Empress Lü Zhi
Lü Zhi (241 BC - 180 BC), style name E'xu (Chinese: 娥姁; pinyin: É'xǔ), commonly known as Empress Lü (simplified Chinese: 吕后; traditional Chinese: 呂后; pinyin: Lǚ Hòu) and Empress Dowager Lü (simplified Chinese: 吕太后; traditional Chinese: 呂太后; pinyin: Lǚ Tàihòu), or formally Empress Gao of Han (simplified Chinese: 汉高后; traditional Chinese: 漢高后; pinyin: Hàn Gāo Hòu), was the empress consort of Emperor Gaozu (or Emperor Gao), the founder and first ruler of the Han Dynasty. They had two known children, Liu Ying (later Emperor Hui of Han) and Princess Yuan of Lu (魯元公主). After Emperor Gaozu's death, she was honoured as Empress Dowager (皇太后) and later as Grand Empress Dowager (太皇太后) respectively during the short reigns of Emperor Hui and his successors Liu Gong (Emperor Qianshao) and Liu Hong (Emperor Houshao).
Less than a year after Emperor Hui's accession to the throne in 194 BC, Lü Zhi had Concubine Qi (one of the late Emperor Gaozu's consorts), whom she deeply hated, put to death in a cruel manner. She also had Concubine Qi's son Liu Ruyi poisoned to death. Emperor Hui was shocked by his mother's cruelty and fell sick for a year, and thereafter no longer became involved in state affairs. Lü Zhi dominated the political scene for 15 years until her death in 180 BC.
Read more about Empress Lü Zhi: Family Background and Marriage To Liu Bang, Life During The Chu–Han Contention, As Empress, As Empress Dowager, As Grand Empress Dowager, Death, Evaluation, Family
Famous quotes containing the word empress:
“The Empress is Legitimist, my cousin is Republican, Morny is Orleanist, I am a socialist; the only Bonapartist is Persigny, and he is mad.”
—Napoleon Bonaparte III (1808–1873)