Lady Zhang (Zhu Quanzhong)
Encyclopedia
Lady Zhang (d. 904
), titled Lady of Wei (魏國夫人) during her lifetime, later posthumously honored initially as Consort Zhang with the imperial consort title Xianfei (張賢妃) then as Empress Yuanzhen (元貞皇后, "the discerning and virtuous empress"), was the wife of Zhu Quanzhong, a major warlord at the end of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, who would (after her death) found the Later Liang Dynasty
. Lady Zhang's son Zhu Youzhen would later be the final emperor of Later Liang.
), where Zhu Quanzhong was from as well. Despite her family's wealth, she married Zhu Quanzhong (who was then still named Zhu Wen) before he became prominent. She was the mother of his fourth son Zhu Youzhen.
) of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
)), Lady Zhang, as his wife, was created the Lady of Wei. It was said that she was understanding, intelligent, and respectful, and even though Zhu was harsh and violent in his character, he feared her. He often consulted her on important decisions, and she often made the right decisions. It was often became of her intercession that people that he wanted to kill were saved. On one occasion, when Zhu had already embarked on a campaign, she believed that the campaign was unwise and sent a messenger to inform him of her opinion. Because of her opinion, he cancelled the campaign and returned.
In 893
, she had the occasion to save Zhu's oldest son Zhu Youyu (朱友裕), who was not her son. At that time, Zhu Quanzhong had put Zhu Youyu in charge of sieging Pengcheng, the capital of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
), then governed by Zhu Quanzhong's rival Shi Pu
. Shi repeatedly challenged Zhu Youyu to battles, but Zhu Youyu refused to engage him. When Shi's ally Zhu Jin
the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong
) made an attempt to relieve the siege in early 893, Zhu Youyu, after defeating Zhu Jin and forcing him to flee, did not give chase. For both of these decisions, Zhu Quanzhong's adopted son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭), who was serving under Zhu Youyu, wrote Zhu Quanzhong secretly and made false accusations against Zhu Youyu. Zhu Quanzhong, in anger, issued a harshly-worded letter to Zhu Youyu's deputy Pang Shigu (龐師古), ordering him to take over the command from and investigate Zhu Youyu. The letter was accidentally sent to Zhu Youyu instead, and when Zhu Youyu received the letter, he feared punishment, so he abandoned his post and fled to Dangshan, to the house of his uncle, Zhu Quanzhong's older brother Zhu Quanyu (朱全昱) to take refuge there. When Lady Zhang heard about this, she persuaded Zhu Youyu to return to Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州) to meet his father. Under her direction, he knelt down and tearfully apologized. Zhu Quanzhong nevertheless seized him and was prepared to execute him, when Lady Zhang grabbed him and tearfully stated herself, "You have left your army and returned yourself to face the consequences. Nothing could show your intentions clearer." Hearing her statement, Zhu Quanzhong understood what she meant and released Zhu Youyu, sending him to govern Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) instead.
By 897
, Zhu Quanzhong had finally defeated Shi, Zhu Jin, and Zhu Jin's cousin Zhu Xuan
the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
), seizing their territories. As part of his defeat of Zhu Jin (who fled south to Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) to Huainan's military governor Yang Xingmi
), Zhu Quanzhong captured Zhu Jin's wife and made her a concubine. When Lady Zhang, hearing the news of the victory, met Zhu Quanzhong at Fengqiu (封丘, in modern Xinxiang
, Henan
), Zhu Quanzhong informed her that he had taken Zhu Jin's wife as a concubine. She asked to see Zhu Jin's wife, and Zhu Jin's wife bowed down to her — as would appropriate when a concubine were meeting the wife. She bowed in return and stated:
Zhu Quanzhong came to an understanding that Lady Zhang viewed this as inappropriate, and allowed Zhu Jin's wife to become a Buddhist nun. On one occasion when Zhu Quanzhong had just completed a campaign against Wang Ke
the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), defeating Wang and seizing Hezhong Circuit, and was poised to attack the major rival Li Keyong
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), he, upon hearing news that Lady Zhang was seriously ill, left the battlefield himself and quickly returned to Bian Prefecture.
. (It was said that after her death, Zhu Quanzhong became far more indiscriminating in pursuit of women, including, eventually, his daughters-in-law.) After Zhu Quanzhong took over the Tang throne and established a new Later Liang Dynasty
in 907
(as its Emperor Taizu), for reasons unclear in history, he did not posthumously honor her as empress, only as an imperial consort with the title of Xianfei (賢妃). After Zhu Youzhen became emperor in 913
, he posthumously honored her as empress and reburied her at Zhu Quanzhong's tomb.
904
Year 904 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantines under Andronikos Doukas defeat the Arabs near Germanikeia...
), titled Lady of Wei (魏國夫人) during her lifetime, later posthumously honored initially as Consort Zhang with the imperial consort title Xianfei (張賢妃) then as Empress Yuanzhen (元貞皇后, "the discerning and virtuous empress"), was the wife of Zhu Quanzhong, a major warlord at the end 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 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...
, who would (after her death) found the Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
. Lady Zhang's son Zhu Youzhen would later be the final emperor of Later Liang.
Background
It is not known when Lady Zhang was born. She was from a rich household in Dangshan (碭山, in modern Suzhou, AnhuiSuzhou, Anhui
-Administration:Suzhou administers five county-level divisions, including one district and four counties.*Yongqiao District *Dangshan County *Xiao County *Lingbi County *Si County...
