Empress Liu Jingyan
Encyclopedia
Empress Liu Jingyan (534–616) was an empress of the Chinese
dynasty Chen Dynasty
. Her husband was Emperor Xuan
(Chen Xu).
official. His wife was the Princess Changcheng, a daughter of Emperor Wu of Liang
. (The traditional histories imply that she was the princess' daughter, but did not clearly state so.) Liu Yan came from a lineage of officials, as his grandfather Liu Shilong (柳世隆) was a key general under Emperor Gao of Southern Qi
and Emperor Wu of Southern Qi
, and his father Liu Yun (柳惲) was a Liang official. When Liu Yan died while being governor of Poyang Commandery (鄱陽, roughly modern Shangrao
, Jiangxi
), Liu Jingyan was eight, and as she had no older brothers (she had one younger brother, Liu Pan (柳盼)), she was said to have managed the affairs of the household as well as an adult could. After the rebel general Hou Jing
attacked the capital Jiankang
in 548 and captured it in 549, Liu Jingyan and Liu Pan went to Jiangling to rely on the Princess Changcheng's brother Xiao Yi
the Prince of Xiangdong. On account of the princess, Xiao Yi treated them with kindness.
defeated Hou, Xiao Yi declared himself emperor (as Emperor Yuan). He rewarded Wang and his lieutenant Chen Baxian
, while requesting Chen Baxian to send his son Chen Chang
and nephew Chen Xu
to Jiangling, his new capital, to serve in his administration -- but also to serve as hostages. While Chen Xu was at Jiangling, Emperor Yuan married Liu Jingyan to him as his wife, notwithstanding that he had already married a Lady Qian while he was a commoner at his home commandery of Yixing (義興, roughly modern Huzhou
, Zhejiang
). In 553, she bore Chen Xu a son, Chen Shubao
. In 554, Western Wei
forces attacked and captured Jiangling, and around the new year 555, they put Emperor Yuan to death. Chen Xu and Chen Chang were taken to the Western Wei capital Chang'an
as honored captives, while Lady Liu and Chen Shubao were left at Rangcheng (穰城, in modern Nanyang
, Henan
).
In 557, Chen Baxian seized the throne and established Chen Dynasty
as its Emperor Wu. While Chen Xu was then still detained at Chang'an, he remotely created Chen Xu the Prince of Shixing. Subsequently, when Emperor Wu died in 559, because Chen Baxian's son Chen Chang was still detained at Chang'an as well, Chen Xu's brother Chen Qian
succeeded Emperor Wu (as Emperor Wen). In 562, following negotiations, Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou
agreed to allow Chen Xu to return to Chen. Later that year, after further negotiations, Lady Liu and Chen Shubao were allowed to return to Chen as well. As Chen Xu then carried the title of Prince of Ancheng, she carried the title of Princess of Ancheng.
In 566, Emperor Wen died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Fei
. Chen Xu, as the young emperor's uncle, was in an honored position, sharing power with the officials Dao Zhongju (到仲舉), Kong Huan (孔奐), Yuan Shu (袁樞), and Liu Shizhi (劉師知). However, Chen Xu soon came into a power struggle with Dao and Liu, and in 567, after Liu made a failed attempt to have Chen Xu removed from the palace, Chen Xu forced him to commit suicide, and subsequently forced Dao to commit suicide as well. He was now in control of the imperial government. In winter 568, he had an edict issued in the name of Emperor Wu's wife Grand Empress Dowager Zhang Yao'er
deposing Emperor Fei and giving him the throne. In spring 569, he formally took the throne as emperor (as Emperor Xuan). He created Princess Liu as empress and her son Chen Shubao as crown prince
.
In spring 582, Emperor Xuan became ill. Crown Prince Shubao, as well as his brothers Chen Shuling (陳叔陵) the Prince of Shixing and Chen Shujian (陳叔堅) the Prince of Changsha attended to Emperor Xuan. Chen Shuling, who wanted the throne for himself, secretly had a dull knife designed to cut medications sharpened. When Emperor Xuan died, Crown Prince Shubao, while mourning his father, placed himself over the casket. Chen Shuling stabbed him in the neck with the knife, and he fell to the ground. When Empress Liu saw this, she intervened, but she was also stabbed several times by Chen Shuling, who was however then hit by the lady in waiting
Lady Wu and was unable to kill Chen Shubao. Subsequently, Chen Shuling fled out of the palace and staged a military coup, along with his cousin Chen Bogu (陳伯固) the Prince of Xin'an (Emperor Wen's son). Because Chen Shubao had been seriously wounded, Empress Liu, while also herself injured, took control of the situation, and the imperial troops were able to defeat Chen Shuling's and Chen Bogu's. Both were killed. Chen Shuling's sons were also killed, while Chen Bogu's sons were demoted to commoner status.
