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Empress Chen Yueyi

565 – 650

Chinese empress

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About Empress Chen Yueyi

Lived 565 – 650 (aged 84–85).

Chen Yueyi (; 570 - 650), later Buddhist nun name Huaguang (華光), was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou dynasty of China.

Chen Yueyi's father was Chen Shanti (陳山提), and she was his eighth daughter. Chen Shanti was initially a servant of the Northern Wei general Erzhu Zhao, and after Erzhu's defeat by Gao Huan became a servant to Gao. He served as a general in several administrations of Northern Qi, founded by Gao's son Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, eventually achieving the title of Prince of Xieyang. After Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou destroyed Northern Qi in 577, Chen Shanti became a Northern Zhou general and carried the title of Duke of Xiyang.

In July 579, Chen Yueyi was selected to be an imperial consort for Emperor Xuan, with the title of Defei (德妃). A month later, Emperor Xuan passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing and took an atypical title for a retired emperor, "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi). He subsequently decided that in addition to his wife Yang Lihua, he would create three more empresses, and Consort Chen was selected as one—with the title of Empress Tianzuo (天左皇后, Tianzuo Huanghou), subsequently changed in spring 580 to Tianzuo Da Huanghou (天左大皇后). Subsequently, as he wanted to create one more empress, he changed her title to Tianzhong Da Huanghou (天中大皇后) so that her Tianzuo Da Huanghou title could be given to Empress Yuchi Chifan. Among the empresses, she was said to be closest to Empress Yuan Leshang, as they entered the palace at the same time and were the same age, and they were also both favored by Emperor Xuan.

Emperor Xuan died in summer 580, and Empress Yang's father Yang Jian became regent. Empress Chen became a Buddhist nun with the name of Huaguang, and she outlived Yang Jian's subsequent Sui dynasty. According to both the Book of Zhou and History of Northern Dynasties, she and Lady Yuan were still alive during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (626-649), but nothing further was recorded in either of those two official histories about her.

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Important facts

Born
565
Birth century
Died
650
Nationality
Northern Zhou
Also known as
Chen Yueyi

People in Empress Chen Yueyi's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Empress Chen Yueyi's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Empress Chen Yueyi?

Chinese empress

When was Empress Chen Yueyi born?

Empress Chen Yueyi was born in 565.

When did Empress Chen Yueyi die?

Empress Chen Yueyi died in 650.

What nationality was Empress Chen Yueyi?

Empress Chen Yueyi's recorded nationality: Northern Zhou.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Empress Chen Yueyi

· Wikidata: Q855811

· DBpedia: Chen Yueyi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Empress Chen Yueyi. https://biography.guide/empress-chen-yueyi/

MLA: "Empress Chen Yueyi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/empress-chen-yueyi/.

Chicago: "Empress Chen Yueyi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/empress-chen-yueyi/.

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