Sui and Tang · Empress and Empress Dowager of Wucheng

Empress Hu 胡皇后

Hu huanghou

First attested AD 550; died AD 581

Passages: 49
Chapters: 6
Histories: 1

Overview

Empress Hu was an empress and Empress Dowager of Wucheng.

Life and dates

Death

AD 581 to AD 600 隋開皇中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 119

Attested activity

AD 565 to AD 576 after Wucheng to Houzhu era
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 9, passages 101, 110
AD 561 to AD 565 世祖時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 50, passage 92
AD 550 天保初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 99
AD 561 to AD 573 天統前後
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 40, passages 25, 45
AD 565 to AD 577 天統至齊亡
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 13, passages 88, 204
AD 561 to AD 570 武成皇後
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 63

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 562 河清元年正月丙戌
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 7, passage 21
AD 581 to AD 600 隋開皇中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 119

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Gao Wei (高緯)
bore Last Emperor 產後主
son 子
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 100; Book of Northern Qi 7, passage 21
Sibling of Hu Changren (胡長仁)
brother 兄 · Full siblings
elder brother 兄
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Northern Qi 9, passages 128, 133; Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 63
Child of Hu Yan (胡延之)
daughter 女
father 父
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 97; Book of Northern Qi 48, passages 63-64
Parent of Last Lord (後主)
empress dowager 太后
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 50, passages 59, 71
Spouse of Emperor Wucheng (武成帝)
empress 皇後
Primary marriage
Empress Hu of Wucheng 武成皇后 · Primary marriage
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 63; Book of Northern Qi 9, passages 97, 99; Book of Northern Qi 7, passage 21
Child of Mother of Empress Hu (胡母)
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 98
Kin of Empress Hu of Houzhu (胡氏)
niece 侄女
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 133
Sibling of Wife of Feng Zicong (子琮妻)
younger sister 妹 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 25

Key source chapters

Career and standing

made Tanxian Director of Buddhist Affairs 昭玄統
Appointed · With Tanxian (曇獻)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 108
Empress 皇后
AD 562 河清元年正月丙戌 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 7, passage 21
Held
Empress dowager
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passages 74, 89
Honored
Empress dowager
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 101

Places and affiliations

At Anding 安定
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 97
AD 577 齊亡
At Zhou 周 · Relation Entered
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 118

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Gao Rui (高叡)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 13, passage 89
Speech · Addressee
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 133

Events and relationships

Confined in Northern Palace
Political · Subject · With Deng Changyang (鄧長顒)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 113
Relation Adulterer with · Person He Shikai (和士開)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 104
Relation Lover of · Person He Shikai (和士開)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 50, passage 92
Relation Adulterer with · Person Tanxian (曇獻)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passages 105, 107

Assessments and attributes

Item precious decorated barbarian couch of Wucheng 寶裝胡床 · Relation Bestowed on · With Tanxian (曇獻)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 9, passage 106

References in the histories

Search passages

History

49 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 7Volume 7 Annals 7: Emperor Wucheng · 1 passage

丙戌，立妃胡氏為皇后，子緯為皇太子。 On bingxu, Consort Hu was made empress and his son Wei was made crown prince.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 9Volume 9 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 22 passages

武成胡后 Empress Hu of Wucheng

武成皇后胡氏，安定胡延之女。 Empress Hu of Wucheng was the daughter of Hu Yan of Anding.

天保初，選為長廣王妃。 At the opening of the Tianbao era she was selected as Princess Consort of Changguang.

武成崩，尊為皇太后，陸媼及和士開密謀殺趙郡王叡，出婁定遠、高文遙為刺史。 When Wucheng died she was honored as Empress Dowager; Nurse Lu and He Shikai secretly plotted to kill Prince Rui of Zhao Commandery and sent out Lou Dingyuan and Gao Wenyao as governors.

和、陸諂事太后，無所不至。 He and Lu fawned upon the empress dowager to every extreme.

初武成時，後與諸閹人褻狎。 In Wucheng's time the empress had been familiar with the eunuchs.

武成寵倖和士開，每與后握槊，因此與后姦通。 Wucheng favored He Shikai; he often played polo with the empress, and through this came to commit adultery with her.

僧徒遙指太后以弄曇獻，乃至謂之為太上者。 Monks from afar pointed at the empress dowager while jesting with Tanxian, even calling her the Grand Sovereign.

