Zhao Feiyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zhao Feiyan |
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| Empress consort of Western Han Dynasty | |||||
| Tenure | 13 July 16– April 7 BC | ||||
| Born | ？ BC | ||||
| Died | 1 BC | ||||
| Spouse | Emperor Cheng of Han | ||||
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Zhao Feiyan (Chinese: 趙飛燕, ? – September or October 1 BC), also known as Empress Xiaocheng (孝成皇后), was an empress during the Han Dynasty. She was married to Emperor Cheng. Zhao Feiyan was famous for her great beauty and her amazing dancing skills. She was known for being very slender, which was often compared to another famous beauty, Yang Guifei, who was known for being fuller.
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Early life
Zhao Feiyan's exact birth date is not known, but it is thought to be around 45 BC. Some historical stories say her personal name might have been Yi Zhu. Accounts suggest that her parents were very poor when she was born. They even left her for a few days, but when they saw she was still alive, they took her back and raised her. After her father died, she and her sister were adopted by a kind housekeeper named Zhao Lin. They took his family name, Zhao.
As she grew up, Zhao Feiyan became a dancing girl in the home of Princess Yang'a , who was Emperor Cheng's sister. She was given the name Feiyan, which means "flying swallow." This name suited her perfectly because she was so graceful and light when she danced, just like a flying swallow.
Becoming an Imperial Consort
Around 19 BC, Emperor Cheng visited Princess Yang'a's home. There, he met Zhao Feiyan and her sister, Hede. The Emperor was very impressed by their beauty. He brought both sisters to his palace, and they quickly became his favorite imperial consorts. An imperial consort was a high-ranking wife of the Emperor.
Emperor Cheng wanted Zhao Feiyan to become his new empress. However, his mother, Empress Dowager Wang, was not happy about this. She thought Zhao Feiyan came from a low family and used to be just a dancer. To help Zhao Feiyan's status, Emperor Cheng first made her father, Zhao Lin, a powerful noble called the Marquess of Chengyang. This made it easier for Zhao Feiyan to be seen as suitable for the role. On July 13, 16 BC, Zhao Feiyan officially became the empress.
Empress Consort
As the empress, Zhao Feiyan had a lot of power and wealth inside the palace. She also received great respect from everyone. After she became empress, her sister Hede also gained a very important title, "Zhaoyi," which was just one rank below the empress. The two sisters became very powerful in the palace.
Emperor Cheng was very troubled because he did not have any children who could become his heir. This was a big problem for the empire. In 9 BC, Emperor Cheng decided he needed to choose an heir. He considered his younger brother, Prince Liu Xing, or his nephew, Prince Liu Xin. Prince Liu Xin's grandmother, Consort Fu, gave many gifts to Empress Zhao, her sister Hede, and Emperor Cheng's uncle, Wang Gen. Because of this, Empress Zhao and Wang Gen spoke highly of Prince Liu Xin. On March 20, 8 BC, Emperor Cheng made Prince Liu Xin the crown prince, meaning he would be the next emperor.
Empress Dowager
When Emperor Cheng died in 7 BC, Crown Prince Xin became the new ruler, known as Emperor Ai. Because Empress Zhao had helped Prince Xin become the heir, Emperor Ai honored her with the title of empress dowager. An empress dowager is the mother or grandmother of the current emperor. However, Empress Zhao did not have much political power during Emperor Ai's reign.
Later, in 6 BC, a report was released that accused Zhao Hede, Empress Zhao's sister, of serious actions against other imperial consorts. After this report, Empress Dowager Zhao's family was sent away from the capital. The special titles given to her brother and nephew were also taken away. However, Empress Dowager Zhao herself was not punished. This was mainly because she had a good relationship with Emperor Ai's powerful grandmother, Consort Fu.
Death
In August 1 BC, Emperor Ai died. After his death, Grand Empress Dowager Wang took back power and made her nephew, Wang Mang, the new regent for the next emperor, Emperor Ping. Wang Mang wanted to remove anyone who had supported Emperor Ai. He had Empress Dowager Zhao demoted from her high position. A few months later, she was further demoted to a common person and ordered to guard her husband's tomb. She died shortly after this.
Inclusion in the Lienü zhuan
Zhao Feiyan's story is included in an important Confucian book called Biographies of Exemplary Women (Lienü Zhuan). This book was put together by the Han dynasty scholar Liu Xiang. Her biography is found in Scroll 9, which is titled Supplemental Biographies.
Images for kids
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Empress Zhao Feiyan
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A depiction of Zhao Feiyan
See also
In Spanish: Zhao Feiyan para niños