), where Zhu Quanzhong was from as well. Despite her family's wealth, she married Zhu Quanzhong (who was then still named Zhu Wen) before he became prominent. She was the mother of his fourth son Zhu Youzhen.
During Zhu Quanzhong's campaigns
After Zhu Quanzhong became a prominent warlord (military governor (JiedushiJiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
)), Lady Zhang, as his wife, was created the Lady of Wei. It was said that she was understanding, intelligent, and respectful, and even though Zhu was harsh and violent in his character, he feared her. He often consulted her on important decisions, and she often made the right decisions. It was often became of her intercession that people that he wanted to kill were saved. On one occasion, when Zhu had already embarked on a campaign, she believed that the campaign was unwise and sent a messenger to inform him of her opinion. Because of her opinion, he cancelled the campaign and returned.
In 893
893
Year 893 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Council of Preslav: Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as prince of Bulgaria; the capital is moved from Pliska to Preslav....
, she had the occasion to save Zhu's oldest son Zhu Youyu (朱友裕), who was not her son. At that time, Zhu Quanzhong had put Zhu Youyu in charge of sieging Pengcheng, the capital of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), then governed by Zhu Quanzhong's rival Shi Pu
Shi Pu
Shi Pu , formally the Prince of Julu , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Ganhua Circuit as its military governor...
. Shi repeatedly challenged Zhu Youyu to battles, but Zhu Youyu refused to engage him. When Shi's ally Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who would later be a major general of the Wu state during the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period...
the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong
Jining, Shandong
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
) made an attempt to relieve the siege in early 893, Zhu Youyu, after defeating Zhu Jin and forcing him to flee, did not give chase. For both of these decisions, Zhu Quanzhong's adopted son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭), who was serving under Zhu Youyu, wrote Zhu Quanzhong secretly and made false accusations against Zhu Youyu. Zhu Quanzhong, in anger, issued a harshly-worded letter to Zhu Youyu's deputy Pang Shigu (龐師古), ordering him to take over the command from and investigate Zhu Youyu. The letter was accidentally sent to Zhu Youyu instead, and when Zhu Youyu received the letter, he feared punishment, so he abandoned his post and fled to Dangshan, to the house of his uncle, Zhu Quanzhong's older brother Zhu Quanyu (朱全昱) to take refuge there. When Lady Zhang heard about this, she persuaded Zhu Youyu to return to Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州) to meet his father. Under her direction, he knelt down and tearfully apologized. Zhu Quanzhong nevertheless seized him and was prepared to execute him, when Lady Zhang grabbed him and tearfully stated herself, "You have left your army and returned yourself to face the consequences. Nothing could show your intentions clearer." Hearing her statement, Zhu Quanzhong understood what she meant and released Zhu Youyu, sending him to govern Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) instead.
By 897
897
Year 897 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Uda of Japan is succeeded by Emperor Daigo....
, Zhu Quanzhong had finally defeated Shi, Zhu Jin, and Zhu Jin's cousin Zhu Xuan
Zhu Xuan
Zhu Xuan was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, from 882 to 897, controlled Tianping Circuit as its military governor...
the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
), seizing their territories. As part of his defeat of Zhu Jin (who fled south to Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) to Huainan's military governor Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi , né Yang Xingmin , courtesy name Huayuan , formally Prince Wuzhong of Wu , later posthumously honored King Xiaowu of Wu then Emperor Wu of Wu with the temple name of Taizu , was a military governor of...
), Zhu Quanzhong captured Zhu Jin's wife and made her a concubine. When Lady Zhang, hearing the news of the victory, met Zhu Quanzhong at Fengqiu (封丘, in modern Xinxiang
Xinxiang
Xinxiang is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to its southwest, Kaifeng to its southeast, Hebi and Anyang to its north, Jiaozuo to its west, and the provinces of Shanxi and Shandong to its northwest and...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), Zhu Quanzhong informed her that he had taken Zhu Jin's wife as a concubine. She asked to see Zhu Jin's wife, and Zhu Jin's wife bowed down to her — as would appropriate when a concubine were meeting the wife. She bowed in return and stated:
Zhu Quanzhong came to an understanding that Lady Zhang viewed this as inappropriate, and allowed Zhu Jin's wife to become a Buddhist nun. On one occasion when Zhu Quanzhong had just completed a campaign against Wang Ke
Wang Ke (Tang Dynasty)
Wang Ke was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Huguo Circuit as its military governor from 895 Wang Ke (王珂) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) as its military governor...
the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), defeating Wang and seizing Hezhong Circuit, and was poised to attack the major rival Li Keyong
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered 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....
), he, upon hearing news that Lady Zhang was seriously ill, left the battlefield himself and quickly returned to Bian Prefecture.
Death and posthumous honors
Lady Zhang died in 904904
Year 904 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantines under Andronikos Doukas defeat the Arabs near Germanikeia...
. (It was said that after her death, Zhu Quanzhong became far more indiscriminating in pursuit of women, including, eventually, his daughters-in-law.) After Zhu Quanzhong took over the Tang throne and established a new Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
in 907
907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
(as its Emperor Taizu), for reasons unclear in history, he did not posthumously honor her as empress, only as an imperial consort with the title of Xianfei (賢妃). After Zhu Youzhen became emperor in 913
913
Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :...
, he posthumously honored her as empress and reburied her at Zhu Quanzhong's tomb.