Empress Yang Xianrong
Encyclopedia
Empress Yang Xianrong (died 322), formally (as honored by Han Zhao
) Empress Xianwen (獻文皇后, literally "the wise and civil empress") was an empress -- uniquely in the history of China
, for two different empires and two different emperors. Her first husband was Emperor Hui of Jin
, and her second husband was Liu Yao
of Han Zhao. Also unique was the fact that she was deposed four and restored four times as the empress of Jin (five, if one counts a brief usurpation by Sima Lun
against her husband in 301).
, Shandong
). Her father was the mid-level official Yang Xuanzhi (羊玄之). Her maternal grandfather was the general Sun Qi (孫旂), a distant relative of Sun Xiu (孫秀), the chief strategist for Sima Lun
the Prince of Zhao. Therefore, after Sima Lun and Sun overthrew Empress Jia Nanfeng
in 300, Sun had Yang Xianrong selected as the new empress. Little is known about how her relationship with her developmentally disabled
husband (save her words to her second husband, referred to below) was. After Sima Lun briefly usurped the throne in 301 but was then defeated by Sima Jiong
the Prince of Qi and Sima Ying
the Prince of Chengdu, both Sun Xiu and Sun Qi were killed, along with their clans. Empress Yang's father Yang Xuanzhi was, however, promoted. (He would die in fear in 303, however, as his friendship with Sima Ai
the Prince of Changsha was used as an excuse for Sima Ying and Sima Yong
the Prince of Hejian to attack Sima Ai.)
As Emperor Hui continued to be a pawn of the princes during the War of the Eight Princes
, Empress Yang herself appeared to have had little influence. She was, however, frequently used as an excuse for certain conspirators' actions, and during the span from 304 to 306 she was deposed four times and restored four times, often in conjunction with her husband's nephew Sima Qin (司馬覃)'s fortunes as crown prince
. She was nearly killed after her fourth removal in 305, as Sima Yong, then holding Emperor Hui at Chang'an
and leaving her in the capital Luoyang
, became convinced that she was easily usable by his opponents as a rubber stamp, and so he ordered that she be forced to commit suicide. The governor of the capital region, Liu Tun (劉暾) offered a petition to save her life, which nearly cost him his own -- as Sima Yong ordered to have him arrested, and he was barely able to flee with his life. However, after Liu's intercession, for whatever reason, Sima Yong cancelled the order to have her forced to commit suicide.
In 306, as the War of the Eight Princes neared its end and Emperor Hui was allowed to return to Luoyang after Sima Yue
the Prince of Donghai defeated Sima Yong, he welcomed Yang back as his empress. In early 307, however, he was poisoned to death. (Most historians believe that Sima Yue was behind the poisoning, but there is no conclusive evidence.) The recognized heir was Emperor Hui's brother, Sima Chi
the crown prince, but Empress Yang, believing that she would not be honored as empress dowager
if her brother-in-law inherited the throne, tried to have Sima Qin declared emperor; she was rebuffed by Sima Yue, however, and Crown Prince Chi succeeded to the throne as Emperor Huai. (Her attempt might have cost Prince Qin his life, as Sima Yue had him executed in 308.) Emperor Huai honored her with the title "Empress Hui," but not empress dowager.
Empress Yang's influence or lack thereof during Emperor Huai's reign was unclear, but since Emperor Huai himself did not have much power (with Sima Yue still holding onto much the power), it was not likely that Empress Yang had significant influence. After Sima Yue's death in 311, the Jin armies were in shambles and unable to protect Luoyang any further. Luoyang soon fell to Han Zhao's armies, led by the generals Huyan Yan (呼延晏), Wang Mi (王彌), Shi Le
, and Liu Yao the Prince of Shi'an. Liu Yao burnt most of Luoyang and executed a large number of Jin officials, but did not kill Empress Yang; instead, he took her as his own wife.
, Liu Xí (劉襲, note different tone), and Liu Chan (劉闡). (It was not clear whether she was his wife or concubine by this point — Liu Yao had an earlier wife, Princess Bu, who was described as having died and having been princess when her son Liu Yin
was created the Prince of Yong'an in 323.) Liu Yao, as the trusted cousin of the Han Zhao emperor Liu Cong
, had many military responsibilities and was in charge of the Chang'an region after he captured it and Emperor Huai's successor Emperor Min
in 316. In 318, after the Han Zhao prime minister Jin Zhun
massacred the Han Zhao imperial family and nobles in the capital Pingyang (平陽, in modern Linfen
, Shanxi
) after a coup, the officials who fled from the massacre offered the throne to Liu Yao, who accepted. After his and Shi Le's forces defeated Jin's, he moved the capital to Chang'an. In 319, he created Yang Xianrong his empress and her son Liu Xī crown prince. Once, Liu Yao asked her: "How do I compare to the Sima man?" Her response was:
Liu Yao greatly favored her, and she was involved in governmental matters. She died in 322. Her son Liu Xī would continue to be crown prince, but both Liu Yao and Liu Xī were killed by Shi Le's Later Zhao
forces after Han Zhao fell to Later Zhao in 329.
