Background
Dou Zhangdi was a daughter of Dou Xun and the Prince of Donghai. There is no exact information about the date of her birth.
Dou Zhangdi was a daughter of Dou Xun and the Prince of Donghai. There is no exact information about the date of her birth.
Lady Dou became an imperial consort to Emperor Zhang in 77. She was his favorite, and he created her empress in 78.
Dou Zhangdi tried to drive a wedge between the Emperor and Worthy Lady Song when the latter gave birth to a son (Liu Qing). Lady Dou's allegations of sorcery eventually forced Worthy Lady Song to commit suicide. When Worthy Lady Liang gave birth to a son (Liu Zhao) in 78, Empress Dou wrote an anonymous letter accusing the lady’s father, Liang Song, of a crime for which he was then imprisoned and executed. Later Worthy Lady Liang’s entire family was exiled to Jiuzhen.
Empress Dou then adopted Worthy Lady Liang’s son, Liu Zhao, who succeeded to the throne at the age of eleven upon the death of his father. Empress Dowager Dou acted as regent for the boy emperor. Her brothers Dou Xian, Dou Du, Dou Jing, and Dou Gui all became powerful officials, even though they had relatively menial titles.
In 92, however, her three brothers were executed when it was revealed that they had been part of a criminal conspiracy. Empress Dowager Dou died five years later.
Dou Zhangdi was very bright as a child, able to read at the age of six, and her whole clan marveled at her intelligence.
However, she was a jealous woman, and she became engaged in power struggles with other imperial consorts soon after she became Empress.
Empress Dou was a wife of Emperor Zhang. She had no children.