Li Zhaoyi (李昭儀, d. 264) was a
Chinese noble woman from the
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu ( zh, t=蜀, p=Shǔ; Sichuanese Pinyin: ''Su'' < Middle Chinese: *''źjowk'' < Eastern Han Chinese: *''dźok''), was a Dynasties in ...
state during the
Three Kingdoms period
The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...
. She was the
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
of the Shu Emperor
Liu Shan
Liu Shan (, 207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang ...
. She was from the Li clan (李) and entered the imperial court under the office title of Zhaoyi (昭儀).
Fall of Shu
In 263, the Wei general
Deng Ai
Deng Ai (197 – late March 264Vol.04 of ''Sanguozhi'' and vol.02 of ''Jin Shu'' both indicated that Deng Ai was arrested in the 1st month of the 1st year of the ''Xianxi'' era. The month corresponds to 15 Feb to 14 Mar 264 in the Julian calendar ...
led a campaign to
conquer the state of Shu. When Deng Ai arrived at the gates of
Chengdu
Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
, the capital of Shu, where Li Zhaoyi lived, Liu Shan and the entire army surrendered to Wei. Liu Shan signed a surrender treaty and was treated cordially by Deng Ai, later Liu Shan and
Empress Zhang went to Cao Wei's capital
Luoyang
Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
. Li Zhaoyi remained in Chengdu and was ousted from her post.
Liu Shan's surrender caused an uproar among Shu officials, with opinions divided, many of the officials committed suicide, including Liu Shan's son
Liu Chen. Li Zhaoyi felt humiliated by the surrender and showed her distaste for
Cao Wei
Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...
's rule. Later, the state of Wei decided to marry the women of the Shu imperial court to unmarried Wei generals. Li Zhaoyi, who had already been humiliated by losing her country to the rival state, would be humiliated again by marrying a Wei general against her will. She said "I can't be insulted again and again" and committed suicide.
[: "魏以蜀宮人賜諸將之無妻者，李昭儀曰：「我不能二三屈辱。」乃自殺。" Cited in ]
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
**
28: 王毌丘諸葛鄧鍾傳, pp. 779, 787
**
34: 二主妃子傳, p. 907
Further reading
*
People of Shu Han
264 deaths
Year of birth unknown
3rd-century Chinese women
3rd-century Chinese people
Suicides in Shu Han
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