Fu Shou

Empress Fu Shou and Emperor Xian (seated). Excerpt from a Qing edition of the history of the three realms .

Empress Fu Shou , 伏 寿, Fú Shòu, († 214 ) was an empress of the Han dynasty . She was the first wife of Han Xiandi , the last emperor of the dynasty.

Family background and marriage to Emperor Xian

Fu Shou's father was Fu Wan, a 7th generation descendant of Han official Fu Dan and hereditary Marquis of Buqi. His wife was the Princess Yang'an, daughter of Emperor Huan ; however, it is not clear whether she was Fu Shou's mother.

In 190, when Emperor Xian was largely under the control of Dong Zhuo and had to relocate the capital to Chang'an , Fu Shou became the imperial concubine . In 195, when the emperor was under the influence of Dong Zhuo's subordinates Li Jue and Guo Si , she became empress.

As empress

While Emperor Xian was under the control of various warlords, he and Empress Fu Shou were apparently romantic, but both saw his power waning. In 195, on Emperor Xian's flight back to Luoyang , the Empress personally wore silk that had been stolen from enemy soldiers, and her bodyguards died so close to her that her dress was stained with their blood. When they finally returned to Luoyang, the court's supplies were exhausted, and although there is no record of the empress's suffering, many court officials died of starvation or were slain by robbers. As soon as Cao Cao arrived in 196, that hardship was over. Cao Cao took control of Emperor Xian and the court and moved with everyone to his headquarters in Xu (in what is now Xuchang , Henan ).

Empress Fu Shou was not happy with Cao Cao's rule. In 200 Emperor Xian's concubine Dong was executed by Cao Cao after a conspiracy by her father Dong Cheng . Anger and fear overwhelmed Empress Fu Shou and complained about Cao Cao's cruelty in a letter to her father Fu Wan. She indirectly asked him to start a conspiracy against Cao Cao. Fu Wan feared Cao Cao and did not respond to the letter, but in 214 it was discovered. Cao Cao was furious and asked Emperor Xian to depose Empress Fu Shou. Emperor Xian hesitated, but Cao Cao occupied the palace with his troops. Although Empress Fu Shou was hiding, she was discovered and dragged from the palace. When it was continued, she shouted to the emperor to save her life, but his answer was: "I don't even know what will happen to me. How am I supposed to know your fate, and prevent it?" She was killed with her two sons and her family. Emperor Xian survived, but his status as a puppet was now unshakable. Cao Cao forced the emperor to appoint his daughter Cao Jie , who had been his concubine until then, as empress.

predecessor	Office	successor
Hey	Empress of China 195–214	Cao Jie