Empress Zhang Yao'er

Who was Empress Zhang Yao'er?

Empress Zhang Yao'er, formally Empress Xuan, was an empress of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. Her husband was the founding emperor Emperor Wu.

Zhang Yao'er was from Wuxing Commandery. Her father Zhang Jingming was originally surnamed Niu, but was adopted by a family named Zhang, and therefore had his name changed. Her mother was named Su, but her mother's surname is not known to history. Zhang Yao'er was not Chen Baxian's first wife, as Chen had initially married a daughter of Qian Zhongfang, who, like Chen and Zhang, was from Wuxing Commandery, but Lady Qian died early, so he married Zhang after Lady Qian's death. Zhang Yao'er was described as being well-versed in mathematics, poetry, and the Chu Ci. She bore Chen at least one son, Chen Chang, but it is not known whether any other of his at least five other sons or either of his two known daughters, the Princess Kuaiji and Yongsi, was hers.

In 545, with Jiao Province seized by the rebel Li Ben, Chen Baxian, then a Liang Dynasty general, was sent to Jiao Province to battle Li; at that time, rather than taking Lady Zhang and Chen Chang with him, he sent them back to Wuxing. After the general Hou Jing rebelled in 548 and subsequently captured the capital Jiankang in 549, both she and Chen Chang were taken captive by Hou, but despite Chen Baxian's subsequent major participation in the campaign against Hou, Hou did not kill her or Chen Chang. After Hou was defeated in 552, Emperor Yuan of Liang created Chen Baxian the Duke of Changcheng for his contributions, and Lady Zhang became the Duchess of Changcheng. Her son Chen Chang, despite his young age, was made the governor of Wuxing Commandery, but subsequently was summoned by Emperor Yuan, along with Chen Baxian's nephew Chen Xu, to the new capital Jiangling, to serve at the central government and to effectively serve as hostages. In 554, after Jiangling was captured by Western Wei forces, Emperor Yuan was executed, while Chen Chang and Chen Xu were taken as honored captives to the Western Wei capital Chang'an.