Empress Lu – The overshadowed Empress of the Han Dynasty

Empress Lu was the Empress of Emperor Houshao of the Western Han Dynasty. She was from the powerful Lu clan. She was the great-great-niece of Empress Dowager Lu Zhi. Even though she was Empress of China, she has largely been overshadowed by Empress Dowager Lu Zhi.^[1] From the little information we have about this forgotten Empress, we know that she was Empress Dowager Lu Zhi’s puppet.^[2]

The birthdate of Empress Lu is unknown. We do not know her personal name. Empress Lu was the daughter of Lu Lu, who was the great-nephew of Empress Dowager Lu Zhi.^[3] Her mother is unknown. Because of Empress Dowager Lu Zhi, the Lu clan was the most powerful clan in China.^[4] They were more powerful than the ruling Liu family.^[5]

On 15 June 184 B.C.E., Empress Dowager Lu Zhi installed Liu Hong as Emperor Houshao of the Western Han Dynasty. Emperor Houshao was the son of Emperor Hui.^[6] His adopted mother was Empress Dowager Zhang Yan.^[7] His birth mother was a concubine.^[8] Before Emperor Houshao’s enthronement, Empress Dowager Lu Zhi had his mother executed.^[9] Empress Dowager Lu Zhi made Emperor Houshao marry Lu Lu’s daughter, Lady Lu.^[10] Thus, Lady Lu became Empress of China.

On 30 July 180 B.C.E., Empress Dowager Lu Zhi died. Before she died, she placed Empress Lu’s father, Lu Lu, in charge of the Northern Army.^[11] She also placed Lu Chan in charge of the Southern Army.^[12] Empress Dowager Lu hoped that the Lu family could still maintain their hold over China after her death.^[13] However, her plans would remain unfulfilled. Shortly after her death, the Lu clan would fall from power.^[14] This event would be known as the Lu Clan Disturbance.^[15]

Loyal Han Ministers named Zhou Po and Chen Ping viewed the Lu clan as traitors.^[16] They believed that the royal family should hold power and not the Lu clan.^[17] They staged a coup d’etat.^[18] They executed Lu Chan, Lu Lu, and other members of the Lu family.^[19] Zhou Po and Chen Ping contemplated their next step. Because Emperor Houshao was Empress Dowager Lu Zhi’s grandson and puppet, they viewed him as unfit to rule.^[20] They wanted an Emperor who was not descended from Empress Dowager Lu Zhi.^[21] They settled on Emperor Gaozu’s son, whom he had with Concubine Bo named Prince Liu Heng, the Prince of Dai.^[22]

On 14 November 180 B.C.E., Emperor Houshao was officially deposed as Emperor of China.^[23] Empress Lu was no longer Empress of China. They imprisoned Empress Dowager Zhang Yan, the deposed Emperor Houshao, and the former Empress Lu.^[24] Prince Liu was enthroned as Emperor Wen of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Yet, as long as the deposed Emperor Houshao remained alive, he became a mere threat to Emperor Wen’s reign.^[25] Even though Emperor Houshao was deposed and a puppet, he was once enthroned.^[26] Therefore, the deposed Emperor Houshao had to be eliminated.^[27]

The deposed Emperor Houshao and his remaining brothers were declared illegitimate, and that they were not Emperor Hui’s sons.^[28] This declaration was meant to make Houshao an illegitimate Emperor who never had the right to rule China.^[29] It also strengthened Emperor Wen’s claim to the throne.^[30] Then, they executed the deposed Emperor Houshao and his remaining brothers.^[31] Empress Dowager Zhang Yan was sent to the North Palace (a place for deposed Empresses).^[32] Empress Lu’s fate is never mentioned in the chronicles. Yet, some historians believe that she may have been executed shortly after her husband’s execution.^[33] However, she may have been sent to the North Palace with Empress Zhang Yan.^[34]

Empress Lu was Empress of China for four years. During her short reign, she was a puppet of Empress Dowager Lu Zhi.^[35] Because she was an innocent pawn, she ultimately suffered. Empress Lu had to lose her father, her husband, and possibly her own life.^[36] Thus, Empress Lu was a mere victim who was caught in the midst of a power struggle between the Lu clan and the royal family. To this day, Empress Lu has largely been forgotten and overlooked, as most historians tend to focus on Empress Dowager Lu Zhi.^[37]

Sources:

iNews. (n.d.). “Later Emperor Liu Hong of the Western Dynasty: The son of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty did nothing wrong, why did all the officials in the Han Dynasty have to kill him?”. Retrieved on 17 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/46f8fa75dd44cf7b96e41a8155691729.html.

San, T.K. (2014). Dynastic China: An Elementary History. Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia: The Other Press.

Zang, J. (2015). “Zhang Yan, Empress of Emperor Hui”. 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., C. Tam, Trans.). NY: Routledge. pp. 241-242.