Empress Li Chunyan

Empress Li Chunyan (李春燕 or 李春鷰) (d. August 29, 939?), was an empress of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min. Her husband was Wang Jipeng (also known as Wang Chang during his reign, Emperor Kangzong).

It is not known when or where Li Chunyan was born, and the traditional histories also gave no indication as to her family background. It is known that she became a lady in waiting in the palace of Wang Jipeng's father Wang Lin (né Wang Yanjun). She was said to be very beautiful, and at one point, Wang Jipeng, then the Prince of Fu, started an affair with her. In 935, he went to Wang Lin's wife (his stepmother), Empress Chen Jinfeng, asking for her help. Empress Chen spoke on his behalf, and Wang Lin gave Li Chunyan to him, albeit reluctantly. Wang Jipeng's younger brother Wang Jitao became displeased, and considered killing him — suggesting that Wang Jitao might have also had designs on her.

Later in 935, Wang Lin, Empress Chen, and Wang Jitao were killed in a coup that was led by the officer Li Fang (李倣) and Wang Jipeng. Wang Jipeng took the throne and changed his name to Wang Chang. He created Li Chunyan the imperial consort title Xianfei (賢妃), while his wife Lady Li only carried the title of Lady of Liang. He spent day and night with her, riding the same wagon and sitting on the same couch. His chancellor Ye Qiao tried to remind him that Lady Li was his wife and was of an honorable birth (as the daughter of his aunt and her husband, the chancellor Li Min (李敏)). Wang Chang did not listen, however, and eventually forced Ye into retirement.

In 936, Wang Chang created Consort Li empress, at the same time that he honored his grandmother (Wang Lin's mother) Empress Dowager Huang grand empress dowager.

In 937, Wang built a new Ziwei Palace (紫微宮), adorned with crystals, with far greater effort going into its construction than even his father Wang Lin's opulent Baohuang Palace (寶皇宮). It became the palace where Empress Li would stay.

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