Empress Wang (Xuanzong)
Encyclopedia
Empress Wang (died 724) was an empress of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. Her husband was Emperor Xuanzong
. She was initially made empress after he became emperor in 712, but eventually lost favor to Consort Wu
, partly because she never had a son. Her brother Wang Shouyi (王守一) tried to use magic to regain favor for her, but this was discovered, causing her to be deposed and Wang Shouyi to be forced to commit suicide in 724. She died soon thereafter.
official Wang Shennian (王神念). She married Li Longji as his wife and princess while he was the Prince of Linzi during the reign of either his grandmother Wu Zetian
or his uncle Emperor Zhongzong
. After Emperor Zhongzong died in 710, Emperor Zhongzong's wife Empress Wei
took power as empress dowager
and regent
, but was soon overthrown by Li Longji and Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping
. It was said that as Li Longji was planning the coup, Princess Wang participated in the planning and supported him in the endeavor. After the successful coup, Li Longji's father Li Dan
the Prince of Xiang, a former emperor, returned to the throne (as Emperor Ruizong). Li Longji was created crown prince
, and Princess Wang became crown princess. She did not have a son herself, so she raised his second son Li Siqian
, born of his then-favorite consort Consort Zhao, as her son.
In 713, Empress Wang ceremonially harvested mulberry
leaves, to show the imperial household's attention to farming.
In 716, Empress Wang's brother-in-law Zhangsun Xin (長孫昕), who had a running dispute with the chief imperial censor Li Jie (李傑), lay in wait for Li Jie along with his brother-in-law Yang Xianyu (楊仙玉) and battered Li Jie severely. Li Jie submitted a petition accusing Zhangsun and Yang of the crime, and Emperor Xuanzong, in anger, executed Zhangsun and Yang.
In 719, Empress Wang's father Wang Renjiao died. Initially, Emperor Xuanzong approved a request by her brother Wang Shouyi, who had married Emperor Xuanzong's sister Princess Xue, that a grand tomb, on the scale built for Emperor Xuanzong's grandfather Dou Xiaochen (竇孝諶). However, the chancellors Song Jing
and Su Ting
opposed, pointing out that Dou's tomb was overly wasteful and that it should not be repeated. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and reduced Wang Renjiao's tomb to be the usual scale for an official of the first grade.
Meanwhile, over the years, Empress Wang, because she had grown older and less beautiful, and also because she had not had a son, began to lose Emperor Xuanzong's favor. Consort Wu
, the daughter of Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Youzhi (武攸止), began to be highly favored, and it was said that the ambitious Consort Wu had designs on the empress position. It was said that Empress Wang, displeased over her loss of favor, often argued with Emperor Xuanzong, drawing further disfavor from him. (However, on one occasion, when she reminded him that when they were still prince and princess, Wang Renjiao had, on one occasion, had to physically mill the flour to make noodle soup for his birthday, in such an exerting manner that Wang Renjiao's arms were purple with bruises, he was touched, but it did not reverse the trend.) In 722, Emperor Xuanzong secretly discussed with his close associate Jiang Jiao (姜皎) the possibility of deposing Empress Wang on account of her lack of a son. Jiang leaked the discussion, however, and Li Jiao (李嶠) the Prince of Teng (not the chancellor with the same name), a brother-in-law to Empress Wang, reported this to Emperor Xuanzong. In anger at Jiang's leaking the secret discussion, Emperor Xuanzong had the chancellor Zhang Jiazhen submit an indictment against Jiang. Both Jiang and his brother Jiang Hui (姜晦) were exiled.
After the Jiang Jiao incident, Empress Wang became even more fearful. It was said, however, that she was always gracious with the ladies in waiting
and eunuchs, so no one reported anything negative about her. Emperor Xuanzong hesitated about what he would do. Meanwhile, though, it became known in 724 that Wang Shouyi had engaged the Buddhist monk Mingwu (明悟) to offer sacrifices to the Big Dipper
and the Nandou (a Chinese constellation that is part of Sagittarius
), and also had her wear an amulet made of wood struck by lightning, bearing the characters for heaven and earth, as well as Emperor Xuanzong's name, with the intent that these actions could perhaps help her have a son. Emperor Xuanzong deposed Empress Wang and housed her in a subsidiary palace. He also exiled Wang Shouyi, and on Wang Shouyi's way to exile, he ordered Wang Shouyi to commit suicide.
Three months after Empress Wang was deposed, she died. It was said that the ladies in waiting and the eunuchs all mourned her bitterly, and that Emperor Xuanzong himself regretted his actions deeply. In 762, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong
, her empress honors were posthumously restored.
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 Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. Her husband was Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
. She was initially made empress after he became emperor in 712, but eventually lost favor to Consort Wu
Consort Wu (Xuanzong)
Consort Wu, imperial consort rank Huifei , posthumously Empress Zhenshun , was an imperial consort of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
, partly because she never had a son. Her brother Wang Shouyi (王守一) tried to use magic to regain favor for her, but this was discovered, causing her to be deposed and Wang Shouyi to be forced to commit suicide in 724. She died soon thereafter.
