Princess Dowager Feng Yuan – The Persecuted Princess

Princess Dowager Feng Yuan was originally Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty’s favourite imperial consort. ^[1] She was the grandmother of Emperor Ping of the Western Han Dynasty. She was known for her bravery by protecting Emperor Yuan from a bear.^[2] After Emperor Yuan’s death, she was given the title of Princess Dowager of Zhongshan.^[3] However, Princess Dowager Feng Yuan met a tragic end when her longtime rival for Emperor Yuan’s affections finally found the opportunity to eliminate her.^[4]

In circa 60 B.C.E., Princess Dowager Feng Yuan was born.^[5] Her father was Feng Fengshui. He was a soldier in the western regions.^[6] When he was in his sixties, he was promoted to Chamberlain for the Imperial Insignia.^[7] She had three sisters and nine brothers. In 47 B.C.E., Feng Yuan entered Emperor Yuan’s harem and became a junior palace woman.^[8] 

Imperial Consort Feng Yuan quickly caught Emperor Yuan’s eye.^[9] A few months after she entered the imperial harem, she was given the status of Meiren, which meant “Beauty”^[10] (the third highest rank below the Empress position). In 37 B.C.E., she gave birth to a son named Liu Xing (who would later become Prince Xiao of Zhongshan). She was then promoted to the status of Jieyu, which meant “Lady of Handsome Fairness”^[11] (the second highest rank below the Empress position). Her father, Feng Fengshui, was promoted to Right General and Chamberlain for Attendants.^[12] One of her older brothers was promoted to Guardian of the Left.^[13]

In 38 B.C.E., Emperor Yuan and all his imperial concubines were watching animals fight in a tiger fold.^[14] Suddenly, a bear broke loose, climbed the railing, and charged toward the Emperor.^[15] All of the imperial concubines fled, except for Imperial Consort Feng Yuan.^[16] Instead, she stood in front of the Emperor and the bear as the guards struggled to kill it.^[17] Emperor Yuan admired her courage and was surprised by it.^[18] However, Imperial Consort Feng Yuan said that she had only been thinking of the Emperor’s safety.^[19] “Therefore, I put myself in its way,”^[20] she concluded. The other imperial concubines, including Imperial Consort Fu (who was Emperor Yuan’s favourite and who would later become August Empress Dowager Fu), were ashamed of their display of their own cowardice.^[21] Imperial Feng Yuan’s display of courage earned Emperor Yuan’s respect, and she became his other favourite imperial consort for the rest of his life.^[22] Her son was given the title of Prince of Xindu.^[23] Imperial Consort Feng Yuan was promoted to the status of Zhaoyi, which meant “Lady of Bright Deportment”^[24](the highest rank below the Empress position).

In 33 B.C.E., Emperor Yuan died. His son, Liu Ao, ascended the throne as Emperor Cheng. Imperial Consort Feng Yuan was given the title of Princess Dowager of Xindu (somewhere between the modern-day provinces of Shandong and Hebei).^[25] She moved with her son to Chuyuan Palace.^[26] About four years later, she moved with her son to his fiefdom of Xindu.^[27] Historians believed that she may have held some rights over the fiefdom.^[28] In 7 B.C.E., her son was given the title of Prince Xiao of Zhongshan (in modern-day Hebei Province).^[29] Thus, she became Princess Dowager of Zhongshan.^[30] Her son, Prince Xiao, died in that same year.^[31] His infant son, Liu Kan (the future Emperor Ping), inherited his fief.^[32] At the age of one, Prince Liu Kan started to suffer from a liver disease.^[33] Princess Dowager Feng Yuan began to care for him.^[34] She went to the temple several times to pray for his recovery.^[35]

During the early years of Emperor Ai’s reign, an imperial physician named Zhang You tried to cure Prince Liu Kan.^[36] However, he failed and fled to Chang’an.^[37] He feared retribution for his failure to heal Prince Liu Kan if he returned to Zhongshan.^[38] Thus, Zhang You laid a false accusation that Princess Dowager Feng had wished for something bad to happen to Emperor Ai and his mother, Empress Dowager Fu.^[39] Empress Dowager Fu had long been rivals with Princess Dowager Feng Yuan because they were both Emperor Yuan’s favourites.^[40] Empress Dowager Fu saw this as an opportunity to finally eliminate her longtime rival, Princess Dowager Feng Yuan.^[41]

In 6 B.C.E., Empress Dowager Fu ordered an investigation into the incident.^[42] The official in charge arrested over a hundred people, including Princess Dowager Feng Yuan’s brothers and the servants of Liu Kan.^[43] They were divided into groups and were interrogated separately in the capital of Luoyang.^[44] Yet, nothing happened.^[45] Empress Dowager Fu was not satisfied with the inconclusive result.^[46] She hired Shi Li (the Director of Palace Receptionists) to arrest and interrogate Princess Dowager Feng Yuan.^[47] Shi Li accused her of conspiring to assassinate Emperor Ai.^[48] Princess Dowager Feng Yuan stubbornly refused to admit guilt and maintained her innocence.^[49] Shi Li taunted her by saying she no longer had the courage to admit her guilt as she had when she had protected Emperor Yuan from a bear.^[50] Princess Dowager Feng Yuan realised that her situation was hopeless.^[51] She committed suicide and drank poison in 6 B.C.E.^[52]

Before Princess Dowager Feng Yuan’s suicide, a memorial was submitted to Emperor Ai requesting her execution.^[53] However, Emperor Ai could not bear for her to be executed.^[54] Instead, he planned for her to be demoted to commoner status and spend the remainder of her days in Yunyang Palace.^[55] Once Emperor Ai learned that Princess Dowager Feng Yuan had committed suicide, he decided that she should be buried with the rites that befitted a Princess Dowager.^[56] After the funeral, some of Princess Dowager Feng Yuan’s relatives committed suicide.^[57] Those who did not were demoted from noble to commoner status and sent back to their native regions.^[58] Imperial Physician Zhang You and Shi Li (the Director of Palace Receptionists) were promoted and rewarded for eliminating Princess Dowager Feng Yuan.^[59]

In 1 B.C.E., Princess Dowager Feng Yuan’s grandson, Liu Kan, ascended the throne of China as Emperor Ping. Kong Guang, the Grand Minister of Education, finally revealed that Zhang You and Shi Li had falsely accused Princess Dowager Feng Yuan of plotting an assassination attempt on Emperor Ai.^[60] Both Zhang You and Shi Li were removed from their offices and titles.^[61] They were demoted from noble to commoner status and exiled to Hepu (modern-day Guangdong Province).^[62] Princess Dowager Feng Yuan was then declared innocent of all charges.^[63]

Princess Dowager Feng Yuan was Emperor Yuan’s favourite.^[64] It was because of Emperor Yuan’s favour that she came to a tragic end.^[65] Princess Dowager Feng Yuan was one of the many recorded cases during Emperor Ai’s reign in which someone had lost their life for being falsely accused of high treason.^[66] However, she had the good fortune of having her grandson become the Emperor of China.^[67] This allowed for her case to be overturned and for her to be declared innocent.^[68] Thus, modern historians use her story as an example of corruption in the justice system during Emperor Ai’s reign.^[69]

Sources:

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

Milburn, O. (2016). Palace Women in the Former Han Dynasty (202 BCE–CE 23): Gender and Administrational History in the Early Imperial Era. NAN NÜ, 18(2), 195-223.

Shen, L. (2015). “Feng, Concubine of Emperor Yuan”. 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. 136-138.