Empress Deng Mengnu was the second Empress of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. She was the only Empress in China to have three surnames.[1] Empress Deng Mengnu was mostly known for her jealousy of other imperial concubines.[2] It was because of her jealousy and the fact that she was childless that caused her deposition as Empress of China.[3] Thus, Empress Deng Mengnu’s downfall was sudden and tragic.
In circa 140 C.E., Empress Deng Mengnu was born in Xinye, Nanyang.[4] Her personal name means “fierce woman.”[5] Her father was Deng Xiang. Her mother was Lady Xuan.[6] Deng Mengnu was the great-great-niece of Empress Dowager Deng Sui.[7] Deng Xiang died a few years after Deng Mengnu’s birth. Her mother, Lady Xuan, was remarried to Liang Ki.[8] Deng Mengnu changed her surname from Deng to Liang.[9]
In 153 C.E., Liang Mengnu entered Emperor Huan’s harem at the age of thirteen.[10] She was given the title of Lady of Elegance (the lowest rank in the harem).[11] Her beauty caught Emperor Huan’s eye.[12] She quickly became his favourite.[13] He promoted her to Worthy Lady (the highest rank below Empress).[14] Emperor Huan also promoted her brother, Deng Yan, as county Marquis in Nanyang.[15] Shortly after her promotion, her stepfather, Liang Ki, died.[16]
On 9 August 159 C.E., Empress Liang Nuying died. Empress Liang Nuying’s brother, Liang Ji, requested for Worthy Lady Liang Mengnu to be installed as the next Empress.[17] Emperor Huan agreed with Liang Ji’s proposal because he did not have any other favourites.[18] Liang Ji rebelled against Emperor Huan, but he was defeated and killed. Worthy Lady Liang Mengnu renounced her connection with the Liang family.[19]
On 14 September 159 C.E., Liang Mengnu was invested as Empress of China. Emperor Huan did not like her surname because it reminded him of Liang Ji.[20] He insisted that Liang Mengnu should adopt the surname Bo.[21] This was to remind the new Empress to follow the example of Grand Empress Dowager Bo.[22] In 161 C.E., Emperor Huan learned that Empress Bo Mengnu’s surname was originally Deng.[23] Therefore, he made her change her surname back to Deng.[24] Empress Deng Mengnu’s family received a lot of money and honours.[25] Her father, Deng Xiang, was posthumously promoted to Marquis.[26] Her mother, Lady Xuan, was given the title of Lady of Kunyang.[27] Thus, the Deng family became the most powerful family in court.[28]
Empress Deng Mengnu continued to be favoured by Emperor Huan.[29] However, she remained childless.[30] In order to beget a son and keep her husband’s favour, Empress Deng Mengnu developed the worship of the Huang-Lao.[31] Empress Deng Mengnu also tried various forms of fertility treatments, which were forbidden in the palace.[32] Yet, none of them worked. Emperor Huan gradually began to lose interest in her because she remained barren.[33] He expanded his harem to roughly 5,000 or 6,000 imperial concubines.[34]
Empress Deng Mengnu grew increasingly jealous of Emperor Huan’s favourite imperial concubines.[35] She began to worry that she would end up like Empress Liang Nuying, who was initially favoured by Emperor Huan but ended up losing his favour.[36] Empress Deng Mengnu became jealous of Consort Guo, one of Emperor Huan’s favourites.[37] She fought with her, cursed her, and slandered her.[38] She even tried to kill her using witchcraft.[39] Emperor Huan was angry at Empress Deng Mengnu’s behaviour.[40] He believed her behaviour was unfit for an Empress.[41]
On 27 March 165 C.E., Emperor Huan officially deposed Empress Deng Mengnu. He imprisoned her in the Drying House (a place of seclusion for imperial women who were no longer favoured).[42] Shortly after her imprisonment, the deposed Empress Deng Mengnu “died of worry.”[43] She was buried in Beimang.[44] Her family immediately lost power.[45] They were stripped of their property and honours.[46] Their positions were removed from court.[47] They were all arrested. Some of them died in prison.[48] The survivors were sent back to their home county in Nanyang.[49]
Empress Deng Mengnu was Empress for six years. The change of her surnames indicated the political turmoil during Emperor Huan’s reign.[50] Even though her jealousy contributed to her downfall, her greatest downfall was that she failed to produce any children.[51] This made Emperor Huan lose interest in her and made it easy to depose her.[52] Thus, Empress Deng Mengnu suffered a worse fate than her predecessor, Empress Liang Nuying.
Sources:
De Crespigny, R. (2015). “Deng Mengnu, Empress of Emperor Huan”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 118-122.
iMedia. (n.d.). “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/news/578c75bfafea777cf1ef10c5252f46c4.html.
iNews. (n.d.). “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/news/9cc0f29a3275c22d0e542277868d513a.html#lns76uz5qn55oflacra.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
[1] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[2] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[3] De Crespigny, 2015; McMahon, 2013
[4] De Crespigny, 2015; iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[5] McMahon, 2013, p. 107
[6] De Crespigny, 2015
[7] De Crespigny, 2015
[8] De Crespigny, 2015
[9] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[10] De Crespigny, 2015
[11] De Crespigny, 2015
[12] De Crespigny, 2015
[13] De Crespigny, 2015
[14] De Crespigny, 2015
[15] De Crespigny, 2015
[16] De Crespigny, 2015
[17] De Crespigny, 2015
[18] De Crespigny, 2015
[19] De Crespigny, 2015
[20] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[21] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[22] De Crespigny, 2015
[23] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[24] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[25] De Crespigny, 2015
[26] De Crespigny, 2015
[27] De Crespigny, 2015
[28] De Crespigny, 2015
[29] De Crespigny, 2015
[30] De Crespigny, 2015
[31] De Crespigny, 2015
[32] De Crespigny, 2015
[33] De Crespigny, 2015
[34] McMahon, 2013
[35] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[36] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[37] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[38] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[39] De Crespigny, 2015
[40] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[41] McMahon, 2013
[42] De Crespigny, 2015
[43] McMahon, 2013, p. 107
[44] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[45] McMahon, 2013
[46] De Crespigny, 2015
[47] De Crespigny, 2015
[48] De Crespigny, 2015
[49] De Crespigny, 2015
[50] iNews, n.d., “How many times has Deng Mengnu’s surname changed? Why was she thrown into the cold palace by Emperor Huan of Han?”
[51] De Crespigny, 2015
[52] De Crespigny, 2015
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