Guo Nuwang

Empress Guo Nüwang ( Chinese  郭 女王 , Pinyin Guō Nǚwáng , * 184 ; † 235 ), formally Empress Wende (文德 皇后; befitting and talented empress ), was an empress of the Wei Dynasty at the time of the Three Kingdoms . Her husband was Cao Pi , who later became Wei's first emperor as Wei Wendi.

Family background and marriage to Cao Pi

Guo Nuwang was born in 184. Her father, Guo Yong (郭永), came from a number of minor local officials. In her youth she was known for her intelligence, and because her father was impressed by her talent, he gave her the unusual name Nüwang (= Mrs. King , which means something like reigning queen ). Her parents died young, however, and Guo Nuwang hired herself out as a servant in the house of a Marquis of Tongdi. Then she became a concubine of Cao Pi; in which way is not known. Cao Pi was already Crown Prince of the Prince of Wei, Cao Cao . He was impressed by Guo Nuewang's intelligence and beauty and so preferred her to his other concubines that he soon disliked his wife Zhen Luo . Guo Nuewang added to the tension in the couple by making Cao Pi believe that Zhen Luo's son Cao Rui was not his own son, but rather that he was from Ms. Zhen's previous husband, Yuan Xi . She alleged that Cao Rui was born eight months after Cao Pi and Ms. Zhen were married. After the death of his father Cao Cao (220), Cao Pi forced the last Han emperor, Xian , to abdicate in his favor, and in 221 he forced his wife Zhen Luo to commit suicide. He made his concubine Guo 222 empress.

As empress

After Guo Nüwang became empress, she is said to have instructed the imperial concubines well and protected them from missteps towards the emperor. It is also said that she lived frugally. Her influence on her husband's government was minimal; her only deed recorded in history is her intervention in favor of Cao Hong 226 (at the request of the Empress Mother Bian ), whose life was spared.

Empress Guo had no sons. Cao Pi's eldest son Cao Rui was to inherit the throne, but was not made Crown Prince due to his mother's fate , only Prince of Pingyuan. He is said to have been raised by Empress Guo or concubine Li and therefore had a close relationship with the Empress. There is no evidence that Empress Guo would have opposed Cao Rui's successor when Cao Pi became seriously ill in 226 and finally elevated him to crown prince. Cao Pi died shortly afterwards, and Cao Rui ascended the throne as Emperor Ming.

As an empress mother

The new emperor posthumously named his birth mother, Zhen Luo, Empress Wenzhao , while he gave his stepmother the title of Empress Mother . He also provided her family with numerous gifts and titles. When Guo Nüwang died in 235, she was buried with her husband Cao Pi with honors due to an empress. Her family continued to be honored by her stepson.

The circumstances surrounding Empress Guo's death are controversial. An apparently reliable, if inconclusive, historical report claims that concubine Li revealed to Emperor Cao Pi during his lifetime what role Guo Nuwang played in the deposition of his wife Zhen Luo. She also told him that at Guo Nuwang's instigation, Zhen Luo was buried with her hair over her face and mouth full of rice pods so that she would not complain after her death. Cao Rui got angry and asked Guo Nuwang, who could not explain. He then forced her to commit suicide and buried her like an empress, but in the same way as Zhen Luo.

predecessor	Office	successor
Cao Jie from Han	Empress of China (north) 222–226	Mao

predecessor	Office	successor
none (established dynasty)	Empress of the Wei Dynasty 222–226	Mao