EMPRESS LIU OF SONG (regency: 1020-1033)
THE GLORIAN POST (TGP)
INTRODUCTION
Upon death, Empress Liu was honoured posthumously as the Zhangxian Mingsu Empress
ARTICLE SECTION : WOMEN AND POWER
CHAPTER FOUR : EMPRESS LIU OF THE SONG DYNASTY.
Like Empress Wu Ze Tian who was China's only Female Emperor and Dowager Empress Cixi Imperial China's Last Effective Monarch who are famously known for having been the most powerful women in the history of Imperial China, there were strong predeccessors and successors throughout the Imperial dynasties in between that like them wielded tremendous power and took a significant stance in Political, social and economic affairs of the Imperial State and third to these two Greatest women was another remarkable, intelligent, beautiful and smart Empress Liu of the Song Dynasty of Imperial China who boasted a remarkable political acumen which tried to match up to the other two whom she existed between.
EMPRESS LIU
Empress Dowager of the Song Dynasty
Reign : 1022 -1033
Empress consort of the Song Dynasty
Reign : 1012-1022
Born : 969 probably Jiaozhou, Song Empire
: (modern Leshan, Sichuan, China)
Died : 1033 (aged 63–64)
: Kaifeng, Song Empire
: (modern Kaifeng, Henan, China)
Burial : Yongding Mausoleum (永定陵)
Spouse : Gong Mei
: Emperor Zhenzong of Song
Father : Liu Tong (劉通)
Mother : Lady Pang (龐)
LIU, THE NOBLE'S DAUGHTER
The young lady Liu was born to a fairly privileged Liu Clan family to a fair young Lady Pang and handsome Lord Liu Tong, however she was still young when after coming into the world she was orphaned at a tender age and as the paternal line of Succession excluded her, she was raised by a set of maternal relatives who had the best they could offer to her as basic education in music, dance and drama as it was remarked that the sound of her voice alone brought life and with the hand drums she conjured the beat of the universe.
A Noble's Daughter with rather limited privileges grew up to be graceful and beautiful, with fine skin and figure, her charm was one which greatly made her a gem in the eyes of men.
Her struggling relatives for survival had her engaged and she was first married to Gong Mei (龔美), a silversmith who had a reasonable fortune and would best serve as her access to what would be the place of her destiny.
Her husband took her to the capital Kaifeng where the Imperial Court of the Song Dynasty sat and as it was that she'd been a rural girl with a very fair education background, she was wise and intelligent as she'd taken her own interest in cultivating her calligraphy skills.
The young Lady Liu growing fairer and fairer everyday in 983, she entered the palace of prince Zhao Yuanxiu who was one of the emperor's sons and according to anecdotes in historian Sima Guang's Sushui Jiwen, Gong Mei allegedly sold Lady Liu out of poverty, probably first to Zhang Qi (張耆), an official in the prince's palace who taking her in upon her arrival, her heavenly charm itself touched him sparking for him what was a love at first sight.
JEWEL OF THE PALACE
LADY LIU, THE FAIR
The 15-year-old Prince Zhao Yuanxiu was greatly enamored of the 14-year-old entertainer whose dancing in his eyes was close to that of the heavenly goddess and the grace and violence with which she moved her arms made her most expressive, her voice alone left the young Prince awed and letter the young Lady became his greatest relief and that alone conjured for her the greatest form of favour she'd ever needed.
While Lady Liu blossomed in the young Prince's eyes, once, the emperor remarked that his son was getting "listless and thinner", and Zhao Yuanxiu's strict wet nurse, apparently hating Lady Liu's likely crude behaviors, promptly blamed her in front of the emperor as it seemed that she'd had all his attention which made him forego his own wellbeing the Fair Lady Liu was forced to leave the palace yet his son charmed even his father's order he was most willing to defy for the very woman he dearly loved.
The Emperor convinced that she was well handled relaxed his guard but prior to his knowledge the prince kept her at the house of Zhang Qi, who begrudgingly accepted her only after receiving 500 ounces of silver for the construction of a separate residence, so as to circumvent the emperor's order and in so doing with that protection she often cultivated her liberal talents of poetry, calligraphy, History and philosophy which she studied and as time went on eventually in 997, her greatest barrier was struck following the death of the Emperor and at the time her secret lover the Prince Zhao Heng, became the Emperor Zhenzong of Song.
