Empress Huo Chengjun

Empress Huo Chengjun (霍成君) (died 54 BC) was an empress during Han Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Xuan. Her father was the statesman Huo Guang, who served as regent for Emperor Zhao and who remained exceedingly powerful during Emperor Xuan's reign until his death in 68 BC. Her mother's name was Xian (顯).

It is not known when Chengjun was born to Huo Guang and Lady Xian. What is known is that she grew up in a household with such great power that in many ways, it regarded itself and was regarded as the real imperial household. She became accustomed to luxury living when she was young, and part of that was manifested in her customs of rewarding her servants with great wealth. She had an older sister whose daughter became Emperor Zhao's wife Empress Shangguan.

In 74 BC, Emperor Zhao died at age 20. Huo initially selected his nephew, Prince He of Changyi as the new emperor. However, after Prince He quickly showed his unsuitability to be an emperor, Huo removed him from the throne and selected a commoner, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu and grandnephew of Emperor Zhao, Liu Bingyi (劉病已), to be emperor, and he accepted the throne as Emperor Xuan.

Emperor Xuan was already married to Xu Pingjun when he accepted the throne, and he created Xu an imperial consort. When it came time to create an empress, the officials, knowing that it was Lady Xian's wishes, largely wanted Emperor Xuan to marry Huo Chengjun and create her empress. Emperor Xuan did not explicitly reject this proposal, but issued an order to seek out the sword that he owned as a commoner. Getting the hint, the officials recommended Consort Xu as empress, and she was created as such late in 74 BC.

Lady Xian would not be denied what she wanted—having her daughter as an empress. In 71 BC, Empress Xu was pregnant when Lady Xian came up with a plot. She bribed Empress Xu's female physician Chunyu Yan (淳于衍), under guise of giving Empress Xu medicine after she gave birth, to poison her. Chunyu did so, and Empress Xu died shortly after she gave birth. Her doctors were initially arrested to investigate whether they cared for the empress properly. Lady Xian, alarmed, informed Huo Guang what had actually happened, and Huo, not having the heart to turn in his wife, instead signed Chunyu's release.

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