帝聞太后不謹而未之信，後朝太后，見二少尼，悅而召之，乃男子也，於是曇獻事亦發，皆伏法，並殺元、山、王三郡君，皆太后之所昵也。 The emperor heard that the empress dowager was unrestrained but did not yet believe it; later, attending upon the empress dowager at court, he saw two young nuns, was pleased and summoned them — they were men; thereupon Tanxian's affair also came to light; all were executed by law, and the three Ladies of Yuan, Shan, and Wang were also killed — all were favorites of the empress dowager.

帝自晉陽奉太后還鄴，至紫陌，卒遇大風。 The emperor himself escorted the empress dowager from Jinyang back to Ye; at Zimo they suddenly encountered a great wind.

帝詐云鄴中有急，彎弓緾槊，馳入南城，令鄧長顒幽太后北宮，仍有敕內外諸親一不得與太后相見。 The emperor feigned an emergency in Ye, strung his bow and wrapped his spear, galloped into the southern city, and ordered Deng Changyang to confine the Empress Dowager in the Northern Palace, with an edict forbidding all kin, near or distant, from seeing her.

久之，帝復迎太后。 After some time the emperor welcomed the Empress Dowager back.

太后初聞使者至，大驚，慮有不測。 When the Empress Dowager first heard that an envoy had come, she was terrified, fearing the worst.

每太后設食，帝亦不敢嘗。 Whenever the Empress Dowager set out a meal, the emperor dared not taste it.

胡太后失母儀之道，深以為愧，欲求悅後主，故飾后於宮中，令帝見之。 Empress Dowager Hu, ashamed at having failed as mother to the realm, wished to please Houzhu; she had the girl dressed and presented in the palace for the emperor to see.

斛律后廢，陸媼欲以穆夫人代之，太后不許。 When Empress Hulu was deposed, Lu Aun wished to install Lady Mu in her place, but the Empress Dowager refused.

陸媼既非勸立，又意在穆夫人，其後於太后前作色而言曰：「何物親侄女，作如此語言！」 Lu Aun, who had not supported the elevation and still favored Lady Mu, later appeared before the Empress Dowager with a dark look and said, "What sort of niece is this, to speak such words!"

太后問有何言，曰：「不可道。」 The Empress Dowager asked what had been said. Lu replied, "It cannot be spoken."

固問之，乃曰：「語大家云，太后行多非法，不可以訓。」 Pressed again, she finally said, "She told His Majesty that the Empress Dowager's conduct is mostly unlawful and cannot serve as an example."

太后大怒，喚後出，立剃其髮，送令還家。 The Empress Dowager flew into a rage, summoned the empress, had her head shaved on the spot, and sent her home.

武成時，為胡后造真珠裙袴，所費不可稱計，被火所燒。 Under Wucheng a pearl-embroidered skirt and trousers had been made for Empress Hu at immeasurable cost, only to be consumed by fire.

輕霄後自療面，欲求見，太后、陸媼使禁掌之，竟不得見。 Qingxiao later healed her face and sought to see her daughter; the Empress Dowager and Lu Aun had her imprisoned, and she never gained an audience.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 13Volume 13 Biographies 5: Gao Chen; Gao Rui (Northern Qi); Gao Yue (Northern Qi); Gao Mai · 10 passages

並入奏太后，因出士開為兗州刺史。 They all entered to memorialize the empress dowager, and He Shikai was sent out as governor of Yan Province.

太后曰：「士開舊經驅使，欲留過百日。」 The empress dowager said, "Shikai has long served at my command — I wish to keep him for a hundred days more."

數日之內，太后數以為言。 Within a few days the empress dowager repeatedly spoke on his behalf.

有中官要人知太后密旨，謂叡曰：「太后意既如此，殿下何宜苦違。」 A favored eunuch who knew the empress dowager's secret intent said to Rui, "Since the empress dowager's wish is already thus, why should Your Highness stubbornly oppose it?"

太后令酌酒賜叡。 The empress dowager ordered wine poured and granted to Rui.

恐為太后所殺，旦欲入朝，妻子咸諫止之。 Fearing the empress dowager meant to kill him, at dawn he would go to court; wife and children all pleaded with him to stay.

入見太后，太后復以為言，叡執之彌固。 He went in to the empress dowager; she argued as before, but Rui would not yield.

後主晉州敗，太后從土門道還京師，敕勱統領兵馬，侍衛太后。 When Houzhu was defeated at Jin Province, the Empress Dowager returned to the capital by the Tumen Road; an edict put Mai in overall command of troops to escort her.

