Lady Chen

Who is Lady Chen?

Lady Chen, formally the Lady Dowager Zhaoyi of Jin, was the mother of Qian Yuanguan, the second king of the Chinese state Wuyue of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Little is known about Lady Chen's background. She was a concubine of Qian Chuanguan's father, Wuyue's first king Qian Liu. She gave birth to his seventh son, Qian Chuanguan, in 887. Qian Chuanguan was designated Qian Liu's heir in 928, and that year, Qian Liu, with permission from Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang, whom Qian Liu was a vassal of, transferred the title of military governor of Zhenhai and Zhendong — which made up the vast majority of Wuyue's territory — to Qian Chuanguan, while remaining king himself. It is unclear what title, if any, Lady Chen carried during Qian Liu's lifetime.

Qian Liu died in 932, and Qian Chuanguan took over administration of the state, although for some time did not use the title of King of Wuyue but instead referred to himself by the military governor title when reporting to Later Tang, to whom Wuyue was a vassal. It was said that Qian Yuanguan was respectful and filially pious toward his mother. He also treated her family well, presenting them with many gifts, but never gave them offices on account of her. She died in the early Qingtai era of the Later Tang emperor Li Congke and was posthumously created the Lady Dowager of Jin, with the posthumous name of Zhaoyi.