Empress Feng (Empress of Emperor Chu of Later Jin)

Biography

Family Background and Entry into the Palace

Feng came from the Changle Feng clan of the Northern Yan royal house and was a great-granddaughter of Feng Hong, the last ruler of Northern Yan. After Northern Wei destroyed Northern Yan, the Feng family submitted to Wei. Her father, Feng Xi, rose to the office of Grand Preceptor and was enfeoffed as Prince Wuwang of Changli; he was the elder brother of Empress Dowager Wenming. Feng's mother was Lady Chang, who took charge of the Feng household after the death of Feng Xi's principal wife.

Empress Dowager Wenming dominated Northern Wei politics for many years. To preserve the long-term prosperity of the Feng clan, she carefully arranged for her niece to enter the palace. Around 488, the twelfth year of the Taihe era, fourteen-year-old Feng and her fourth younger sister were selected for the inner palace. The younger sister died soon afterward, while Feng, admired for her beauty and vivacity, became especially favored by Emperor Xiaowen Yuan Hong.

Illness and Restoration to Favor

In 489, the thirteenth year of the Taihe era, Feng became seriously ill. Empress Dowager Feng sent her home, where she entered religious life and prayed for recovery. Emperor Xiaowen nevertheless continued to miss her. Empress Dowager Feng died in 490, the fourteenth year of Taihe. In 491, after Emperor Xiaowen completed the mourning period, he frequently went to Feng's residence to visit her.

In 494, the eighteenth year of the Taihe era, Emperor Xiaowen learned that Feng had recovered and sent the eunuch Shuang Sannian with an imperial letter expressing concern. Feng then went to the new capital, Luoyang, and was appointed Left Zhaoyi. Once she reentered the palace, the favor she received surpassed even that of her first stay. Emperor Xiaowen devoted his attention to her, and the other empress and consorts had little opportunity to see him. Feng Zhaoyi wanted the emperor's affection to remain exclusive and often prevented other women of the harem from attending him. Emperor Xiaowen did not regard this as serious and once remarked to his close attendants that jealousy among women was unavoidable even for rulers, much less for officials and ordinary people.

Appointment as Empress and Misconduct

Relying on her seniority, previous palace experience, and the indulgence she received, Feng Zhaoyi treated the reigning empress—her third younger sister—with contempt. She did not observe the proper etiquette of a consort toward the empress and made accusations against her before Emperor Xiaowen. The emperor believed these accusations, and the empress often showed shame and resentment. In 496, the twentieth year of the Taihe era, Feng's younger sister was deposed as empress.

In the seventh lunar month of 497, the twenty-first year of the Taihe era, Emperor Xiaowen installed Feng Zhaoyi as empress. That same year, Emperor Xiaowen launched a southern campaign against Southern Qi, leaving Empress Feng in Luoyang. After the emperor departed, Crown Prince Yuan Ke frequently attended upon the empress. Whenever he came, he remained in her palace for a long time and personally watched as she dressed and groomed herself, displaying the full rites of filial devotion toward a mother.

Reports of misconduct had already circulated when Empress Feng had earlier returned home because of illness. During Emperor Xiaowen's southern campaign, the palace eunuch Gao Pusa became her lover, while palace attendant Shuang Meng and others served as her confidants. Emperor Xiaowen's younger sister, Princess Pengcheng, had long been widowed. Empress Feng sought to arrange a marriage between the princess and her full younger brother Feng Su, and Emperor Xiaowen agreed. Princess Pengcheng, however, did not wish to marry him, while Empress Feng attempted to force the match. Enraged, the princess traveled through heavy rain to the army and reported the empress's illicit relationship directly to Emperor Xiaowen.

Exposure of Witchcraft and Confinement

After learning that Princess Pengcheng had exposed her, Empress Feng became anxious and frightened. Together with her birth mother, Lady Chang, she sought the assistance of a female sorcerer and cursed Emperor Xiaowen in the hope that he would die soon. They also made offerings of the three sacrificial animals at a Zoroastrian shrine in the palace, outwardly claiming to pray for blessings but in fact performing witchcraft. Lady Chang sometimes entered the palace herself and at other times sent maidservants back and forth to convey gifts and thanks.

In the first lunar month of 499, the twenty-third year of the Taihe era, Emperor Xiaowen returned to Luoyang. Fearful that the matter would be investigated, Empress Feng became even more alarmed. She suddenly sent eunuchs to inquire about the emperor's illness, gave them clothing, and ordered them to keep the matter secret. Only the junior eunuch Su Xingshou secretly reported her actions. Emperor Xiaowen questioned Gao Pusa, Shuang Meng, and six others and learned the full circumstances.

Ill and lying in the Hanwen chamber, Emperor Xiaowen summoned the empress at night. As she was about to enter, he ordered eunuchs to search her clothing, saying that if a knife were found she would be beheaded. Empress Feng kowtowed and wept in thanks. The emperor ordered her to sit by the eastern pillar, more than two zhang away from him. He first had Gao Pusa and the others confess and then rebuked the empress. She asked that those present withdraw, saying that she wished to make a secret report. Emperor Xiaowen dismissed everyone except Bai Zheng, the Changqiu official, who stood by holding a sword. When the empress still refused to speak, Emperor Xiaowen stuffed Bai Zheng's ears tightly with silk and only then ordered her to explain the details.

