Empress Xiaoduanxian

Empress Xiaoduanxian 孝端顯皇后
Empress Xiaoduanxian
Empress Consort of Ming China
Reign	1577 – 1620
Predecessor	Empress Dowager Xiaoding
Successor	Empress Xiao'aizhe
Born	1565 Yuyao
Died	1620 (aged 54–55)
Burial	Ding ling
Spouse	Wanli Emperor
Issue	Zhu Xuanying, the Princess Rongchang
Full name Family name: Wang (王) Given name: Xijie (喜姐) Posthumous name Empress Xiàoduān zhēnkè zhuānghuì rénmíng pìtiān yùshèng xiǎn 孝端贞恪庄惠仁明媲天毓圣显皇后

Empress Xiaoduanxian (Chinese: 孝端顯皇后; 1565 – April, 1620), personal name Wang Xijie (Chinese: 王喜姐), was empress consort of the Ming dynasty Wanli Emperor. She was the longest serving empress consort in Chinese history.

Wang was born in Beijing to Wang Wei (王偉) of Yuyao, Zhejiang.

In the first month of 1577, Empress Dowager Rensheng and Empress Dowager Xiaoding held a selection event to choose an empress for the Wanli Emperor. The 12-year old Wang Xijie entered the selection process and was successfully chosen to be the empress. In the first month of 1578, she was formally married to the Wanli Emperor at the age of 13. The grand secretary Zhang Juzheng wrote to both empress dowagers, arguing that Wang Xijie and the Wanli Emperor were too young.

Initially, Wang's father was made a member of the Jinyiwei with authority over 1,000 households as a result of his daughter's success. In 1579, the Wanli Emperor also conferred the rank of Count (伯) of Yongnian on him. Since the time of the Jiajing Emperor, inheritance of a feudal title by lineal descendants was not permitted. To show favour to Wang Xijie, her brother Wang Dong (王棟) was granted the countship on their father's death. When Wang Dong died, his mother Lady Zhao (趙) begged the emperor to extend the countship to Wang Dong's children, which was promptly done. Only the family of Empress Dowager Xiaoding had previously received similar honours.