EMPEROR ZHENGZONG OF SONG
THE EMPEROR'S WOMAN
VIRTUOS CONSORT LIU
Returning to the new Emperor Zhenzong's side, Lady Liu was given the title of "Beautiful One" (美人) in 1004 where her political career could have virtually began as she proved herself very excellent and formidable when discussing politics with her husband, he had no reason to feel bored as comfort was there at the same time.
Lady Liu determined to rule over the harem as there was already an Empress and Official Consort of the Emperor, she facing that competition used her wit which made her intentions very clear and sharpened her ambition to rival the Empress'
Empress Guo then perished untimely in 1007 and perhaps creating the vacuum that she needed that the young Lady Liu decided to effect her influence on the young Emperor
The Emperor Zhenzong used to the company of Lady Liu after long he further promoted her to "Cultivated Deportment" (修儀) in 1009. As Empress Guo had died in 1007 and the emperor wanted to make Lady Liu empress, he gave in after strong ministerial opposition.
It had been seen much earlier on and realised that Lady Liu was ambitious and considering the fact that she was already the Emperor's favourite, after successive fatal incidents in which favourites such as Empress Jia Nanfeng, Empress Wu Ze Tian, Empress Wei, Consort Yang had come to wield immense power in the History of Imperial China, Courtiers became most fearful of Imperial Favorites and women who had a hint of ambition in them and unlikely for Lady Liu, the memory of Wu Ze Tian, a climax that was never reached again still fresh in the minds of the Song Courtiers, she was held back but still proved to be unwavering in her quest.
In 1010, one of Lady Liu's servants, Lady Li, gave birth to a son, borne by the emperor. Already in her 40s and childless, Lady Liu adopted the infant and cared for him like her own.
Her act of grace won her the Emperor's favour and in 1012 she was created the Virtuous Consort Liu (劉德妃) having a reasonable influence and running the Inner Court with internal resistance curbed it was only a matter of time and a few months later the Courtiers still fearful of her while some had curried her favour, she'd established a clout in the Imperial Court which supporting her that same year, the Virtuous Consort Liu most favoured by her husband she was named the Empress Consort Liu of Song.
EMPRESS CONSORT LIU OF SONG
Empress Liu was described as naturally alert and perceptive, with a good judgement and an ability to make quick decisions, she led a most versatile mind with the capability of swinging from one extreme to another though stubborn as she was she never let the influence of the Courtiers get to her and to prove many of them wrong in their perception of her, she started by giving them the ideal Empress they'd always wanted.
Empress Liu in handling the palace affairs as empress started by reforming the Imperial harem which is considered to have been most peaceful in her time, on many occasions it was noted the palace was never out of order and her grace flawless with which she was a formidable example to the real conduct expected of Imperial women.
She naturally boasted not too many enemies and though suppressing her ambition she altered it not and the best example of this was when she started reviewing Imperial memorials more oftenly which widened her understanding of state affairs and she also learned enough to be able to understand and discuss them with the emperor on a series of occassions she was by his side bringing up solutions and even in the bedroom he wasn't ashamed to discuss politics with her.
Being very smart and intelligent a woman consequently she sought to establish friendly relations with High Rankin Courtiers and those are at the bottom of the political ladder eventually she consolidated a large number of powerful supporters who in her eight year Reign as Empress Consort were key in consolidating her position.
Emperor Zhenzong not long after his ascension he became ill and there with a few episodes understanding how smart his wife was and most fearful of other very powerful Courtiers it made him trust Empress Liu with political tasks during his illness and within the Royal Chambers as she still restrained herself moreso to protect his image but virtually she became his very political conscience.
THE REIGN EFFICIENT, THE MONARCH DIGNIFIED
EMPRESS REGENT LIU
In accordance with the Han traditions which were subsequently inherited in the successive dynasties of Imperial China where in the event of the reigning Emperor being sick, young or incapacitated, in most cases where the wife was capable she ruled officially as a Regent on his behalf until the Emperor recovered or he was finally of age.
This political standard was manipulated by very many Empress Consorts and Dowager Empresses most famously Wu Ze Tian to wield immense political power and also pull the strings in Court and being ambitious, the fair smart and intelligent Empress Liu herself wasn't an exception to this incident.
