Lady Ren Neiming (865-July 2, 918), courtesy name Zhaohua (昭華), formally Lady Shangxian of Wei (魏國尚賢夫人), was the wife of Wang Shenzhi

Wang Shenzhi

Wang Shenzhi , courtesy name Xintong or Xiangqing , formally Prince Zhongyi of Min and later further posthumously honored as Emperor Taizu of Min , was the founder of Min on the southeast coast of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period of Chinese history...

 (Prince Zhongyi), the founding ruler of Min

Min (Ten Kingdoms)

Min was one of the Ten Kingdoms which was in existence between the years of 909 and 945. It existed in a mountainous region of modern day Fujian province of China and had a history of quasi-independent rule. Its capital was Fuzhou 福州. It was founded by Wang Shenzhi .-Founding:Wang Shenzhi’s older...

, a state during 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...

 Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...

.

Traditional sources

Very little was recorded about Lady Ren in extant sources, which indicated that her geographic origins and her family background had been lost to history even when the sources were written. She was created a lady (國夫人, Guo Furen) during Wang Shenzhi's reign as the Prince of Min. She carried that title for several years before her death. She was buried on the backside of Mount Fengchi (鳳池山) in Fu Prefecture (福州, in modern Fuzhou

Fuzhou

Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....

, Fujian

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

). After Wang Shengzhi himself died in 925

925

Year 925 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Alfonso IV the Monk becomes king of Leon....

, he was buried with her. In the Longqi era of Wang Shenzhi's son Wang Yanjun (who had claimed imperial title by that point), who was born of his primary concubine Lady Huang

Empress Dowager Huang

Empress Dowager Huang , referred to semi-formally as Empress Dowager Longqi after her son Wang Yanjun's Longqi era name, was an empress dowager of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min...

, Wang Shenzhi and Lady Ren were posthumously honored emperor and empress.

Tombstone

Lady Ren's tombstone, which had been discovered in modern times, however, provided her name, title, and more background information. She was said to be from Jin'an (晉安, i.e., Fuzhou

Fuzhou

Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....

). Her father was named Ren Hui (任暉), and mother was a Lady Luo. She had two brothers, Ren Yanwen (任彥溫) and Ren Yanzhang (任彥章). She died on July 2, 918, at the age of 53. As her tombstone listed only five sons and three daughters (which would have included Wang Shenzhi's children who were not actually born of her) and Wang Shenzhi's listed 12 sons and eight daughters, presumably, seven of his sons and five of his daughters were born after her death.