Mengnu Deng

Background

Deng Mengnu was the daughter of Deng Xiang and his wife, who was known as Xuan. The family of Deng Mengnu had been respected and powerful in Nanyang Commandery (the southwest of present-day Henan Province) for many generations.

Career

Deng Mengnu entered the harem in 153 or 154. First appointed a Lady of Elegance, lowest of the three ranks of imperial concubines. She was swiftly promoted to Worthy Lady, highest rank below the Empress.

In order to regain his influence to control Emperor Huan General-in-Chief Liang Ji proposed to adopt Worthy Lady Deng as his daughter and have her established as empress. To completely control her, Liang Ji planned to have her mother, Lady Xuan, killed, and in fact sent assassins against her, but the assassination was foiled.

After the fall of the Liang clan, later in 159, Emperor Huan created then-Consort Liang empress, but disliked her family name, and so ordered her family name be changed to Bo. Only later did the emperor find out that she was actually Deng Xiang's daughter, and therefore had her original family name of Deng restored. A number of her uncles and cousins were promoted to important positions but not given much real power. The Deng family were not popular with the regular officials of the court, and Emperor Huan received many complaints and protests against them and against the honors he had granted. The emperor paid small attention to these criticisms, and Empress Deng continued to receive his favors.

As the emperor had a large number of other favorites, Empress Deng faced with constant competition from new, ambitious rivals. It is recorded that she had a furious quarrel with Worthy Lady Guo. The emperor became tired of Empress Deng presumptions and importunities.

On 27 March 165, Empress Deng was dismissed and imprisoned in the Drying House. She died in anger and depression. Her relatives who were promoted when she became empresses were removed from their positions.

Achievements

• Deng Mengnu was notoriously known as a woman who despite her origin and beauty couldn't maintain herself in power of Empress. Being very arrogant and jealous she lost her status.

Personality

Dang Mengnu was extremely beautiful but arrogant and overbearing. Some sources said about the involvement of Empress Deng in unorthodox religions and her unsuccessful quest for a son and heir who might preserve her husband’s affections and her own imperial status.

Connections

Deng Mengnu was the second wife of Emperor Huan. She had no children.

Father:

Deng Xiang

Deng Xiang was a low-level official in the imperial administration.

husband:

Liu Zhi

Liu Zhi, also known as Emperor Huan, was the 27th emperor of the Han Dynasty after he was enthroned by the Empress Dowager and her brother Liang Ji on 1 August 146.

Great-grandfather:

Deng Yu

Deng Yu was a Han dynasty general and official who was a major contributor to Emperor Guangwu's campaign to reestablish the Han dynasty.

aunt-cousin:

Sui Deng

Deng Sui was an empress during the Han dynasty of Chinese history.

References

• Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. - 618 C.E This new volume of the "Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women" spans more than 2,000 years from antiquity to the early seventh century. It recovers the stories of more than 200 women, nearly all of them unknown in the West.
  1998
• History of Religions, An International Journal for Comparative Historical Studies Six major essays on Taoism, plus book reviews.
  1970