Consort Liang (梁貴人, personal name unknown) (62(?) - 83?), posthumous title Empress Gonghuai (恭懷皇后, literally, "empress of reverent recollection"), was an imperial consort to

Emperor Zhang of Han Emperor Zhang of Han (; 56 – 9 April 88''renchen'' day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year of the ''Zhang'he'' era, per Emperor Zhang's biography in ''Book of the Later Han''. The biography also indicate that he was 33 (by East Asian reckoning) ...

. She gave birth to his son Liu Zhao (劉肇) in 79, but her son was adopted by Emperor Zhang's wife Empress Dou and would not know his birth mother's identity until a long time later, after he became emperor (as Emperor He).

Life

Consort Liang was a daughter of Liang Song (梁竦), a son of one of

Emperor Guangwu Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han dynasty. He ...

's officials, Liang Tong (梁統). When she was 15, in 77, both she and her older sister became consort to Emperor Zhang (who was then 20). At the time Consort Liang's son Prince Zhao was adopted by Empress Dou, Emperor Zhang had already created his son Liu Qing (劉慶), by another favorite, Consort Song,

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

. Empress Dou made false accusations against Consort Song and her sister (also an imperial consort), however, and the two Consorts Song were forced to commit suicide in 82. Crown Prince Qing was deposed, and Prince Zhao was created crown prince in his stead. The Liang clan did not dare to celebrate openly, but they were happy about that development. Empress Dou and her clan were not pleased, and, wanting to make sure that the Liangs would not step in and exert influence on the young prince, they also made false accusations against Liang Song, and he was arrested and died in prison in 83. His family was exiled to modern northern

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Consort Liang and her sister died in sadness, probably in 83 as well. Her son would succeed to the throne in April 88, believing that Empress Dowager Dou was his mother. After Empress Dowager Dou died in October 97, officials revealed to Emperor He that Consort Liang was actually his birth mother. While Emperor He rejected a recommendation to posthumously demote Empress Dowager Dou, he reburied his mother and aunt with great honors (but not with his father -- that honor was reserved for Empress Dowager Dou, as his father's wife). He also posthumously rewarded his mother the title of empress, with the posthumous name of "Gonghuai". However, this posthumous title was later revoked in 190 during the reign of

Emperor Xian of Han Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty#Eastern Han (25–220 AD), Eastern Han dynasty of China. He reigned from ...

.( ��平元年��岁，有司奏，...又恭怀、敬隐、恭愍三皇后并非正嫡，不合称后，皆请除尊号。制曰：‘可。’) ''Book of the Later Han'', vol.09

References

62 births 83 deaths Han dynasty imperial consorts 1st-century Chinese women 1st-century Chinese people Han dynasty posthumous empresses Mothers of Chinese emperors {{China-royal-stub