Chu Lingyuan

Chu Lingyuan (Chinese: 褚靈媛; 384^[1] – 7 August 436^[2]), formally Empress Gongsi (恭思皇后), was the last empress consort of the Chinese Eastern Jin dynasty. Her husband was the last emperor of the dynasty, Emperor Gong (Sima Dewen).

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chu.

Chu Lingyuan 褚靈媛
Empress consort of the Eastern Jin dynasty
Tenure	12 February 419 – 5 July 420
Predecessor	Wang Shen'ai
Born	384
Died	7 August 436(436-08-07) (aged 51–52) Jiankang, Liu Song
Spouse	Emperor Gong of Jin
Issue	Princess Haiyan Princess Fuyang
Posthumous name Empress Gongsi (恭思皇后) Princess Dowager of Lingling (零陵王太妃)
Father	Chu Shuang

Family background

Chu Lingyuan was a daughter of the commandery governor Chu Shuang (褚爽), who was a grandson of the official Chu Pou (via Pou's son Chu Xin), making Chu Lingyuan a grandniece of Emperor Kang's wife Empress Chu Suanzi. Chu Lingyuan also had three older brothers: Chu Xiuzhi (褚秀之; 378-424^[3]), Chu Danzhi (褚淡之; 380-424^[4]), and Chu Yuzhi (褚裕之;^[5] 381-424^[6]) [known by his courtesy name Shudu (叔度) in records as his "Yu" is the same as Liu Yu's name^[7]].

Biography

It is not known exactly when she married Emperor Gong, but the marriage took place while he was the Prince of Langye (from 27 December 392,^[8] to 27 Jan 419,^[9] with an interruption from 404^[10] to April/May 405^[11]), during the reign of his developmentally disabled brother Emperor An. During their marriage, she bore two daughters – Sima Maoying (who was created the Princess Haiyan),^[12] and the Princess Fuyang, whose name is lost to history.^[13]

After the regent Liu Yu killed Emperor An in 419 and made Sima Dewen emperor, she was created empress on 12 February.^[14] Emperor Gong subsequently was forced to give up the throne to Liu Yu in 420, ending Jin. Liu Yu, who established the Liu Song dynasty, created the former Jin emperor the Prince of Lingling, and Empress Chu received the title Princess of Lingling.

However, Liu Yu viewed the former emperor and any male progeny that he might bear as threats, and therefore had Chu Xiuzhi and Chu Danzhi (both Liu-Song officials) poison any male infants that Princess Chu or his concubines might bear. The former emperor himself feared death. He lived in the same house as his princess, and they set up a stove next to their bed, cooking their own meals (to try to prevent poisoning), and the princess herself paid for the material of the meals. The assassins that Liu Yu sent had little chance to poison him. However, in fall 421, Liu Yu sent Chu Danzhi and Chu Yuzhi to meet Princess Chu, and as they gathered in another house, assassins Liu Yu sent jumped into the prince's residence and try to force him to take poison. The former emperor refused, stating that Buddhist doctrines prohibited suicide and that those who committed suicide could not receive human bodies in the next reincarnation. The assassins therefore used a blanket to cover his head and asphyxiated him.

Little is known about Princess Chu's life after her husband's death. Liu Yu had her adopt a son Sima Yuanyu, presumably another member of the imperial Sima household, to inherit the title of Prince of Lingling, but Yuanyu's identity is otherwise unknown. After the adoption, she became known as the Princess Dowager of Lingling (零陵王太妃). Her daughter Sima Maoying married Liu Yu's crown prince Liu Yifu, and after Liu Yu died in 422, Liu Yifu became emperor (as Emperor Shao) and created Sima Maoying empress, although Liu Yifu was himself removed and killed in 424 by imperial officials dissatisfied with his abilities to govern, and Empress Sima was demoted to being Princess of Yingyang. The former Jin empress died in August 436 and was buried with imperial honors with her husband Emperor Gong.