Han Zhao
The Han Zhao , or Former Zhao, or Northern Han , was a Southern Xiongnu state during Sixteen Kingdoms period coeval with the Chinese Jin Dynasty...
) Empress Xianwen (獻文皇后, literally "the wise and civil empress") was an empress -- uniquely in the history of China
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...
, for two different empires and two different emperors. Her first husband was Emperor Hui of Jin
Emperor Hui of Jin
Emperor Hui of Jin, sim. ch. 晋惠帝, trad. ch. 晉惠帝, py. jìn huì dì, wg. Chin Hui-ti , personal name Sima Zhong , courtesy name Zhengdu , was the second emperor of the Jin Dynasty...
, and her second husband was Liu Yao
Liu Yao
Liu Yao , courtesy name Yongming , was the final emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao. He became emperor in 318 after most other members of the imperial Liu clan were massacred by Jin Zhun in a coup. However, the empire was soon divided in half, as the general Shi Le declared...
of Han Zhao. Also unique was the fact that she was deposed four and restored four times as the empress of Jin (five, if one counts a brief usurpation by Sima Lun
Sima Lun
Sima Lun , courtesy name Ziyi , was titled the Prince of Zhao and the usurper of the Jin Dynasty from February 3 to May 30, 301...
against her husband in 301).
As empress of Jin
Yang Xianrong was from Taishan Commandery (roughly modern Tai'anTai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). Her father was the mid-level official Yang Xuanzhi (羊玄之). Her maternal grandfather was the general Sun Qi (孫旂), a distant relative of Sun Xiu (孫秀), the chief strategist for Sima Lun
Sima Lun
Sima Lun , courtesy name Ziyi , was titled the Prince of Zhao and the usurper of the Jin Dynasty from February 3 to May 30, 301...
the Prince of Zhao. Therefore, after Sima Lun and Sun overthrew Empress Jia Nanfeng
Empress Jia Nanfeng
Empress Jia Nanfeng , nickname Shi , of the Jin Dynasty was the daughter of Jia Chong and first wife of Emperor Hui...
in 300, Sun had Yang Xianrong selected as the new empress. Little is known about how her relationship with her developmentally disabled
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
husband (save her words to her second husband, referred to below) was. After Sima Lun briefly usurped the throne in 301 but was then defeated by Sima Jiong
Sima Jiong
Sima Jiong , courtesy name Jingzhi , formally Prince Wumin of Qi , was an Jin Dynasty imperial prince who briefly served as Emperor Hui's regent after overthrowing the usurper Sima Lun in 301...
the Prince of Qi and Sima Ying
Sima Ying
Sima Ying , courtesy name Zhangdu , was a Jin Dynasty imperial prince who served briefly as his brother Emperor Hui's regent and crown prince. He was the sixth of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes...
the Prince of Chengdu, both Sun Xiu and Sun Qi were killed, along with their clans. Empress Yang's father Yang Xuanzhi was, however, promoted. (He would die in fear in 303, however, as his friendship with Sima Ai
Sima Ai
Sima Ai or Sima Yi , courtesy name Shidu , formally Prince Li of Changsha , was a Jin Dynasty imperial prince who briefly served as regent for his brother Emperor Hui. He was the fifth of the eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes...
the Prince of Changsha was used as an excuse for Sima Ying and Sima Yong
Sima Yong
Sima Yong , courtesy name Wenzai , was a Jin Dynasty imperial prince and briefly a regent for Emperor Hui. He was the seventh of eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes...
the Prince of Hejian to attack Sima Ai.)
As Emperor Hui continued to be a pawn of the princes during the War of the Eight Princes
War of the Eight Princes
The War of the Eight Princes or Rebellion of the Eight Kings or Rebellion of the Eight Princes was a civil war for power among princes and dukes of the Chinese Jin Dynasty from AD 291 to AD 306. It was fought mostly in northern China and devastated the country, later triggering the Wu Hu ravaging...
, Empress Yang herself appeared to have had little influence. She was, however, frequently used as an excuse for certain conspirators' actions, and during the span from 304 to 306 she was deposed four times and restored four times, often in conjunction with her husband's nephew Sima Qin (司馬覃)'s fortunes 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....
. She was nearly killed after her fourth removal in 305, as Sima Yong, then holding Emperor Hui at 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...
and leaving her in the 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...
, became convinced that she was easily usable by his opponents as a rubber stamp, and so he ordered that she be forced to commit suicide. The governor of the capital region, Liu Tun (劉暾) offered a petition to save her life, which nearly cost him his own -- as Sima Yong ordered to have him arrested, and he was barely able to flee with his life. However, after Liu's intercession, for whatever reason, Sima Yong cancelled the order to have her forced to commit suicide.
