Zhang (Fang)
Empress Zhang ( Chinese 張 皇后 , Pinyin Zhāng Huánghòu , birth name unknown) was an empress of the Wei Dynasty at the time of the Three Kingdoms . She was the second wife of the third Wei emperor, Cao Fang .
Little is known about them. Her grandfather Zhang Jì (張 既) was the governor of Liang Province (now Gansu ), and her father Zhang Jí (張 緝) was the governor of a command post. She was made empress in 252. By that time her grandfather had passed away, but her father was promoted to ministerial. It is unclear whether she was an imperial concubine before becoming empress.
In 254 , after killing Cao Fang's confidante Li Feng (李豐) , the powerful Sima Shi unjustifiably accused Zhang Jí and his friend Xiahou Xuan (夏侯玄) of treason and executed them and their kin. A month later, Cao Fang was forced to depose Empress Zhang. Her future fate is uncertain, although she was more likely to have been placed under house arrest than, like her family, executed.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Zhen |
Empress of China (north) 252–254 |
Wang |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Zhang |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 張 皇后 (Chinese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chinese Empress of the Wei Dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 3rd century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd century |