Empress Zhang Yan

Full name
	Zhang Yan
Posthumous name
	Empress Xiao Hui (孝惠皇后)

Zhang Yan
Zhang Yan
	Empress of Han Dynasty
Reign	192 BC – 188 BC
Predecessor	Empress Lü
Successor	Empress Lü (Houshao)
Born	Zhang Yan; 210 BC
Died	163 BC (aged 46–47)
Spouse	Emperor Hui of Han
Full name
	Zhang Yan
Posthumous name
	Empress Xiao Hui (孝惠皇后)
Father	Zhang Ao, Prince of Zhao
Mother	Princess Yuan of Lu

Zhang Yan (traditional Chinese: 張嫣; simplified Chinese: 张嫣; pinyin: Zhāng Yān; died 163 BC), known formally as Empress Xiaohui (孝惠皇后) was an empress during the Han Dynasty. She was the daughter of Princess Yuan of Lu (the only daughter of Emperor Gao (Liu Bang) and his wife Empress Lü) and her husband Zhang Ao (張敖, son of Zhang Er), the Prince of Zhao and later Marquess of Xuanping.

Biography

In 192 BC, at the insistence of then-Empress Dowager Lü, Lady Yan married her uncle Emperor Hui, the son of Emperor Gao and Empress Dowager Lü, and she was created empress. The marriage was a childless one. At Empress Dowager Lü's instruction, Empress Zhang took several male children as her own and killed their mothers. (Whether these children were Emperor Hui's is a matter of controversy, although it appears likely that they were Emperor Hui's children by his concubines.)

When Emperor Hui died in 188 BC at the age of 22, one of the children that Empress Zhang adopted became emperor (as Emperor Qianshao), but Grand Empress Dowager Lü had effective total control of the imperial government. Empress Zhang, was not made empress dowager as this title was retained by Empress Dowager Lü who never claimed the title Grand Empress Dowager and did not appear to have significant influence. Nevertheless, when Emperor Qianshao found out in 184 BC that he was not actually her child, he made a careless comment that he would take vengeance on her—at which Empress Dowager Lü had him deposed and executed, and replaced him with his brother Liu Hong (as Emperor Houshao), who was also adopted by Empress Zhang. It was during Emperor Qianshao's reign that Empress Zhang's brother Zhang Yan (張偃, pinyin Zhāng Yǎn—notice difference in tone) was created the Prince of Lu.

After Empress Dowager Lü died in 180 BC, and the Lü clan overthrown and slaughtered by the officials opposed to the Lüs in the Lü Clan Disturbance, Emperor Houshao was deposed and killed. Empress Zhang was not killed, but she was put under house arrest in a palace to the north after being deposed from her position as empress and henceforth referred to as Empress Hui. Her brother, the Prince of Lu, was also deposed and reduced in rank to Marquess of Nangong. After this no records exist of her later life until her death.[1] Empress Zhang died in 163 BC and was buried with her husband of merely four years.

Family

Maternal great-grandfather: Liu Taigong
Paternal grandfather: Zhang Er, Prince Jin of Zhao
Maternal grandfather/father-in-law: Emperor Gaozu of Han
Maternal grandmother/mother-in-law: Empress Lü Zhi
Uncle/Husband: Emperor Hui of Han
Father: Zhang Ao, Prince of Zhao and Marquis of Xuanping
Mother: Princess Yuan of Lu
Brother: Zhang Yan, Prince Yuan of Lu and Marquis of Nangong
Brother: Zhang Shou, Marquis of Lechang
Adopted son: Emperor Qianshao
Adopted son: Liu Qiang, Prince Huai of Huaiyang
Adopted son: Liu Buyi, Prince Ai of Hengshan
Adopted son: Liu Hong, Emperor Houshao
Adopted son: Liu Zhao, Prince of Hengshan
Adopted son: Liu Wu, Prince of Huaiyang
Adopted son: Liu Tai, Prince of Liang

Titles

Tomb of Emperess Zhang Yan in Anling (安陵), in Xianyang, Shaanxi

210–192 BC: Princess Zhang Yan of Zhao
192–188 BC: Empress of China
188–163 BC: Empress Xiaohui

Notes

Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D. (2007). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese women: Antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E-618 C.E.. M.E. Sharpe, Inc. p. 242.

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References

Lee, Lily Xiao Hong & Stefanowska, A.D. (2007). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese women: Antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E-618 C.E. M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Lü Zhi	Empress of Western Han Dynasty 192 BC – 188 BC	Succeeded by Empress Lü

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[1] Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D. (2007). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese women: Antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E-618 C.E.. M.E. Sharpe, Inc. p. 242.