Background
Chen Jiao was born in 160 B.C. She was the daughter of Chen Wu, the Marquess of Tangyi, and Liu Piao, the Eldest Princess Guantao. She had two brothers, Chen Xu and Chen Jiao. There is no exact information about the place of her birth.
Emperor Wu of Han
陈娇
Chen Jiao was born in 160 B.C. She was the daughter of Chen Wu, the Marquess of Tangyi, and Liu Piao, the Eldest Princess Guantao. She had two brothers, Chen Xu and Chen Jiao. There is no exact information about the place of her birth.
Chen Jiao married Liu Che, the future Emperor Wu. This marriage was arranged by her mother Liu Piao. Liu Che was sixteen years old when he ascended the throne, and he appointed his wife Chen Jiao as empress.
Empress Chen had not borne a son to Emperor Wu. She was also said to have become overbearing and jealous, and she gradually lost the emperor’s favor. After Emperor Wu took a new favorite, Wei Zifu, who had been brought into the palace on the recommendation of his eldest sister, Princess of Pingyang, Empress Chen tried to bring pressure on him by attempting suicide. In 130 B.C.E. Empress Chen was accused of witchcraft. An edict was issued saying that she had broken the law by engaging in sorcery with witches, which made her unworthy of being Empress.
Empress Chen was relieved of the imperial seal and ribbon, deposed, and sent to live in Changmen Palace. Chen Jiao paid the famous poet Sima Xiangru one hundred jin of gold to write her a rhapsody expressing her grief and sorrow.
About 20 years after Chen Jiao was deposed, she died and was buried east of the Langguan Pavilion, northeast of Chang'an, outside of her ancestral cemeteries.
Chen Jiao was a jealous woman who resorted to the occult as a last-ditch attempt to win back the love of her husband.
Chen Jiao was the wife of Emperor Wu of Han. Some sources said that there was an age difference between Chen Jiao and Liu Che. However, there are no reliable historical records of Empress Chen's birth year, it is almost impossible to accurately calculate her age difference to Emperor Wu.
After ten years of marriage during which the emperor favored her, Empress Chen had not borne him a son.
Chen Wu was the Marquess of Tangyi, a title he inherited from his father, Chen Ying.
Liu Piao was the Grand Princess and the older sister of Emperor Jing of Han
Emperor Wu of Han was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China, ruling from 141 B.C. to 87 B.C.
Liu Heng was was the fifth emperor of the Han dynasty of ancient China.
Dou Yifang, also known as Empress Dou, was an empress of the Chinese Han dynasty who greatly influenced the reigns of her husband Emperor Wen and her son Emperor Jing with her adherence to Taoist philosophy.
