Lady Zhen

Lady Zhen (183–221), formally known as Empress Wenzhao (文昭皇后; "Cultured and Diligent Empress"), was the first wife of Cao Pi, the first ruler of the state of cao wei during the three kingdoms period of Chinese history. Her personal name is unknown. She was posthumously honored as an empress because her son Cao Rui later became emperor. Some historians refer to her as Zhen Luo (甄洛) or Zhen Fu (甄宓); many sources refer to her as Zhen Ji (甄姬), but this is a title rather than a name.

Early life and marriage to Yuan Xi

A descendant of xin dynasty General-in-chief Zhen Han, Lady Zhen was from Zhongshan Commandery (around present-day Baoding, Hebei ). She comes from a famous family. Her father Zhen Yi (甄逸) was a district magistrate. Her mother, Lady Zhang (張氏), came from Changshan (around present-day Shijiazhuang, Hebei ). Lady Zhen's father died when she was two. Despite her father's early death, however, her family remained wealthy, and during the wars at the end of the han dynasty her family aided other families during times of chaos. As a child about ten years old, Lady Zhen urged her family to open their surplus grain and stop taking advantage of their neighbors selling off valuables.

When Lady Zhen became older (although it is not known what year, she was at least 13), Yuan Shao, the warlord in control of Ji Province (冀州, covering present-day Hebei ) married her to his son Yuan Xi. When Yuan Shao later sent Yuan Xi to be the governor of You Province (幽州, covering present-day Beijing , Tianjin , and western Liaoning ), however, she did not accompany him but remained at the Yuan clan's headquarters at Yecheng to serve her mother-in-law. Yuan Xi and Lady Zhen do not appear to have had any children.

Marriage to Cao Pi

Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao at the Battle of Guandu in 200, and died in 202. After his death, his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang became involved in internecine struggles over their father's vast domain. Cao Cao played the two brothers off against each other and eventually conquered all of the Yuans' territory. During the campaign against the Yuans, Cao Cao captured Yecheng in 204 and gave her to his son Cao Pi, who admired her for her beauty, even though her husband Yuan Xi was still alive at this point (and would remain so until 207). Eight months later, she gave birth to Cao Rui, leading to incessant gossip that Cao Rui was actually biologically Yuan Xi's son, not Cao Pi's, although that appeared to be rather unlikely given that Yuan Xi had been away from Yecheng for quite some time before the marriage.

Nevertheless, the rumors became a source of tension between Cao Pi and Lady Zhen. Cao Pi's favorite, Guo Nüwang, took full advantage of the rumors to increase the tension. Eventually, Lady Zhen lost favor with Cao Pi when she began to complain to him that the ladies Guo, Li, and Yin were more favored than her. When he forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate and established cao wei in 220, he set up his capital at Luoyang but did not summon Lady Zhen from Yecheng to join him. Lady Zhen's upset at this was reported by Lady Guo, further angering Cao Pi. In 221, he sent messengers to force her to commit suicide. Lady Guo became empress the next year.

Historical records say: ( Quotes Yu Huan's < Wei Lue > and Chen Shou's < The three of Kingdom >. ) Earlier, Lady Guo malicious lies and defamation charges against Lady Zhen, cause Cao Pi alienated her. About that Lady Zhen was sad. Cao therefore refused to summon Lady Zhen to Luoyang after he ascended the throne but instead ordered her to remain at YeCity. After he had become Emperor, Lady Guo would want a status of Empress. But Lady Guo still regarded Lady Zhen as a hindrance, if she alive. In 221, summer, Lady Zhen was dead. However, because of the jealous, virulent and afeard mental, her treatment of Lady Zhen's corpse is vicious. She order that they had covered Lady Zhen's face by hair of her own and her mouth was crammed by chaff. ( The ancients believed that people after death, the soul is free to anywhere. She had a fear of Lady Zhen would accused her crime to Cao Pi, so blocked her mouth. Lady Zhen face was covered with hair of her own, due to Lady Guo's violent jealousy. ) In 222, ( nine months later ) Cao created consort Guo Empress.

Later developments

After Lady Zhen's son Cao Rui became emperor in 226, he honored her posthumously as an empress, although he also honored Empress Guo. In 235, Empress Guo died under controversial circumstances—with many historians believing that Cao Rui always had known her role in Lady Zhen's death. (At that time Cao Ri was 16 years old).

Quote the < Han Jin Chun Qiu > historical records say: Cao Rui always had known all things about his mother. He often purposive asked Empress Dowager Guo about how died by his mother. But Empress Dowager Guo always quibble about it with a bad attitude. Cao Rui became enraged and confronted Empress Dowager Guo, who could not deny her involvement directly. He then forced her to commit suicide, and, while he buried her with the honors due to an empress, he ordered those emissaries to deal with Empress Dowager Guo's corpse and ordered to covere her face with her own hair (so that she will never see anyone ), and her mouth filled with rice grain shells (so that she can never say anything in the afterlife). ALL were imitated by Empress Dowager Zhen's situation of death, so that Empress Dowager Guo was not able to buried follow an empress's etiquette.

