Empress Jia Nanfeng – Reexamining the life of one of China’s most notorious, villainous, and wanton Empresses

Empress Jia Nanfeng was one of China’s most infamous empresses.^[1] She was the first empress of Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty. Ancient historians have called her a “butcher”^[2] and a “tyrant.”^[3] They have also portrayed her as “jealous, cruel, licentious, and a usurper of imperial authority.”^[4] However, modern historians have recently started to attempt to rehabilitate her reputation.^[5] They portray her as a powerful woman who was capable of running state affairs.^[6] Historians believe that ancient chroniclers destroyed the Empress’s reputation in order to ensure that a woman would never be able to rule again.^[7]

In 257 C.E., Empress Jia Nanfeng was born in Xiangling District in Pingyang Commandery (modern-day Linfen in Shaanxi Province).^[8] Her father was Jia Chong, who was a prominent official in Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty’s court.^[9] Her mother was Lady Guo.^[10] Jia Nanfeng had two older brothers who died in infancy.^[11] She had a younger sister named Jia Wu.^[12]

In 272 C.E., the imperial selection for the wife of the Crown Prince Sima Zhong took place.^[13] Emperor Wu wanted Wei Guan’s daughter to be the Crown Prince’s wife.^[14] However, Lady Guo bribed Empress Yang Yan for Jia Nanfeng to marry the Crown Prince.^[15] Empress Yang Yan eventually persuaded Emperor Wu to choose Jia Nanfeng.^[16] Therefore, Jia Nanfeng married Crown Prince Sima Zhong. She was fifteen years old.^[17]

Crown Prince Sima Zhong had an intellectual disability, and Emperor Wu often doubted his ability to rule.^[18] One day, Emperor Wu decided to test his son’s ability to rule by asking him to write an essay for him.^[19] Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng hired a scribe to write an essay for her husband, and Crown Prince Sima Zhong copied it.^[20] Emperor Wu was pleased with his son’s essay and allowed him to keep his position as Crown Prince.^[21]

It was said that Crown Prince Sima Zhong did not care for Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng’s physical appearance.^[22] Instead, he preferred his imperial concubines.^[23] It was said that Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng murdered her husband’s pregnant imperial concubines.^[24] These rumours reached Emperor Wu’s ears that he wanted to remove her from her position as Crown Princess.^[25] However, Empress Yang Zhi intervened on Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng’s behalf.^[26] Emperor Wu then dropped the matter of removing Jia Nanfeng as the Crown Princess.^[27]

Empress Yang Zhi often scolded Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng and instructed her to change her behaviour.^[28] Empress Yang Zhi’s scoldings caused Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng to hate her.^[29] Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng eventually gave birth to four daughters.^[30] Her first daughter was named Imperial Princess Aixian (which meant “Lamentably Sacrificed”^[31]), who died young.^[32] Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng’s other three daughters were Princess Hedong, Princess Linhai, and Princess Shiping.^[33] Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng had no sons.^[34]

On 16 May 290 C.E., Emperor Wu died. Sima Zhong ascended the throne as Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty. Jia Nanfeng was invested as Empress of China. Empress Dowager Yang Zhi’s father became Regent for Emperor Hui. In 291 C.E., Empress Jia Nanfeng launched a military coup headed by her brother-in-law, Prince Sima Wei, against Yang Jun.^[35] Yang Jun was killed when they set his mansion on fire.^[36] Empress Jia Nanfeng accused Empress Dowager Yang Zhi of treason.^[37] She stripped the Empress Dowager of her royal titles.^[38] She imprisoned the former Empress Dowager in a detention facility outside the capital and ordered her jailers to starve her.^[39] Empress Dowager Yang Zhi died of starvation.^[40]

After the palace coup of 291 C.E., Empress Jia Nanfeng became the unofficial ruler of the Jin Dynasty.^[41] She instructed Prince Sima Wei to kill many important court ministers and princes of the Jin Dynasty.^[42] After her opponents were eliminated, Empress Jia Nanfeng accused Prince Sima Wei of treason and had him executed.^[43] Thus, Empress Jia Nanfeng consolidated her power in the Jin court.^[44] Her most loyal supporters were Zhang Hua and Pei Wei.^[45]

It was said that Empress Jia Nanfeng was sexually unsatisfied with her intellectually disabled husband.^[46] She felt that as Empress, she could have as many lovers as she wanted.^[47] She often had her servants choose many handsome, young men and bring them to the palace.^[48] Once they arrived, she forced them to make love to her.^[49] After their lovemaking, she would kill them.^[50]

