Empress Dowager Bo: Difference between revisions

Posthumous name
	Empress Gao 高皇后

Consort Bo
Consort Bo
Empress Dowager of China
Reign	180 BC - 157 BC
Grand Empress Dowager of China
Reign	157 BC - 155 BC
Predecessor	Empress Lü Zhi
Successor	Empress Dou
Died	155 BC
Spouse	Wei Bao, Prince of Western Wei; Emperor Gaozu of Han
Issue	Emperor Wen of Han
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Empress Gao 高皇后
Father	Lord Bo, Marquess of Linwen
Mother	Lady Wei, Marchioness of Linwen

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Empress Dowager Bo (薄太后) was an imperial concubine for Emperor Gao of Han (Liu Bang). She was also known as Consort Bo (薄姬) during the life of the Emperor, and more formally as either Empress Dowager Xiaowen (孝文太后) or (rarer) Empress Gao (高皇后). Despite being a concubine of lower standing, her son, Liu Heng, became Emperor Wen of Han, cementing her place in history. The year of her birth is not known. She died in 155 BC.

Early years

The future Empress Dowager Bo's father, Gentleman Bo (薄翁), came from Wu County (吳縣, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu). He had an adulterous affair with a Lady Wei (魏媼), the daughter of a member of the Wei royal family. Empress Dowager Bo was born of this union.

According to Chinese historical works (with the exception the Book of Han," which tells a different version of her life), Lady Bo was, when she was young, the prettiest concubine of Wei Bao (魏豹), the Prince of Wei. Wei Bao allied himself with Liu Bang to defeat Xiang Yu's force, but later betrayedLiu Bang by defecting to Xiang Yu's camp. Unlike other defectors who switched sides again after Liu Bang's final victory, Wei Bao remained loyal to Xiang Yu to the end. After Han Xin conquered Wei, Wei Bao and his entire family were brought in front of Liu Bang to await execution. Wei Bao begged for mercy, but the emperor was unreceptive until he offered Lady Bo as a gift to Liu Bang. Her beauty had captured the attention of the emperor, and she was taken as an imperial concubine. Her former husband was thus spared execution. Historical records did not provide the information on whether other members of Wei Bao's family were spared as well, but it was likely the case.

Lady Bo was not favored among the concubines, and Liu Bang is only known to have had sexual relations with her on occasion. However, that was enough for her to get pregnant and bear him a son, Prince Liu Heng. When Liu Bang heard the news, he made Liu Heng the Prince of Dai. The birth of her son elevated Lady Bo's status to Consort Bo. Unlike many other concubines, she was not confined to the palace and was allowed to accompany her son to the remote Principality of Dai (modern northern Shanxi and northwestern Hebei) to be the princess dowager. Dai was not a rich domain to begin with, and the region was under constant threats and attacks from Xiongnu. Although Consort Bo could not live a luxurious lifestyle so far from the imperial palaces, she still managed to have a relatively comfortable life. Nonetheless, she had to work as a seamstress. Such rather difficult living conditions in comparison to other consorts had an unexpected benefit: unlike other consorts who became Empress Lü Zhi's victims due to her jealousy, Empress Lü Zhi was very sympathetic to Consort Bo. The empress never saw Bo and her son as a threat to her quest of power, and thus, the two were spared the from the politics that killed many other concubines and princes.

The Book of Han tells a different story of how Lady Bo came to become the emperor's concubine. It states that Liu Bang discovered Lady Bo working as a seamstress in Dai and took her as his concubine there. Despite this difference in Lady Bo's origin, the Book of Han and the other Chinese historical texts converge with Lady Bo and her son, Prince Heng, in the Principality of Dai.

Rise to the top

In 180 BC, after the death of her mistress, Emperor Gao's wife Grand Empress Dowager Lü, and after the officials then slaughtered the Lü clan, they offered the throne to Prince Heng over his nephew Emperor Houshao -- whom they accused of not being imperial blood. Prince Heng consulted Princess Dowager Bo, who could not decide either. It was later, after they dispatched Princess Dowager Bo's brother Bo Zhao (薄昭) to the capital Chang'an to observe the situation and to ascertain the officials' good faith that Prince Heng chose to accept the throne.

