Empress Yang (Song dynasty) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Empress Gongsheng恭圣仁烈皇后 |
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| Empress of the Southern Song Dynasty | |||||
| Reign | 29 December 1202 – 17 September 1224 | ||||
| Predecessor | Empress Gongshu | ||||
| Successor | Empress Xie Daoqing | ||||
| Empress Dowager of the Southern Song Dynasty | |||||
| Reign | 17 September 1224 – 18 January 1233 | ||||
| Born | 30 June 1162 Kuaiji, Zhejiang, China |
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| Died | 18 January 1233 (aged 70) Lin'an, Zhejiang, China |
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| Burial | Yongmaoling (永茂陵) Shaoxing, Zhejiang |
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| Spouse | Emperor Ningzong | ||||
| Issue | Zhao Zeng Zhao Jiong |
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Empress Gongsheng (born June 30, 1162 – died January 18, 1233) was a very important empress in China's Song dynasty. Her family name was Yang. She was married to Emperor Ningzong. After his death, she helped rule the country as a co-regent with Emperor Lizong from 1224 until 1233. Empress Yang, sometimes known as Yang Meizi, is considered one of the most powerful empresses of the Song dynasty.
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Her Life Story
Empress Yang came from a place called Kuaiji. It is believed that she was the daughter of a musician named Zhang Shansheng. Her mother worked in the palace and was also an actress.
Yang Meizi, as she was known then, eventually came to the attention of the future Emperor Ningzong. She worked with a palace official to change her family history. She claimed to be the sister of an official named Yang Cishan. This is how she took the surname Yang. Many details about her early life are not fully clear. Some historians think facts might have been left out on purpose for political reasons.
For a long time, people thought Yang Meizi and Empress Yang were two different people. But recent studies show they were actually the same person! This discovery changed how historians understood her. It showed that Yang Meizi, who was once thought to care only about romance, was also a strong leader. Empress Yang, already respected, gained a more human side to her story.
Becoming Empress
In 1195, she married Zhao Kuang, who would become Emperor Ningzong. She was first given the title Lady of Pingle Commandery. Over the next few years, she received higher titles like jieyu, wanyi, and guifei.
In 1200, the empress at the time, Empress Gongshu, passed away. Both Beauty Cao and Yang were favorites of the emperor. Han Tuozhou, a powerful official, did not want Yang to become empress because he thought she was too ambitious. The Emperor planned a dinner to decide who would be the next empress. Yang cleverly let Beauty Cao have her dinner first. Then, Yang convinced the emperor to sign the order making her empress right at the table.
Han Tuozhou tried to stop the first order. He thought he had won. But Empress Yang then convinced the emperor to sign another order, and she became empress.
Empress Yang did not forget what Han Tuozhou had done. She tried to turn the emperor against him. Eventually, her ally Shi Miyuan helped remove Han Tuozhou from power in 1207. The emperor found out about the plan. However, Empress Yang asked him not to side with her rival, and the emperor agreed.
Her ally Shi Miyuan became a very high-ranking official. When Emperor Ningzong died in 1224, Shi Miyuan wanted to put a different prince, Zhao Yun, on the throne. Empress Yang first disagreed. But when Shi Miyuan made a serious threat to her family, she agreed. She helped create the official order that made Zhao Yun the new emperor, who reigned as Emperor Lizong.
Art and Poetry
Empress Yang was known for her love of art. She often worked with the famous court painter Ma Yuan. She was also a very talented calligrapher, which means she had beautiful handwriting. Her poems often appeared on Ma Yuan's paintings. These poems helped explain the artwork or added to its meaning. Today, some art historians value her poems even more than the paintings themselves. This is because they show the thoughts and feelings of the royal family.
Ma Yuan's paintings often showed nature mixed with people and buildings. Landscapes were not just backgrounds; they were important parts of the art. His work with Empress Yang often featured light, blossoms, bamboo, and mountains.
One famous example of their teamwork is Ma Yuan's Night Banquet. This painting shows a royal dinner. It has large mountains in the background and a palace below. Empress Yang's beautiful writing is placed above the palace. Her poem describes a warm summer night in Hangzhou, the capital city. Her poems often explored themes that challenged ideas about women's roles in her time. She showed that women could be noble and cultured leaders.
