Lady Wu Hanyue (吳漢月) (913''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

'' ( 十國春秋)
vol. 83
– July 17, 952''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vol. 290.

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

br>Chinese-Westner Calendar Converter
), formally the Lady Dowager Gongyi of Wuyue (吳越國恭懿太夫人), was the mother of

Qian Chu Qian Chu (29 September 929 – 7 October 988), courtesy name Wende, known as Qian Hongchu before 960, also known by his posthumous name as the King Zhongyi of Wuyue, was the last king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period o ...

(King Zhongyi, né Qian Hongchu), the fifth and final king of the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

state

Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...

of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Background

Lady Wu was born in 913, by which time Wuyue was an independent state under the rule of its first king,

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

. She was from Qiantang (錢塘, in modern

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

) and was a daughter of the officer Wu Ke (吳珂). She was a

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 Qian Hongchu's father, Wuyue's second king

Qian Yuanguan Qian Yuanguan () (30 November 887 – 17 September 941''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), also known by his temple name as the King Shizong of Wuyue (吳越世宗), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king o ...

(King Wenmu) (whose wife was Lady Ma). She gave birth to his ninth son, Qian Hongchu, in 929.''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''
vol. 81

Biography

It was said that she was much favored by Qian Yuanguan's wife Lady Ma, and that she was good at playing the ''

guqin The ''guqin'' (; ) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted b ...

''. She was also said to be kind and frugal, and a follower of

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

, such that whenever she heard of Qian Yuanguan carrying out severe punishments, her face would be saddened. In 947, Qian Hongchu's older brother, then-king

Qian Hongzong Qian Hongzong () (c. 928 – 971?), known as Qian Zong (錢倧) during Song, courtesy name Longdao (隆道), nickname Wanjin (萬金), also known by his posthumous name as the King Zhongxun of Wuyue (吳越忠遜王), was the fourth king of Wuyue d ...

(King Wenxun), was deposed by the general

Hu Jinsi Hu Jinsi (胡進思) (died April 28, 948) was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Wuyue, becoming powerful during the reign of its third king Qian Hongzuo (King Zhongxian). After Qian Hongzuo's death, Hu had frequ ...

. Hu made Qian Hongchu king,''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 287. It was said that whenever Qian Hongchu wanted to promote his mother's family members, Lady Wu would urge against it, and whenever she met her family members, she would encourage them to do good and rebuke them if they did not, so while she was alike, there were no improper actions taken by the Wu family members. In 949,

Emperor Yin of Later Han The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, to whom Qian Hongchu was formally a vassal, created her the Lady Dowager Shunde of Wuyue. She died in 952. Then-reigning Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou honored her and gave her the posthumous name of ''Gongyi'' ("respectful and benevolent").

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Hanyue 913 births 952 deaths Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms imperial consorts Wuyue musicians Musicians from Hangzhou Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Taoists Guqin players Later Liang (Five Dynasties) musicians Later Tang musicians Later Jin (Five Dynasties) musicians Later Han (Five Dynasties) musicians Later Zhou musicians Date of birth unknown Mothers of monarchs