Empress Wu

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公开 可引用 更新于 2026-09-13

Life

At fourteen, Wu Shi was selected for service in the palace.[3] At that time, Zhao Gou was still Prince Kang.[4] She was well versed in books and histories and skilled in calligraphy, and her favor steadily increased.[5] After Gaozong ascended the throne, she accompanied him to Siming; when guards plotted a disturbance and entered to ask where the emperor was, she misled them and thereby saved him.[6]

She was soon made Lady of Heyi Commandery, returned to Yue, and was successively advanced as Caizi (also written Cairen), Wanyi, and Guifei.[7] In the thirteenth year of Shaoxing (1143), she was invested as empress from the rank of Guifei.[8] She was also classified as an outer-ranked noblewoman.[9]

After Gaozong abdicated in the thirty-second year of Shaoxing (1162), an imperial edict styled her Taishang Huanghou, Empress of the Retired Emperor.[10] After Xiaozong's accession, she first received the honorific Shousheng, later expanded to Shousheng Qiming Guangci Beide. During Guangzong's reign she was called Shousheng Huangtaihou; after Xiaozong's death she was formally given the title Grand Empress Dowager.[11] When Guangzong claimed illness and did not appear, she accepted Privy Councillor Zhao Ruyu's advice, presided from behind a curtain before Xiaozong's coffin, announced Guangzong's abdication, and installed Prince Jia, Zhao Kuo, as emperor; he became Ningzong.[12]

Family

She was the daughter of Wu Jin; her younger brothers were Wu Yi (1124–1171) and Wu Gai (1125–1166).[13] Her two younger sisters were the wives of Han Cheng and Zhang Shuo, respectively, making Zhang Shuo a brother-in-law. Her nephew was Han Tuozhou; her nephews included Wu Huan and Wu Ting, and she also had an adopted son, Zhao Qu, who was not an heir.[14]

Poetry and death

Two of her poems are now recorded.[15] She was also associated with buildings that Yang Wanli eulogized, described in commemorative prose, or named.[16] She died in the third year of Qingyuan (1197), aged eighty-three; her posthumous title was Xiansheng Cilie, also found in the shorter form Xiansheng.[17]

TimelineCBDB

  1. 1143 皇后 紹興
  2. 1162 太上皇后 紹興

Office recordsCBDB

OfficeFromToEraPosting
皇后1143紹興
太上皇后1162紹興
Year unknown4
OfficeEraPosting
太皇太后Era unknownUnknown
皇太后Era unknownUnknown
貴妃Era unknownUnknown
郡夫人Era unknownUnknown

FamilyCBDB

RelationNameLife
父吳近–
弟吳益1124–1171
弟吳蓋1125–1166
丈夫趙構1107–1187
姊妹夫張說–1180
妹吳氏(韓誠妻)–
妹吳氏(張說妻)–
從子;姪子吳環–
從子;姪子吳珽–
外甥韓侂胄1152–1207
養子(非嗣子)趙璩–

AliasesCBDB

  • 憲聖 諡號
  • 憲聖慈烈 諡號

StatusCBDB

  • [外命婦]

