Empress Yuan (Xiaozhao)
Encyclopedia
Empress Yuan was an empress of the Chinese
dynasty Northern Qi
, known at times semi-formally as Empress Shuncheng (順成皇后) (due to her residence being Shuncheng Palace). Her husband was Emperor Xiaozhao
(Gao Yan).
Her father Yuan Man (元蠻) was an official during the preceding Eastern Wei
as a member of its imperial clan, and continued to serve in the Northern Qi government as a midlevel official. One of her uncles, Yuan Cha
, was a regent
of Northern Wei
prior to its division into Eastern Wei and Western Wei. She married Gao Yan while or before he was the Prince of Changshan under the reign of his brother Emperor Wenxuan
, the first emperor of Northern Qi, and she carried the title of Princess of Changshan. She bore him one son, Gao Bainian
. In 559, when Emperor Wenxuan ordered a general execution of members of the Northern Wei imperial Yuan clan, Yuan Man and his household were one of the few households spared, on account of Gao Yan's intercession. Emperor Wenxuan granted Yuan Man's household a new surname, Buliugu (步六孤), but Yuan Man and Empress Yuan appeared to abandon the name once Emperor Wenxuan died later in the year.
Emperor Wenxuan was succeeded by his son Emperor Wenxuan
. In 560, the prime minister Yang Yin
, suspicious of the authority that Gao Yan and his brother Gao Dan
the Prince of Changguang wielded as the emperor's uncles, tried to strip them of power. Instead, Gao Yan and Gao Dan set an ambush for Yang and his associates, capturing and then executing them. Gao Yan took over control of the imperial government and, later in the year, his mother Grand Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun
issued an edit deposing Emperor Fei and making Gao Yan emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhao).
Emperor Xiaozhao created Princess Yuan empress and created her son Gao Bainian crown prince
. In fall 561, while, on a hunt near the secondary capital Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), Emperor Xiaozhao fell off his horse and suffered severe injuries. Believing that he was near death but believing that Gao Bainian to be too young to take the throne, at age five, issued an edict giving the throne to Gao Dan. He died the same day, and Gao Dan took the throne as Emperor Wucheng.
Empress Yu accompanied Emperor Xiaozhao's funeral train to the capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
, Hebei
). Emperor Wucheng heard rumors that the empress possessed medicines of great value, and he sent eunuch
s to demand those medicines from her. She either could not or did not turn them over, and Emperor Wucheng had the eunuchs humiliate her. As she was his sister-in-law, not mother, he did not honor her as empress dowager
, but only referred to her as Empress Xiaozhao and had her housed at a subsidiary palace, Shuncheng Palace (順成宮). He created her son Gao Bainian, the former crown prince, the Prince of Leling.
In 564, with astrological signs showing ill fortune to the emperor, Emperor Wucheng wanted to deflect the ill fortune onto Gao Bainian, and he had Gao Bainian battered and then beheaded. After Gao Bainian's death, Emperor Wucheng kept Empress Yuan under close guard, and she was not even able to communicate with her father. After one incident, when she was found to possess letters from her father and brother somehow despite her guarded status, her father Yuan Man was removed from his office but was not killed.
In 577, Northern Qi fell to rival Northern Zhou
. She, along with other members of the Gao clan, were moved to the Northern Zhou capital Chang'an
, and she took up residence in the Northern Zhou palace following the subsequent slaughter of members of the Gao clan by Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
. After Yang Jian
became the regent
of Northern Zhou in 580, he allowed her to return to Northern Qi's former territory. Nothing further is known about her activities or the date of her death.
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 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...
, known at times semi-formally as Empress Shuncheng (順成皇后) (due to her residence being Shuncheng Palace). Her husband was Emperor Xiaozhao
Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi
Emperor Xiaozhao of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Yan , courtesy name Yan'an , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was generally considered a capable ruler, but ruled only less than two years before dying from injuries suffered from falling off a horse...
(Gao Yan).
Her father Yuan Man (元蠻) was an official during the preceding Eastern Wei
Eastern Wei
The Eastern Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 534 to 550.In 534 Gao Huan, the potentate of the eastern half of what was Northern Wei territory following the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty installed Yuan Shanjian a descendant of...
as a member of its imperial clan, and continued to serve in the Northern Qi government as a midlevel official. One of her uncles, Yuan Cha
Yuan Cha
Yuan Cha , courtesy name Bojun , nickname Yecha , was an official of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei, who initially came to power as the brother-in-law of Emperor Xiaoming's mother and regent Empress Dowager Hu...
