Empress Xu was the first Empress of Emperor Cheng of the Western Han Dynasty. She initially had Emperor Cheng’s love.[1] However, she did not produce a son and was blamed for natural disasters that occurred frequently throughout the empire.[2] Her husband eventually saw her as a great calamity because of her barrenness and no longer loved her.[3] Empress Xu’s life is tragic because she did not make any mistakes as Empress.[4] Instead, she was vulnerable and a scapegoat because she was infertile.[5] Therefore, Empress Xu’s childlessness made her a victim of political intrigue.[6]
Empress Xu was from Shanyang (modern-day Shandong Province).[7] Her father was Xu Jia, the Marquis of Ping’en, who had once served as Commander-in-Chief during Emperor Xuan’s reign.[8] Empress Xu was the niece of Emperor Xuan’s first Empress, Xu Pingjun.[9] Emperor Yuan often grieved over the loss of his mother, Empress Xu Pingjun.[10] He wanted to keep his mother’s family prosperous.[11] Thus, he wanted someone from the Xu family to be the next Empress.[12] He chose Lady Xu to marry his Crown Prince.[13]
Lady Xu married the Crown Prince named Liu Ao. Lady Xu became Crown Princess. Crown Prince Liu Ao deeply loved his wife.[14] Crown Princess Xu quickly bore him a son, but the son died at birth.[15] On 8 July 33 B.C.E., Emperor Yuan died. On 4 August 33 B.C.E., Crown Prince Liu Ao ascended the throne of China as Emperor Cheng. On 13 May 31 B.C.E., Lady Xu was invested as Empress. She gave birth to a daughter, but she died shortly afterwards.[16] Empress Xu would remain childless.[17]
Empress Xu was known to be intelligent and virtuous, and she was educated in literature and history.[18] These were some of the reasons why she had Emperor Cheng’s love.[19] However, his mother, Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, constantly criticised Empress Xu about the lack of a male heir.[20] Whenever natural disasters occurred throughout the empire, high-ranked officials blamed Empress Xu for causing these disasters.[21] Empress Xu’s barrenness was seen as a great calamity.[22] Emperor Cheng also started to believe that Empress Xu was the cause of these disasters.[23] In 28 B.C.E., Emperor Cheng cut Empress Xu’s palace expenses.[24] Empress Xu submitted a memorial protesting the cut of her expenses but was rejected. [25]
One day, a total solar eclipse occurred. The ministers originally blamed Wang Feng because he held absolute power in court as Emperor Cheng’s uncle.[26] However, Wang Feng placed the blame for the eclipse on Empress Xu because of her barrenness.[27] Everyone in court, including Emperor Cheng, then blamed her for the eclipse.[28] Emperor Cheng no longer loved Empress Xu because he saw her barrenness as a calamity.[29] Instead, he transferred his affections to other palace women.[30] One of his favourites was Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu.
In 18 B.C.E., two of Emperor Cheng’s favorite Imperial Consorts named Zhao Feiyan (who would be Emperor Cheng’s second Empress) and Zhao Hede falsely accused Empress Xu and Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu of having an illicit affair with each other.[31] Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu, Empress Xu and her sister, Xu Ye, were charged with practising witchcraft to harm both Wang Feng and Imperial Consort Wang Meiren, who was pregnant with Emperor Cheng’s child.[32] When Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun heard these accusations, she was outraged.[33] She ordered an investigation. Imperial Consort Ban Jieyu lost her imperial position and moved into Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun’s side palace.[34]
On 8 January 17 B.C.E., Empress Xu was deposed. She was sent to Zhaotai Palace.[35] Her relatives were sent to Shanyang.[36] Her sister, Xu Ye, was executed.[37] Her nephew, who was the new Marquis of Ping’en, returned to his fiefdom.[38] In 16 B.C.E., Zhao Feiyan was invested as Emperor Cheng’s second Empress.