BECAUSE OF ( Her role in Lady Zhen's death by some slander, and further told him that after Lady Zhen died, it was at Empress Dowager Guo's suggestion that she was buried with her hair covering her face and her mouth filled with rice grain shells—so that even after her death she would be unable to complain to the Judge of the Underworld for justice. )

Another: Quote Yu Huan's the < Wei Lue > historical records say: In 235, Empress Dowager Guo died due to sickness. After Empress Dowager Guo died, consort Li told Cao Ri Empress Dowager Guo's role in Lady Zhen's death, and further told him that after Lady Zhen died, it was at Empress Dowager Guo's suggestion that she was buried with her hair covering her face and her mouth filled with rice grain shells—so that even after her death she would be unable to complain to the Judge of the Underworld for justice. Cao ri became enraged, and then he pays him back in the same away what he ordered that Empress Dowager Guo was buried with her own hair covering her face and her mouth filled with rice grain shells—so that even after her death she would be unable to complain to the Judge of the Underworld for justice. ALL were imitated by Empress Dowager Zhen's situation of death, so that Empress Dowager Guo was not able to buried follow an empress's etiquette.

Yu Huan was historian when he had worked for Cao-Wei Dynasty. The < Wei lue > to be thought a considerable fair-minded and true fair-minded history records by subsequent historian. And the < Wei Lue > was unofficial records just for his own notes, therefore he had need not worried about official pressure so that he wasn's able to recorded true situation.

Many popular stories speculated that the reason for Lady Zhen's death was that she carried on an affair with Cao Pi's brother Cao Zhi—a speculation not supported by evidence and improbable. Some more fantastical accounts alleged that she had an affair with his father Cao Cao as well. For example, the Shishuo Xinyu, in which Cao Cao conquers Ye to obtain Lady Zhen.

Personal name issue

Lady Zhen's personal name has not survived. All near-contemporary sources (such as Chen Shou's Records of three kingdoms and Xi Zaochi's Annals of Han and Jin) refer to her variously as "Lady Zhen" (甄氏), "Madame Zhen" (甄夫人), "Empress Zhen" (甄后), or merely "the Empress" (后).

The attachment of the names Fu (Chinese: 宓; pinyin: Fú) and Luo (Chinese: 洛; pinyin: Luò) to Lady Zhen came about due to the legend of a romance between her and Cao Zhi, which Cao Zhi specialist Robert Joe Cutter concludes to be "a piece of anecdotal fiction inspired by the [Luo Shen Fu (洛神賦; Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo)] and taking advantage of the possibilities inherent in a triangle involving a beautiful lady, an emperor, and his romanticized brother. "

A tradition dating back at least as far as an undated, anonymous note edited into tang dynasty author Li Shan's annotated Wen Xuan has Cao Zhi meeting the ghost of the recently deceased Empress Zhen, and writing a poem originally entitled Gan Zhen Fu (感甄賦; Rhapsody on Being Moved by Lady Zhen). Afterwards, Cao Rui finds this poem about his uncle's love for his mother, and changes the title to Luo Shen Fu (洛神賦), which could be translated as Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo or Rhapsody on the Divine Luo, this second interpretation presumably referencing Lady Zhen's personal name, Luo. If true, this would be a forename unique to early China, as the word 洛 has been a toponym since it entered the language.

The poem contains references to the spirit of the Luo River, named Consort Fu (宓妃), interpreted as a proxy for Empress Zhen by those who believed in Cao Zhi's infatuation with her. This interpretation becomes less allusive if Empress Zhen's personal name was actually Fu.

Personal information

Father

Zhen Yi (甄逸), magistrate of Shangcai district

Mother

Lady Zhang (張氏)

Brothers

Zhen Yu (甄豫), died young

Zhen Yan (甄儼), grandfather of future Empress Huai

Zhen Yao (甄堯)

Older sisters

Zhen Jiang (甄姜)

Zhen Tuo (甄脫)

Zhen Dao (甄道)

Zhen Rong (甄榮)

Husbands

Yuan Xi, second son of warlord Yuan Shao

Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of Cao Wei, father of Cao Rui and Princess Dongxiang

Son

Cao Rui (205 – 22 January 239), initially the Prince of Pingyuan (created 222), later the Crown Prince (created 226), later Emperor Ming of cao wei

Daughter

Princess Dongxiang (東鄉公主)

Last update 18-06-2012

References

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