Song (empress)
Empress Song (birth name unknown; † 178 ) was an empress of the Chinese Han dynasty . She was the first wife of Emperor Ling and later fell victim to the powerful eunuchs .
Family background and marriage to Kaiser Ling
The future Empress Song was born into an honorable clan that was not particularly powerful. Her father, Song Feng, was a great-nephew of the concubine Song , the imperial concubine of Emperor Zhang , who gave birth to the first Crown Prince Liu Qing . During the early reign of Emperor Ling, he served as the commandant of the defense forces of the capital Luoyang . Her aunt was the wife of Liu Li from Bohai, brother of Emperor Ling's predecessor Emperor Huan .
In 170 Ms. Song was made an imperial concubine. In 171 she was made empress, although she was not the preferred concubine; perhaps because of their well-known relatives. Her father, Song Feng, was made a marquis.
Fall and death
As already said, Empress Song never enjoyed Kaiser Ling's privilege. That is why she was often slandered by the concubines who tried to oust her. In 172 an accident happened that would haunt them from now on. The powerful eunuch Wang Fu slanderously accused Prince Li of Bohai of treason after the latter failed to pay him enough bribe. Prince Li was forced to commit suicide and all his household, including his wife, was executed. Thereafter, Wang Fu and his cronies feared that Empress Song, once more powerful, would use it against her to avenge her aunt. So they conspired with the concubines to accuse them of witchcraft . In 178, Emperor Ling finally yielded to them and deposed Empress Song. She was imprisoned and died in despair. Her father, Song Feng, and his brothers were all executed. Some of the eunuchs who were not involved in the conspiracy took the bodies of the dead and buried them honorably, as commoners.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Dou Miao |
Empress of China 171–178 |
Hey |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | song |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chinese Empress of the Han Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century or 2nd century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 178 |