Everything about Empress Dowager Wang Baoming totally explained
Empress Dowager Wang Baoming (王寶明) (
455-
512), formally
Empress An (安皇后, literally "the peaceful empress"), semi-formally
Empress Dowager Xuande (宣德太后), was an
empress dowager of the
Chinese dynasty
Southern Qi. She was never empress, but as she was the wife of
Xiao Zhangmao, the oldest son and
crown prince of
Emperor Wu, who was posthumously honored as an emperor, and the mother of his son
Xiao Zhaoye, who later became emperor, she was considered an empress.
Wang Baoming's grandfather Wang Shaozhi (王韶之) and father Wang Yezhi (王曄之) were mid-level officials during
Liu Song. During the reign of
Emperor Houfei of Liu Song, when
Xiao Daocheng was a Liu Song general, Xiao Daocheng had already taken her as his grandson Xiao Zhangmao's wife, and in
473 she gave birth to Xiao Zhangmao's oldest son Xiao Zhaoye. In 474, when Xiao Daocheng's mansion was being ransacked by pillagers during the rebellion of Emperor Houfei's uncle Liu Xiufan (劉休範) the Prince of Guiyang, Xiao Zhangmao and his brother Xiao Ziliang (蕭子良) took Wang Baoming, Xiao Zhangmao's mother Pei Huizhao (裴惠昭), and Lady Yu, the wife of Xiao Zhangmao's uncle
Xiao Ni and took refuge in the house of Wang Baoming's Wang Bing (王昺), and didn't leave until Liu Xiufan's rebellion had been suppressed by Xiao Daocheng.
After Xiao Daocheng took over the throne in
479, ending Liu Song and establishing Southern Qi (as its Emperor Gao), Xiao Zhangmao, as his oldest grandson, was created the Prince of Nan Commandery, and Wang Baoming became the Princess of Nan Commandery. After Emperor Gao died in
482 and was succeeded by Xiao Zhangmao's father
Xiao Ze (as Emperor Wu), Xiao Zhangmao was created crown prince, and Princess Wang became crown princess. She wasn't favored by Xiao Zhangmao, and it was said that while the luxury-loving crown prince gave many of his
concubines new clothes and jewelry, the crown princess was using old items. After Xiao Zhangmao died in early
493, Xiao Zhaoye was created crown prince, and Crown Princess Wang carried the title of crown princess dowager. After Emperor Wu died later that year, Xiao Zhaoye succeeded him as emperor, and he honored her as empress dowager, setting her household at Xuande Palace (宣德宮), thus giving rise to her later semi-formal title. In a rather unusual action, he gave her 30 male attendants who were not
eunuchs; however, whether they were serving as her lovers isn't clear.
In
494, Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated by the prime minister
Xiao Luan, who, issuing an edict in Empress Dowager Wang's name, posthumously deposed him and demoted him to the title of Prince of Yulin. Xiao Luan continued to honor her as empress dowager, and initially made Xiao Zhangmao's son by his concubine Lady Xu,
Xiao Zhaowen, emperor, although he himself controlled the regime. Later that year, he deposed (again in the name of Empress Dowager Wang) and killed Xiao Zhaowen as well, taking over the throne personally (as Emperor Ming). Empress Dowager Wang, while still carrying her title, vacated the palace and took up residence at the old mansion of Emperor Wu's brother Xiao Qiang (蕭鏘) the Prince of Poyang, whom Xiao Luan had killed as well, and the residence became known as Xuande Palace as well.
Empress Dowager Wang's activities during the reigns of Emperor Ming and his son
Xiao Baojuan are not completely clear. In
501, after a military rebellion by the general
Xiao Yan had led to the death of Xiao Baojuan, Xiao Yan formally had Empress Dowager Wang become
regent, even though he was actually in power, and it was in an edict issued in her name that Xiao Baojuan was demoted to the title of Marquess of Donghun. In
502, Xiao Yan had Xiao Baojuan's brother
Emperor He, whom he'd put on the throne in 501 during his rebellion, yield the throne to him, and Empress Dowager Wang issued an edict confirming the transfer as well, formally ending Southern Qi and starting
Liang Dynasty. Empress Dowager Wang was given a convoluted title of "Princess of Emperor Wen of Qi." She died in
512 and was posthumously honored as empress and buried with her husband Xiao Zhangmao, with imperial honors.
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