Empress Wulie – The frontier matriarch of the Three Kingdoms

Empress Wulie was the posthumous Empress of the posthumous Emperor Sun Jian.^[1] She was never an empress during her lifetime.^[2] Her son, Sun Quan, declared himself Emperor of the Wu kingdom.^[3] He honoured his mother by making her a posthumous Empress.^[4] Empress Wulie lived during the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era.^[5] During this period, the Eastern Han Dynasty was weak due to peasant uprisings and internal politics.^[6] Thus, China would be broken into three kingdoms.^[7] They were Wei, Shu, and Wu.^[8] Empress Wulie would be the posthumous Empress of Wu.^[9]

In circa 158 C.E., Empress Wulie was born in Wu (which is near modern-day Suzhou, Jiangsu Province).^[10] Her personal name is unknown, but she came from the Wu family.^[11] Her family moved to Qiantang, and she grew up there.^[12] Her parents’ names are unknown, and they died when she was young.^[13] She was raised by her extended family.^[14] She had a younger brother named Wu Jing.^[15] In Qiantang, the Wu family enjoyed a prominent status.^[16]

In 174 C.E., a nineteen-year-old military soldier named Sun Jian asked her to marry him.^[17] Her family initially rejected him because they thought of him as “an idle, coarse fellow.”^[18] However, Lady Wu wanted to marry him.^[19] She said that “she would take full responsibility if the marriage turned out to be a disaster.”^[20] Thus, her family finally agreed to let Lady Wu marry Sun Jian.^[21] The marriage was said to be very happy.^[22] Lady Wu had four sons.^[23] They were Sun Ce (born in 175 C.E.), Sun Quan (born in 182 C.E.), Sun Yi (born in 184 C.E.), and Sun Kuang (born in circa 190 C.E.).^[24] In circa 189 C.E., Lady Wu bore a daughter named Lady Sun.^[25]

In 184 C.E., Sun Jian and his family moved to Shouchin (modern-day Shouxin in Anhui Province).^[26] Once he arrived, Sun Jian stopped the Yellow Turban Peasant Rebellion.^[27] In 186 C.E., they moved to Luoyang, where he was made the Grand Administrator.^[28] In 190 C.E., Sun Jian fought against General Dong Zhuo, who wanted to usurp the Han Dynasty.^[29] During the war against Dong Zhuo, Lady Wu and her children were sent to live in Shu (located west of modern-day Lujiang in Anhui Province).^[30] Her eldest son, Sun Ce, struck up a friendship with General Zhou Yu.^[31]

Lady Wu’s husband, Sun Jian, joined his army with Yuan Shu (a strong supporter of the Imperial Han family).^[32] In 191 C.E., Sun Jian captured Luoyang.^[33] Sun Jian was killed later that year.^[34] Lady Wu received his body and buried him at Qu’e in Danyang Commandery (modern-day Danyang District in Jiangsu Province).^[35] Lady Wu and her children then moved to Jiangdu County in Guanling Commandery (located south of modern-day Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province).^[36]

In 193 C.E., Sun Ce took command of his father’s troops.^[37] He joined forces with his uncle, Wu Jing.^[38] They captured Liyang (located in modern-day Anhui Province).^[39] Eventually, they conquered the region of Jiangdong.^[40] This region would later be the Kingdom of Wu, which Lady Wu’s son, Emperor Sun Quan, would rule.^[41] Once they captured the region, Lady Wu and her family moved to Jiangdong and settled there.^[42]

Lady Wu was said to have greatly influenced her son, Sun He.^[43] She often gave him good advice.^[44] In 196 C.E., Sun Ce captured Wang Sheng.^[45] He was Lady Wu’s former suitor and the grand administrator of Hepu Commandery.^[46] He decided to execute him.^[47] However, Lady Wu intervened on his behalf.^[48] She said:

“Wang Sheng was courting me at the same time as your father. Now all of his sons and brothers are dead and this old man alone remains. Why should you be afraid of him?”^[49]

Sun He listened to her pleas.^[50] He spared Wang Sheng.^[51] Another official named Wei Teng was about to be executed because he disagreed with Sun Ce.^[52] His officials pleaded for Sun Ce to spare him, but he refused.^[53] Finally, Lady Wu intervened on his behalf.^[54] She said:

“You are building a position at the south of the Yangzi, and the work is not yet done. This is the very time you should treat your worthy men well and be courteous to your officers, passing over their thoughts and thinking only of their good work. Officer Wei was simply doing his duty. If you kill him today, everyone will turn from you tomorrow. Rather than see such a disaster come upon us, I would first jump into this well.”^[55]

Sun Ce was impressed with Lady Wu’s words.^[56] He spared Wei Teng.^[57] In 200 C.E., Sun Ce died. Sun Quan took control of the Jiangdong region.^[58] She heavily influenced her son and gave him good advice.^[59] She often consulted with him on state affairs.^[60] She persuaded Sun Quan not to send any hostages to the powerful warlord, Cao Cao.^[61] Lady Wu died in 202 C.E.^[62] She was buried at Gaoling alongside her husband, Sun Jian, who was reburied there.^[63] 

On 23 May 229 C.E., Sun Quan declared himself Emperor of the Wu kingdom.^[64] Emperor Sun Quan made his father, Sun Jian, the posthumous Emperor Wulie of the Wu Kingdom.^[65] Lady Wu was made Sun Jian’s posthumous Empress.^[66] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Wulie.^[67] Her son, Sun He, was made the posthumous Prince Huan of Changsa.^[68]

Empress Wulie lived a very turbulent life.^[69] She witnessed the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty.^[70] Her husband, Sun Jian, died in battle.^[71] She also advised her two sons on political matters.^[72] She saved the lives of two men and persuaded Sun Quan not to send any hostages to Cao Cao.^[73] It is not surprising that historians have described Empress Wulie as a “frontier matriarch.”^[74]

Sources:

Chen, S., & Pei, S. (1999). Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou’s Records of the Three States with Pei Songzhi’s Commentary. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press.

Ching-Chung, P. (2015). “Wu, Wife of Caitiff-Smashing General Sun”. 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. 349-353.