Notes and references

1. According to Lady Chu's biography in Book of Jin, she was 53 (by East Asian reckoning) when she died. (宋元嘉十三年崩，时年五十三...) Jin Shu, vol. 32. Thus by calculation, her birth year should be 384.
2. According to Liu Yilong's biography in Book of Song, Lady Chu died on the jiwei day of the 7th month of the 13th year of the Yuanjia era of his reign. This corresponds to 7 Aug 436 in the Julian calendar. [(元嘉十三年)秋七月己未，零陵王太妃薨。追崇为晋皇后，葬以晋礼。] Song Shu, vol. 05
3. According to Chu Yuzhi's biography in Book of Song, Chu Xiuzhi died aged 47 (by East Asian reckoning) in the 1st year of the Yuanjia era of Liu Yilong's reign. (元嘉元年卒官，时年四十七。) Song Shu, vol. 52. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 378.
4. According to Chu Yuzhi's biography in Book of Song, Chu Danzhi died aged 45 (by East Asian reckoning) in the 2nd year of the Jingping era of Liu Yifu's reign. ([景平]二年，淡之卒，时年四十五。) Song Shu, vol. 52. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 380.
5. This name appears in volume 28 of Nan Shi.
6. According to Chu Yuzhi's biography in Book of Song, Chu Yuzhi died aged 44 (by East Asian reckoning) in the 2nd year of the Jingping era of Liu Yifu's reign. (景平二年，卒，时年四十四。) Song Shu, vol. 52. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 381.
7. (叔度名与高祖同，故以字行.) Song Shu, vol. 52.
8. According to Sima Yao's biography in Book of Jin, Sima Dewen was made Prince of Langye on the gengyin day of the 11th month of the 17th year of the Taiyuan era of Yao's reign. This corresponds to 27 Dec 392 in the Julian calendar. ([太元十七年十一月]庚寅，徙封琅邪王道子为会稽王，封皇子德文为琅邪王。) Jin Shu vol. 09.
9. According to Sima Dewen's biography in Book of Jin, he ascended the throne on the same day as his brother's death, which took place on 28 Jan 419. (安帝崩....是日，即帝位) Jin Shu, vol.10
10. Huan Xuan usurped the throne in this year.
11. Sima Dewen's biography in Book of Jin recorded that he regained his title of Prince of Langye after Huan Zhen was defeated; this defeat took place in April or May 405, according to volume 114 of Zizhi Tongjian. (振平，复为琅邪王...) Jin Shu, vol.10
12. (少帝司马皇后讳茂英，河内温人，晋恭帝女也。初封海盐公主...) Song Shu, vol.41
13. The Persian Historian, Ferdowsi, (فردوسی), author of The Šâhnâme, lit. The Book of Kings, and the national epic of Greater Iran, tells that Bahram V Gor, (420-438) of the Sassanian dynasty of Persia married the daughter, Furak, of the raja (king) of India, who is Khingila or Shingil, K. of Alkhan. He also mentions that the pertinent father-in-law of Khi-gi-la was Faghfur (Emperor) of China. After extensive research and investigation, I have found one kingdom at the time and place required, (and those kingdoms were in the tens), who had a princess available. Until someone else more fluent in Persian or Chinese looks into this fascinating possibility, that's how the possibilities stand as of this typing.
14. According to Sima Dewen's biography in Veritable Records of Jiankang, Lady Chu was created empress on the guisi day of the 1st month of the 1st year of Yuanxi era of his reign. This corresponds to 12 Feb 419 in the Julian calendar. ([元熙元年春正月]癸巳，立妃禇氏为皇后。) Jiankang Shilu vol. 10.

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Wang Shen'ai	Empress of Jin Dynasty (266–420) 419–420	Succeeded by None (dynasty destroyed)
	Empress of China (Southern) 419–420	Succeeded by Empress Sima Maoying of Liu Song
Preceded by Yao Hong's empress of Later Qin	Empress of China (Henan) 419–420