Pang E
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Pang E () born Zhao E (; 170-179) was a Chinese noblewoman of the late
Eastern Han The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
period, and the mother of
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 ...
politician Pang Yu (; 200-221). She killed the man who killed her father, in full public view in front of a government office, but after turning herself in and requesting execution under the law, she not only escaped punishment but was later commended for her virtue. Her case was recorded in
Huangfu Mi Huangfu Mi (c. 215 – 282), courtesy name Shi'an (), was a Chinese physician, essayist, historian, poet, and writer who lived through the late Eastern Han dynasty, Three Kingdoms period and early Western Jin dynasty. He was born in a poor farmi ...
's six-chapter updated continuation of Liu Xiang's earlier classic ''
Biographies of Exemplary Women The ''Biographies of Exemplary Women'' () is a book compiled by the Han dynasty scholar Liu Xiang . It includes 125 biographical accounts of exemplary women in ancient China, taken from early Chinese histories including '' Chunqiu'', '' Zuozhu ...
'' (), traditionally considered an instructional text for Confucian women. Due to her act of extreme bravery, she was immortalized as one of the exemplars of courage and virtue performed by a woman in
Chinese history The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
. Zhao E is one of the heroines depicted in the
Wu Shuang Pu ''Wu Shuang Pu'' () is a book of woodcut prints, first printed in 1694, early on in the Qing dynasty. This book contains the biographies and imagined portraits of 40 notable heroes and heroines from the Han dynasty to the Song dynasty, all ac ...
(; ''Table of Peerless Heroes'') by Jin Guliang.


Biography in ''Records of the Three Kingdoms''

Born in
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
, she was the eldest daughter of Zhao An, and had three younger brothers. It happened that her father was murdered by a certain Li Shou (), who lived in the same town of Jiuquan (). Her three younger brothers all died of illness before they could take revenge. One day, in front of the governmental pagoda in the prefectural capital, Zhao E produced a blade hidden behind the curtains of her carriage, and stabbed Li Shou to death in broad daylight. She turned herself in immediately and confessed. Without changing expression, she stated for the record: "My father is avenged; I request execution." In traditional Chinese culture, avenging the death of a father is seen as upholding the important virtue of
filial piety Filial piety is the virtue of exhibiting love and respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, particularly within the context of Confucian ethics, Confucian, Chinese Buddhism, Chinese Buddhist ethics, Buddhist, and Daoism, Daoist ethics. ...
, and the magistrate Yin Jia () was so swayed by her case that he proposed to step down from his office rather than execute her. Zhao E did not want to be the end of this man's career, and eventually was returned forcibly to her home. A general amnesty ended any chance Zhao E would be punished for the killing, and the people of her region commended her in relief. A
stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...
was erected describing her story.


In Huangfu Mi's ''Biographies of Exemplary Women''

An exemplary woman of Jiuquan was Zhao E, wife of Pang Zixia of Biaoshi and daughter of Zhao An of Lufu (). Zhao An was killed by his fellow countryman Li Shou. Other members of the Zhao household took ill and died. Zhao E and her three younger brothers plotted to avenge him only for the latter three to die from the plague before they could take action. When Li Shou learned of their misfortune, he held a banquet to celebrate his personal victory over the Zhao household, haughtily saying:
''"All the strong ones of the Zhao clan are now dead and only a weak daughter remains. I need worry no longer."''
These words were heard by Pang Yu, the son of Zhao E, and told to Zhao E, so that it inspired her to commit revenge. When Li Shou heard that Zhao E wanted to kill him, he rode a horse with a sword into the street to protect himself against it. Because of his fierce personality, the villagers feared Li Shou. Her neighbors feared that Zhao E would not be able to defeat Li Shou, trying to dissuade her, but she still insists on not letting go of her revenge. She secretly bought a sword and sharpened it day and night, hoping to defeat her enemy, the advice of her family and neighbors made her more determined to kill Li Shou, so she left her family affairs and focused on waiting for the opportunity to kill him. One morning in late March or early April 179, Zhao E armed herself with a sword and set out to find him. She encountered Li Shou in broad daylight and stabbed his horse, causing him to fall from it. She then fought with Li Shou and killed him, then cut off his head. While holding Li Shou's head, she immediately turned herself in to the authorities and asked to be executed. Despite awaiting the execution of her act, she was pardoned by officials who were sympathetic to her cause. It is said that Magistrate Yin Jia did not want her to be punished upon learning of her circumstances to the point that he was willing to relinquish his office so that she could live. Yin Jia was going to resign so as not to judge her, but she refused to be afforded special treatment. The people heard the news, and they came in greater and greater numbers, and all supported her. The district lieutenant did not dare arrest Zhao E, implicitly advised her to leave
Tang County Tang County or Tangxian () is a county under the jurisdiction of Baoding prefecture-level city, in west-central Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Administrative divisions Towns: * Renhou (), Wangjing (), Gaochang (), Beiluo (), Baih ...
, and forced her to go home. Zhao E's insistence on obeying the law earned her many admirers who escorted her home, her legacy was spread throughout the nation and she was greatly revered. An amnesty was issued thus she was able to escape punishment honorably. In admiration of her sense of duty, the provincial authorities set up a stele at her gate while such courage and enterprise displayed by a woman were reported to the court and celebrated across the empire. Her son, Pang Yu, also earned a reputation for his courage and loyalty; he was appointed a ''Marquis within the Passes'' during the reign of
Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi () (late 187 – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eld ...
.


See also

* Xiahou Lingnü, another woman from the Three Kingdoms who was recorded in Huangfu Mi's ''Biographies of Exemplary Women.''


References


Notes


Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pang, E People from Jiuquan People of Cao Wei People during the end of the Han dynasty Women in ancient Chinese warfare 2nd-century Chinese women 2nd-century Chinese people