Empress Zhang Yao'er
Encyclopedia
Empress Zhang Yao'er (506–570), formally Empress Xuan (literally "the responsible empress"), was an empress
of the Chinese
Chen Dynasty
. Her husband was the founding emperor Emperor Wu
(Chen Baxian).
Zhang Yao'er was from Wuxing Commandery (吳興, roughly modern Huzhou
, Zhejiang
). Her father Zhang Jingming (章景明) was originally surnamed Niu (鈕), but was adopted by a family named Zhang, and therefore had his name changed. Her mother was named Su (蘇), but her mother's surname is not known to history. Zhang Yao'er was not Chen Baxian's first wife, as Chen had initially married a daughter of Qian Zhongfang (錢仲方), who, like Chen and Zhang, was from Wuxing Commandery, but Lady Qian died early, so he married Zhang after Lady Qian's death. Zhang Yao'er was described as being well-versed in mathematics
, poetry
, and the Chu Ci
. She bore Chen at least one son, Chen Chang
, but it is not known whether any other of his at least five other sons (none of whom survived to adulthood) or either of his two known daughters, the Princess Kuaiji and Yongsi, was hers.
In 545, with Jiao Province (交州, modern northern Vietnam
) seized by the rebel Li Ben, Chen Baxian, then a Liang Dynasty
general, was sent to Jiao Province to battle Li; at that time, rather than taking Lady Zhang and Chen Chang with him, he sent them back to Wuxing. After the general Hou Jing
rebelled in 548 and subsequently captured the capital Jiankang
in 549, both she and Chen Chang were taken captive by Hou, but despite Chen Baxian's subsequent major participation in the campaign against Hou, Hou did not kill her or Chen Chang. After Hou was defeated in 552, Emperor Yuan of Liang
created Chen Baxian the Duke of Changcheng for his contributions, and Lady Zhang became the Duchess of Changcheng. Her son Chen Chang, despite his young age (15), was made the governor of Wuxing Commandery, but subsequently was summoned by Emperor Yuan, along with Chen Baxian's nephew Chen Xu
, to the new capital Jiangling, to serve at the central government and to effectively serve as hostages. In 554, after Jiangling was captured by Western Wei
forces, Emperor Yuan was executed, while Chen Chang and Chen Xu were taken as honored captives to the Western Wei capital Chang'an
.
After Jiangling's fall, the supreme general of the remaining Liang territory, Wang Sengbian
, along with Chen Baxian, who was then in charge of Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
), prepared in spring 555 to make Emperor Yuan's son Xiao Fangzhi
the Prince of Jin'an, emperor, but subsequently, under military pressure from Northern Qi
, Wang accepted Northern Qi's proposed candidate for the throne, Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
the Marquess of Zhenyang. In fall 555, however, Chen made a surprise attack on Jiankang, killing Wang and deposing Xiao Yuanming, declaring Xiao Fangzhi emperor instead (as Emperor Jing). In the next two years, Chen defeated Northern Qi forces and affirmed his grip on power, taking the throne from Emperor Jing in 557 and establishing Chen Dynasty (as Emperor Wu). He created her empress and created her mother as the Marchioness of Anji. Emperor Wu made repeated requests to Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou
to have Chen Chang and Chen Xu returned, but Northern Zhou, despite initially agreeing, never actually freed Chen Chang or Chen Xu.
In 558, the Marchioness of Anji died, and Emperor Wu subsequently posthumously created Zhang Jingming the Marquess of Guangde, burying the marchioness with him with honors.
In 559, Emperor Wu suffered a major illness and died quickly. At that time, Emperor Wu's nephew Chen Qian
the Prince of Linchuan, the only close male relative of Emperor Wu then in Chen territory, was constructing a fort at Nanhuan (南皖, in modern Anqing
, Anhui
), and Empress Zhang, after consulting the officials Du Leng (杜稜) and Cai Jingli (蔡景歷), chose not to announce Emperor Wu's death, and they secretly summoned Chen Qian back from Nanhuan. Chen Qian soon returned to Jiankang, with the general Hou Andu
. Hou and the officials subsequently decided to support Chen Qian as emperor, but Empress Zhang was still hopeful that Chen Chang would return, and therefore refused to allow Chen Qian to inherit the throne. Hou approached her and, with his hand on the handle of his sword, requested that she turn over the imperial seal. She finally agreed, and Chen Qian took the throne (as Emperor Wen).
Emperor Wen honored Empress Zhang as empress dowager
, and she took up residence at Cixun Palace (慈訓宮). She did not appear to have much power during Emperor Wen's reign, and in 560, when Chen Chang returned from Northern Zhou and made suggestions that he would contest the throne, Emperor Wen had him drowned. In 566, Emperor Wen died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Fei
, who honored her as grand empress dowager. In 569, when Chen Xu (who had by this time returned from Northern Zhou as well) seized the throne from Emperor Fei, he had the edict deposing Emperor Fei and making him emperor (as Emperor Xuan) issued in her name, although there is no evidence suggesting that she was actually involved in Emperor Xuan's seizure of the throne. After Emperor Xuan took the throne, she was again titularly empress dowager. She died in 570 and was buried with honors due an empress, with her husband Emperor Wu.
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
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...
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 the founding emperor Emperor Wu
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...
(Chen Baxian).
Zhang Yao'er was from Wuxing Commandery (吳興, 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...
