Ming · Empress and Mother of Jiajing

Empress Xian 獻皇后

First attested AD 1492; died AD 1538

Passages: 19
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Empress Xian was an empress and Mother of Jiajing.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Empress Jiang	皇后蔣氏
Posthumous name	Kind Filial Chaste Obedient Benevolent Respectful Sincere Unified Heaven-Bestowing Sagely Xian Empress	慈孝貞順仁敬誠一安天誕聖獻皇后

Life and dates

Death

AD 1538 嘉靖十七年十二月
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 143

Attested activity

AD 1524 嘉靖三年
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 136
AD 1522 嘉靖元年
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 135
AD 1538 嘉靖十七年十二月
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 143
AD 1539 嘉靖十八年閏七月
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 115, passages 151, 164
AD 1492 弘治五年
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 118

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Zhu Youyuan (朱祐杬)
consort 妃
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passages 116, 118
Child of Jiang Jiao (蔣斅)
father 父
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 117
Parent of Shizong (世宗)
mother 母
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 116

Career and standing

Appointed
AD 1492 弘治五年 · Xing consort
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 118

Places and affiliations

AD 1539 嘉靖十八年閏七月
At Xianling 顯陵 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 164

Works and attributed material

Admonitions for Women 女訓
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 140
安得以吾子為他人子！
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 130

Events and relationships

Halted at Tongzhou during Great Rites
Political · Actor · At Tongzhou 通州
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passages 82, 130-131

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 115Volume 115 Biographies 3: Emperor Xingzong Xiaokang, Emperor Ruizong Xingxian · 19 passages

興宗孝康皇帝孝康皇后呂太后睿宗獻皇帝獻皇后 Emperor Xingzong Xiaokang, Empress Xiaokang, Empress Dowager Lü, Emperor Ruizong Xingxian, and Empress Xian.

會母妃至自安陸，止通州不入。 When his mother came from Anlu she halted at Tongzhou and would not enter the capital.

帝啟張太后，欲避天子位，奉母妃歸籓。 Jiajing told Empress Dowager Zhang he would abdicate and return with his mother to Anlu.

太后命進王為興獻帝，妃為興獻後。 The empress dowager promoted the prince to Emperor Xingxian and his consort to Empress Xingxian.

三年加稱為本生皇考恭穆獻皇帝，興國太后為本生聖母章聖皇太后，建廟奉先殿西，曰觀德殿，祭如太廟。 In the third year he added "Biological Imperial Father, Respectful and Solemn Emperor Xingxian" and "Biological Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Zhangsheng," and built the Hall of Observing Virtue west of the Ancestral Hall with Grand Temple rites.

皇后蔣氏，世宗母也。 Empress Jiang was the Jiajing emperor's mother.

弘治五年冊為興王妃。 In Hongzhi 5 she was invested as Princess of Xing.

會妃將至，禮臣上入宮儀，由崇文門入東安門，皇帝迎于東華門。 As she approached, ritualists proposed entry through Chongwen and Dong'an gates with the emperor greeting her at Donghua Gate.

敕曰：「聖母至，御太后車服，從御道入，朝太廟。」 An edict ordered: "When the Holy Mother arrives she shall wear empress-dowager regalia, take the imperial roadway, and worship at the Grand Temple."

時妃至通州，聞考孝宗，恚曰：「安得以吾子為他人子！」 At Tongzhou she learned Xiaozong would be his ritual father and raged: "How can my son be treated as another man's child!"

群臣以慈壽太后命，改稱興獻後，乃入。 At Empress Dowager Cishou's command ministers styled her Empress Xingxian, after which she entered.

元年改稱興國太后。 In Jiajing 1 she was titled Empress Dowager of Xing.

三年乃上尊號曰本生章聖皇太后。 In the third year she received the title Biological Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Zhangsheng.

是年秋，用張璁等言，尊為聖母章聖皇太后。 That autumn, on Zhang Cong's advice, she was honored as Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Zhangsheng.

五年，獻帝世廟成，奉太后入謁。 In the fifth year, when the Xian emperor's World Temple was finished, she was led in to worship.

九年，頒太后所制《女訓》於天下。 In the ninth year her Admonitions for Women was issued empire-wide.

十五年，奉太后謁天壽山陵，命諸臣進賀行殿。 In the fifteenth year he took her to worship at Tianshou Mountain and ordered ministers to offer congratulations at the traveling palace.

已，帝親幸大峪相視，令議奉太后南詣合葬。 He then inspected Dayu in person and ordered plans to bring the dowager south for joint burial.

是年上尊諡曰慈孝貞順仁敬誠一安天誕聖獻皇后。 That year she received the posthumous title Kind, Filial, Chaste, Obedient, Benevolent, Respectful, Sincere, Unified, Heaven-Bestowing, Sagely Xian Empress.