Later years

After Prince Heng took the throne as Emperor Wen, Princess Dowager Bo was honored as empress dowager, even though she had not previously been an empress. She was largely unassuming as empress dowager, and did not exert anywhere close to the influence that Empress Dowager Lü asserted over Emperor Hui or even her daughter-in-law, Empress Dou, would later assert over her grandson Emperor Jing. The one major instance in which she asserted her influence was in 176 BC. At that time, Zhou Bo (周勃), who had been instrumental in Emperor Wen's becoming emperor and who had by that time retired to his march, was falsely accused of treason and arrested. Empress Dowager Bo, believing in Zhou's innocence, famously threw her scarf at Emperor Wen, stating:

Before you became emperor, Zhou was in control of the imperial seal, and commanded the powerful northern guards. How ridiculous is it that he did not commit treason then, but now plans to use his small march as the base for a rebellion?

It was at least partly due to her influence that Emperor Wen eventually released Zhou.

She either did not try to intercede similarly (as appears more likely) or was ineffective in her intercession, when her brother Bo Zhao killed an imperial messenger—a crime far more serious than ordinary murder—in 170 BC. Even though Bo Zhao was her only sibling, Emperor Wen, although not having the heart to execute him publicly, eventually pressed him into committing suicide.

Empress Dowager Bo married one of her relatives' daughter to her grandson, then-Crown Prince Qi, during her son's reign. After Emperor Wen died in 157 BC and Crown Prince Qi succeeded him as Emperor Jing, Empress Dowager Bo became grand empress dowager. There was no recorded instance of her trying to assert political influence after that. She died just two years later in 155 BC.^[1] (This would prove disastrous for Empress Bo, Emperor Jing's wife, as she, now without support, was soon deposed.)

After she died, she was enshrined in a temple of her own, not in her husband's temple, because only one empress could be enshrined in an emperor's temple, and Empress Lü was already enshrined in Emperor Gao's temple. However, later, during Emperor Guangwu's reign, he effectively reversed their positions by enshrining Empress Dowager Bo as "Empress Gao" and demoting Empress Dowager Lü to a separate temple.

References

^ Lily Xiao Hong Lee, A. D. Stefanowska, Sue Wiles, "Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E.", 2007

Records of the Grand Historian, vol. 49.
Book of Han, vol. 97, part 1.
Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 13, 14, 15.

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[1] Lily Xiao Hong Lee, A. D. Stefanowska, Sue Wiles, "Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E.", 2007