In 1020, Emperor Zhenzong's illness worsened and at the time as a de facto ruler, Empress Liu who unashamed she made her first appearance in the Imperial Court, By this time, the Empress was already established as power behind the throne and handled the All affairs of state. Her shocking appearance leaving the Courtiers intrigued, she still exhibited the best conduct befitting of an Emperor and her husband's image survived while taking on a somewhat independent political mould with which juggling favour, ambition and tradition being most mindful of what she did, she maneuvered any kind of temptation that aimed at drawing a linkage of herself to the much demonized Empress Wu Ze Tian.
Empress Liu determined to be efficient in any possible way left her husband as the sole dignified institution and maintain her own order, she was to rule officially as Powerful empress and unofficially as regent of China and the start of it all was taking the fashion of her predeccessors when she started to draft, issue and pass Imperial Edicts.
As it was for the Emperor to supervise such activities, Empress Liu seemed rather direct in her governance and often used the excuse of relieving the ailing Emperor of his stressful duties and rendering everything most simple to him.
As it was that she seemed trusted by her husband, for the two remaining years of his life and unable to handle the affairs of state he entirely had his health as a more pressing issue so the somewhat dictatorial nature of Empress Liu and her independent thought of state welfare mildly paralleled by Courtiers justified her absolute reign until her husband's death in 1022.
PROTECTOR OF THE SON OF HEAVEN AND COMMANDER OF THE IMPERIAL CHOIR
DOWAGER EMPRESS REGENT LIU
In 1022 after Empress Liu's husband the Emperor Zhenzong succumbed to his sickness, automatically in front of his coffin, he was succeeded by his twelve year old son who became the Song Dynasty's Emperor Renzong, being only twelve years old and thereby not of legal majority for another five years, as emperors were considered to be of legal majority at the age of seventeen in Ancient China, the Efficient Empress Liu's regency was far from an end that she chose to step in as a way of ensuring a safer transition of power and guarding the Late, her husband's last will.
The Empress Dowager Liu now openly and officially assumed more power as regent of China during his minority while taking herself as the Protector of the Son of Heaven, She enjoyed all the Imperial prerogatives most befitting of an Emperor though maintaining some physical elements of a regency that is to say she held court (with the child emperor by her side) though he didn't see to any decisions and she wasn't cut out for the screen as well in her early governance which was the most significant image that pertained to the virtual rule by a Regent.
Empress Liu even had her birthday celebrated with special names in most cases it was an even grander occassion than the young Emperor's though still showing some respect she had him honoured there as well.
Her political power became most significant when in the Song Dynasty Foreign policy of her regency, Empress Liu had envoys sent in her own name and to show her prowess and reign to the social aspects she even attended to the holy plowing ceremony and the imperial ancestral worship, all of which was normally only done by a ruling emperor in accordance with Han traditions which was a likely reference to what the Tang Dynasty's Empress Wu Ze Tian had done.
As a very powerful regent she became the second woman in Chinese history to wear the imperial robes which were designated for an EMPEROR after Wu Zetian, the only Empress regnant in Chinese history and at the same time also the only woman in Chinese history to issue imperial decrees after Empress Lu Zhi of Han and Empress Wu.
As a politician, Empress Liu has been described as a competent regent an had Wu Ze Tian existed as a positive figure she would have manipulated that as well given that her fashion seemed no different from her much more powerful predeccessor and while she seemed more determined to wield immense power, the best example was when she idolized herself as the Sacred Heavenly deity the Queen Mother of the West.
This was perhaps the greatest justification to her ambition and also the fact that she was not a virtual Sovereign but indirectly an absolute one as the young Emperor possesed no religious power except for the title of Son of Heaven, it's real power and will was in the hands of his foster mother which at the time he was most unaware of believing that she was his real mother.
Reportedly, Empress Liu had the ability to appoint able officials and discharge unable ones in Court, to listen, accept and sometime adhere to criticism despite being of a fierce temperament which she was known for and that consequently reformed the Song Dynasty government and ushered in a new fashion of regency which became most dominant in the Song.
