Empress Liu (Zhenzong)

Empress Zhangxian Mingsu (希章獻明肅皇后, translated as "The orderly, worthy, wise and solemn empress"), more commonly known as Empress Liu (劉皇后), was an empress of the Song dynasty, married to the Emperor Zhenzong in 1012 and quickly gained the emperor's trust to discuss government matters. She ruled unofficially as the regent of China during the illness of Emperor Zhenzong from 1020 until 1022, and then officially as regent during the minority of Emperor Renzong from 1022 until her own death on 30 April 1033.^[1] As a regent, she commanded in her own name, not the name of the young emperor; she became the second woman in Chinese history to wear the imperial robe, after Wu Zetian, the only empress regnant in Chinese history. In a 2001 study, John Chaffee argued that Empress Liu's rise from an humble entertainer to a de facto ruler was a great success story in China's history, and that she made regency a "safe option" at times when "normal imperial rule was impossible."^[2]

Regency1020 – 1033

Monarchs

• Emperor Zhenzong
• Emperor Renzong

Tenure1022 – 1033

Tenure1012 – 1022

Quick facts Empress Zhangxian Mingsu 章獻明肅皇后, Regent of the Song dynasty ...

Empress Zhangxian Mingsu 章獻明肅皇后
Regent of the Song dynasty
Regency	1020 – 1033
Monarchs	Emperor Zhenzong Emperor Renzong
Empress dowager of the Song dynasty
Tenure	1022 – 1033
Empress consort of the Song dynasty
Tenure	1012 – 1022
Born	969 probably Jiaozhou, Song Empire (modern Leshan, Sichuan, China)
Died	1033 (aged 63–64) Kaifeng, Song Empire (modern Kaifeng, Henan, China)
Burial	Yongding Mausoleum (永定陵)
Spouse	Gong Mei Emperor Zhenzong of Song
Father	Liu Tong (劉通)
Mother	Lady Pang (龐)

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Liu E was born into a poor family. At the age of fourteen, in the eighth year of the Taiping Xingguo era (983 CE), she entered the residence of Prince Han, Zhao Heng, as a maidservant. However, due to slander and accusations made by Lady Liu (Zhao Heng’s wet nurse and the supervisor of the women’s quarters), she was forced to leave after being reported to Emperor Taizong, and she took residence in the home of Zhang Qi, an official serving in the prince’s household. After Emperor Zhenzong ascended the throne in the third year of the Zhide era (997 CE), she entered the imperial palace. It was not until the first month of the first year of the Jingde era (1004 CE) that she was appointed as a Meiren (Palace Lady). After the death of Empress Guo in the fourth year of Jingde (1007 CE), Liu E was promoted in the first month of the second year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1009 CE) to Xiuyi.

In 1007, when Empress Guo died, Emperor Zhenzong intended to establish Liu E as empress. However, senior ministers such as Wang Dan, Xiang Minzhong, Kou Zhun, and Li Di all firmly opposed this, arguing that “Liu E came from a humble background and is not fit to be the mother of the nation.” The vice chancellor Zhao Anren not only opposed Liu E’s elevation to empress, but also proposed an alternative candidate—Lady Shen, a concubine of noble birth and the granddaughter of the former chancellor Shen Lun. Wang Qinruo seized the opportunity to slander Zhao Anren, claiming that his support for Lady Shen was motivated by personal interests. As a result, Zhenzong quickly dismissed Zhao Anren to a distant post, and the proposal to install Lady Shen as empress was ultimately abandoned. In 1010, Lady Liu arranged for one of her maidservants, Lady Li, to be given as a concubine to Emperor Zhenzong, resulting in a son named Zhao Zhen, whom Lady Liu adopted. In the fifth month of the fifth year of the same era (1012 CE), she was promoted to Defei, and in the twelfth month of that year, she was appointed Empress.

Liu E was intelligent, sharp-witted, well-versed in historical texts, and possessed keen political insight, which earned her the trust of Emperor Zhenzong. She was measured, respectful, and cautious in her behavior, and her clothing was not luxurious, and she differed little from the other palace ladies. Whenever the emperor attended formal court sessions to consult with his ministers on state affairs, she would listen silently from behind the wall of the audience hall (聽壁腳, tīng bì jiǎo). After the sessions concluded, when the emperor returned from court to the palace, she would accompany him and often remain by his side until midnight, while he was occupied with reading and responding to official memorials and reports from his ministers. She also accompanied him on imperial inspection tours. As a result, she always accompanied him and assisted him in governing state affairs and his daily life. In handling the affairs of the inner palace, she administered rewards and punishments with proper moderation and appropriateness, and there was nothing improper in her decisions. She frequently drew upon historical precedents and records, and all of her judgments were appropriate and well-considered. From the end of 1015, Emperor Zhenzong’s physical condition gradually deteriorated, and his temperament became increasingly unstable. This significantly reduced his ability to preside over court sessions and to directly manage state affairs. Under these circumstances, due to Empress Liu’s administrative competence, the emperor increasingly relied on her in his later years. This resembled the pattern of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, who depended on Empress Wu in governing the state. Emperor Zhenzong delegated many important matters to Empress Liu or discussed their handling with her. As a result, in the final years of his reign, Empress Liu gained substantial influence over the political structure and became one of the central figures in court politics.

