Wang Xianyuan , formally Empress Wenmu, was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song.
Background
Wang Xianyuan came from a noble family, as her father Wang Yan (王偃) was a great-great-grandson of the famed Jin prime minister Wang Dao. His father Wang Gu (王嘏) was a minister during Jin, and his mother was Princess Poyang, the daughter of Emperor Xiaowu of Jin. Wang Yan"s wife was also a princess—Liu Rongnan (劉榮男), the Princess Wuxing, daughter of Liu Song"s founder Emperor Wu.
Wang Xianyuan married Liu June in 443, when he was the Prince of Wuling under his father Emperor Wen, and she therefore carried the title Princess of Wuling.
Career
Her husband was Emperor Xiaowu (Liu June). (lieutenant is not clear whether she was Wang Xianyuan"s mother)
During the campaign, Princess Wang remained at his defense post Xunyang (尋陽, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi) and did not accompany him in attacking the capital Jiankang, although upon his victory she and his mother Consort Lu Huinan were welcomed to the capital, and Princess Wang was created empress. Little is known about Empress Wang"s life during her husband"s reign.
One of Liu Yixuan"s daughters, whom Emperor Xiaowu gave the alias Consort Yin (claiming her to be a relative of his official Yin Yan (殷琰)), was particularly favored by Emperor Xiaowu, and Empress Wang"s own favor in Emperor Xiaowu"s eyes appeared to have greatly decreased.
A rare reference to herself was in 460, when she presided over a ceremony where she personally federal mulberry leaves to silkworms, to show the imperial household"s attention to farming. Empress Dowager Lu was in attendance.
In 464, Emperor Xiaowu died. Liu Ziye succeeded him (as Emperor Qianfei).
He honored Empress Wang as empress dowager.
In fall 464, she grew seriously ill, and she asked that Emperor Qianfei be summoned. He refused—stating that in sick people"s rooms there would be ghosts, and he could not go.