). Her father Zhang Jingming (章景明) was originally surnamed Niu (鈕), but was adopted by a family named Zhang, and therefore had his name changed. Her mother was named Su (蘇), but her mother's surname is not known to history. Zhang Yao'er was not Chen Baxian's first wife, as Chen had initially married a daughter of Qian Zhongfang (錢仲方), who, like Chen and Zhang, was from Wuxing Commandery, but Lady Qian died early, so he married Zhang after Lady Qian's death. Zhang Yao'er was described as being well-versed in mathematics
Chinese mathematics
Mathematics in China emerged independently by the 11th century BC. The Chinese independently developed very large and negative numbers, decimals, a place value decimal system, a binary system, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry....
, poetry
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
, and the Chu Ci
Chu Ci
Chu Ci , also known as Songs of the South or Songs of Chu, is an anthology of Chinese verse traditionally attributed to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States Period, though about half of the poems seem to have been composed several centuries later, during the Han Dynasty...
. She bore Chen at least one 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...
, but it is not known whether any other of his at least five other sons (none of whom survived to adulthood) or either of his two known daughters, the Princess Kuaiji and Yongsi, was hers.
In 545, with Jiao Province (交州, modern northern 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 –...
) seized by the rebel Li Ben, Chen Baxian, then a Liang Dynasty
Liang 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...
general, was sent to Jiao Province to battle Li; at that time, rather than taking Lady Zhang and Chen Chang with him, he sent them back to Wuxing. After the 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...
rebelled in 548 and subsequently captured 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 549, both she and Chen Chang were taken captive by Hou, but despite Chen Baxian's subsequent major participation in the campaign against Hou, Hou did not kill her or Chen Chang. After Hou was defeated in 552, Emperor Yuan of Liang
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...
created Chen Baxian the Duke of Changcheng for his contributions, and Lady Zhang became the Duchess of Changcheng. Her son Chen Chang, despite his young age (15), was made the governor of Wuxing Commandery, but subsequently was summoned by Emperor Yuan, along with Chen Baxian's 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 the new capital Jiangling, to serve at the central government and to effectively serve as hostages. In 554, after Jiangling was captured by 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, Emperor Yuan was executed, while Chen Chang and Chen Xu were taken as honored captives 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...
.
After Jiangling's fall, the supreme general of the remaining Liang territory, Wang Sengbian
Wang 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...
, along with Chen Baxian, who was then in charge of Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), prepared in spring 555 to make Emperor Yuan's son Xiao Fangzhi
Emperor Jing of Liang
Emperor Jing of Liang , personal name Xiao Fangzhi , courtesy name Huixiang , nickname Fazhen , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. As the only surviving son of Emperor Yuan, he was declared emperor by the general Chen Baxian in 555, but in 557 Chen forced him to yield the throne and...
the Prince of Jin'an, emperor, but subsequently, under military pressure from Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
, Wang accepted Northern Qi's proposed candidate for the throne, Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming , courtesy name Jingtong , often known by his pre-ascension title of Marquess of Zhenyang , at times known by his post-removal title Duke of Jian'an , honored Emperor Min by Xiao Zhuang, was briefly an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor...
the Marquess of Zhenyang. In fall 555, however, Chen made a surprise attack on Jiankang, killing Wang and deposing Xiao Yuanming, declaring Xiao Fangzhi emperor instead (as Emperor Jing). In the next two years, Chen defeated Northern Qi forces and affirmed his grip on power, taking the throne from Emperor Jing in 557 and establishing Chen Dynasty (as Emperor Wu). He created her empress and created her mother as the Marchioness of Anji. Emperor Wu made repeated requests to 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...
to have Chen Chang and Chen Xu returned, but Northern Zhou, despite initially agreeing, never actually freed Chen Chang or Chen Xu.
In 558, the Marchioness of Anji died, and Emperor Wu subsequently posthumously created Zhang Jingming the Marquess of Guangde, burying the marchioness with him with honors.
In 559, Emperor Wu suffered a major illness and died quickly. At that time, Emperor Wu's nephew 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...
the Prince of Linchuan, the only close male relative of Emperor Wu then in Chen territory, was constructing a fort at Nanhuan (南皖, in modern Anqing
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), and Empress Zhang, after consulting the officials Du Leng (杜稜) and Cai Jingli (蔡景歷), chose not to announce Emperor Wu's death, and they secretly summoned Chen Qian back from Nanhuan. Chen Qian soon returned to Jiankang, with the general Hou Andu
Hou Andu
Hou Andu , courtesy name Chengshi , was a Chen Dynasty general, whose military accomplishments under Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen made him one of the most powerful individuals in the state, but whose arrogance and rudeness raised suspicions from Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wen arrested him and forced...
. Hou and the officials subsequently decided to support Chen Qian as emperor, but Empress Zhang was still hopeful that Chen Chang would return, and therefore refused to allow Chen Qian to inherit the throne. Hou approached her and, with his hand on the handle of his sword, requested that she turn over the imperial seal. She finally agreed, and Chen Qian took the throne (as Emperor Wen).
Emperor Wen honored Empress Zhang 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...
, and she took up residence at Cixun Palace (慈訓宮). She did not appear to have much power during Emperor Wen's reign, and in 560, when Chen Chang returned from Northern Zhou and made suggestions that he would contest the throne, Emperor Wen had him drowned. 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...
, who honored her as grand empress dowager. In 569, when Chen Xu (who had by this time returned from Northern Zhou as well) seized the throne from Emperor Fei, he had the edict deposing Emperor Fei and making him emperor (as Emperor Xuan) issued in her name, although there is no evidence suggesting that she was actually involved in Emperor Xuan's seizure of the throne. After Emperor Xuan took the throne, she was again titularly empress dowager. She died in 570 and was buried with honors due an empress, with her husband Emperor Wu.