[1]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 The future Empress Dowager Bo's father, Gentleman Bo (薄翁), came from Wu County (吳縣, in modern [[Suzhou]], [[Jiangsu]]).  He had an adulterous affair with a Lady Wei (魏媼), the daughter of a member of the [[Wei (state)|Wei]] royal family.  Empress Dowager Bo was born of this union.
-According to Chinese historical works except the ''[[Book of Han]]'', Lady Bo was, when she was young, the prettiest concubine of Wei Bao (魏豹), the Prince of [[Wei (Western Chu)|Wei]].  Wei Bao was once allied with [[Gaozu of Han]] to defeat [[Xiang Yu]]'s force, but later betrayed [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] by defecting to [[Xiang Yu]]'s camp.  Unlike other defectors who switched side again at the [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]]'s final victory over [[Xiang Yu]] by rejoining [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]], Wei Bao remained loyal to [[Xiang Yu]] to the end.  After [[Han Xin]] conquered Wei, Wei Bao and his entire family were brought in front of [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] waiting to be executed.  It was too late for Wei Bao to regret and his begging was ignored until he noticed that [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] could not take his eyes off Lady Bo.  Utilizing this opportunity, Wei Bao managed successfully to have his life spared by [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] by giving Lady Bo to [[Gaozu of Han]] as his concubines.  Historical records did not provide the information on whether other members of Wei Bao's family were spared as well, but it was likely the case.
+According to Chinese historical works (with the exception the ''[[Book of Han]]," which tells a different version of her life), Lady Bo was, when she was young, the prettiest concubine of Wei Bao (魏豹), the Prince of [[Wei (Western Chu)|Wei]].  Wei Bao allied himself with Liu Bang to defeat [[Xiang Yu]]'s force, but later betrayedLiu Bang by defecting to Xiang Yu's camp.  Unlike other defectors who switched sides again after Liu Bang's final victory, Wei Bao remained loyal to Xiang Yu to the end.  After [[Han Xin]] conquered Wei, Wei Bao and his entire family were brought in front of Liu Bang to await execution.  Wei Bao begged for mercy, but the emperor was unreceptive until he offered Lady Bo as a gift to Liu Bang. Her beauty had captured the attention of the emperor, and she was taken as an imperial concubine. Her former husband was thus spared execution. Historical records did not provide the information on whether other members of Wei Bao's family were spared as well, but it was likely the case.
-However, Lady Bo was not much favored, and after only one occasion of sexual relationship, [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] never saw her again.  However, that rare occasion of [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] had sexual relations with her was enough to make her pregnant and bore him Prince [[Emperor Wen of Han|Liu Heng]], and when [[Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] heard the news, he made Prince [[Emperor Wen of Han|Liu Heng]] the Prince of Dai, after he declared himself emperor.  The birth of her son elevated her status from Lady Bo to Consort Bo, and unlike many other concubines, was not confined to the palace, but accompanied her son to the remote Principality of Dai (modern northern [[Shanxi]] and northwestern [[Hebei]]) to be the princess dowager.  Dai was not a rich domain to begin with, and on top of that, the region was under constant threats and attacks from [[Hun|Xiongnu]].  Although Consort Bo could not live a luxurious lifestyle as the princess dowagers (for her son would not either later when he became an emperor), she still managed to have a relatively comfortable life.  Nonetheless, Consort Bo had to work in the occupation she previously had, as a seamstress to help out.  (According to the ''Book of Han'', Lady Bo returned to her previous occupation as a seamstress when on one occasion when Liu Bang, then the Prince of [[Han Dynasty#The Emergence|Han]], saw her among the group of seamstresses, he made her one of his concubines.  But all of the rest of the story depicted in the ''[[Book of Han]]'' is same as other Chinese historical works).  Such rather difficult living conditions in comparison to other consorts had an unexpected benefit: unlike other consorts who became [[Empress Lü Zhi]]'s victims due to her jealousy, [[Empress Lü Zhi]] was very sympathetic to Consort Bo and frequently sent financial helps, partially because Lady Bo and her son posed no threat to [[Empress Lü Zhi]]'s quest of power.
+Lady Bo was not favored among the concubines, and Liu Bang is only known to have had sexual relations with her on occasion.  However, that was enough for her to get pregnant and bear him a son, Prince [[Emperor Wen of Han|Liu Heng]]. When Liu Bang heard the news, he made Liu Heng the Prince of Dai.  The birth of her son elevated Lady Bo's status to Consort Bo. Unlike many other concubines, she was not confined to the palace and was allowed to accompany her son to the remote Principality of Dai (modern northern [[Shanxi]] and northwestern [[Hebei]]) to be the princess dowager.  Dai was not a rich domain to begin with, and the region was under constant threats and attacks from [[Hun|Xiongnu]].  Although Consort Bo could not live a luxurious lifestyle so far from the imperial palaces, she still managed to have a relatively comfortable life.  Nonetheless, she had to work as a seamstress. Such rather difficult living conditions in comparison to other consorts had an unexpected benefit: unlike other consorts who became [[Empress Lü Zhi]]'s victims due to her jealousy, Empress Lü Zhi was very sympathetic to Consort Bo. The empress never saw Bo and her son as a threat to her quest of power, and thus, the two were spared the from the politics that killed many other concubines and princes.
+The ''[[Book of Han]]'' tells a different story of how Lady Bo came to become the emperor's concubine. It states that Liu Bang discovered Lady Bo working as a seamstress in Dai and took her as his concubine there. Despite this difference in Lady Bo's origin, the Book of Han and the other Chinese historical texts converge with Lady Bo and her son, Prince Heng, in the Principality of Dai.
 ==Rise to the top==