Wang Yuanji
Empress mother Wáng Yuánjī ( Chinese 王 元 姬 ; * 217 ; † 268 ), formally Empress Wenming ( Chinese 文明 皇后 - "decent and understanding empress") was an empress mother of the Jin dynasty . She was the wife of Sima Zhao and the mother of the first Jin emperor Wu (Sima Yan).
Wang Yuanji's father was Wei General Wang Su ( Chinese 王肅 ), a Confucian scholar. His daughter was known in her youth for her filial loyalty and devotion. It is not known when she married Sima Zhao, but she bore him five sons and a daughter. According to traditional historiography , it was she who warned Sima Zhao about the rebellion of General Zhong Hui .
After Sima Zhao's death in 265, Sima Yan inherited his position as regent. He soon forced the Wei Emperor Cao Huan to abdicate in his favor and, as Emperor Wu of Jin, founded the Jin Dynasty. He made his mother, Wang Yuanji, empress mother. Wang Yuanji remained true to her personality and humbly avoided politics. She died in 268 and was buried with her husband Sima Zhao with the honors due to an empress.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wang, Yuanji |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Empress Wenming |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Empress mother of the Jin Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 217 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 268 |