of one Marquess of Tongdi. It is not known how it came about, but she eventually became a concubine of Cao Pi when he was the crown prince of the Principality of Wei, under his father Cao CaoCao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. She quickly became a favorite—so much so that he began to neglect his wife Lady Zhen, who was also known for her beauty. She gave Cao Pi shrewd political advice during the succession controversy that pitted Cao Pi against his brothers. Her biography goes further to state that when Cao Pi was finally designated heir, Guo Nuwang had a hand in planning it. She also further created tension between Cao Pi and Lady Zhen by planting seeds of suspicion in Cao Pi's mind that Lady Zhen's son Cao Rui
Cao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
was not biologically Cao Pi's son, but rather the son of Lady Zhen's former husband Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Yuan was described in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "intelligent but weak and indecisive", in contrast to his older brother Yuan Tan, who was described as...
, citing the fact that Cao Rui was apparently born only eight months after Cao Pi married Lady Zhen. Lady Zhen eventually lost Cao Pi's favor altogether by complaining that he favored other women over her, and after he became emperor of Cao Wei in 220 (after forcing Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
to abdicate to him), he forced Lady Zhen to commit suicide in 221. In 222, he made Lady Guo empress.
As empress
After Guo Nüwang became empress, she was said to have been a good leader of the imperial consorts, treating them well and disciplining them appropriately when they acted improperly, while hiding their faults from Cao Pi. She also appeared to have lived thriftly. Also, in 226, at the urging of her mother-in-law Empress Dowager BianEmpress Dowager Bian
Empress Dowager Bian , personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Wuxuan , was an empress dowager of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, she interceded on Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
's behalf, allowing Cao Hong to be spared his life even though Cao Pi had previous grudges against him.
Empress Guo had no sons or recorded children. Cao Pi's oldest son Cao Rui, by Lady Zhen, was therefore considered the presumptive heir, but because of his mother's fate was not created 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....
, but only Prince of Pingyuan. (He was inconsistently described as having been raised by Empress Guo or by Cao Pi's concubine Consort Li.) While she was empress, she apparently had a cordial relationship with Prince Rui. There was no evidence that she opposed his candidacy when Cao Pi, seriously ill in 226, created him crown prince. Cao Pi died soon after, and Cao Rui ascended the throne (as Emperor Ming).
As empress dowager
The new emperor, although he posthumously honored his mother as an empress, honored his stepmother as empress dowager, and he bestowed members of her family with wealth and titles. When she died in 235, she was buried with honors due an empress and buried with her husband Cao Pi. Her family remained honored by her stepson.How Empress Dowager Guo came to die, however, is a matter of historical controversy. An apparently reliable historical account (although not conclusive one) states that at some point during Cao Rui's reign, Consort Li told him Empress Dowager Guo's role in Lady Zhen's death—and further told him that after Lady Zhen died, it was at Empress Dowager Guo's suggestion that she was buried with her hair covering her face and her mouth filled with rice grain shells—so that even after her death she would be unable to complain. Cao Rui became enraged and confronted Empress Dowager Guo—who could not deny her involvement directly. He then forced her to commit suicide, and, while he buried her with the honors due an empress, he had her face covered with her hair (so that she will never see sunlight ever again), and her mouth filled with rice grain shells (so that she can never say anything in the afterlife).
However, even after her death, her family continued to be favored by Cao Rui especially her cousin Guo Biao, who was granted succession to Guo Nuwang's father's posthumous fief and promoted to a general.
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms
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