Five Dynasties · Consort and Grand Consort

Lady Liu 劉氏

Liu shi

First attested AD 884; died AD 925

Passages: 18
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Lady Liu was a consort and Grand Consort.

Life and dates

Death

AD 925 同光三年五月
At Jinyang 晉陽
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 243-244

Attested activity

AD 925 同光三年五月
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 244
AD 884 上源驛之難
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 9-11
AD 923 莊宗即位
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240
AD 901 to AD 902 連歲攻晉
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 17-18, 23

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Taizu (太祖)
chief wife 正室 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 2
Parent of Zhuangzong (莊宗)
principal mother 嫡母 · Claimed parentage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240

Kinship Role sons · Count 0 · Negated true
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 25

Career and standing

Imperial Grand Consort 皇太妃
AD 923 莊宗即位 · Received
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240
Lady of Qin 秦國夫人
Received
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 4

Places and affiliations

At northern Dai 代北
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 2
At Jinyang 晉陽 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 243
At Wei County 魏縣 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 246

Learning and skills

Skill military affairs 兵機 · Level versed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 6

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Taizu (太祖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 11-12, 18-22, 25
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 242

Events and relationships

Advised withdrawal and appeal to court
AD 884 上源驛之難 · Political · Counselor · With Taizu (太祖)
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 11-13
Executed informants and preserved the army
AD 884 上源驛之難 · Military · Acting commander
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 9
Opposed flight north
AD 901 to AD 902 連歲攻晉 · Political · Counselor · With Taizu (太祖)
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 17-23
Trained maids in riding and archery
Instruction · Teacher
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 6
Relation Co consort with · Person Lady Cao (曹氏)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 25-26, 247

Assessments and attributes

Assessment sharp-witted and versed in strategy · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 6
Assessment virtuous and without jealousy · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 25

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 2
received no posthumous title 無謚
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 246

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 18 passages

太祖劉太妃貞簡皇后曹氏 Taizu’s Grand Consort Liu and Empress Zhenjian, Lady Cao

太祖正室劉氏，代北人也； Taizu’s chief wife, Lady Liu, came from northern Dai;

太祖封晉王，劉氏封秦國夫人。 When Taizu became Prince of Jin, Liu was titled Lady of Qin.

自太祖起兵代北，劉氏常從征伐。 From Taizu’s first campaigns in northern Dai, Liu marched with him.

太祖左右有先脫歸者，以難告夫人，夫人神色不動，立斬告者，陰召大將謀保軍以還。 Men who had broken out first brought word to the lady; she never flinched, had the messengers killed at once, and quietly rallied the generals to save the army and withdraw.

遲明，太祖還，與夫人相向慟哭，因欲舉兵擊梁。 At daybreak Taizu returned; husband and wife wept together, and he meant to march against Liang.

夫人曰：「公本為國討賊，今梁事未暴，而遽反兵相攻，天下聞之，莫分曲直。 She said: “You took the field for the realm against rebels; Liang’s treachery is not yet public. If you turn your arms on them now, the world will not know who is in the right.

入以語夫人，夫人問誰為此謀者，曰：「存信也。」 He told the lady, who asked whose plan it was. “Cunxin’s,” he said.

夫人罵曰：「存信，代北牧羊兒耳，安足與計成敗邪！ She swore: “Cunxin is a shepherd lad from the north—what does he know of victory or ruin!

夫人無子，性賢，不妒忌，常為太祖言：「曹氏相，當生貴子，宜善待之。」 Childless but kind and without jealousy, she often said: “Lady Cao’s face promises a noble heir—treat her well.”

莊宗即位，冊尊曹氏為皇太后，而以嫡母劉氏為皇太妃。 At his accession he made Lady Cao empress dowager and his chief mother, Lady Liu, grand consort.

太妃往謝太后，太后有慚色。 The grand consort came to pay respects; the dowager looked ashamed.

太妃曰：「願吾兒享國無窮，使吾獲沒于地以從先君，幸矣，復何言哉！」 The grand consort said: “May my son reign forever; if I may die and join my late husband, that is blessing enough—what more can I ask?”

莊宗滅梁入汴，使人迎太后歸洛，居長壽宮，而太妃獨留晉陽。 After destroying Liang and entering Bian, Zhuangzong brought the dowager to Luoyang’s Changshou Palace; the grand consort stayed at Jinyang.

同光三年五月，太妃薨。 In the fifth month of Tongguang 3 the grand consort died.

而太妃無謚，葬魏縣。 The grand consort had no posthumous title and was buried in Wei County.

太妃與太后甚相愛，其送太后于洛也，涕泣而別，歸而相思慕，遂至不起。 The two women were deeply attached. Seeing the dowager off to Luoyang, the grand consort wept; home again, she pined until she took to her bed.

而太后自太妃卒，悲哀不飲食，逾月亦崩。 After the grand consort’s death the dowager grieved without eating; within a month she too was gone.