Empress Liu

Empress Zhangxian Mingsu (, 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. 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."

Early life Orphaned in infancy, Lady Liu was raised by maternal relatives, and by adolescence she became a courtesan skilled at hand-drums. She married Gong Mei (龔美), a silversmith who took her to the capital Kaifeng, where in 983, she entered the palace of Prince Xiang(襄王) Zhao Yuanxiu, the future Emperor Zhenzong. According to anecdotes in historian Sima Guang's Sushui Jiwen, Gong Mei sold Lady Liu out of poverty, probably first to Zhang Qi (張耆), an official in the prince's palace.

The 15-year-old Zhao Yuanxiu was greatly enamored of the 14-year-old entertainer. Once, the emperor remarked that his son was getting "listless and thinner", and Zhao Yuanxiu's strict wet nurse, apparently out of disapproval of Lady Liu, promptly blamed her in front of the emperor. Lady Liu was forced to leave the palace, but the prince kept her at the house of Zhang Qi, who begrudgingly accepted her only after receiving 500 ounces of silver for the construction of a separate residence, so as to circumvent the emperor's order.

As imperial consort and empress Zhao Yuanxiu, who later changed his name to Zhao Heng, became emperor after his father's death in 997. Returning to his side, Lady Liu was given the title of a minor consort, "Beautiful Lady" (美人, Meiren) in 1004 and further promoted to "Cultivated Deportment" (修儀, Xiuyi) in 1009. As Empress Guo had died in 1007, the emperor wanted to make Lady Liu the empress, but gave in after strong ministerial opposition.

Empress regent Regent for Emperor Zhenzong In 1020, Emperor Zhenzong became affected by an illness, which was to cause his death two years later, and unable to handle the affairs of state. By this time, the empress was already established as power behind the throne and handled all affairs of state. She was to rule officially as powerful empress and unofficially as regent of China for the two remaining years of his life. the edicts (敕; chi) she issued were referred to as zhe (制), meaning the personal orders of the emperor; she had her birthday celebrated with special names; she had envoys sent in her own name; and she even attended to the holy plowing ceremony and the imperial ancestral worship, all of which was normally only done by a ruling emperor.

Titles During the reign of Emperor Taizu of Song (4 February 960 – 14 November 976): Liu E (刘娥; from 968) Lady Liu (劉氏; from 968) During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song (8 May 997 – 23 March 1022): Beauty (美人; from 1004) Lady of Cultivated Deportment (修儀; from 1009) Virtuous Consort Liu (劉德妃; from 1012) Empress (皇后; from December 1012) During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song (24 March 1022 – 30 April 1063) Empress Dowager (皇太后: from 1022) Empress Zhangxian Mingsu (章獻明肅皇后; from 1033)

Ancestry According to official history, Lady Liu's grandfather Liu Yanqing was a general during the Later Jin and Later Han dynasties. The family later moved from Taiyuan in the north to Jiaozhou in the southwest, where her father Liu Tong assumed office of prefectship, likely during the first years of the newly established Song dynasty which conquered the region in 965.

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