Empress Feng (Wencheng)
| Empress Feng | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 442 | ||||
| Died | 490 (aged 47–48) | ||||
| Spouse | Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei | ||||
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| Father | Feng Lang | ||||
| Posthumous name | |
|---|---|
| Empress Wencheng Wenming 文成文明皇后 |
Empress Feng (馮皇后) (442–490), formally Empress Wenming (文明皇后, literally "the civil and understanding empress") was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Her husband was Emperor Wencheng. After her husband's death in 465, she overthrew the autocratic regent Yifu Hun in 466 and became regent over her stepson Emperor Xianwen and remained as such until his adulthood in 467. She subsequently had a falling-out with Emperor Xianwen (who had then become retired emperor) over his execution of her lover Li Yi (李奕), and she assassinated him and reassumed regency over his son Emperor Xiaowen in 476. While Emperor Xiaowen assumed imperial powers upon adulthood, he remained very deferential to her, and she was highly influential until her death in 490.
The later Empress Feng was born in 442. Her father Feng Lang (馮朗) was the Duke of Xicheng and a provincial governor, and he was the 10th son of Feng Hong, the last emperor of Northern Yan. Her mother was Lady Wang—it is unclear whether Lady Wang was Feng Lang's wife or concubine. Feng Lang, along with his brothers Feng Chong (馮崇) and Feng Miao (馮邈), had surrendered to Northern Wei in 433, after believing that they were in danger of being killed by their stepmother, Feng Hong's wife Princess Murong. Later, Feng Lang was executed after being accused of crimes during his governorship. As Feng Lang's daughter, the later empress was seized to serve in the palace, but she was raised by her aunt, Emperor Taiwu's concubine Consort Feng. After Emperor Wencheng became emperor, she became his concubine in 455, carrying the rank of Guiren (貴人). In 456, she was created empress; this was probably after she completed, as according to Northern Wei tradition, forging a golden statue, but there was no conclusive statement that she did so.
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