Song, Liao, and Jin · Exemplary Woman and Scholar

Lady Chen 陳氏

Chen shi

Died AD 994

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Lady Chen was an Exemplary Woman and Scholar.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	female scholar	女秀才	nü xiucai

Life and dates

Death

AD 994 統和十二年
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 15

Age

20
Reckoning Stated age at marriage
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 11

Attested activity

AD 994 統和十二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 107, passage 15

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Chen Xing (陘)
daughter 女
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 9
Parent of Xing Baopu (邢抱樸)
mother 母
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 14
Parent of Xing Baozhi (邢抱質)
mother 母
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 14
Spouse of Xing Jian (邢簡)
wife 妻
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 8, 11

Kinship Role sons · Count 6
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 13

Career and standing

Lady of Lu 魯國夫人
AD 994 統和十二年 · Bestowed · Authority Wise Empress Dowager (睿智皇后)
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 16

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Lived under
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 8, 15
At Yingzhou 營州
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 8

Learning and skills

mastered the classics 涉通經義
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 10
Skill poetry and fu recitation and composition 詩賦吟詠 · Level renowned
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 10

Events and relationships

Stone inscription and envoy sacrifice after death
AD 994 統和十二年 · Ritual · Honoree
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 16-17
Taught sons the classics
Education · Teacher
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 13-14

Assessments and attributes

Assessment chaste, quiet, gentle, compliant—model of wifehood and motherhood · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 18
Assessment worthy woman who taught two sons to become worthy chancellors · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 96
filial to parents-in-law; harmonious household
Character
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 12
Item commemorative stone inscription 刻石 · Relation Honored by
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 16

References in the histories

History of Liao, Chapter 107Volume 107 Biographies 37: Exemplary Women · 6 passages

○邢簡妻陳氏耶律氏常哥耶律奴妻蕭氏耶律朮者妻蕭氏耶律中妻蕭氏 ○ Lady Chen, wife of Xing Jian; the Yelü clanswoman Changge; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Nu; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Shuzhe; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Zhong

邢簡妻陳氏，營州人。 Lady Chen, wife of Xing Jian, came from Yingzhou.

陳氏甫笄，涉通經義，凡覽詩賦，輒能誦，尤好吟詠，時以女秀才名之。 As soon as Lady Chen came of age, she had mastered the classics; whatever poetry or fu she read, she could recite from memory; she loved composing verse above all, and people called her the "female scholar."

有六子，陳氏親教以經。 She bore six sons and taught them the classics herself.

睿智皇后聞之，嗟悼，贈魯國夫人，刻石以表其行。 When Empress Dowager Ruizhi heard of her death, she sighed in grief, granted her the title Lady of Lu, and had a stone inscription carved to commemorate her conduct.

論曰：陳氏以經教二子，並為賢相，耶律氏自潔不嫁，居閨閫之內而不忘忠其君，非賢而能之乎！ The commentators say: Lady Chen taught her two sons through the classics, and both became worthy chancellors; the Yelü clanswoman kept herself pure and would not marry, yet within the inner quarters she did not forget loyalty to her sovereign—could anyone but a worthy woman do such things?