Empress Zhen (Cao Fang)
Encyclopedia
Empress Zhen personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Huai (懷皇后; literally: "The Kind-But-Died-Early Empress"), was an empress of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. She was the first wife of Cao Fang
, the third ruler of Cao Wei.
Not much is known about her, other than that her grandfather, Zhen Yan (甄儼), was a brother of Cao Fang's adoptive father Cao Rui
's mother, Empress Zhen Wenzhao. Cao Fang created her empress in 243. She died in 251 and was buried with honors due an empress. (The reason why her posthumous name was one character rather than two was because her husband was eventually deposed in 254, and therefore never given a posthumous imperial name; the customs at the time generally dictated that the empress' posthumous name carry one character from their husbands'.)
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
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...
. She was the first wife of Cao Fang
Cao Fang
Cao Fang , formally known as Duke Li of Shaoling, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He retained the title Prince of Qi after he was deposed by the regent Sima Shi...
, the third ruler of Cao Wei.
Not much is known about her, other than that her grandfather, Zhen Yan (甄儼), was a brother of Cao Fang's adoptive father Cao Rui
Cao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
's mother, Empress Zhen Wenzhao. Cao Fang created her empress in 243. She died in 251 and was buried with honors due an empress. (The reason why her posthumous name was one character rather than two was because her husband was eventually deposed in 254, and therefore never given a posthumous imperial name; the customs at the time generally dictated that the empress' posthumous name carry one character from their husbands'.)