Lady Wu (Qian Liu's wife) facts for kids

Lady Wu was an important woman in ancient China. She lived from 858 to 919 AD. Her husband was Qian Liu, who became the first king of a state called Wuyue. This was during a time in Chinese history known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Lady Wu was formally known as Lady Zhuangmu of Wuyue.

Early Life and Family

Lady Wu was born in the year 858. This was during the rule of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang. Her family came from a place called Anguo, which is now part of Hangzhou in Zhejiang, China. Her father was named Wu Zhongxin. He worked for a local governor in the Zhexi area.

Marriage to Qian Liu

We don't know the exact year Lady Wu married Qian Liu. But it happened before he became famous and powerful. At first, some people in her family didn't want her to marry Qian Liu. They thought he wasn't good at managing money or property.

However, Lady Wu's older uncle believed in Qian Liu's abilities. He agreed to the marriage. After they were married, Lady Wu was very good at running their home. She also showed great respect to Qian Liu's parents.

Qian Liu sometimes had a quick temper. Lady Wu often helped him calm down. She would give him gentle advice. She gave birth to 13 of Qian Liu's 38 sons. One of her sons was Qian Chuanying. However, Qian Yuanguan, who later became king, was not her son. He was the son of another woman, Lady Chen.

Lady Wu was kind to all of Qian Liu's children. She loved them as if they were her own. For example, in 902, Qian Yuanguan had to go live as a hostage with another powerful leader. Lady Wu was very sad and worried about his safety.

Life as a Royal Lady

As Qian Liu became more powerful, Lady Wu received higher titles. First, she was called Lady of Yan. Then, she became Lady of Jin. Finally, she was known as Lady Zhengde of Wuyue.

Lady Wu often visited a temple called Fengguo Temple. Qian Liu wanted to give her lots of silk to donate to the monks there. But Lady Wu told him that it was too expensive. She said the state could not afford such a high cost. So, she politely refused the silk.

Every spring, she also liked to visit Qian Liu's hometown. It was called Yijin Base, also near modern-day Hangzhou.

Lady Wu passed away in 919. At that time, Qian Liu was still ruling. He was a loyal leader to the Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen. After her death, Lady Wu was given a special honor. She received the posthumous name Zhuangmu. This name means "victorious and solemn."