Background
It is not known when the future Empress Wang was born. Her father Wang Renjiao (王仁皎) traced his ancestry to the 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 Wang Shennian (王神念). She married Li Longji as his wife and princess while he was the Prince of Linzi during the reign of either his grandmother Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
or his uncle Emperor Zhongzong
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
. After Emperor Zhongzong died in 710, Emperor Zhongzong's wife Empress Wei
Empress Wei (Zhongzong)
Empress Wei was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice, and during his second reign, she tried to emulate the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and seize power...
took power 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 regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, but was soon overthrown by Li Longji and Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong and was powerful during the reigns of her mother and her elder brothers Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong , particularly...
. It was said that as Li Longji was planning the coup, Princess Wang participated in the planning and supported him in the endeavor. After the successful coup, Li Longji's father Li Dan
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Xiang, a former emperor, returned to the throne (as Emperor Ruizong). Li Longji was 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....
, and Princess Wang became crown princess. She did not have a son herself, so she raised his second son Li Siqian
Li Ying
Li Ying is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 11th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Striking Hawk".-Background:...
, born of his then-favorite consort Consort Zhao, as her son.
As empress
In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. Crown Princess Wang was created empress. Her father Wang Renjiao was made the minister of husbandry (太僕卿), and was eventually given the honorific title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司) and created the Duke of Qi.In 713, Empress Wang ceremonially harvested mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
leaves, to show the imperial household's attention to farming.
In 716, Empress Wang's brother-in-law Zhangsun Xin (長孫昕), who had a running dispute with the chief imperial censor Li Jie (李傑), lay in wait for Li Jie along with his brother-in-law Yang Xianyu (楊仙玉) and battered Li Jie severely. Li Jie submitted a petition accusing Zhangsun and Yang of the crime, and Emperor Xuanzong, in anger, executed Zhangsun and Yang.
In 719, Empress Wang's father Wang Renjiao died. Initially, Emperor Xuanzong approved a request by her brother Wang Shouyi, who had married Emperor Xuanzong's sister Princess Xue, that a grand tomb, on the scale built for Emperor Xuanzong's grandfather Dou Xiaochen (竇孝諶). However, the chancellors Song Jing
Song Jing
Song Jing , formally Duke Wenzhen of Guangping , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as the chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong...
and Su Ting
Su Ting
Su Ting , courtesy name Tingshuo , formally Duke Wenxian of Xu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
opposed, pointing out that Dou's tomb was overly wasteful and that it should not be repeated. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and reduced Wang Renjiao's tomb to be the usual scale for an official of the first grade.
Meanwhile, over the years, Empress Wang, because she had grown older and less beautiful, and also because she had not had a son, began to lose Emperor Xuanzong's favor. Consort Wu
Consort Wu (Xuanzong)
Consort Wu, imperial consort rank Huifei , posthumously Empress Zhenshun , was an imperial consort of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
, the daughter of Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Youzhi (武攸止), began to be highly favored, and it was said that the ambitious Consort Wu had designs on the empress position. It was said that Empress Wang, displeased over her loss of favor, often argued with Emperor Xuanzong, drawing further disfavor from him. (However, on one occasion, when she reminded him that when they were still prince and princess, Wang Renjiao had, on one occasion, had to physically mill the flour to make noodle soup for his birthday, in such an exerting manner that Wang Renjiao's arms were purple with bruises, he was touched, but it did not reverse the trend.) In 722, Emperor Xuanzong secretly discussed with his close associate Jiang Jiao (姜皎) the possibility of deposing Empress Wang on account of her lack of a son. Jiang leaked the discussion, however, and Li Jiao (李嶠) the Prince of Teng (not the chancellor with the same name), a brother-in-law to Empress Wang, reported this to Emperor Xuanzong. In anger at Jiang's leaking the secret discussion, Emperor Xuanzong had the chancellor Zhang Jiazhen submit an indictment against Jiang. Both Jiang and his brother Jiang Hui (姜晦) were exiled.
After the Jiang Jiao incident, Empress Wang became even more fearful. It was said, however, that she was always gracious with the ladies 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...
and eunuchs, so no one reported anything negative about her. Emperor Xuanzong hesitated about what he would do. Meanwhile, though, it became known in 724 that Wang Shouyi had engaged the Buddhist monk Mingwu (明悟) to offer sacrifices to the Big Dipper
Big Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
and the Nandou (a Chinese constellation that is part of Sagittarius
Sagittarius (constellation)
Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
), and also had her wear an amulet made of wood struck by lightning, bearing the characters for heaven and earth, as well as Emperor Xuanzong's name, with the intent that these actions could perhaps help her have a son. Emperor Xuanzong deposed Empress Wang and housed her in a subsidiary palace. He also exiled Wang Shouyi, and on Wang Shouyi's way to exile, he ordered Wang Shouyi to commit suicide.
Three months after Empress Wang was deposed, she died. It was said that the ladies in waiting and the eunuchs all mourned her bitterly, and that Emperor Xuanzong himself regretted his actions deeply. In 762, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
, her empress honors were posthumously restored.