Empress Wang (Gaozong)
| Empress Wang | |
|---|---|
| Empress Consort of the Tang Dynasty | |
| Tenure | 650–27 November 655 |
| Predecessor | Empress Zhangsun |
| Successor | Heavenly Empress Wu |
| Born | Bing Prefecture, Tang Dynasty |
| Died | 655 Chang'an, Tang Dynasty |
| Spouse | Emperor Gaozong of Tang |
| House |
Wang (noble family; by birth) House of Li (by marriage) |
| Father | Wang Renyou |
| Mother | Lady Liu |
Empress Wang (王玉燕) (died approximately 655 AD.) was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the first wife and empress of Emperor Gaozong and became empress shortly after he became emperor in 649. She, however, did not bear any sons for him and was not favored. Therefore, in apprehension that one of his concubines, Consort Xiao, who was both favored and had a son, might seek to displace her, she recommended a former concubine of Emperor Gaozong's father Emperor Taizong, Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), to be Emperor Gaozong's concubine as well, hoping to divert favor from Consort Xiao. Soon, however, Consort Wu became dominant in the palace and overwhelmed both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, eventually accusing them of using witchcraft against Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong reduced both Empress Wang and Consort Xiao to commoner rank and put them under arrest in 655, replacing Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Soon, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were executed on the new Empress Wu's orders.
It is not known when the future Empress Wang was born, although it is known that she was from Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Her father Wang Renyou (王仁佑) was a son of Wang Sizheng (王思政), a major general for Western Wei, and during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Wang Renyou served as magistrate of Luoshan County (羅山, in modern Xinyang, Henan). Emperor Taizong's aunt Princess Tong'an had married Wang Renyou's uncle Wang Yu (王裕) and had heard that Wang Renyou's daughter was both beautiful and gentle. She thus recommended to Emperor Taizong that he make her one of his daughters-in-law, and Emperor Taizong agreed, taking her to be the wife and princess of his ninth son Li Zhi the Prince of Jin. In 643, after Li Zhi became crown prince, replacing his older brother Li Chengqian (who was deposed for plotting to overthrow Emperor Taizong), Princess Wang became crown princess. Her father Wang Renyou was promoted to the post of prefect of Chen Prefecture (陳州, roughly modern Zhoukou, Henan).
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