. As Chen Shubao was continuing to recover from his injuries, the various urgent matters at hand -- including Emperor Xuan's funeral arrangements, the border defenses (as Chen had recently lost the region between the Huai River
and the Yangtze River
to Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty
), and other important matters, were ruled on by Empress Dowager Liu, assisted by Chen Shujian. When Chen Shubao recovered, she returned the imperial authorities to him and no longer ruled on governmental matters.
When Chen fell to Sui in 589, Chen Shubao and his clan were taken to Chang'an. Empress Dowager Liu went to Chang'an as well. She subsequently took up residence at Sui's eastern capital Luoyang
. She died there in 616 and was buried in Luoyang, not with her husband Emperor Xuan.
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 Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
. Her husband was Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Chen
Emperor Xuan of Chen , personal name Chen Xu , courtesy name Shaoshi , nickname Shili , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Fei in 569 and subsequently ruled the state for 13 years...
(Chen Xu).
Background
Liu Jingyan was born in 534, when her father Liu Yan (柳偃) was a Liang DynastyLiang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
official. His wife was the Princess Changcheng, a daughter of Emperor Wu of Liang
Emperor Wu of Liang
Emperor Wu of Liang , personal name Xiao Yan , courtesy name Shuda , nickname Lian'er , was the founding emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
. (The traditional histories imply that she was the princess' daughter, but did not clearly state so.) Liu Yan came from a lineage of officials, as his grandfather Liu Shilong (柳世隆) was a key general under Emperor Gao of Southern Qi
Emperor Gao of Southern Qi
Emperor Gao of Southern Qi , personal name Xiao Daocheng , courtesy name Shaobo , nickname Doujiang , was the founding emperor of the Chinese dynasty Southern Qi...
and Emperor Wu of Southern Qi
Emperor Wu of Southern Qi
Emperor Wu of Southern Qi , personal name Xiao Ze , courtesy name Xuanyuan , nickname Long'er , was the second emperor of the Chinese Southern Qi Dynasty...
, and his father Liu Yun (柳惲) was a Liang official. When Liu Yan died while being governor of Poyang Commandery (鄱陽, roughly modern Shangrao
Shangrao
Shangrao is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in the northeast of China's Jiangxi province. According to the 2010 Census, Shangrao has a population of 6,579,714 inhabitants....
, 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...
), Liu Jingyan was eight, and as she had no older brothers (she had one younger brother, Liu Pan (柳盼)), she was said to have managed the affairs of the household as well as an adult could. After the rebel general Hou Jing
Hou Jing
Hou Jing , courtesy name Wanjing , was a general for the Chinese states Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Liang Dynasty, and briefly, after controlling the Liang imperial regime for several years, usurped the Liang throne, establishing a state of Han...
attacked the 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:...
in 548 and captured it in 549, Liu Jingyan and Liu Pan went to Jiangling to rely on the Princess Changcheng's brother Xiao Yi
Emperor Yuan of Liang
Emperor Yuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Yi , courtesy name Shicheng , nickname Qifu , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
the Prince of Xiangdong. On account of the princess, Xiao Yi treated them with kindness.
Marriage to Chen Xu
In 552, after Xiao Yi's general Wang SengbianWang Sengbian
Wang Sengbian , courtesy name Juncai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty. He came to prominence as the leading general under Emperor Yuan 's campaigns against the rebel general Hou Jing and other competitors for the Liang throne, and after Emperor Yuan was defeated by Western Wei...
defeated Hou, Xiao Yi declared himself emperor (as Emperor Yuan). He rewarded Wang and his lieutenant Chen Baxian
Emperor Wu of Chen
Emperor Wu of Chen , personal name Chen Baxian , courtesy name Xingguo , nickname Fasheng , was the first emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He first distinguished himself as a Liang Dynasty general during the campaign against the rebel general Hou Jing, and he was progressively promoted...
, while requesting Chen Baxian to send his son Chen Chang
Chen Chang
Chen Chang , courtesy name Jingye , formally Prince Xian of Hengyang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty...
and nephew Chen Xu
Emperor Xuan of Chen
Emperor Xuan of Chen , personal name Chen Xu , courtesy name Shaoshi , nickname Shili , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Fei in 569 and subsequently ruled the state for 13 years...
to Jiangling, his new capital, to serve in his administration -- but also to serve as hostages. While Chen Xu was at Jiangling, Emperor Yuan married Liu Jingyan to him as his wife, notwithstanding that he had already married a Lady Qian while he was a commoner at his home commandery of Yixing (義興, roughly modern Huzhou
Huzhou
Huzhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzhou to the south, and the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu to the west and north respectively.-Administration:...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
). In 553, she bore Chen Xu a son, Chen Shubao
Chen Shubao
Chen Shubao , often known in history as Houzhu of Chen , posthumous name Duke Yang of Changcheng , courtesy name Yuanxiu , nickname Huangnu , was the last emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty...
