Empress Dowager Bian
Lady Bian 卞氏 | |||||
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Grand empress dowager of Cao Wei | |||||
Tenure | 29 June 226 – 9 July 230 | ||||
Empress dowager of Cao Wei | |||||
Tenure | 13 December 220 – 29 June 226 | ||||
Successor | Empress Wende | ||||
Born | 29 January 161 Linyi, Shandong | ||||
Died | 9 July 230[a] Luoyang, Henan | (aged 69)||||
Burial | |||||
Spouse | Cao Cao | ||||
Issue | |||||
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Father | Bian Yuan |
Lady Bian (29 January 161
Family background and marriage to Cao Cao
Lady Bian was born in 161 in Bai Village (白亭),
As empress dowager
After Cao Cao died in 220, Cao Pi inherited his title as the King of Wei, and later that year forced Emperor Xian to abdicate in his favour, ending the Han dynasty and establishing the state of Cao Wei. Queen Dowager Bian became empress dowager.[3] She was not much involved in her son's administration or in his campaigns against Cao Wei's rival states, Eastern Wu and Shu Han. She, in particular, refused to grant her family excessive wealth or titles, setting an example for the rest of Cao Wei's history. One incident that she engaged herself in happened in 226,[5] when Cao Pi wanted to execute Cao Cao's cousin Cao Hong due to previous grudges between them. She, remembering the contributions that Cao Hong had made – including one occasion when he personally had saved Cao Cao's life – rebuked Cao Pi sufficiently that he spared Cao Hong's life, although Cao Hong's offices and titles were still stripped from him.
As grand empress dowager
After Cao Pi died in 226, his son Cao Rui became emperor, and he honoured his grandmother as grand empress dowager. In 227, she was inadvertently insulted by her granddaughter-in-law
Empress Dowager Bian died on 9 July 230. Sometime between 28 July and 26 August 230, she was buried with honours due an empress dowager alongside her husband Cao Cao in the Gaoling (literally "high mausoleum").
See also
Notes
References
- ^ According to the Book of Wei by Wang Chen et al., Lady Bian was born on the jisi day of the 12th month of the 3rd year of the Yan'xi era of the reign of Emperor Huan of Han. ((后以汉延熹三年十二月己巳生...) Wei Shu annotation in Sanguozhi, vol.05.) However, this is likely to be an error as there is no jisi day in the 12th month of that year. There is a yisi (乙巳) day in that month, and the date corresponds to 29 Jan 161 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
- ^ ([太和四年]六月戊子,太皇太后崩。) Sanguozhi vol. 3.
- ^ a b c d Lee et al. 1998, p. 270.
- ^ Chen & Pei 1999, p. 107.
- ^ Cao Hong's tribulation was listed under this year in Zizhi Tongjian (vol.70). His biography in Sanguozhi did not indicate when this event took place.
- ^ 《三国志》:本倡家,年二十,太祖於谯纳后为妾。后随太祖至洛。
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
Bibliography
- Chen, Shou; Pei, Songzhi (1999). Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824819453.
- Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D; Wiles, Sue; Ho, Clara Wing-chung (1998). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9780765641823.