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Wang Yuanji

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.
Wang Yuanji
王おう元もと姬ひめ
Empress dowager of the Jin Dynasty
Tenure9 February 266[1] – 20 April 268
Born217[a]
Tancheng County, Shandong
Died20 April 268 (aged 51)[2]
Luoyang, Henan
Burial
Yanshi, Luoyang, Henan
SpouseSima Zhao
Issue
Detail
Names
Family name: Wang (王おう)
Given name: Yuanji (元もと姬ひめ)
Posthumous name
Empress Wenming (文明ぶんめい皇后こうごう)
HouseHouse of Sima
FatherWang Su
MotherLady Yang (羊ひつじ氏し)[3]

Wang Yuanji (217 – 20 April 268[4]) was a Chinese noble lady, aristocrat and later empress dowager of Jin dynasty, who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. She was the wife of Sima Zhao, a regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. She became the empress dowager during the reign of her son Sima Yan, who ended the Wei regime and founded the Jin dynasty. She was posthumously honoured as "Empress Wenming" (literally "civil and understanding empress") after her death.

She is known for her wisdom, good moral character, contributions to the origin and stabilization of the Jin dynasty, and for predicting Zhong Hui's rebellion in 264.

Life

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Wang Yuanji was from Tan County (郯縣), Donghai Commandery (東海とうかい郡ぐん), which is present-day Tancheng County, Shandong. Her father, Wang Su, served as a military officer in Wei and held a peerage as the Marquis of Lanling (蘭らん陵りょう侯こう).[5] Wang Yuanji would have at least three recorded younger brothers: Wang Xun (王おう恂まこと; died 278), Wang Qian (王おう虔けん) and Wang Kai (王おう恺).[6]

When Wang Yuanji was eight years old (by East Asian reckoning), she already had a good memory and could recite the Confucian classics fluently. Once, when she was nine, her mother Lady Yang fell sick so she remained by her mother's side all the time to take care of her. She possessed savoir faire and performed well when her parents allowed her to manage household chores. Her grandfather Wang Lang doted on her and felt that she was extraordinary. He said,

"This girl will bring glory to our family. It's a pity that she isn't a boy!"

These words have also been interpreted as him lamenting her headstrong, tomboyish nature during her childhood. Her grandfather's words came true, years later she contributed to the stabilization of a new dynasty and became empress.

When Wang Yuanji was 12 (by East Asian reckoning), her grandfather died and she cried her heart out. Her father respected her even more after that incident and felt that she was indeed very special.[7]

Marriage

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Wang Yuanji married Sima Zhao after reaching adulthood (around the age of 15) and bore him five sons – Sima Yan, Sima You, Sima Dingguo (司馬しば定國さだくに), Sima Zhao (司馬しば兆ちょう) and Sima Guangde (司馬しば廣德ひろのり) – and a daughter who was historically known as Princess Jingzhao (京きょう兆ちょう公主こうしゅ; literally "Princess of the Capital"). After her marriage, she maintained her good moral character and served her in-laws well. She cried her heart out again when her father died.[8]

When Sima Zhao became the regent of Wei, he recognised Zhong Hui's talent and promoted the latter to higher appointments. Wang Yuanji told her husband, "Zhong Hui is a man who will forsake moral principles for his personal gains. He's likely to cause trouble if he's overly indulged and favoured. He shouldn't be entrusted with important responsibilities." Wang Yuanji's prediction came true later as Zhong Hui started a rebellion in March 264 after helping Wei conquer its rival state, Shu Han.[9]

Empress dowager

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Sima Zhao died in September 265 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sima Yan, as the regent of Wei. In February 266, Sima Yan forced the last Wei ruler, Cao Huan, to abdicate in his favour, thereby ending the Wei regime and establishing the Jin dynasty. After ascending the throne, Sima Yan instated his mother as the empress dowager and gave her Chonghua Palace (崇たかし化か宮みや) as her residence. Even after becoming the empress dowager, Wang Yuanji continued to live a humble and frugal life. There were no expensive furniture and decorations in her room; she kept her meals simple, wore old clothes again after washing them, and did her own weaving. She managed the imperial harem well and maintained harmony among Sima Yan's consorts.[10]

Wang Yuanji was admitted to the court yet sought to be simple and practical with conducting herself. However, since her followers apparently disapproved of her methods, her vassals were disorderly and instigated fights against one another. For this reason, she was said to have kept a low profile in political matters. It's not clear if the harsh charges against her were caused from her own ineptitude or due to purposeful slander from discontent retainers.

Wang Yuanji died in 268 at the age of 52 (by East Asian age reckoning). She was buried at Chongyangling (崇たかし陽ひ陵りょう; somewhere in present-day Yanshi, Luoyang, Henan) with her husband. Sima Yan personally wrote a eulogy praising his mother's moral character and ordered a court historian to have it published.[11]

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Wang Yuanji is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. She has also made her appearance as a playable character in both Warriors Orochi 3 and Warriors Orochi 4, as well as in Warriors All-Stars. Her personality is portrayed as calm, cool, and collected, with a slight tendency to punish people who are lazy and out of order.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Jin Shu stated that Wang Yuanji died in the 4th year of the Tai'shi era (265–274) of the reign of Emperor Wu at the age of 52 (by East Asian age reckoning).[2] By calculation, her birth year should be around 217. Note that Emperor Wu crowned himself emperor on the bing'yin day of the 12th month of the 1st year of the Tai'shi era, which corresponds to 8 Feb 266 in the Julian calendar.