Empress Jia Nanfeng did let one of her lovers go.^[51] He was a low-ranking official, and she really liked him because of his physical appearance.^[52] She gave him luxurious clothes that must have come from the palace.^[53] The other courtiers thought that he had robbed the palace.^[54] They arrested him, and he confessed to his affair with Empress Jia Nanfeng.^[55]

Shortly after Empress Jia Nanfeng’s lover’s confession, one of the Empress’s daughters fell ill.^[56] Empress Jia Nanfeng was afraid that one of her murdered lovers would haunt and kill her daughter.^[57] Therefore, she declared a general amnesty throughout the Jin Dynasty.^[58] Modern historians are beginning to doubt whether Empress Jia Nanfeng was truly sexually promiscuous.^[59] This is because ancient historical accounts usually portray powerful women as wanton.^[60] Therefore, this story was meant to portray Empress Jia Nanfeng as “greedy, lustful, and superstitious.”^[61]

Empress Jia Nanfeng did not produce an heir to the Jin Dynasty.^[62] Therefore, the Crown Prince was Sima Yu (Emperor Hui’s son, whom he had with Imperial Consort Xie).^[63] However, Empress Jia Nanfeng hated him and wanted to make her nephew the Crown Prince.^[64] One day, in 299 C.E., Empress Jia Nanfeng got Crown Prince Sima Yu drunk and forced him to sign a letter that indicated treasonous intent against his father.^[65] She then gave the letter to Emperor Hui. Emperor Hui deposed Crown Prince Sima Yu.^[66] Then, Empress Jia Nanfeng ordered her supporters to beat Prince Sima Yu.^[67] Prince Sima Yu was so beaten that he died “with a drug pestle while he was using the toilet.”^[68] He was twenty-three years old.^[69] Empress Jia Nanfeng also had Sima Yu’s mother, Imperial Consort Xie, killed.^[70]

The death of Crown Prince Sima Yu caused the imperial court to turn against Empress Jia Nanfeng.^[71] Even her most loyal supporters, Zhang Hua and Pei Wei, began to be disturbed by her ruthless actions.^[72] Therefore, the imperial members of the Sima clan believed that Empress Jia Nanfeng must be eliminated.^[73] On 7 May 300 C.E., Prince Sima Lun entered the royal palace.^[74] In front of Empress Jia Nanfeng, he demanded her arrest. ^[75]

Empress Jia Nanfeng said to him, “If there is such an edict, it must have come from me!”^[76] Then, she confronted Emperor Hui and said, “Your majesty has a wife. If you remove her, then you have just removed yourself!”^[77] Then, Empress Jia Nanfeng asked Prince Sima Lun who instructed him to arrest her.^[78] After Prince Sima Lun explained why he was arresting her, Empress Jia Nanfeng said, “The neck of a dog should be tied when it is captured, and that originally its tail was tied, so I just had such an end”[79].

Overcome with emotion, Empress Jia Nanfeng ran out of her palace and cried.^[80] Prince Sima Lun, who was behind her, ordered her arrest.^[81] On that same day, Jia Nanfeng was officially deposed as empress.^[82] On 13 May 300 C.E., Jia Nanfeng died by being forced to drink wine “with flakes of gold.”^[83]. Jia Nanfeng’s sister and her supporters were executed.^[84]

Empress Jia Nanfeng was empress for ten years. During her time as empress, she was the unofficial ruler of the Jin Dynasty.^[85] Empress Jia Nanfeng was a talented politician.^[86] She was able to hold her own “in a male-dominated world of imperial politics.”^[87] She helped keep her intellectually disabled husband on the throne and managed to keep the Jin Dynasty intact.^[88] Emperor Hui was forced to abdicate less than a year after her death.^[89] His abdication caused the Sima princes to battle for the Jin throne, which is known in history as The Battle of the Eight Princes.^[90] These events proved that the Jin Dynasty made a fatal mistake in executing Empress Jia Nanfeng.^[91] It is sad that her reputation has been tarnished for thousands of years.^[92] Yet, modern historians are slowly restoring her legacy and are focusing on her accomplishments.^[93] They now consider her to be one of China’s greatest empresses.^[94]

Sources:

Farmer, J. M. (2015). “Jia Nanfeng, Empress of Emperor Hui of Jin”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E.. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 302-307.

McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.

Ping, S. (2010). The Feudal Empresses of Ancient China (English Edition). Beijing, China: China Intercontinental Press.