In Emperor Zhenzong’s later years, two fiercely rival factions emerged at court. One was led by Kou Zhun and included Li Di, Wang Zeng, Yang Yi, Sheng Du, the eunuch Zhou Huaizheng, the military commander Cao Wei, and the imperial relative Li Zunxu; The other faction was led by Empress Liu and Ding Wei, including Cao Liang, Ren Zhongzheng, Qian Weiyan, the eunuch Lei Yungong, and the inspector in Chief of the Cavalry Command Liu Mei. In the third year of the Tianshi era (1019), Emperor Zhenzong, due to illness, was isolated within the palace, with Empress Liu acting in his stead. Meanwhile, he concerned about factional disputes in his court and fearing Empress Liu's growing power, secretly consulted Kou Zhun and wanted to cede power without abdicating the throne as "Crown Prince to Supervise State Affairs" with the help of Kou Zhun and his associates, but the plan was exposed and Empress Liu quickly acted to dissuade the emperor and remove Kou Zhun and anyone who had played a role in this advice from the court. In the fourth year of the Tianshi era (1020), Zhou Huaizheng, observing the emperor’s worsening condition, secretly summoned officials including Yang Chongxun and Yang Huaiji to plot the assassination of Chancellor Ding Wei, the enthronement of Crown Prince Zhao Zhen, and the retirement of Emperor Zhenzong as retired emperor. However, the plot was exposed through reports by the two Yangs. Ding Wei acted swiftly, and Empress Liu issued imperial edicts in the emperor’s name. Zhou was executed, and the coup attempt failed. Subsequently, imperial orders were issued to purge a number of officials, military officers, and eunuchs, including Kou Zhun, Cao Wei, and Sheng Du. The emperor himself was unaware of these developments; Empress Liu handled everything with Ding Wei’s assistance. Later, Li Di was defeated in his struggle against Ding Wei and demoted to a provincial post. Afterward, the emperor issued an edict assigning the crown prince to convene and preside over meetings with key ministers in Zishan Hall to discuss state affairs. However, Empress Liu would supervise from the inner palace. Matters discussed in the council were to be reported to the inner palace, and only after her review and approval would official decrees be issued.

Following the death of Emperor Zhenzong in the first year of the Qianxing era (1022 CE), his will appointed Liu E as Empress Dowager and granted her authority to oversee the government until Emperor Renzong reached maturity. Since Renzong was young at the time of his accession, Liu E held court in the Chengming Hall: the emperor sat on the west, the empress dowager on the east; Her method of regency was known as “curtain-shedding and issuing decrees” (垂帘称制), meaning she sat behind a curtain in the court and issued imperial orders in place of the emperor. She first faced the ambitions of her two former allies, Grand Councillor Ding Wei and the Palace Director Lei Yungong, who had conspired together to dominate court politics. They planned to isolate the Empress Dowager and especially the young emperor; as a result, all state affairs would be handled and resolved through the two of them. However, Empress Dowager Liu discovered their scheme and had Ding Wei arrested. She initially intended to execute him, but later changed her mind and settled for demoting him and sending him into exile. She did not grant the same leniency to Lei Yungong, whom she had ordered to be severely beaten, leaving him on the verge of death. Although she was generally fair in governance, she was authoritarian in implementation and strict in both educating the emperor and dealing with officials. Even after the emperor reached adulthood and married, she refused to relinquish power and continued ruling until her death. She died on the twenty-ninth day of the third month in the second year of the Mingdao era (1033 CE) at the age of sixty-four and was posthumously honored with the title Zhangxian Mingsu. Before her death, she had made a will, which was read out at her funeral, which stated: “Honor Consort Dowager Yang as Empress Dowager, and have her jointly deliberate on state and military affairs with the emperor.” However, government officials opposed this will, as they sought to end the period of regency and establish the emperor’s personal rule, although they agreed to promote Consort Dowager Yang's as Empress Dowager.

Liu E ended the ten-year “Heavenly Texts” movement that had persisted during Emperor Zhenzong’s reign, resolved factional disputes, issued paper currency known as jiaozi, carried out irrigation and water conservancy projects, established the Office of Remonstrance, reformed governmental institutions, strengthened and reorganized the Censorate and the Bureau of Inspection, and reformed and expanded the imperial examination system, while also reducing taxes and adjusting internal and external palace regulations. She also promoted the establishment of provincial schools, pursued relatively peaceful and amicable diplomatic relations with other states, and simultaneously strengthened border defenses and military order, laying a solid foundation for the “Prosperous Reign of Renzong.” She took exemplary empresses of the Eastern Han, Ma and Deng, as her models. Later generations praised her as someone who “possessed the talents of Empress Lü and Empress Wu Zetian, but without their cruelty.” However, despite her effective governance, she was deeply attached to power. She concealed the true identity of Emperor Renzong’s biological mother for a long time and assigned Lady Li to guard Emperor Zhenzong’s spirit, effectively separating mother and son. Emperor Renzong only learned the truth after Liu E’s death. The opera “狸猫换太子 (The Cat Replaced the Crown Prince)” is based on this historical episode.