In 306, as the War of the Eight Princes neared its end and Emperor Hui was allowed to return to Luoyang after Sima Yue
Sima Yue
Sima Yue , courtesy name Yuanchao , formally Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai , was a Jin Dynasty imperial prince and regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai...
the Prince of Donghai defeated Sima Yong, he welcomed Yang back as his empress. In early 307, however, he was poisoned to death. (Most historians believe that Sima Yue was behind the poisoning, but there is no conclusive evidence.) The recognized heir was Emperor Hui's brother, Sima Chi
Emperor Huai of Jin
Emperor Huai of Jin, sim. ch. 晋怀帝, trad. ch. 晉懷帝, py. Jìn Huáidì, wg. Chin Huai-ti , personal name Sima Chi , courtesy name Fengdu , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty ....
the crown prince, but Empress Yang, believing that she would not be honored as 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...
if her brother-in-law inherited the throne, tried to have Sima Qin declared emperor; she was rebuffed by Sima Yue, however, and Crown Prince Chi succeeded to the throne as Emperor Huai. (Her attempt might have cost Prince Qin his life, as Sima Yue had him executed in 308.) Emperor Huai honored her with the title "Empress Hui," but not empress dowager.
Empress Yang's influence or lack thereof during Emperor Huai's reign was unclear, but since Emperor Huai himself did not have much power (with Sima Yue still holding onto much the power), it was not likely that Empress Yang had significant influence. After Sima Yue's death in 311, the Jin armies were in shambles and unable to protect Luoyang any further. Luoyang soon fell to Han Zhao's armies, led by the generals Huyan Yan (呼延晏), Wang Mi (王彌), Shi Le
Shi Le
Shi Le , courtesy name Shilong , formally Emperor Ming of Zhao , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Jie state Later Zhao...
, and Liu Yao the Prince of Shi'an. Liu Yao burnt most of Luoyang and executed a large number of Jin officials, but did not kill Empress Yang; instead, he took her as his own wife.
As empress of Han Zhao
Little is known about Yang Xianrong's life with Liu Yao, other than that she was favored by him and bore him three sons — Liu XīLiu Xi
Liu Xi , courtesy name Yiguang , was the crown prince and a son of Liu Yao, the final emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao, who was thrust into the leadership role after his father was captured by rival Later Zhao's forces, but was unable to resist Later Zhao and killed less than a year...
, Liu Xí (劉襲, note different tone), and Liu Chan (劉闡). (It was not clear whether she was his wife or concubine by this point — Liu Yao had an earlier wife, Princess Bu, who was described as having died and having been princess when her son Liu Yin
Liu Yin (Han Zhao)
Liu Yin , courtesy name Yisun , was an imperial prince of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao, who, following his father Liu Yao's capture by rival Later Zhao, tried to maintain the state with his brother, the crown prince Liu Xi, but was unsuccessful and killed by Later Zhao.Liu Yin was Liu Yao's...
was created the Prince of Yong'an in 323.) Liu Yao, as the trusted cousin of the Han Zhao emperor Liu Cong
Liu Cong
Liu Cong may refer to:*Liu Cong , emperor of Han Zhao of the Sixteen Kingdoms*Liu Cong , younger son of the Han Dynasty warlord Liu Biao...
, had many military responsibilities and was in charge of the Chang'an region after he captured it and Emperor Huai's successor Emperor Min
Emperor Min of Jin
Emperor Min of Jin, Simplified Chinese character 晋愍帝, Traditional Chinese character 晉愍帝, Pinyin. Jìn Mǐndì, Wade-Giles Chin Min-ti , personal name Sima Ye , courtesy name Yanqi , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty and the last of the Western Jin Dynasty.Emperor Min surrendered in 316 to Liu Yao, a...
in 316. In 318, after the Han Zhao prime minister Jin Zhun
Jin Zhun
Jin Zhun was an official of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao, who in 318 staged a coup against the Han Zhao emperor and his son-in-law Liu Can and then massacred the imperial Liu family. His forces were subsequently squeezed in by the succeeding emperor Liu Yao and the general Shi Le, and,...
massacred the Han Zhao imperial family and nobles in the capital Pingyang (平陽, in modern Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
, 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....
) after a coup, the officials who fled from the massacre offered the throne to Liu Yao, who accepted. After his and Shi Le's forces defeated Jin's, he moved the capital to Chang'an. In 319, he created Yang Xianrong his empress and her son Liu Xī crown prince. Once, Liu Yao asked her: "How do I compare to the Sima man?" Her response was:
- How can there be a comparison? Your Imperial Majesty is an empire-building intelligent ruler, while he was an idiot who destroyed his empire. He only had one wife and one son and could protect neither. He was an honored emperor, but he allowed his wife and son to be dishonored at the hands of commoners. At that time, all I wanted was death, and I did not know that I would have today. I was born from a noble family, but I thought that all men were like he. Only after I married you have I found out what a true man is like.
Liu Yao greatly favored her, and she was involved in governmental matters. She died in 322. Her son Liu Xī would continue to be crown prince, but both Liu Yao and Liu Xī were killed by Shi Le's Later Zhao
Later Zhao
The Later Zhao was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity...
forces after Han Zhao fell to Later Zhao in 329.