References

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  1. ^ ding'mao day of the 12th month of the 1st year of the Tai'shi era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Jin
  2. ^ a b ([泰やすし始はじめ]四よん年ねん，后きさき崩くずし，時じ年ねん五ご十じゅう二に， ...) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  3. ^ In 267, Lady Yang was posthumously conferred the title of xianjun (县君) and given the posthumous name 'Jing" (靖やすし); her full posthumous title was "Lady Jing of Pingyang" (平ひら阳靖君くん). (帝みかど以后母はは羊ひつじ氏し未み崇たかし谥号，泰やすし始はじめ三さん年ねん下か诏曰：“...其封夫人ふじん为县君くん，依よ德とく纪谥，主おも者しゃ详如旧きゅう典てん。”于是使し使し持じ节谒者しゃ何なん融とおる追つい谥为平ひら阳靖君くん。) Jin Shu, vol.31. Also, it is unknown if Lady Yang was related to Yang Hu and Yang Huiyu.
  4. ^ According to Sima Yan's biography in Book of Jin, Wang Yuanji died on the wu'zi day of the 3rd month of the 4th year of the Tai'shi era of his reign. This corresponds to 20 Apr 268 on the Julian calendar. [(泰やすし始はじめ四よん年ねん)三さん月がつ戊子ぼし，皇太后こうたいごう王おう氏し崩くずし。 ] Jin Shu, vol.03
  5. ^ (文明ぶんめい王おう皇后こうごう諱いみな元もと姬ひめ，東海とうかい郯人也。父ちち肅，魏ぎ中ちゅう領りょう軍ぐん、蘭らん陵りょう侯こう。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  6. ^ (王おう恂まこと，字じ良夫よしお，文明ぶんめい皇后こうごう之の弟おとうと也。...咸宁四よん年ねん卒そつ，....。恂まこと弟おとうと虔けん、恺。) Jin Shu, vol.93.
  7. ^ (后きさき年ねん八はち歲さい，誦詩論ろん，尤ゆう善ぜん喪服もふく；苟有文義ふみよし，目め所しょ一見いっけん，必貫於心。年とし九きゅう歲さい，遇ぐう母はは疾やまし，扶侍不ふ捨左右さゆう，衣ころも不ふ解かい帶たい者しゃ久之ひさゆき。每まい先さき意い候こう指ゆび，動どう中ちゅう所しょ適てき，由ゆかり是ぜ父母ちちはは令れい攝家せっけ事ごと，每まい盡つき其理。祖そ朗ろう甚愛異こと之の，曰：「興きょう吾われ家か者しゃ，必此女おんな也，惜不為男ためお矣！」年ねん十じゅう二に，朗ろう薨，后きさき哀あい戚哭泣，發はつ于自然しぜん，其父益えき加か敬けい異こと。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  8. ^ (既すんで笄，歸かえり于文帝みかど，生なま武ぶ帝みかど及遼東ひがし悼王定國さだくに、齊ひとし獻けんじ王おう攸、城陽じょうよう哀あい王おう兆ちょう、廣こう漢かん殤王廣德ひろのり、京きょう兆ちょう公主こうしゅ。后きさき事ごと舅しゅうと姑しゅうと盡つき婦道ふどう，謙けん沖おき接せっ下か，嬪御有ゆう序じょ。及居父ちち喪も，身み不ふ勝かち衣ころも，言げん與あずか淚なみだ俱。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  9. ^ (時とき鍾會以才能見のうみ任つとむ，后きさき每ごと言げん于帝曰：「會見かいけん利り忘義，好こう為事しごと端はし，寵ちょう過か必亂，不可ふか大任たいにん。」會かい後ご果はて反はん。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  10. ^ (武たけ帝みかど受禪じゅぜん，尊とうと為ため皇太后こうたいごう，宮みや曰崇化か。初はつ置おけ宮みや卿きょう，重じゅう選せん其職，以太常つね諸しょ葛かずら緒いとぐち為ため衞まもる尉じょう，太ふと僕ぼく劉りゅう原げん為ため太ふと僕ぼく，宗そう正ただし曹楷為ため少しょう府ふ。后きさき雖處尊みこと位い，不ふ忘素業ぎょう，躬執紡績ぼうせき，器うつわ服ふく無文むもん，御ご浣濯之の衣ころも，食しょく不參ふさん味あじ。而敦睦むつみ九族きゅうぞく，垂心すいしん萬物ばんぶつ，言げん必典禮てんれい，浸潤しんじゅん不ふ行くだり。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
  11. ^ (四よん年ねん，后きさき崩くずし，時じ年ねん五ご十じゅう二に，合ごう葬そう崇たかし陽ひ陵りょう。將はた遷祔，帝みかど手しゅ疏后德行とっこう，命いのち史官しかん為ため哀あい策さく曰： ...) Jin Shu vol. 31.
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