Empress Wang of the Xin Dynasty- The first Empress of Emperor Wang Mang the Usurper who killed three of their own children for power

Empress Wang of the Xin Dynasty was one of China’s most miserable Empresses. She was the first Empress of Emperor Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty. She bore Emperor Wang Mang four sons. Yet, Emperor Wang Mang killed three of them for the sake of power.^[1] Emperor Wang Mang destroyed his own family to gain the throne of China and ultimately ruined his own newly created dynasty.^[2]

The birthdate of Empress Wang of the Xin Dynasty is unknown. Her personal name is unknown.^[3] She was the daughter of Wang Xian, the Marquis of Yichun. She married Wang Mang, the nephew of Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun. Lady Wang bore Wang Mang four sons named Wang Yu, Wang Huo, Wang An, and Wang Lin.^[4] She also bore a daughter, who was Lady Wang (who would later become Empress to Emperor Ping of the Western Han Dynasty).

In 16 B.C.E., Emperor Cheng gave Wang Mang the title Marquis of Xindu and later promoted him to Commander-in-Chief in 8 B.C.E.^[5] This was the highest position in the government, and Wang Mang became the most powerful man in court.^[6] In 7 B.C.E., Emperor Cheng died, and Emperor Ai ascended the throne. Wang Mang was often feuding with Emperor Ai’s grandmother, Empress Dowager Fu.^[7] This led Wang Mang to resign from his position.^[8] He lost power and was sent back to Xindu to live in retirement.^[9]

In 5 B.C.E., Wang Mang’s second son, Wang Huo, killed a servant.^[10] Wang Mang thought that this would ruin his reputation.^[11] Wang Mang forced his son, Wang Huo, to commit suicide.^[12] This act led Wang Mang to win many officials’ hearts.^[13] They all saw it as a sacrifice that Wang Mang had to perform to appease the victim’s family.^[14] This pressured Emperor Ai to recall Wang Mang back to the palace to serve Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun.^[15] Wang Mang had achieved his aim of regaining power by sacrificing his own son.^[16] However, Lady Wang deeply mourned the loss of her second son.^[17] She grieved for three years. Whenever she thought of him, her face was full of tears.^[18]

In 1 B.C.E., Emperor Ai died, and Emperor Ping ascended the throne. Wang Zhengjun became Grand Empress Dowager and was made Regent. Wang Mang became Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun’s right-hand man.^[19] Under the reign of Emperor Ping, Wang Mang enjoyed many privileges.^[20] In 1 C.E., he was made Duke of Anhan.^[21] Thus, Lady Wang was made Duchess of Anhan.

In 3 C.E., Wang Mang’s eldest son, Wang Yu, disapproved of his father’s tyranny.^[22] He conspired with his half-brothers to overthrow his father.^[23] When Wang Mang learned of the plot, he arrested Wang Yu and his pregnant wife named Lu Yan.^[24] He ordered Wang Yu to commit suicide.^[25] He waited until Lu Yan could give birth.^[26] Then, he executed her and the child.^[27] Duchess Wang deeply mourned the loss of her eldest son.^[28] She cried so much over the deaths of both Wang Huo and Wang Yu that she became blind.^[29]

In 4 C.E., Wang Mang married his daughter, Lady Wang, to Emperor Ping. Wang Mang was made Steward-Regulator of State (which was a higher status than Duke).^[30] Duchess Wang was given the title of Lady of Evident Merit.^[31] In 5 C.E., Emperor Ping died. Wang Mang installed a one-year-old named Liu Ying as Emperor.^[32] Wang Mang became Regent.

In 9 C.E., Wang Mang usurped the throne of China and became Emperor.^[33] He created the Xin Dynasty. Duchess Wang was invested as Empress of China. His third son, Prince Wang An, was mentally ill.^[34] Therefore, Emperor Wang Mang made his youngest son, Wang Lin, the Crown Prince.^[35] Emperor Wang Mang asked Crown Prince Wang Lin to take care of Empress Wang because she was blind.^[36] Empress Wang was said to be very “humble and unostentatious.”^[37] When Emperor Wang Mang’s mother fell ill, all the wives of the nobility came to the palace to visit her.^[38] Empress Wang greeted them, and they mistook her for a servant because of her humble clothing.^[39] When the wives of the nobility learned that she was the Empress, they were very astonished.^[40]

Empress Wang died in January of 21 C.E. She was given the posthumous title of Empress Xiaomu.^[41] She was buried in Yinian Tomb in Changshou Garden in Weiling (modern-day Xanyang in Shaanxi Province).^[42] Empress Wang’s two remaining sons died that same year.^[43] Prince Wang An died of natural causes.^[44] Crown Prince Wang Lin had an affair with a woman named Yuan Bi, who was once favoured by Emperor Wang Mang.^[45] Crown Prince Wang Lin conspired with her to kill his father.^[46] When Emperor Wang Mang discovered the plot, he forced Crown Prince Wang Lin to commit suicide.^[47] Her only daughter, Empress Wang of the Western Han Dynasty, would also commit suicide in 23 C.E.^[48]

Empress Wang of the Xin Dynasty’s tale is truly tragic. She had four sons. However, her ruthless husband killed three of them.^[49] Emperor Wang Mang’s ruthlessness left him with no remaining sons to carry on his own dynasty.^[50] His love for power was more than his love for his family.^[51] Emperor Wang Mang’s Xin Dynasty would fall in 23 C.E. After the Xin Dynasty ended, the Eastern Han Dynasty began. The Eastern Han Dynasty continued for almost two hundred years.

Sources:

iMedia. (n.d.). “She was Wang Mang’s queen, she gave birth to 5 children and 3 died at Wang Mang’s hands. Why?”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/4c43376d8656a6418daceb47b3d38025.html.

iNews. (n.d.). “As the queen of Wang Mang, the founder of the new dynasty, what is her fate?” Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/578a79d8d12f25dd79ee980ffa0df8e5.html.

McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.

Yang, H. (2015). “Wang, Empress of Wang Mang of Xin”. 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. 203-204.