, was a 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...
of Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
prior to its division into Eastern Wei and Western Wei. She married Gao Yan while or before he was the Prince of Changshan under the reign of his brother Emperor Wenxuan
Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi
Emperor Wenxuan of Qi , personal name Gao Yang , courtesy name Zijin , was the first emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was the second son of Eastern Wei's paramount general Gao Huan, and the death of his brother and Gao Huan's designated successor Gao Cheng in 549 became the regent...
, the first emperor of Northern Qi, and she carried the title of Princess of Changshan. She bore him one son, Gao Bainian
Gao Bainian
Gao Bainian was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi.Gao Bainian was born in 556. He was Emperor Xiaozhao's second son, but was considered his proper heir because he was born of his wife Empress Yuan. After he became emperor in 560, therefore, he created Gao Bainian crown prince...
. In 559, when Emperor Wenxuan ordered a general execution of members of the Northern Wei imperial Yuan clan, Yuan Man and his household were one of the few households spared, on account of Gao Yan's intercession. Emperor Wenxuan granted Yuan Man's household a new surname, Buliugu (步六孤), but Yuan Man and Empress Yuan appeared to abandon the name once Emperor Wenxuan died later in the year.
Emperor Wenxuan was succeeded by his son Emperor Wenxuan
Emperor Fei of Northern Qi
Emperor Fei of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Fei , courtesy name Zhengdao , posthumously Prince Mindao of Ji'nan , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was the oldest son of the first emperor, Emperor Wenxuan , and he became emperor after Emperor Wenxuan's death in 559...
. In 560, the prime minister Yang Yin
Yang Yin
Yang Yin , courtesy name Zhunyan , nickname Qinwang , was a high level official of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi.- Background :Yang Yin came from a clan that produced many officials of Northern Wei...
, suspicious of the authority that Gao Yan and his brother Gao Dan
Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi
Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi , personal name Gao Dan , nickname Buluoji , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. During his reign, he devoted much of his time to feasting and pleasure-seeking, neglecting the affairs of the state and causing Northern Qi's political system to degrade...
the Prince of Changguang wielded as the emperor's uncles, tried to strip them of power. Instead, Gao Yan and Gao Dan set an ambush for Yang and his associates, capturing and then executing them. Gao Yan took over control of the imperial government and, later in the year, his mother Grand Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun
Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun
Empress Dowager Lou Zhaojun , formally Empress Ming , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. She was the wife of Gao Huan, the paramount general of Northern Wei and its branch successor state Eastern Wei, and during Gao Huan's lifetime was already influential on the political...
issued an edit deposing Emperor Fei and making Gao Yan emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhao).
Emperor Xiaozhao created Princess Yuan empress and created her son Gao Bainian 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....
. In fall 561, while, on a hunt near the secondary capital Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, 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....
), Emperor Xiaozhao fell off his horse and suffered severe injuries. Believing that he was near death but believing that Gao Bainian to be too young to take the throne, at age five, issued an edict giving the throne to Gao Dan. He died the same day, and Gao Dan took the throne as Emperor Wucheng.
Empress Yu accompanied Emperor Xiaozhao's funeral train to the capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
). Emperor Wucheng heard rumors that the empress possessed medicines of great value, and he sent eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
s to demand those medicines from her. She either could not or did not turn them over, and Emperor Wucheng had the eunuchs humiliate her. As she was his sister-in-law, not mother, he did not honor her 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...
, but only referred to her as Empress Xiaozhao and had her housed at a subsidiary palace, Shuncheng Palace (順成宮). He created her son Gao Bainian, the former crown prince, the Prince of Leling.
In 564, with astrological signs showing ill fortune to the emperor, Emperor Wucheng wanted to deflect the ill fortune onto Gao Bainian, and he had Gao Bainian battered and then beheaded. After Gao Bainian's death, Emperor Wucheng kept Empress Yuan under close guard, and she was not even able to communicate with her father. After one incident, when she was found to possess letters from her father and brother somehow despite her guarded status, her father Yuan Man was removed from his office but was not killed.
In 577, Northern Qi fell to rival 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...
. She, along with other members of the Gao clan, were moved to the Northern Zhou 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...
, and she took up residence in the Northern Zhou palace following the subsequent slaughter of members of the Gao clan by Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yong , nickname Miluotu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. As was the case of the reigns of his brothers Emperor Xiaomin and Emperor Ming, the early part of his reign was dominated by his cousin Yuwen Hu, but in 572 he...
. After Yang Jian
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
became the 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...
of Northern Zhou in 580, he allowed her to return to Northern Qi's former territory. Nothing further is known about her activities or the date of her death.