In 10 B.C.E., Emperor Cheng pardoned the deposed Empress Xu’s relatives and gave them permission to return to the capital.[39] The deposed Empress Xu’s sister, Xu Mi, wanted her sister to become the Empress again.[40] Xu Mi was a young and attractive widow.[41] She had an affair with Chunyu Chang, the nephew of Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun.[42] Chunyu Chang was very close to Emperor Cheng and Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun.[43] He also helped make Zhao Feiyan the Empress.[44] Therefore, Xu Mi hoped that he could help the deposed Empress Xu regain her former position.[45] Chunyu Chang promised her that he could make her sister a secondary Empress (which was a step below Empress Zhao Feiyan).[46] When the deposed Empress Xu learned of Chunyu Chang’s promise, she bribed him to help make her a secondary Empress.[47] They began to exchange letters.[48]
In 8 B.C.E., Wang Mang discovered the letters that were exchanged between Chunyu Chang and the deposed Empress Xu.[49] He sent them to Emperor Cheng.[50] Some of these letters were very provocative, which led Emperor Cheng to believe that the deposed Empress Xu was having an affair with Chunyu Chang.[51] Emperor Cheng was so outraged that his deposed Empress was cheating on him that he arrested Chunyu Chang and had him executed.[52] Then, Emperor Cheng ordered the deposed Empress Xu to commit suicide by poison.[53] She was buried in Yanling.[54]
Empress Xu was truly a tragic figure. Her naïvety and trust in the wrong person led her to be accused of infidelity and lose her own life.[55] Yet, her greatest downfall was that she could not give the Emperor children.[56] She originally had the Emperor’s love, but he began to see her as a calamity because of her barrenness.[57] Her infertility made her lose her husband’s love and the Empress position.[58] It also made her a scapegoat for natural disasters.[59] If she had produced an heir, her ending would have been very different.[60]
Sources:
iMedia. (n.d.). “The owner of the harem of the Western Han Dynasty – Empress Xu of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty (born in a famous family and given poisonous wine). Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://min.news/en/history/33b669cd53890e56975b9509f2134440.html.
iNews. (n.d.). “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”. Retrieved on 20 October 2023 from https://inf.news/ne/history/90ed970ecd014ad7dbf182234ce8e95f.html.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
Wu, J. (2015). “Xu, Empress of Emperor Cheng”. 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. 224-226.
[1] McMahon, 2013
[2] Wu, 2015
[3] Wu, 2015
[4] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[5] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[6] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[7] Wu, 2015
[8] Wu, 2015
[9] McMahon, 2013
[10] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[11] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[12] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[13] Wu, 2015
[14] McMahon, 2013
[15] Wu, 2015
[16] Wu, 2015
[17] Wu, 2015
[18] Wu, 2015
[19] Wu, 2015
[20] Wu, 2015
[21] Wu, 2015
[22] Wu, 2015
[23] Wu, 2015
[24] Wu, 2015
[25] Wu, 2015
[26] Wu, 2015
[27] Wu, 2015
[28] Wu, 2015
[29] Wu, 2015
[30] Wu, 2015
[31] Wu, 2015
[32] Wu, 2015
[33] Wu, 2015
[34] McMahon, 2013
[35] Wu, 2015
[36] Wu, 2015
[37] Wu, 2015
[38] Wu, 2015
[39] Wu, 2015
[40] Wu, 2015
[41] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[42] Wu, 2015
[43] Wu, 2015
[44] Wu, 2015
[45] Wu, 2015
[46] Wu, 2015
[47] Wu, 2015
[48] Wu, 2015
[49] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[50] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[51] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[52] iNews, n.d., “Chunyu Chang only took three steps to capture the heart of Empress Xu? I didn’t expect to be dug my cousin Wang Mang”
[53] Wu, 2015
[54] Wu, 2015
[55] iMedia, n.d., “The owner of the harem of the Western Han Dynasty – Empress Xu of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty (born in a famous family and given poisonous wine)
[56] Wu, 2015
[57] Wu, 2015
[58] Wu, 2015
[59] Wu, 2015
[60] iMedia, n.d., “The owner of the harem of the Western Han Dynasty – Empress Xu of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty (born in a famous family and given poisonous wine)
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