Empress Wei Zifu
(c. 150s BC?–91 BC)
BIRTH
150s BC (?)
PLACE
China
DEATH
September 9, 91 BC
PLACE
Xi'an, China
FAMILY
HUSBAND
Emperor Wu of Han
(156 BC-87 BC)
HOMES
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
RELIGION NOT DOCUMENTED
DENOMINATION NOT DOCUMENTED
MEMBERSHIPS
AWARDS
Wei Zifu became empress of Han China in 128 BCE after bearing Emperor Wu’s son Liu Ju. Formerly a singer in Princess Pingyang’s household, she rose to the center of a powerful imperial family that included the general Wei Qing. In 91 BCE, witchcraft accusations against the crown prince triggered armed conflict in the capital. She supported her son and died by suicide after losing her position. Her birth date is unknown, and the crisis’s causes remain debated.
EARLY LIFE
Wei Zifu was probably born in the 150s BC, although her birth year is unrecorded. She came from a family of servants attached to Princess Pingyang’s household and trained as a singer and dancer there. Emperor Wu noticed her around 139 BC and brought her into the palace. Her half-brother Wei Qing and nephew Huo Qubing later became prominent Han generals.
Wei Zifu bore the emperor three daughters and, in 128 BC, his first son, Liu Ju. That year Emperor Wu made her empress, replacing Empress Chen, who had been deposed in 130 BC.
Liu Ju was named crown prince in 122 BC. For decades Wei Zifu was respected for her modesty, but her influence declined as the emperor favored younger consorts.
In 91 BC the official Jiang Chong accused the crown prince of witchcraft. Liu Ju rose against his accusers in Chang'an and was defeated, and Wei Zifu, stripped of her seals, took her own life.
CAREER
DEATH
Wei Zifu became empress of Han China in 128 BCE after bearing Emperor Wu’s son Liu Ju. Formerly a singer in Princess Pingyang’s household, she rose to the center of a powerful imperial family that included the general Wei Qing. In 91 BCE, witchcraft accusations against the crown prince triggered armed conflict in the capital. For decades Wei Zifu was respected for her modesty, but her influence declined as the emperor favored younger consorts. Liu Ju was named crown prince in 122 BC. In 91 BC the official Jiang Chong accused the crown prince of witchcraft. Liu Ju rose against his accusers in Chang'an and was defeated, and Wei Zifu, stripped of her seals, took her own life. Shortly after Liu Ju's escape, Emperor Wu sent two officials to Empress Wei's palace to seize her seal (i.e. suspending her rights in preparation to depose her). Wei Zifu committed suicide in response, and was buried with a small coffin in Tongbai (桐柏) on the east side of an avenue outside Fu'ang Gate (覆盎門, the eastmost south gate of Chang'an). Most of her clan members were wiped out in the turmoil. Crown Prince Liu Ju was later tracked down and cornered in Hu County (湖縣) by local officials eager for rewards, and committed suicide when it became obvious he could not escape.
POPULAR BIOGRAPHIES
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