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Empress Jiang Jiangui

Empress Jiang Jiangui (江簡珪) was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. Her husband was Emperor Houfei of Liu Song (Liu Yu).

Jiang Jiangui came from a noble lineage, as her grandfather Jiang Zhiyuan (江智淵) was a famed, albeit not particularly powerful, official during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, but who died in fear in 463 after offending Emperor Xiaowu over the issue of the posthumous name for his favorite concubine Consort Yin. Jiang Jiangui's father Jiang Jiyun (江季筠) was a mid-low level official in the imperial administration as well, but died by 470, when Liu Yu's father Emperor Ming was selecting a wife for him, who was then crown prince. The superstitious Emperor Ming, however, was told by fortunetellers that despite—or perhaps because of—the Jiang clan's relative weakness at that point, that Jiang Jiangui was the appropriate choice. He therefore selected her to be his son's wife. Her age at that time is not known, but her husband was just seven-years-old.

Very little else is known about Jiang Jiangui. After she was married to Liu Yu, she carried the title of crown princess, and after Emperor Ming died and was succeeded by Liu Yu (as Emperor Houfei) in 472, he created her empress. After he was killed by his general Xiao Daocheng in 477, he was posthumously demoted to the title of Prince of Cangwu, and she was accordingly demoted to the title of Princess of Cangwu. It is not known when she died.

Last update 08-05-2012

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