Pan Shu, also known as Empress Pan, was an empress of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Background
Pan Shu was born in Zhejiang province, but there is no information about the date of her birth. Pan Shu’s father had been a clerk but he was convicted of some crime and put to death. She and her elder sister were then sent to work in the palace weaving rooms.
Career
When Pan Shu was working in the textile factory, she was known because of her beauty. Sun Quan heard about it and ordered the painter to draw Lady Pan‘s portrait. Although Lady Pan looked glum in the portrait, Sun Quan was shocked and said that she is a goddess, indeed. In the palace, Lady Pan was becoming increasingly favored by Sun Quan so that he built a palace called Liuhuantai for her, which means the palace of pomegranate and ring.
In 243 Pan Shu bore a son named Sun Liang. In 250, in the aftermath of a succession struggle between Sun Quan's sons Sun He and Sun Ba, Sun Liang was designated as the crown prince by his father. In 251, Sun Quan instated Lady Pan as the Empress. Pan Shu is said to have been jealous of the other women in the harem and to have slandered many of them; one such was a Lady Yuan, whom she “maligned and brought to destruction.”
During Sun Quan’s last illness, in 252, Lady Pan tended him and apparently saw an opportunity for gaining ultimate control of the court, for she sought information on how Han Empress Lu (Lu Zhi, Empress of Emperor Gaozu), who is generally considered an exemplar of cruelty and ambition, had ruled as a regent. Her attendants clearly became alarmed at this turn of events. Her servants, unable to stand her temper, strangled her while she was asleep and claimed her death was of natural causes. The investigation into her death resulted in the executions of 6-7 people. Sun Quan died soon after in the same year. Empress Pan was buried together with Sun Quan at the Jiang Mausoleum.
Achievements
Personality
Empress Pan was known for being charming but jealous as she never ceased slandering and harming Sun Quan's other wives until her death.
Connections
Pan Shu was the wife of Sun Quan. She bore him a son named Sun Liang.