Qin and Han · Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager Dou 竇太后

Dou Taihou

Attested BC 150 - BC 144

Passages: 30
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Empress Dowager Dou was an empress Dowager.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 150 二十九年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 50, 55
BC 144 梁王薨
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 83

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Liu Wu (劉武)
mother 母
youngest son 少子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 1-2, 40
Parent of Emperor Jing (孝景帝)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 1-2

References in the histories

Search passages

History

30 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 58House of Prince Xiao of Liang · 30 passages

母，竇太后也。 Their mother was Empress Dowager Dou.

太后亦然。 The Empress Dowager felt the same.

孝王，竇太后少子也，愛之，賞賜不可勝道。 King Xiao was the youngest son of Empress Dowager Dou, who loved him dearly and showered him with gifts and rewards beyond reckoning.

既朝，上疏因留，以太后親故。 After attending court, he submitted a memorial requesting permission to remain in the capital, citing his close bond with the Empress Dowager.

十一月，上廢栗太子，竇太后心欲以孝王為後嗣。 In the eleventh month, the emperor deposed Crown Prince Li. Empress Dowager Dou secretly wished to make King Xiao the heir apparent.

大臣及袁盎等有所關說於景帝，竇太后義格，亦遂不復言以梁王為嗣事由此。 The great ministers and Yuan Ang remonstrated with Emperor Jing. Empress Dowager Dou, moved by considerations of propriety, relented and from that point on never again raised the matter of making the King of Liang the heir.

梁王恐，乃使韓安國因長公主謝罪太后，然后得釋。 The King of Liang, now fearful, sent Han Anguo to intercede through the Grand Princess and beg the Empress Dowager's forgiveness. Only then was the matter set aside.

太后泣曰：「帝殺吾子！」 The Empress Dowager wept and cried, "The emperor has killed my son!"

於是梁王伏斧質於闕下，謝罪，然後太后、景帝大喜，相泣，復如故。 The King of Liang then appeared before the palace gate, prostrating himself beside the executioner's axe and block to beg forgiveness for his crimes. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing were overjoyed, wept together, and all was restored as before.

孝王慈孝，每聞太后病，口不能食，居不安寢，常欲留長安侍太后。 King Xiao was devoted and filial. Whenever he heard that the Empress Dowager was ill, he could not eat and could not sleep, always wishing to remain in Chang'an to attend her in person.

太后亦愛之。 The Empress Dowager loved him dearly in return.

及聞梁王薨，竇太后哭極哀，不食，曰：「帝果殺吾子！」 When she learned that the King of Liang had died, Empress Dowager Dou wept inconsolably, refused to eat, and cried, "The emperor has truly killed my son!"

於是奏之太后，太后乃說，為帝加壹湌。 When this plan was reported to the Empress Dowager, she was pleased and took an extra meal for the emperor's sake.

今太后，女主也，以愛少子故，欲令梁王為太子。 The Empress Dowager, a woman wielding power, wished out of love for her youngest son to make the King of Liang the crown prince.

景帝與王燕見，侍太后飲，景帝曰：「千秋萬歲之後傳王。」 Emperor Jing and the king attended a banquet together, serving the Empress Dowager wine. Emperor Jing said, "When I am gone, I shall pass the throne to you."

太后喜說。 The Empress Dowager was overjoyed.

太后意不說。 The Empress Dowager was displeased.

梁王上有太后之重，驕蹇日久，數聞景帝好言，千秋萬世之後傳王，而實不行。 The King of Liang, backed by the Empress Dowager's formidable influence, had long grown arrogant and willful. He had repeatedly heard Emperor Jing's promise that the throne would pass to him after a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, yet this promise was never fulfilled.

蓋聞梁王西入朝，謁竇太后，燕見，與景帝俱侍坐於太后前，語言私說。 I have heard that the King of Liang traveled west to court, paid his respects to Empress Dowager Dou, and was granted a private audience. He sat together with Emperor Jing before the Empress Dowager, and they spoke freely among themselves.

太后謂帝曰：「吾聞殷道親親，周道尊尊，其義一也。 The Empress Dowager said to the emperor, "I have heard that the way of the Yin dynasty was to cherish kinship, while the way of the Zhou was to honor authority, and in principle these amount to the same thing.

罷酒出，帝召袁盎諸大臣通經術者曰：「太后言如是，何謂也？」 After the banquet ended, they withdrew. The emperor then summoned Yuan Ang and other ministers learned in the classics and asked, "The Empress Dowager speaks thus. What does she mean?"

皆對曰：「太后意欲立梁王為帝太子。」 They all replied, "The Empress Dowager intends to establish the King of Liang as the imperial heir."

臣請見太后白之。」 We request permission to see the Empress Dowager and explain this to her."

袁盎等入見太后：「太后言欲立梁王，梁王即終，欲誰立？」 Yuan Ang and the others entered and asked the Empress Dowager, "If Your Majesty establishes the King of Liang, and the King of Liang later dies, whom would you choose after him?"

太后曰：「吾復立帝子。」 The Empress Dowager said, "Then I would establish the emperor's son."

袁盎等以宋宣公不立正，生禍，禍亂後五世不絕，小不忍害大義狀報太后。 Yuan Ang and the others presented the case of Duke Xuan of Song, who had failed to follow the proper line of succession and thereby brought about a calamity that plagued his state for five generations. They explained to the Empress Dowager how a small indulgence could undermine the greater good.

太后乃解說，即使梁王歸就國。 The Empress Dowager was persuaded and abandoned the idea, immediately directing the King of Liang to return to his kingdom.

太后不食，日夜泣不止。 The Empress Dowager refused to eat and wept day and night without ceasing.

景帝喜說，曰：「急趨謁太后。」 Emperor Jing was delighted and said, "Go at once and report this to the Empress Dowager."

太后聞之，立起坐湌，氣平復。 When the Empress Dowager heard the news, she rose at once, took a meal, and her spirits were restored.