Empress Yang also wrote important notes on paintings by Xia Gui, another landscape painter. An art historian named John Hay said that before Empress Yang, no painting and writing were ever seen as such a close team.
Famous Inscriptions (Attributed)
Here are some artworks where Empress Yang is believed to have added her beautiful writing:
- Ma Yuan, Attending the Banquet by Lantern Light. Early 13th century.
- Ma Yuan, Apricot Blossoms. 12th century.
- Ma Lin, Layer upon Layer of Icy Tips. Dated 1216.
- Ma Yuan, Peach Blossoms.
- Ma Yuan, Dong shan Wading through Water, with a poem by Empress Yang. Early 13th century.
- Ma Yuan, Holding Wine Cups under the Moon. Late 12th to early 13th century.
- Ma Yuan, Twelve Scenes of Water. Dated 1222.
- Ma Yuan, Presenting Wine. Late 12th to early 13th century.
- Anonymous, Golden Blossoms of the Weeping Willow. 12th century.
Layer Upon Layer on Icy Tips
This painting is special because it was painted by Ma Lin, Ma Yuan's son, not Ma Yuan himself. It is a large hanging scroll, meant for public viewing. It shows two branches covered with white plum blossoms.
Empress Yang's poem for this painting describes the plum blossoms as beautiful and strong, able to stand against the winter cold. These qualities were ones she wanted to show about herself as a powerful empress.
Her handwriting style in this painting is different from her earlier works. It looks stronger and bolder. Some believe she was copying the style of a famous calligrapher from the Tang Dynasty, Yan Zhenqing. Using this "masculine" style of writing might also show her strong political goals in the Song court.
Ghostwriting
Empress Yang was known for being able to copy her husband Emperor Ningzong's handwriting perfectly. She sometimes used this skill for political reasons. It is thought that she might have used his handwriting to send out official "agreements" to remove her political rival, Han Tuozhou, from the palace. Rulers sometimes used ghostwriting to share their duties.
Poetry
Empress Yang was one of the most important poets of the Song dynasty. She wrote in a style called Shengping. This style focused on celebrating court life and wishing for a peaceful and rich world under the emperor's rule.
About fifty of her poems have survived. She is one of only four female poets from the Song Dynasty whose works are still known today, which makes her poems very valuable. Her poems often describe the beauty of the imperial court. They focus on the lives of the emperor and other court figures. They also celebrate the peace and stability of the Southern Song Dynasty from her view as an Empress.
Like her inscriptions on paintings, Empress Yang often used flowers or other natural things as symbols. For example, in one poem, she describes lotus flowers blooming. This is actually a way to talk about the lively peace of the imperial court:
The curtains of the water hall are hooked to the wind, the rich blossoms of the lotus flowers have reddened people's reflections. My Emperor have finished his song on the flowery strings, and all earthly annoyance have trickled away.
The first two lines describe the beautiful imperial garden. This shows the lively spirit of the royal family. The next two lines talk about the emperor's musical talent. This suggests the main idea of celebrating the harmony of the court and the love for art and learning.
Painting
Some experts believe that Empress Yang painted Holding Wine Cups under the Moon and Cherry Blossoms and Oriole. It is also widely thought that the Hundred Flowers Scroll, the oldest surviving painting by a female artist in Chinese art history, was painted by her. However, there is still some debate about this.
Empress Dowager and Regent
Because she helped him become emperor, Emperor Lizong asked Empress Yang to rule alongside him. She agreed and ruled with him until she died in 1233, eight years later. She chose Empress Xie Daoqing to be the new empress, even though many at court preferred another consort.
Empress Gongsheng received several higher titles as she got older. In 1226, she became Empress Dowager Shouming. In 1228, she was also named Empress Dowager Shoumingcirui. In 1231, she was given the even longer title of Empress Dowager Shoumingrenfucirui. She passed away in 1233 and was given the special name Gongshengrenlie after her death.