AssociationsCBDB

PersonRelationYears
楊萬里建築物得到楊萬里的題詠、記、命名–

ExaminationsCBDB

RecordRank
冊封爲皇后

Citations

  1. [1] Identity and dates Empress Wu, also known as Wu Shi, was a Southern Song empress and Zhao Gou's consort; her birth year is 1115, while her death year is given as both 1197 and 1199.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The record identifies her as Wu Shi, wife of Zhao Gou, gives 1115 as her birth year and 1199 as her death year, and lists the empress title in the Song dynasty context.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries identify her as a Southern Song empress associated with Emperor Gaozong and give 1115–1197 as her lifespan.
    • WikidataEmpress Wu (Q5374620)The entity is labelled Empress Wu, lists Wu Shi as an English alias, describes her as a Song Dynasty empress, and supplies 1115 and 1197 as the birth and death years.
  2. [2] Father and native place Wu Jin was Empress Wu's father, while her native place is given in two forms, Kaifeng and Qiantang.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The kinship data names Wu Jin as her father and gives Qiantang and Kaifeng Prefecture as her basic native-place entries.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries name Wu Jin as her father and identify her as a native of Kaifeng, in present-day Henan.
  3. [3] Entry into the palace Wu Shi was selected for the palace at the age of fourteen.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)Two biographical entries state that she entered the palace at fourteen to attend the future emperor.
  4. [4] Prince Kang period Her entry into the palace occurred while Zhao Gou was still Prince Kang.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries place her palace selection during the period when Gaozong was Prince Kang.
  5. [5] Learning and favor Wu Shi studied books and histories, was skilled in calligraphy, and consequently received increasing favor.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The introduction says that she was well versed in books and histories, skilled in calligraphy, and increasingly favored as a result.
  6. [6] Incident at Siming After Gaozong's accession, Wu Shi accompanied him to Siming and deceived guards during a plotted disturbance, allowing him to escape danger.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical account describes the journey to Siming, the guards' plot, their inquiry about the emperor, and Wu Shi's deception that saved him.
  7. [7] Ranks before the empress title She was made Lady of Heyi Commandery, returned to Yue, and was successively listed as Caizi or Cairen, Wanyi, and Guifei.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The entries list Heyi Commandery Lady, the return to Yue, and the successive ranks; one writes Caizi and the other Cairen before Wanyi and Guifei.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The office data lists the ranks Guifei and Commandery Lady.
  8. [8] Elevation to empress In 1143, the thirteenth year of Shaoxing, Wu Shi was invested as empress from the rank of Guifei.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries state that she rose from Guifei to empress in the thirteenth year of Shaoxing, with one entry giving the equivalent year 1143.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The office and entry data connect the empress title with Shaoxing year thirteen, 1143, and the act of investiture.
  9. [9] Outer-ranked noblewoman status Her status was also classified as that of an outer-ranked noblewoman.
  10. [10] Taishang Huanghou After Gaozong's abdication in 1162, an imperial edict styled Wu Shi Taishang Huanghou, the empress of the retired emperor.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The entries state that Gaozong abdicated and that an edict or hand edict styled her Taishang Huanghou.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The office entry identifies Taishang Huanghou and dates its beginning to Shaoxing year thirty-two, 1162.
  11. [11] Honorific titles After Xiaozong's accession, she received Shousheng and then the expanded Shousheng Qiming Guangci Beide; under Guangzong she was Shousheng Huangtaihou, and after Xiaozong's death she became Grand Empress Dowager.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries list the successive honorifics Shousheng and Shousheng Qiming Guangci Beide, the Shousheng Huangtaihou designation under Guangzong, and the Grand Empress Dowager title after Xiaozong's death.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The office data lists the Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager positions.
  12. [12] Accession of Ningzong When Guangzong claimed illness and did not appear, Wu Shi accepted Zhao Ruyu's advice, presided behind a curtain before Xiaozong's coffin, and installed Prince Jia Zhao Kuo as emperor, who became Ningzong.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The accounts describe Guangzong's illness claim, Zhao Ruyu's advice, the curtain audience before Xiaozong's coffin, and the installation of Prince Jia Zhao Kuo as Ningzong.
  13. [13] Father and brothers Wu Jin was her father; her younger brothers were Wu Yi (1124–1171) and Wu Gai (1125–1166).
  14. [14] Affinal and adopted family Her younger sisters were married to Han Cheng and Zhang Shuo; Zhang Shuo was a brother-in-law, Han Tuozhou a nephew, Wu Huan and Wu Ting nephews, and Zhao Qu an adopted son who was not an heir.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The kinship entries list the two sisters' marriages, Zhang Shuo as a brother-in-law, Han Tuozhou as a nephew, Wu Huan and Wu Ting as nephews, and Zhao Qu as an adopted son not designated as an heir.
  15. [15] Poems Two poems are currently recorded under her entry.
  16. [16] Association with Yang Wanli She was associated with buildings that Yang Wanli supplied with poems, commemorative prose, or names.
  17. [17] Death and posthumous title She died in 1197, the third year of Qingyuan, at the age of eighty-three; her posthumous title was Xiansheng Cilie, also appearing in the shorter form Xiansheng, while 1199 is another supplied death year.
    • Souyun吳皇后 (25085)The biographical entries give the third year of Qingyuan, age eighty-three, and the posthumous title Xiansheng Cilie; two entries explicitly give 1197.
    • CBDBWu Shi (Wife of Zhao Gou) (17702)The main date field supplies the alternate death year 1199, while the posthumous-name fields give Xiansheng and Xiansheng Cilie.
    • WikidataEmpress Wu (Q5374620)The entity supplies 1197 as the death date and lists Xiansheng and Xiansheng Cilie as English aliases.