Empress Wu (Song dynasty)
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Empress Wu (11 September 1115 – 12 December 1197) was a Chinese Empress consort of the
Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, married to
Emperor Gaozong of Song Emperor Gaozong of Song (12 June 1107 – 9 November 1187), personal name Zhao Gou, courtesy name Deji, was the tenth emperor of the Song dynasty and the first of the Southern Song period, ruling between 1127 and 1162 and retaining power as ret ...
. She played an influential part in politics of the Southern Song dynasty for 35 years having caused the abdication of three subsequent monarchs: Emperor Gaozong in 1162,
Emperor Xiaozong Emperor Xiaozong of Song (27 November 1127 – 28 June 1194), personal name Zhao Shen, courtesy name Yuanyong, was the 11th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the second emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. He started his reign in 1 ...
in 1189, and Emperor Guangzong in 1194.


Life

Wu was the daughter of Wu Jin, a commoner in Kaifeng. At the age of fourteen, she was selected as a palace maid to Gaozong, then a Prince, and his first spouse and primary consort Xing, who had recently married.


The Fall of Kaifeng

In 1126, Emperor Huizong abdicated in favor of his son, Emperor Qinzong, the elder brother of Gaozong. In 1127, the capital of
Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
was captured by the Jurchen during the
Jin–Song Wars The Jin–Song Wars were a series of conflicts between the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty (1115–1234) and the Han-led Song dynasty (960–1279). In 1115, Jurchen tribes rebelled against their overlords, the Khitan-led Liao dynasty (916–1125) ...
. The Emperor Qinzong was deposed, and him, as well as his predecessor Emperor Huizong and most of the Imperial family and court, over 3000 people, was captured and exiled to Manchuria in what was called the Jingkang Incident. They were first taken to the Jurchen capital, many of them dying on the way. The Imperial consorts, concubines, palace women and eunuchs who were taken captured, were distributed among the Jurchen as slaves. Consort Xing, the primary spouse of Gaozong, were among those captured and taken away: nothing more is known of her except that she was coveted by her captors, that she attempted suicide to escape abuse but failed, and that she died in captivity in 1139.


Southern Song Dynasty

Gaozong himself, as well as Wu, avoided capture because they were absent from the capital when it fell. Gaozong then organized the resistance against further Jurchen invasion, declaring himself Emperor in late 1127 and establishing the Southern Song dynasty. Knowing his primary consort Xing was still alive in captivity, he declared her to be Empress in absentia. Wu followed him on his military campaigns against Jin dressed in armor, and reportedly saved his life on one occasion when they were attacked by thugs, shooting one to death with an arrow, and frightening the rest away.


As Imperial Consort

Having no surviving sons of his own, he adopted two boys in 1133: one of them became the foster son of Wu in 1140, and the other one (future Emperor Xiaozong) in 1142. Emperor Gaozong kept the position of Empress vacant because he did not know whether Consort Xing was still alive or not: when she died in 1139, the Jurchen kept her death a secret, and it was not until his mother, Consort Wei, was released and allowed to join him, that he learned that she was dead. Her remains was returned to be buried the same year. It was not until 1143 that Gaozong was persuaded by his mother and his ministers to appoint a new Empress, and he promoted Consort Wu to the position.


As Empress Consort

Empress Wu was praised by both her husband and her foster son Emperor Xiaozong for tolerating the large number of concubines and consorts Gaozong took without complaints. In reality, however, she actually had a large number of them dismissed.


As Empress Dowager

In 1162, Empress Wu persuaded Emperor Gaozong to abdicate in favor of Emperor Xiaozong. She then became Empress Dowager Wu and exercised virtual influence in State affairs.


As Grand Empress Dowager

In 1189, the Crown Prince asked her to persuade Emperor Xiaozong to abdicate in his favor, which she did. Upon the succession of Emperor Guangzong in 1189, it was actually suggested that she would act as his regent, because of his bad health. In reality, it was the Emperor's consort,
Empress Li Fengniang Li Fengniang (1144 – 16 July 1200) was a Chinese empress consort of the Song Dynasty, married to Emperor Guangzong of Song. She is known as the ''de facto'' ruler of the Song dynasty Empire during the reign of her spouse. Life Empress Li was b ...
, who ruled during the reign of Emperor Guangzong but nonetheless came into a vicious political conflict with her having estranged the relationship between the Retired Emperor Xiaozong and his son Emperor Guangzong. In 1194, Empress Dowager Wu was persuaded to force Emperor Guangzong to abdicate in favor of Emperor Ningzong of Song.Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Sue Wiles: Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644 She withdrew from state affairs actively but retained a virtual role even as the
Matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general E ...
of the Imperial family until she died in 1197 in Cifu Palace at the age of 83 years having personally mentored and fostered Yang Meizi who would become Ningzong's second Empress Gongsheng five years later.


In Pop Culture

Portrayed in 2022 WEBNOVEL titled ROSES OF BLOOD by author GLORIAN.C.REGNARE.


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Empress 1115 births 1197 deaths Song dynasty empresses Song dynasty empresses dowager Chinese grand empresses dowager 12th-century Chinese women 12th-century Chinese people People from Kaifeng