Empress Dowager Cheng (程太后, personal name unknown) (died c.December 334[1]) was an empress dowager of the Jie-led Later Zhao dynasty of China.[2] She was a concubine of Later Zhao's founding emperor Shi Le and gave birth to his crown prince and successor, Shi Hong. Her brother Cheng Xia was one of Shi Le's key advisors, particularly after Zhang Bin's death.[3]
Cheng Xia was once close to an official named Zhang Pi, but after Zhang Bin promoted and recommended Zhang Pi, Cheng Xia became apprehensive that Zhang Pi was alienating him and Zhang Bin was too powerful. As he wanted to establish his authority in the court, he let Consort Cheng frame Zhang Pi as a favorable knight-errant that would harm the society and should be removed. So Shi Le executed Zhang Pi and Zhang Bin dared not to beg his mercy.
In 330, Shi Le created Shi Hong his crown prince, which angered his powerful nephew Shi Hu, who secretly referred Shi Hong as "son of a maid".
After Shi Le died in August 333, Shi Hu quickly seized power in a coup d'état and killed Cheng Xia and another key advisor of Shi Le, Xu Guang (徐光). Shi Le's wife Empress Dowager Liu tried to start rebellions to overthrow Shi Hu, but could not and was herself killed. After her death, Consort Cheng was made empress dowager, but neither she nor her son had any real power. In late 334, Shi Hu seized the throne and imprisoned her, Shi Hong, and Shi Hong's brothers Shi Hong (石宏, note different character) the Prince of Qin and Shi Hui (石恢) the Prince of Nanyang in Chongxun Palace, but soon had all of them executed.
References
edit- ^ ([咸和九年]十一月，虎遣郭殷持节入宫，废弘为海阳王。弘安步就车，容色自若，谓群臣曰：“庸昧不堪纂承大统，夫复何言！”群臣莫不流涕，宫人恸哭。群臣诣魏台劝进，虎曰：“皇帝者盛德之号，非所敢当，且可称居摄赵天王。”幽弘及太后程氏、秦王宏、南阳王恢于崇训宫，寻皆杀之。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.95. The month corresponds to 12 Dec 334 to 10 Jan 335 in the Julian calendar. As Shi Hong was born in 313, Lady Cheng's birth year should be in 300 or before.
- ^ Guang, Sima. Records of Chen Dynasty 陈纪: Zi Zhi Tong Jian资治通鉴; or Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance; Volume 167 - 176. DeepLogic.
- ^ Tseng, Lillian Lan-ying (2020-03-17). Picturing Heaven in Early China. BRILL. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-68417-509-3.
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