Five Dynasties · Empress Consort of Shizong

Empress Zhenhui 貞惠皇后

Zhenhui huanghou

First attested AD 948; died AD 950 to AD 951

Passages: 13
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Empress Zhenhui was an empress Consort of Shizong.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Lady Liu	刘氏
Alternate name	Lady Liu	劉夫人	Liú fūrén

Life and dates

Death

AD 950 to AD 951 太祖舉兵
Cause Execution · Authority Later Han 漢
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 67
AD 950 漢末
Cause Killed with imperial kin
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 92

Attested activity

AD 950 to AD 951 太祖舉兵
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 67
AD 948 to AD 950 漢乾祐中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 90

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Emperor Shizong (世宗)
posthumously enthroned as empress 追册...为皇后 · Ended
Marriage
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage · Widowed
wed 娶 · Primary marriage · Ended
Sources vary in certainty · New History of the Five Dynasties 12, passage 94; Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 89; Old History of the Five Dynasties 120, passage 79; New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passages 40, 66

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

military family 將家
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 89
family background unknown
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 66

Career and standing

Lady of Pengcheng Commandery 彭城縣君
Granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 66
Lady of Pengcheng Commandery 彭城郡夫人
AD 951 太祖即位 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 68
Empress Zhenhui 皇后謚貞惠
AD 957 顯德四年夏四月 · Posthumously granted
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 94
Lady of Pengcheng county 彭城縣君
AD 948 to AD 950 漢乾祐中 · Granted
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 90
Lady of Pengcheng commandery 彭城郡夫人
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 93
Empress 皇后
AD 957 顯德四年夏四月 · Posthumously installed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 69

Places and affiliations

At Huiling 惠陵 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 20, passage 69
At Huiling 惠陵 · Relation Tomb
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 121, passage 94

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 120Volume 120 Book of Later Zhou 22: Emperor Gong Annals · 2 passages

壬辰，翰林學士、判太常寺事竇儼撰進貞惠皇后廟歌辭。 On renchen Dou Yan, Hanlin academician and overseer of ceremonies, presented the temple hymn for Empress Zhenhui.

十一月壬寅朔，葬世宗皇帝於慶陵，以貞惠皇后劉氏祔焉。 On the first day renyin of the eleventh month Emperor Shizong was buried at Qingling, with Empress Zhenhui, Lady Liu, interred beside him.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 121Volume 121 Book of Later Zhou 23: Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 6 passages

世宗貞惠皇后劉氏，將家女也，幼歸於世宗。 Empress Zhenhui of Emperor Shizong, née Liu, came from a military family and married Shizong in her youth.

漢乾祐中，世宗在西班，後始封彭城縣君。 During the Han Qianyou era, while Shizong served in the western bureau, she was first ennobled as Lady of Pengcheng county.

世宗隨太祖在鄴，後留居邸第。 When Shizong followed the Emperor to Ye, she remained at their residence.

漢末李業等作亂，後與貴妃張氏及諸皇族同日遇禍。 At the end of Han, when Li Ye and others rose in revolt, she, Honored Consort Zhang, and the imperial kin were killed on the same day.

國初，追封彭城郡夫人。 At the founding of the dynasty she was posthumously ennobled as Lady of Pengcheng commandery.

顯德四年夏四月，追冊為皇后，謚曰貞惠，陵曰惠陵。 In the fourth month of summer of Xiande 4 she was posthumously invested as Empress with the posthumous title Zhenhui; her tomb was named Huiling.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 12Volume 12 Later Zhou Annals 3: Shizong, Emperor Gong · 1 passage

癸未，追册彭城郡夫人刘氏为皇后。 On guiwei Lady Liu of Pengcheng was posthumously enthroned as empress.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 20Volume 20: Shizong of Later Zhou's Family · 4 passages

貞惠皇后劉氏，不知其世家，蓋微時所娶也，世宗為左監門衞將軍，得封彭城縣君。 Empress Zhenhui of the Liu clan—her family background is unknown; she was probably wed in his humble early days. While Shizong served as general of the Left Gate Guard, she received the title Lady of Pengcheng Commandery.

太祖即位，追封彭城郡夫人。 After Taizu ascended the throne, he posthumously enfeoffed her as Lady of Pengcheng Commandery.

世宗顯德四年夏四月，始詔彭城郡夫人劉氏追冊為皇后，有司謚曰貞惠，陵曰惠陵。 In the fourth month of summer, Xiande 4, an edict at last posthumously installed Lady Liu of Pengcheng as empress. The responsible offices gave her the posthumous title Zhenhui, and her mausoleum was named Huiling.

及劉夫人卒，遂納以為繼室。 After Lady Liu died he took her as his next wife.