Lady Zhen was the first wife of Cao Pi, the first ruler of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. Her personal name unknown, but she was also known as Empress Wenzhao.
Background
Lady Zhen was born on 26 January 183 in Hebei. Lady Zhen was a descendant of Zhen Han, who served as a Grand Protector in the late Western Han dynasty and later the General-in-Chief during the short-lived Xin dynasty. She was the daughter of Zhen Yi and Lady Zhang. Lady Zhen was the youngest of the five daughters and also had three brothers.
Education
Lady Zhen disliked frivolity but enjoyed writing from the age of nine, by which time she could recognize words. She used her elder brothers’ brushes and ink stones, telling them she needed to understand writing in order to learn history because all of the worthy women of antiquity had studied history in order to better themselves.
Career
Lady Zhen married Yuan Xi, the second son of Yuan Shao, a warlord who controlled much of northern China. Yuan Shao later put Yuan Xi in charge of You Province, so Yuan Xi left to assume his appointment. Lady Zhen did not follow her husband and remained in Ye (in present-day Handan, Hebei), the administrative center of Yuan Shao's domain, to take care of her mother-in-law.
However, in 204 Cao Cao occupied Ye. His oldest son, Cao Pi, entered the house of the Yuan family and was struck by Lady Zhen's beauty and immediately appropriated her as his wife. It should be noted that she was still the wife of Yuan Xi when Cao Pi took her as a concubine so that her relationship with Cao Pi was bigamous. Lady Zhen remained humble even though Cao Pi deeply fancied her. She provided encouragement to Cao Pi's other wives who were also adored by him and comforted those whom he less favored. She also often urged Cao Pi to take more concubines so that he would have more descendants, citing the example of the mythical Yellow Emperor.
After Cao Cao died in early 220, his vassal king title – "King of Wei"– was inherited by Cao Pi. Later that year, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian, whom he paid nominal allegiance to, to abdicate in his favor, effectively ending the Han dynasty. Cao Pi became the emperor and established the state of Cao Wei, which marked the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period. The dethroned Emperor Xian was reduced to the status of a duke – the Duke of Shanyang. The former emperor presented his two daughters to Cao Pi to be his concubines.
Cao Pi began to favor his other concubines, especially Guo Nüwang. When Lady Zhen realized that Cao Pi favored her less, she started complaining. As Empress Zhen had been fond of literature since childhood and during the period she was out of favor she composed ballads. The ballad The Pond (Tangshang xing), which is attributed to her compares her life to flourishing cattails and tells of her grief at her sudden fall from the emperor’s favor, being ignored and finally cast aside. However, Cao Pi was furious when he heard about it. On 4 August 221, he sent an emissary to Ye (in present-day Handan, Hebei) to execute Lady Zhen by forcing her to take her own life. Lady Zhen was buried in Ye on 20 March 227.
Achievements
Lady Zhen was known in Chinese history as Empress Wenzhao and mother of Cao Rui. She was also known for her ballads.
Besides, Lady Zhen is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series. Her character appeared in several Chinese television series.
Personality
Lady Zhen was a beautiful and literate woman.
Connections
Lady Zhen was the wife of Yuan Xi, but later she became the first wife of Cao Pi. She bore him a son and a daughter.
Father:
Zhen Yi
Zhen Yi served as the Prefect of Shangcai County in the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Mother:
Lady Zhang
Brother:
Zhen Yu
Brother:
Zhen Yan
Zhen Yan served as an assistant to the General-in-Chief and as the Chief of Quliang County.
Brother:
Zhen Yao
Sister:
Zhen Jiang
Sister:
Zhen Tuo
Sister:
Zhen Dao
Sister:
Zhen Rong
late-husband:
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of Yuan Shao, a warlord who controlled much of northern China during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
husband:
Cao Pi
Cao Pi was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Son:
Cao Rui
Cao Rui was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period.