Empress Guo Shengtong was the first Empress of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty. She was Empress for fifteen years and bore him six children. Yet, she was deposed for political reasons.[1] However, historians consider her to be very lucky.[2] After her deposition, Empress Guo Shengtong enjoyed a comfortable life.[3] Even though she would no longer be an Empress, she would still be highly respected as a Princess Dowager.[4] Thus, Empress Guo Shengtong was able to avoid the miserable fate of other deposed Chinese Empresses.
In circa 6 C.E., Empress Guo Shengtong was born in Gao District in Zhendong Commandery (southwest of modern-day Gaocheng District in Hebei Province).[5] She was from a prominent family in Northern China.[6] Her father was Guo Chang, who worked in the Labor Section in the commandery.[7] Guo Chang was known for his generosity.[8] He gave a large portion of his property to one of his younger half-brothers.[9] Guo Shengtong’s mother was Princess Guo.[10] Princess Guo was the daughter of Prince Liu Pu, a descendant of Emperor Jing.[11] Guo Shengtong’s uncle was Liu Yang, Prince of Zhending.
Prince Liu Yang supported Liu Xiu in becoming Emperor of China.[12] In 24 C.E., Guo Shengtong married Liu Xiu. It was a political marriage.[13] Liu Xiu already had another wife named Yin Lihua. In 25 C.E., Guo Shengtong bore Liu Xiu a son named Liu Qiang.
On 5 August 25 C.E., Liu Xiu ascended the throne at Hao (modern-day Hebei Province) as Emperor Guangwu. He gave Guo Shengtong the rank of Worthy Lady (the highest rank below the Empress).[14] Emperor Guangwu then moved to Luoyang, where he made it the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty.[15] Emperor Guangwu sent for his first wife, Yin Lihua, to join him in Luoyang.[16] He wanted to make Yin Lihua his Empress.[17] However, Yin Lihua refused the Empress position. She believed that Worthy Lady Guo Shengtong should be the Empress because Worthy Lady Guo Shengtong had a son, and she did not.[18]
On 10 July 26 C.E., Guo Shengtong was invested as Empress of China. Her son, Liu Qiang, was made the Crown Prince. Yin Linhua was given the title of Worthy Lady. Empress Guo Shengtong remained Empress for fifteen years.[19] During her reign, she bore four more sons. They were Liu Fu (Prince Xian of Pei), Liu Kang (Prince An of Jinan), Liu Yan (Prince Zhi of Fuling) and Liu Yan (Prince Jian of Zhongshan).[20] She also bore a daughter named Princess Guantao.
On 1 December 41 C.E., Empress Guo Shengtong was officially deposed. He issued an edict in which he complained that she lacked “queenly virtue.”[21] He claimed that her behaviour was similar to Empress Dowager Lu Zhi and Empress Huo Chengjun.[22] However, Empress Guo Shengtong did not behave like a queen who had no virtue.[23] Therefore, historians believe that her deposition was motivated solely based on politics.[24]
When Empress Guo Shengtong first became Empress, Emperor Guangwu needed to satisfy the Northerners (where Empress Guo Shengtong was from) because they helped him become the Emperor.[25] As years passed, the Northerners’ power in court gradually diminished.[26] Emperor Guangwu’s supporters from Nanyang (where Worthy Lady Yin Lihua was from) eventually became Emperor Guangwu’s sole power base.[27] Thus, Emperor Guangwu no longer needed the Northerners’ support, but he did need the support of those from Nanyang.[28] The supporters from Nanyang had been pressuring him for years to make Worthy Lady Yin Lihua his Empress and to install her son as the Crown Prince.[29] It is because of this intense political situation that Emperor Guangwu deposed Empress Guo Shengtong.[30] It was also the reason why Empress Guo Shengtong’s son, Liu Qiang, resigned from his position as the Crown Prince.[31] Liu Qiang was given the title of the Prince of Donghai.[32] Yin Lihua was immediately invested as Empress, and her son, Liu Zhang (the future Emperor Ming), became the Crown Prince.[33]