太后有令，然後釋之。 Only when the Empress Dowager sent an order was Gou released.

太后還至鄴，周軍續至，人皆恟懼，無有鬭心，朝士出降，晝夜相屬。 When the Empress Dowager reached Ye, Zhou armies pressed on without pause; panic spread and no one would fight; court officials surrendered day and night without end.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 40Volume 40 Biographies 32: Yu Jin (Northern Qi); Feng Zicong; Helian Ziyue; Tang Yong; Bai Jian · 2 passages

元文遙以子琮太后妹夫，恐其獎成太后干政，說趙郡王及士開出之，拜鄭州刺史，即令之任。 Yuan Wenyao, because Zicong was the empress's brother-in-law, feared he would encourage her to meddle in government. He persuaded Prince of Zhao commandery and He Shikai to send him out, made him governor of Zheng, and ordered him to take up the post at once.

至州未幾，太后為齊安王納子琮長女為妃，子琮因請假赴鄴，遂授吏部尚書。 Not long after he reached the province, the empress dowager took Zicong's eldest daughter as consort for Prince of Qi'an. Zicong asked leave to go to Ye and was then made minister of personnel.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 48Volume 48 Biographies 40: Imperial Affines · 3 passages

胡長仁，字孝隆，安定臨涇人，武成皇後之兄。 Hu Changren, styled Xiaolong, was from Linjing in Anding and elder brother of Wucheng’s Empress Hu.

入見太后，不過百日失官，便代其處。」 See the empress dowager; within a hundred days you lose your post, then you take his.”

遂言於太后，發其陰私，請出為州，後主不得已從焉。 He then spoke to the empress dowager, exposed Changcan's private misconduct, and asked that he be sent out to a province; the Later Sovereign had no choice but to agree.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 50Volume 50 Biographies 42: Favored by Nobles · 11 passages

又先得幸於胡太后，是以彌見親密。 He had already won Empress Dowager Hu's favor, and their intimacy only deepened.

屬太后觴朝貴於前殿，叡面陳士開罪失，云：「士開先帝弄臣，城狐社鼠，受納貨賄，穢亂宮掖，臣等義無杜口，冒死以陳。」 As the empress dowager feasted the nobles in the front hall, Rui openly accused Shikai: "Shikai was the late emperor's favorite, a rat in the city wall—taking bribes and polluting the inner palace. We cannot in conscience stay silent and risk death to speak."

太后曰：「先帝在時，王等何不道？ The empress dowager said, "When the late emperor lived, why did you not say this?

明日，叡等共詣雲龍門，令文遙入奏之，太后不聽。 The next day they went to the Cloud Dragon Gate and had Wen Yao submit a memorial; the empress dowager refused to hear it.

段韶呼胡長粲傳言，太后曰：「梓宮在殯，事大拚速，欲王等更思量。」 Duan Shao sent Hu Changcan with a message: the empress dowager said, "The late emperor's coffin is still in mourning—this is no time for rash action. I ask you to think again."

太后及後主召見問士開，士開曰：「先帝群官之中，待臣最重，陛下諒暗始爾，大臣皆有覬覦心，若出臣，正是剪陛下羽翼。 The empress dowager and Later Lord questioned Shikai. He said, "Of all the late emperor's officials, none was favored as I was. Your Majesty has only just entered mourning, and the great ministers already eye power hungrily. Remove me, and you clip Your Majesty's own wings.

後主及太后然之，告叡等如士開旨，以士開為兗州刺史。 The Later Lord and empress dowager agreed, told Rui and the rest as Shikai advised, and made Shikai Inspector of Yan Province.

士開由是得見太后及後主，進說曰：「先帝一旦登遐，臣愧不能自死。 Thus Shikai saw the empress dowager and Later Lord and pleaded, "When the late emperor died, I was ashamed that I did not die with him.

帝及太后皆泣，問計將安出。 Emperor and empress dowager wept and asked what he would do.

世祖時，恒令士開與太后握槊，又出入臥內無復期限，遂與太后為亂。 Under Shizu, Shikai often played polo with the empress dowager and entered the inner quarters without restraint, eventually taking her as a lover.

提婆母陸令萱賞配入掖庭，後主繈褓之中，令其鞠養，謂之乾阿妳，遂大為胡后所昵愛。 Tipo's mother Lu Lingxuan, sent to the inner palace as punishment, nursed the infant Later Lord and was called his dry nurse; Empress Hu doted on her.