Empress Liang Nuying was the first Empress of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. She was the younger sister of Empress Dowager Liang Na. Therefore, she had a strong family background. Yet, her ruthless actions and her family’s desire for power caused her to lose Emperor Huan’s favour.[1] Even though her family helped her to become Empress, they ended up causing Empress Liang Nuying’s downfall.[2]
In circa 125 C.E., Empress Liang Nuying was born.[3] Her father was Liang Shang, who was the General-in-Chief. She had an older brother named Liang Ji, who would later succeed his father as General-in-Chief. She had an older sister named Empress Liang Na, who was Empress of China to Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In 146 C.E., Liang Na became Empress Dowager of China. Empress Dowager Liang Na arranged for Liang Nuying to marry the fifteen-year-old Prince Liu Zhi, the Marquis of Liwu.[4] Empress Dowager Liang Na summoned him to the capital to prepare for his marriage.[5] She was also considering him as the next Emperor of China.[6] The current Emperor, Zhi, openly disapproved of Empress Dowager Liang Na’s rule.[7] Empress Dowager Liang Na wanted to see if Prince Liu Zhi would be easier to control.[8] He must have met her expectations because Emperor Zhi suddenly died on 26 July 146 C.E.[9]
On 1 August 146 C.E., Liu Zhi ascended the throne as Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the summer of 147 C.E., Emperor Huan married Liang Nuying. The betrothal money was 20,000 pounds of gold.[10] The imperial gifts sent to Liang Nuying’s family consisted of geese, jade, four horses, and many bolts of silk.[11] On 30 September 147 C.E., Liang Nuying was invested as Empress of China. It was said that, unlike Empress Dowager Liang Na, who preferred frugality, Empress Liang Nuying loved extravagance.[12] Her Empress apartments were ornately decorated.[13] She loved to wear fine clothes and expensive jewellery.[14] She also loved painted carriages.[15] Thus, ancient chroniclers have described her to be more ostentatious than any of the previous Empresses of the Han Dynasty.[16]
The early years of Empress Liang Nuying’s marriage were initially happy.[17] She had a strong family background and was charming enough to attract her own husband.[18] She monopolised Emperor Huan’s favour and attention.[19] He did not favour any other women.[20] However, Empress Liang Nuying failed to produce any children.[21]
In early 150 C.E., Empress Dowager Liang Na stepped down as Regent. On 6 April 150 C.E., Empress Dowager Liang Na died. This left Emperor Huan with more power.[22] Emperor Huan’s first action was to bring his mother, Worthy Lady Yan Ming (the posthumous Empress Xiaochong of the Eastern Han Dynasty), to the palace.[23] Emperor Huan gradually lost interest in Empress Liang Nuying.[24] She had failed to give him children, and her charms no longer fascinated him.[25] Instead, he favoured numerous imperial concubines.[26] It was said that Empress Liang Nuying was very jealous, and she resorted to killing the Emperor’s children.[27] Only one child managed to survive during Liang Nuying’s reign as Empress.[28] It was a daughter named Princess Hua.[29]
Empress Liang Nuying’s brother, Liang Ji, eventually held complete power in the government.[30] Emperor Huan became fearful of Liang Ji, which caused him to rarely visit Empress Liang Nuying. On 9 August 159 C.E., Empress Liang Nuying died “of worry and anger”,[31] though historians claim she most likely died of natural causes.[32] On 28 August 159 C.E., she was buried in Yiling with the honours befitting an Empress.[33] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Yixian.[34] Shortly after Empress Liang Nuying died, Liang Ji rebelled against Emperor Huan.[35] He was defeated and killed. Out of anger for Liang Ji’s rebellion, Emperor Huan demoted her from Empress to Worthy Lady on 14 September 159 C.E.[36] Emperor Huan then invested Deng Mengnu as his second Empress that same day.[37]
Empress Liang Nuying was Empress of the Eastern Han Dynasty for twelve years. Yet, history has not been kind to her. She was known to be ostentatious and jealous.[38] Yet, her greatest sin was that she remained barren.[39] She failed to provide Emperor Huan with an heir. It did not help that her family often caused rifts between Emperor Huan and Empress Liang Nuying’s marriage.[40] It was initially happy, but it fell apart mostly due to her family’s thirst for power.[41] If it was not for her brother’s rebellion, Empress Liang Nuying would still have been honoured as Empress after her death.[42]
Sources:
De Crespigny, R. (2015). “Liang Nuying, 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. 160-162.
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 can Liang Nuying, who is mediocre and has no talent and virtue, become the queen? How did she end up?”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/58a5dd8ee513aff335807d53521c99d6.html.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
[1] De Crespigny, 2015
[2] De Crespigny, 2015
[3] De Crespigny, 2015
[4] De Crespigny, 2015
[5] De Crespigny, 2015
[6] De Crespigny, 2015
[7] De Crespigny, 2015
[8] De Crespigny, 2015
[9] De Crespigny, 2015
[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] McMahon, 2013
[17] De Crespigny, 2015
[18] De Crespigny, 2015
[19] De Crespigny, 2015
[20] De Crespigny, 2015
[21] De Crespigny, 2015
[22] De Crespigny, 2015
[23] De Crespigny, 2015
[24] De Crespigny, 2015
[25] De Crespigny, 2015
[26] De Crespigny, 2015
[27] iNews, n.d., “How can Liang Nuying, who is mediocre and has no talent and virtue, become the queen? How did she end up?”
[28] De Crespigny, 2015
[29] De Crespigny, 2015
[30] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[31] McMahon, 2013, p. 107
[32] De Crespigny, 2015
[33] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[34] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[35] iMedia, n.d., “The three empresses of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty: jealousy became mad and the end was bleak”
[36] De Crespigny, 2015; 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] De Crespigny, 2015
[39] De Crespigny, 2015
[40] De Crespigny, 2015
[41] De Crespigny, 2015
[42] De Crespigny, 2015
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