Even though Empress Guo Shengtong was deposed, Emperor Guangwu took special care of her.[34] When her son, Liu Fu, was promoted to Prince of Zhongshan, the deposed Empress Guo Shengtong was made Princess Dowager of Zhongshan.[35] Emperor Guangwu allocated the taxes of Changshan Commandery to Princess Dowager Guo Shengtong, which provided for her financially.[36] When Liu Fu was further promoted to Prince of Pei, she became the Princess Dowager of Pei.[37] Emperor Guangwu also promoted her relatives.[38] After Empress Guo Shengtong’s deposition, her younger brother, Guo Kuang, was given the title of Marquis of Anyang and was promoted to Chamberlain-For-Dependencies.[39] Emperor Guangwu made Princess Dowager Guo Shengtong’s cousin, Guo Jing, the Marquis of Xinqi and promoted him to Minister of Donghai.[40] When her mother died, Emperor Guangwu participated in her funeral procession.[41] He buried her mother next to her father.[42] He also gave her father the posthumous title Marquis Si of Yang’an.[43]
On 22 July 52 C.E., Princess Dowager Guo Shengtong died of illness.[44] She was forty-six years old. She was given the funeral rites of a Princess Dowager and not as an Empress. She was buried in Beimang. After Princess Guo Shengtong’s death, Emperor Guangwu arranged for Princess Yuyang (Empress Yin Lihua’s daughter) to marry Guo Kuang’s son, Guo Huang.[45] This was to ensure that Crown Prince Liu Zhang and Empress Yin Lihua would not persecute the deposed Empress Guo Shengtong’s sons and her family in the future.[46] He wanted both the Yin and the Guo clans to live peacefully with each other.[47]
Usually, deposed Chinese Empresses often suffer a miserable and tragic life after their deposition.[48] However, Empress Guo Shengtong did not suffer that fate. Emperor Guangwu ensured that Empress Guo Shengtong would still maintain a comfortable life after her deposition.[49] She was given many privileges and honours.[50] It is no wonder why she is considered by many historians to be China’s luckiest deposed Empress.[51] Empress Guo Shengtong is portrayed by actress Wang Yuanke in the Chinese historical drama Singing All Along.
Sources:
iMedia. (n.d.). “Guangwu Emperor and Guo Shengtong are behind a naked political deal”. Retrieved on 21 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/7c831a8df6558f23d65965da5615b0bf.html.
Laitimes. (2022, 1 January). “Guo Shengtong was deposed from the throne in the seventeenth year of Jianwu and was made empress dowager of Zhongshan, Liu Xiu was still alive, why was she the empress”. Retrieved on 21 October 2023 from https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/1u3jb_21k7u.html.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
Wong, Y. N., et al. (2015). “Guo Shengtong, Empress of Emperor Guangwu”. 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. 145-148.
[1] McMahon, 2013
[2] Wong, et al, 2015
[3] Wong, et al, 2015
[4] Wong, et al, 2015
[5] Wong, et al, 2015
[6] McMahon, 2013
[7] Wong, et al, 2015
[8] Wong, et al, 2015
[9] Wong, et al, 2015
[10] Wong, et al, 2015
[11] Wong, et al, 2015
[12] Wong, et al, 2015
[13] Wong, et al, 2015
[14] Wong, et al, 2015
[15] Wong, et al, 2015
[16] Wong, et al, 2015
[17] McMahon, 2013
[18] McMahon, 2013
[19] Wong, et al, 2015
[20] Wong, et al, 2015
[21] McMahon, 2013, p. 101
[22] McMahon, 2013
[23] Wong, et al, 2015
[24] McMahon, 2013
[25] McMahon, 2013
[26] McMahon, 2013
[27] McMahon, 2013; iMedia, n.d., “Guangwu Emperor and Guo Shengtong are behind a naked political deal”
[28] McMahon, 2013
[29] McMahon, 2013
[30] McMahon, 2013
[31] McMahon, 2013
[32] Wong, et al, 2015
[33] Wong, et al, 2015
[34] Wong, et al, 2015
[35] Wong, et al, 2015
[36] Wong, et al, 2015, Laitimes, 1 January 2022, “Guo Shengtong was deposed from the throne in the seventeenth year of Jianwu and was made empress dowager of Zhongshan, Liu Xiu was still alive, why was she the empress”
[37] Wong, et al, 2015
[38] Wong, et al, 2015
[39] Wong, et al, 2015
[40] Wong, et al, 2015
[41] Wong, et al, 2015
[42] Wong, et al, 2015
[43] Wong, et al, 2015
[44] Wong, et al, 2015
[45] Wong, et al, 2015
[46] iMedia, n.d., “Guangwu Emperor and Guo Shengtong are behind a naked political deal”
[47] iMedia, n.d., “Guangwu Emperor and Guo Shengtong are behind a naked political deal”
[48] Wong, et al, 2015
[49] Wong, et al, 2015
[50] Wong, et al, 2015
[51] Wong, et al, 2015
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