Yang Xianrong

Posthumous name
	Empress Xianwen (獻文皇后)

Yang Xianrong
Yang Xianrong
Empress consort of Western Jin Dynasty
Tenure	4 December 300 – 8 January 307
Predecessor	Jia Nanfeng
Successor	Empress Liang Lanbi
Empress consort of Han-Zhao
Tenure	319 – 13 May 322
Predecessor	Empress Jin
Successor	Empress Liu
Born	unknown
Died	13 May 322
Spouse	Emperor Hui of Jin; Liu Yao
Issue	Liu Xi, Crown Prince of Han-Zhao; Liu Xi, Prince of Changli; Liu Chan, Prince of Taiyuan
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Empress Xianwen (獻文皇后)
Father	Yang Xuanzhi, Duke of Xingjin

Yang Xianrong (羊獻容) (died 13 May 322^[5]), posthumous name (as honored by Former Zhao) Empress Xianwen (獻文皇后, literally "the wise and civil empress"), was an empress—uniquely in the history of China, for two different dynastic empires and two different emperors. Her first husband was Emperor Hui of Jin, and her second husband was Liu Yao of Former Zhao. Also unique was that she was deposed four times and restored four times as empress of the Western Jin (five, if one counts the brief usurpation by Sima Lun against her husband in 301).

As empress of Jin

Yang Xianrong was from Taishan Commandery (roughly modern Tai'an, Shandong). Her father was the mid-level official Yang Xuanzhi (羊玄之), son of Yang Jin (羊瑾),^[6] son of Yang Dan (羊耽);^[7] Yang Jin was also the elder brother of Yang Xiu (羊琇).^[8] Her maternal grandfather was the general Sun Qi (孫旂), a distant relative of Sun Xiu (孫秀), the chief strategist for Sima Lun the Prince of Zhao. Therefore, after Sima Lun and Sun overthrew Empress Jia Nanfeng in May 300, Sun had Yang Xianrong selected as the new empress in December that year. Little is known about how her relationship with her developmentally disabled husband (save her words to her second husband, referred to below) was; she may have been the mother of a daughter, Princess Linhai.^[9] After Sima Lun briefly usurped the throne in 301 but was then defeated by Sima Jiong the Prince of Qi and Sima Ying the Prince of Chengdu, both Sun Xiu and Sun Qi were killed, along with their clans. Empress Yang's father Yang Xuanzhi was, however, promoted. (He would die in fear on 19 October 303,^[10] however, as his friendship with Sima Ai the Prince of Changsha was used as an excuse for Sima Ying and Sima Yong the Prince of Hejian to attack Sima Ai.)

As Emperor Hui continued to be a pawn of the princes during the War of the Eight Princes, Empress Yang herself appeared to have had little influence. She was, however, frequently used as an excuse for certain conspirators' actions, and during the span from 304 to 306 she was deposed four times and restored four times, often in conjunction with her husband's nephew Sima Tan's fortunes as crown prince. She was nearly killed after her fourth removal in December 305, as Sima Yong, then holding Emperor Hui at Chang'an and leaving her in the capital Luoyang, became convinced that she was easily usable by his opponents as a rubber stamp, and so he ordered that she be forced to commit suicide. The governor of the capital region, Liu Tun (劉暾; son of Jin official Liu Yi^[11]) offered a petition to save her life, which nearly cost him his own—as Sima Yong ordered to have him arrested, and he was barely able to flee to Qingzhou with his life, and join Sima Lue, Prince of Gaomi. However, after Liu's intercession, for whatever reason, Sima Yong cancelled the order to force her to commit suicide.^[12]

In 306, as the War of the Eight Princes neared its end and Emperor Hui was allowed to return to Luoyang after Sima Yue the Prince of Donghai defeated Sima Yong, he welcomed Yang back as his empress. In January 307, however, he was poisoned to death. (Most historians believe that Sima Yue was behind the poisoning, but there is no conclusive evidence.) The recognized heir was Emperor Hui's half-brother, Sima Chi the crown prince, but Empress Yang, believing that she would not be honored as empress dowager if her brother-in-law inherited the throne, tried to have Sima Qin declared emperor; she was rebuffed by Sima Yue, however, and Crown Prince Chi succeeded to the throne as Emperor Huai. (Her attempt might have cost Prince Qin his life, as Sima Yue had him executed on 24 March 308^[13].) Emperor Huai honored her with the title "Empress Hui," but not empress dowager.

Empress Yang's influence or lack thereof during Emperor Huai's reign was unclear, but since Emperor Huai himself did not have much power (with Sima Yue still holding onto much power), it was not likely that Empress Yang had significant influence. After Sima Yue's death in April 311, the Jin armies were in shambles and unable to protect Luoyang any further. Luoyang soon fell to Han's armies in July (Disaster of Yongjia), led by the generals Huyan Yan, Wang Mi, Shi Le, and Liu Yao the Prince of Shi'an. Liu Yao burnt most of Luoyang and executed a large number of Jin officials, but did not kill Empress Yang; instead, he took her as his own wife.