. In 554, Western Wei
Western Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
forces attacked and captured Jiangling, and around the new year 555, they put Emperor Yuan to death. Chen Xu and Chen Chang were taken to the Western Wei capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
as honored captives, while Lady Liu and Chen Shubao were left at Rangcheng (穰城, in modern Nanyang
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...
, 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...
).
In 557, Chen Baxian seized the throne and established Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
as its Emperor Wu. While Chen Xu was then still detained at Chang'an, he remotely created Chen Xu the Prince of Shixing. Subsequently, when Emperor Wu died in 559, because Chen Baxian's son Chen Chang was still detained at Chang'an as well, Chen Xu's brother Chen Qian
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen , personal name Chen Qian , courtesy name Zihua , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu , and after Emperor Wu's death in 559, the officials supported him to be emperor since Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen...
succeeded Emperor Wu (as Emperor Wen). In 562, following negotiations, Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
agreed to allow Chen Xu to return to Chen. Later that year, after further negotiations, Lady Liu and Chen Shubao were allowed to return to Chen as well. As Chen Xu then carried the title of Prince of Ancheng, she carried the title of Princess of Ancheng.
In 566, Emperor Wen died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Fei
Emperor Fei of Chen
Emperor Fei of Chen , personal name Chen Bozong , courtesy name Fengye , nickname Yaowang , also known by his post-removal title of Prince of Linhai , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty...
. Chen Xu, as the young emperor's uncle, was in an honored position, sharing power with the officials Dao Zhongju (到仲舉), Kong Huan (孔奐), Yuan Shu (袁樞), and Liu Shizhi (劉師知). However, Chen Xu soon came into a power struggle with Dao and Liu, and in 567, after Liu made a failed attempt to have Chen Xu removed from the palace, Chen Xu forced him to commit suicide, and subsequently forced Dao to commit suicide as well. He was now in control of the imperial government. In winter 568, he had an edict issued in the name of Emperor Wu's wife Grand Empress Dowager Zhang Yao'er
Empress Zhang Yao'er
Empress Zhang Yao'er , formally Empress Xuan , was an empress of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. Her husband was the founding emperor Emperor Wu ....
deposing Emperor Fei and giving him the throne. In spring 569, he formally took the throne as emperor (as Emperor Xuan). He created Princess Liu as empress and her son Chen Shubao as 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....
.
As empress
Empress Liu was said to be beautiful, tall, and humble. Cognizant that Emperor Xuan had married Lady Qian as his wife prior to marrying her, but that Lady Qian had been subordinated to the lesser imperial consort title of Guifei (貴妃), she humbled herself when in Consort Qian's presence, often offering the better items to Consort Qian and taking the lesser items for herself.In spring 582, Emperor Xuan became ill. Crown Prince Shubao, as well as his brothers Chen Shuling (陳叔陵) the Prince of Shixing and Chen Shujian (陳叔堅) the Prince of Changsha attended to Emperor Xuan. Chen Shuling, who wanted the throne for himself, secretly had a dull knife designed to cut medications sharpened. When Emperor Xuan died, Crown Prince Shubao, while mourning his father, placed himself over the casket. Chen Shuling stabbed him in the neck with the knife, and he fell to the ground. When Empress Liu saw this, she intervened, but she was also stabbed several times by Chen Shuling, who was however then hit by the lady in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
Lady Wu and was unable to kill Chen Shubao. Subsequently, Chen Shuling fled out of the palace and staged a military coup, along with his cousin Chen Bogu (陳伯固) the Prince of Xin'an (Emperor Wen's son). Because Chen Shubao had been seriously wounded, Empress Liu, while also herself injured, took control of the situation, and the imperial troops were able to defeat Chen Shuling's and Chen Bogu's. Both were killed. Chen Shuling's sons were also killed, while Chen Bogu's sons were demoted to commoner status.
As empress dowager
Chen Shubao then assumed the throne, and Empress Liu took the title of empress dowagerEmpress 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...
. As Chen Shubao was continuing to recover from his injuries, the various urgent matters at hand -- including Emperor Xuan's funeral arrangements, the border defenses (as Chen had recently lost the region between the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
and the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to Northern Zhou's successor state Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
), and other important matters, were ruled on by Empress Dowager Liu, assisted by Chen Shujian. When Chen Shubao recovered, she returned the imperial authorities to him and no longer ruled on governmental matters.
When Chen fell to Sui in 589, Chen Shubao and his clan were taken to Chang'an. Empress Dowager Liu went to Chang'an as well. She subsequently took up residence at Sui's eastern capital 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...
. She died there in 616 and was buried in Luoyang, not with her husband Emperor Xuan.