Queen Weimu

Queen Weimu ( Chinese  衛 慕 氏  /  卫 慕 氏 , Pinyin Wèimù Shì , also 默穆 氏 , Mòmù Shì ; † 1035 ) was the first wife of Li Yuanhao , who later became the first emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty .

Miss Weimu whose personal name is not known, came from the major Tangut Weimu-clan, which played a key role in the expansion and consolidation of the power base of the Tanguts. Weimu Shanxi in particular excelled here. Miss Weimu's mother was a wife of Tangut King Li Deming . His son Li Yuanhao married Miss Weimu - his own cousin - to secure the support of the Weimu clan. Before that, at his father's behest, he had undertaken two campaigns in 1028 and 1030, annexing Ganzhou (today's Zhangye ), Guazhou and Shazhou (today's Dunhuang ) to the Tangut Empire. After these successes, he was promoted to heir to the throne. He ascended the throne in 1031 and Mrs. Weimu became his queen.

In 1034, Weimu Shanxi, Li Yuanhao's uncle and father-in-law, tried to get a high post in the government with the help of the queen and planned to assassinate the king. The plan was uncovered and Li Yuanhao, who was already extremely suspicious and had many people killed simply because he suspected evil, had not only his father-in-law killed but all members of the Weimu clan. His own mother committed suicide using poison. Only Queen Weimu survived because she was just pregnant. The following year she gave birth to a son. The king originally planned to let the queen and their son live. However, rumors emerged that the prince was not Li Yuanhao's son. At the same time, Li's second wife, Queen Yeli , also gave birth to a son. Li Yuanhao therefore had Queen Weimu and her son killed in 1035, thus wiping out the Weimu clan.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} 张宏伟: 中国 后妃 全 传 . 5th edition. 中国 华侨 出版社, Beijing 2017, ISBN 978-7-5113-3273-8 , pp. 428 .