Eventually, though being very much an able ruler as cited by Sima Guang who was an anti feminist Courtier of his time, she was however criticized for her absolutism having usurped the Imperial ceremonies and had herself worshiped as if she were an emperor given that all religious power of the monarch was centralized to herself alone and because she appointed her relatives to high offices, because they were of a poor background and considered vulgar.
As it didn't seem of an issue the type of political hysteria she aroused, famously, when she once asked an official on his opinion of the much demonized Empress Wu Ze Tian, he replied saying, “She was a Tang criminal who nearly destroyed the dynasty!” To this the Empress responded with silence as the topic left unanswered it could be alleged that she disagreed but dared not say a word but still it left many to think that perhaps she too had desired to inherit a similar glory but was unwilling perhaps to have her name historically profaned like the former.
In another intriguing dramatic moment she showed her proper rejection of the Tang usurper when another official presented her with a very beautiful painting of Wu Zetian visiting her ancestral temples, in the most absolute fit of rage Empress Liu threw the painting on the floor perhaps to draw a distinction between herself and her predeccessor physically yet perhaps secretly it was a move she'd use to her own advantage given that to the surprise of many, she continued to wield more and more power just as Empress Wu Ze Tian had.
Eventually, when the young Emperor Renzong was finally seventeen years of age, the Courtiers had always thought that it was the right time and expected her regency to be terminated but very much to their surprise as Empress Liu had prepared for something of the sort much earlier, comparison to the past records implied that it was still necessary for a regent to hold power and as the young Emperor Renzong still proved somewhat incapable and still adjusting to the official duties or rather it was the Dowager Empress Liu's excuse to extend her regency.
Nevertheless, the proposal to end her regency was overruled and manipulating everything to her advantage, she still wielded so much more power than the Emperor himself and continued her regency that time around the only thing changing being the presence of a lowered screen when in Court until her death in 1033.
As it seemed that nothing more changed her vast power at one time had demanded that her carriage leads the Emperor's in procession which on one occassion happening, she willingly withdrew it another though certain the impact itself had already been done.
The Last dramatic event as the climax of her story is that when she died, she left instructions that Consort Yang who was her closest ally in the inner Court and foreseer to matters of the Imperial harem while she was busy with state affairs was to succeed her as the regent of the emperor, but the Emperor himself finally free to exercise and build his own image and political clout out of her shadow refused to honor her will to the support of some other Officials who were rather afraid of another Empress Wu Ze Tian.
This indication alone was enough to have labelled the ambition of this cunning, scheming, smart and shrewd Empress and moreso create her the song Dynasty feminist existing in a more positive light than the Empress Wu Ze Tian that her image redeemed reigns led by female Royals throughout Imperial China in the latter years and also less than a century after her death.
LEGACY
Empress Liu who passed on in 1033 in Kaifeng, Song Empire (modern Kaifeng, Henan, China) and she was buried in the Yongding Mausoleum next to her Emperor husband but at the time of her death, the Song Dynasty under her governance had prospered and was much stronger than ever before with an excellent foreign policy and the nation itself internally a rich sturdy one.
Thanks to the redeeming reign of Empress Liu, female regents throughout the rest of Imperial China were justified once again, an image that Wu Ze Tian had tarnished upon being to her and it's primarily the reason why throughout the song Dynasty, Empresses Gao, Wu, Li, Yang and four Dowager Empress Regents were able to wield so much political power during their husbands reigns and their regencies.
Further more, her fashion instigated the Yuan Empresses Chabi, Dagi, Kokojin, Budashiri and Ki to also wield immense power in Court and perhaps her Greatest legacy was the Dowager Empress Cixi who being the last effective monarch of the Imperial China was the last stitch in the design of female regencies.
Thanks to Empress Liu's wisdom, she guarded the Song Empire from foreign invasion throughout her regime and becomes one of the best examples of justified successful female reigns also portraying the equal capabilities of women attaining unprecedented success being no different from men as well.
She was and is the perfect example of beauty blended with wisdom, insight and a persevering and manipulative mind which was able to usher in some of the most glorious age for the Song Dynasty which made women in power sometimes a centre of political worship though unclear whether being like Wu Ze Tian was something in which she succeeded, it can be alleged that in the history of China, she was the fourth most powerful woman and the first positive example of them.
EMPRESS LIU, THE ETERNAL MEMORY
(章獻明肅皇后)
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