Empress Zhang (Tang dynasty)

Empress Zhang (張皇后, personal name unknown) (died May 16, 762) was an empress of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Suzong and gained great power during his reign, in alliance with the eunuch Li Fuguo, but eventually she and Li Fuguo turned against each other late in Emperor Suzong's reign, as the emperor grew gravely ill. Zhang tried to have Li Fuguo put to death, but instead was captured and killed by Li Fuguo.

The future Empress Zhang's family was originally from Deng Prefecture (鄧州, roughly modern Nanyang, Henan). Her grandmother Lady Dou was a younger sister of Consort Dou, a concubine of Emperor Ruizong, whose son Li Longji later became emperor (as Emperor Xuanzong). Consort Dou was put to death by Emperor Ruizong's mother Wu Zetian in 693, while Li Longji was just eight. Lady Dou spent much time raising Li Longji, and later, after Emperor Ruizong returned to the throne in 710, he created Lady Dou the Lady of Deng and honored her greatly. Her sons Zhang Quhuo (張去惑), Zhang Quyí (張去疑), Zhang Qushe (張去奢), Zhang Quyì (張去逸, note different tone than his brother), and Zhang Quying (張去盈) all became key officials, and Zhang Quyì would become the father of the future Empress Zhang.

During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), the future Empress Zhang was selected to be a concubine for Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince Li Heng, and she carried the title of Liangdi, the highest rank for the Crown Prince's concubines. It was said that after he was forced to divorce his wife Crown Princess Wei in 746, she became his favorite consort. She was said to be intelligent and well-spoken, and she knew how to please him.

In 755, the general An Lushan launched a major rebellion against Emperor Xuanzong's rule, and in 756 was approaching the capital Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong and Li Heng to flee. On the way to Jiannan Circuit (劍南, roughly modern Sichuan and Chongqing), however, Li Heng left Emperor Xuanzong's train and instead, following the suggestion of his son Li Tan the Prince of Jianning, decided to head for important border military outpost Lingwu to gather troops there to prepare for counterattack. On the way there, he had very few guards, and at night, Consort Zhang would always sleep to the outside of the Crown Prince. When Li Heng told her, "It is not a woman's responsibility to fight the bandits," she responded, "I am afraid that sudden disaster would occur. If it does, I can use my body to shield you, and Your Royal Highness can get away." Once they got to Lingwu, she gave birth to a child, but immediately got up just three days after birth to sew clothes for soldiers. When Li Heng asked her to rest, she responded, "This is no time for me to be idle." He thereafter favored her even more. She would eventually bear two sons for him, Li Shao (李佋) and Li Tong (李侗).

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