Emperor Xiaowen then summoned Prince Pengcheng Yuan Xie and Prince Beihai Yuan Xiang and told them, in substance, that she had formerly been their sister-in-law but from that point onward was an outsider. He also said that the old woman had wanted to put a white blade into his ribs and instructed them to investigate the matter fully. Finally, he said that another daughter of the Feng family could not again be formally expelled, and that she should be left sitting uselessly in the palace; if she had any sense, she would find a way to die herself. Out of consideration for Empress Dowager Wenming, Emperor Xiaowen did not formally depose her, but he never saw her again.

Ordered Death

After the empress was confined, Emperor Xiaowen once sent eunuchs to question her. She cursed them, saying that she was the Son of Heaven's wife and ought to speak to the emperor face to face rather than communicate through them. Emperor Xiaowen became angry and summoned her mother, Lady Chang, to the palace so that she could see her daughter's attitude. Lady Chang beat Empress Feng more than one hundred times before stopping. Not long afterward, Emperor Xiaowen again campaigned in the south, while Empress Feng remained in the capital. Although she had lost favor because of her crimes, the other women of the harem continued to serve her according to ritual, but Crown Prince Yuan Ke no longer attended her.

In the third lunar month of the twenty-third year of Taihe, Emperor Xiaowen became gravely ill. In his final edict, he released all consorts below the rank of the Three Ladies to return home, but sent the envoy Yuan Song to order Empress Feng to die. Prince Beihai Yuan Xiang was instructed to go to the empress's palace. Empress Feng ran about crying and refused to kill herself, insisting that the emperor would never have issued such an order and that the princes were killing her. Bai Zheng, who accompanied Yuan Xiang, forcibly administered poison, and Empress Feng died. After Prince Xianyang Yuan Xi and others heard of her death, they said to one another that even without a final edict they would have found a way to remove her rather than allow a woman guilty of misconduct to control the realm and kill them. Empress Feng received the posthumous title Empress You and was buried within the Changling cemetery.

Major Activities

Entry into the Palace and Installation as Empress

Feng entered the palace under arrangements made by her aunt, Empress Dowager Wenming, and gained Emperor Xiaowen's exclusive favor through her beauty and quick intelligence. In 494, the eighteenth year of the Taihe era, she was appointed Left Zhaoyi, and in 497, the twenty-first year of Taihe, she was installed as empress. She monopolized imperial favor, prevented other consorts from approaching the emperor, and made accusations against her own younger sister, the deposed empress of Emperor Xiaowen, contributing to that sister's removal. These actions displayed her strong desire for power.

Illicit Relationship and Witchcraft

During Emperor Xiaowen's southern campaign, Empress Feng had an illicit relationship with the palace eunuch Gao Pusa and relied on the palace attendant Shuang Meng and others as confidants. After the affair was exposed, she and her mother, Lady Chang, also practiced witchcraft and cursed Emperor Xiaowen to die, attempting to secure her position through supernatural means. These acts became the direct cause of her eventual ordered death.

Care of the Crown Prince

Empress Feng showed considerable affection and care toward Crown Prince Yuan Ke. After Yuan Ke was made crown prince, he attended her once every three days. Whenever he entered the palace to see her, he remained for a long time and personally watched her dressing and grooming, fully observing the conduct of a son toward a mother. After the witchcraft affair was exposed, however, Yuan Ke ceased attending her.

Personal Relations

• Great-granduncle: Feng Ba, Emperor Wencheng of Northern Yan
• Great-grandfather: Feng Hong, Emperor Zhaocheng of Northern Yan
• Grandfather: Feng Lang, second son of Feng Hong
• Father: Feng Xi, Grand Preceptor and Prince Wuwang of Changli
• Mother: Lady Chang, who managed the Feng household after the death of Feng Xi's principal wife
• Aunt: Empress Dowager Wenming, empress of Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei
• Full younger brother: Feng Su, Crown Prince's Central Attendant and Duke of Beiping
• Third younger sister: the deposed empress of Emperor Xiaowen, formerly empress before being removed
• Husband: Emperor Xiaowen Yuan Hong, seventh emperor of Northern Wei
• Stepson: Emperor Xuanwu Yuan Ke, crown prince who later succeeded to the throne
• Gao Pusa: palace eunuch who had an illicit relationship with Empress Feng
• Princess Pengcheng: younger sister of Emperor Xiaowen who exposed Empress Feng's affair
• Prince Beihai Yuan Xiang: carried out the final edict ordering Empress Feng's death

Historical Assessment

Northern Wei / Contemporary

• Emperor Xiaowen Yuan Hong: He stated that another daughter of the Feng family could not again be formally expelled and that she should be left sitting uselessly in the palace, where, if she had any sense, she would find a way to die herself. (Book of Wei, "Biographies of Empresses")
• Prince Xianyang Yuan Xi and others: They said that even without the final edict they would have found a way to remove her, rather than allow a woman guilty of misconduct to control the realm and kill them. (Book of Wei, "Biographies of Empresses")
• Wei Shou's Book of Wei includes Empress You in the "Biographies of Empresses," gives a detailed account of her misconduct, and presents her as an example of disorder caused by palace politics.

Sui and Tang Periods

• Li Yanshou's History of the Northern Dynasties largely follows the account in the Book of Wei and is critical of Empress You's illicit relationship and witchcraft.

Song and Yuan Periods

• Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian records the affair of Empress Feng and treats it as a cautionary example of intervention by the inner palace and sexual disorder within the court.

Modern Period

• Modern scholars such as Tian Yuqing have examined the Empress Feng affair within the broader conflict between Empress Dowager Feng's family and imperial authority, viewing her fate as a reflection of the Feng clan's decline from the height of its power.