Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Favored consort of the last Chen emperor

Zhang Lihua 張麗華

First attested AD 582; died AD 589

Passages: 14
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Zhang Lihua was a Favored consort of the last Chen emperor.

Life and dates

Death

AD 589 隋軍陷臺城
Beheaded and displayed · At middle bridge over Qingxi 青溪中橋 · Authority Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 145

Attested activity

literary antiquity
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 11, passage 32
AD 582 後主即位
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 141
AD 589 隋軍陷臺城
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 145

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Later Lord (後主)
appointed noble consort 拜为贵妃 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 141
Parent of Crown Prince Shen (太子深)
gave birth to 生
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 140

father and elder brothers 父兄
Kinship Role father-and-elder-brothers · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 138

Key source chapters

Career and standing

beheaded 斬
Executed · Authority Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 145

Places and affiliations

Polity Chen 陳 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 141

Learning and skills

Skill remembering memorials 條疏 · Level renowned
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 166

Events and relationships

Hid in well
Political · Participant · With Later Lord (後主) · At Taicheng 臺城
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 145

Assessments and attributes

Assessment exemplar of beauty in Wen's longing comparison · Mode named-source-report Source Work Scattered Dreams of the Northern Quarter 北夢瑣言
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 11, passage 32
hair seven feet long, black as lacquer, mirror-bright
Physical description
Directly stated · Book of Chen 7, passage 160

Source notes

Historicity literary
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 11, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 7Volume 7: Empresses and Consorts · 13 passages

後主沈皇后張貴妃 Last Emperor Empress Shen; Noble Consort Zhang

後主遇后既薄，而張貴妃寵傾後宮，後宮之政嵭歸之，后澹然未嘗有所忌怨。 The Last Emperor treated the empress coldly, while Noble Consort Zhang dominated the harem in favor and all inner-palace affairs passed to her. The empress remained calm and never showed jealousy or resentment.

後主貴妃張麗華 Last Emperor Noble Consort Zhang Lihua

後主張貴妃名麗華，兵家女也。 Noble Consort Zhang of the Last Emperor, named Lihua, was the daughter of a military household.

史臣侍中鄭國公魏徵考覽記書，參詳故老，云後主初即位，以始興王叔陵之亂，被傷臥于承香閣下，時諸姬嵭不得進，唯張貴妃侍焉。 The historiographer, palace attendant and Duke of Zheng, Wei Zheng, examined the records and consulted elders and wrote: When the Last Emperor first succeeded, he was wounded in the disorder of Prince of Shixing Shuling and lay ill below the Hall of Accepting Fragrance; none of the palace women could enter—only Noble Consort Zhang attended him.

後主自居臨春閣，張貴妃居結綺閣，龔、孔二貴嬪居望仙閣，嵭復道交相往來。 The Last Emperor lived in the Linchun Pavilion, Precious Consort Zhang in the Jieqi Pavilion, and Honored Consorts Gong and Kong in the Wangxian Pavilion, with skyways connecting them for constant visits.

後主每引賓客對貴妃等遊宴，則使諸貴人及女學士與狎客共賦新詩，互相贈答，採其尤豔麗者以為曲詞，被以新聲，選宮女有容色者以千百數，令習而哥之，[8]分部迭進，持以相樂。 Whenever the Last Emperor feasted with guests and the Precious Consort, he had the ladies and female academicians join familiar companions in new verse, trading lines; the finest were set as lyrics to new music, and hundreds or thousands of comely palace women were drilled to sing them—[8] sections took turns performing for the revel.

其曲有玉樹後庭花、臨春樂等，大指所歸，皆美張貴妃、孔貴嬪之容色也。 Tunes such as "Jade Tree, Rear-Court Blossom" and "Linchun Joy" chiefly praised the beauty of Precious Consort Zhang and Honored Consort Kong.

而張貴妃髮長七尺，鬒黑如漆，其光可鑒。 Precious Consort Zhang's hair was seven feet long, black as lacquer and bright enough to mirror one's face.

是時，後主怠於政事，百司啟奏，嵭因宦者蔡脫兒、李善度進請，[9]後主置張貴妃於膝上共決之。 The Last Emperor had grown slack in rule; memorials from every office came only through eunuchs Cai Tuo'er and Li Shandu—[9] and he set Precious Consort Zhang on his knee to decide them with him.

李、蔡所不能記者，貴妃嵭為條疏，無所遺脫。 What Li and Cai forgot, the Precious Consort would lay out in clear lists without omission.

而後宮之家，不遵法度，有挂於理者，但求哀於貴妃，貴妃則令李、蔡先啟其事，而後從容為言之。 Inner-palace families who broke the law would beg the Precious Consort's mercy; she had Li and Cai raise the case first, then spoke for them at leisure.

於是張、孔之勢，薰灼四方，大臣執政，亦從風而靡。 Zhang and Kong's influence blazed everywhere, and ministers in power bent with the wind.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 11Volume 11 Book of Later Liang 11: Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 1 passage

溫時聞張有姿色，私心傾慕，有麗華之歎。 Hearing of Zhang’s beauty, Wen secretly yearned for her and sighed like a man longing for Lady Lihua.