Empress Wang 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...

 dynasty 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...

. Her husband was Emperor Jing

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...

 (Xiao Fangzhi).

It is not known when she was born. Her father Wang Qian (王僉) came from a long line of officials of Southern Dynasties

Southern dynasties

The Southern dynasties comprise the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty and Chen Dynasty, whose capital were at Jiankang , and Emperor Yuan of Liang, as well as the later Western Liang emperors , also set their...

, and he served as a mid-level official under 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, the de facto leader of Liang following the fall of 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:...

 to 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...

 in 549. In 552, after Xiao Yi took the throne as Emperor Yuan after defeating Hou, he created his sons princes, and he took Wang Qian's daughter as the wife for his son Xiao Fangzhi, whom he created the Prince of Jin'an. She therefore carried the title the Princess of Jin'an. Emperor Yuan was captured and killed 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 in 554, and in 555, the general 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...

 declared Xiao Fangzhi emperor. Emperor Jing created Princess Wang empress. In 557, Chen, who controlled actual power, forced Emperor Jing to yield the throne to him, establishing 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....

. He created Xiao Fangzhi the Prince of Jiangyin, and Empress Wang thus became the Princess of Jiangyin. Chen had Xiao Fangzhi killed in 558, and nothing further was recorded in history about the former empress.