As empress of Former Zhao

Little is known about Yang Xianrong's life with Liu Yao, other than that she was favored by him and bore him three sons — Liu Xī, Liu Xí (劉襲, note different tone), and Liu Chan (劉闡). (It was not clear whether she was his wife or concubine by this point — Liu Yao had an earlier wife, Princess Bu, who was described as having died and having been princess when her son Liu Yin was created the Prince of Yong'an in 323.) Liu Yao, as the trusted cousin of the Han emperor Liu Cong, had many military responsibilities and was in charge of the Chang'an region after he captured it and Emperor Huai's successor Emperor Min in 316. In 318, after the Han prime minister Jin Zhun massacred the Han imperial family and nobles in the capital Pingyang (平陽, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) after a coup, the officials who fled from the massacre offered the throne to Liu Yao, who accepted. After his and Shi Le's forces defeated Jin's, he moved the capital to Chang'an.

In 319, he renamed the state from Han to Zhao (known as Former Zhao to distinguish from Shi Le's Later Zhao) created Yang Xianrong his empress and her son Liu Xī crown prince. Once, Liu Yao asked her: "How do I compare to the Sima man?" Her response was:

How can there be a comparison? Your Imperial Majesty is an empire-building intelligent ruler, while he was an idiot who destroyed his empire. He only had one wife and one son and could protect neither. He was an honored emperor, but he allowed his wife and son to be dishonored at the hands of commoners. At that time, all I wanted was death, and I did not know that I would have today. I was born from a noble family, but I thought that all men were like he. Only after I married you have I found out what a true man is like.

Liu Yao greatly favored her, and she was involved in governmental matters. She died in May 322. Her son Liu Xī would continue to be crown prince, but both Liu Yao and Liu Xī were killed by Shi Le's Later Zhao forces after Former Zhao fell to Later Zhao in 329.

References

^ jia'zi day of the 11th month of the 1st year of the Yong'kang era, per vol.83 of Zizhi Tongjian
^ Emperor Hui died on 8 Jan 307.
^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol.91
^ While Lady Yang's birth year and her age when she became empress to Emperor Hui were unrecorded, her birth year should be in or before 290.
^ Volume 92 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Lady Yang died on the jia'wu day of the 4th month of the 1st year of the Yong'chang era of Sima Rui's reign. This corresponds to 13 May 322 in the Julian calendar. ([永昌元年夏四月]甲午，前赵羊后卒，谥曰献文。)
^ (祖瑾，父玄之...) Jin Shu, vol.31
^ Yang Dan was also an uncle of Yang Hu and Yang Huiyu.
^ (羊琇，字稚舒，...。父耽，官至太常。兄瑾，尚書右僕射。) Jin Shu, vol.93
^ Vol. 16 of Yiwen Leiju and vol.152 of Taiping Yulan, citing Jin Zhong Xing Shu (晋中兴书), recorded that Princess Linhai's mother was Yang Xianrong; the Tang-era Jin Shu recorded in Jia Nanfeng's biography that she was the mother of Princess Linhai.
^ ([太安二年九月]癸巳，羊玄之忧惧而卒，...) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.85. Emperor Hui's biography in Book of Jin also recorded the same death date.
^ Jin Shu, vol.45
^ ([永兴二年]十一月，立节将军周权，诈被檄，自称平西将军，復立羊后。洛阳令何乔攻权，杀之，復废羊后。太宰颙矫诏，以羊后屡为姦人所立，遣尚书田淑敕留臺赐後死。诏书累至，司隶校尉刘暾等上奏，固执以为：“羊庶人门戸残破，废放空宫，门禁峻密，无縁得与姦人构乱。众无愚智，皆谓其冤。今杀一枯穷之人，而令天下伤惨，何益於治！”颙怒，遣吕朗收暾。暾奔青州，依高密王略。然羊后亦以是得免。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.86. The 11th month of the 2nd year of the Yong'xing era corresponds to 3 to 31 Dec 305 in the Julian calendar.
^ ([永嘉]二年...二月辛卯，清河王覃为东海王越所害。) Jin Shu, vol.05

Book of Jin, vols. 31, 103.
Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 83, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92.

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Jia Nanfeng	Empress of Jin Dynasty (266–420) 300–301, 301–304, 304, 304–305, 305, 306–307	Succeeded by Empress Liang Lanbi
	Empress of China (Most regions) 300–301, 301–304, 304, 304–305, 305, 306–307	Succeeded by Empress Liang Lanbi
	Empress of China (Southern Shanxi) 300–301, 301–304	Succeeded by Empress Huyan of Han-Zhao
	Empress of China (Southwestern) 300–301, 301–304	Succeeded by Empress Ren of Cheng-Han
Preceded by Empress Jin	Empress of Han-Zhao 319–322	Succeeded by Empress Liu
	Empress of China (Western) 319–322	Succeeded by Empress Liu
	Empress of China (Northern/Central) 319	Succeeded by Empress Liu of Later Zhao

[1] jia'zi day of the 11th month of the 1st year of the Yong'kang era, per vol.83 of Zizhi Tongjian

[2] Emperor Hui died on 8 Jan 307.

[3] Zizhi Tongjian, vol.91

[4] While Lady Yang's birth year and her age when she became empress to Emperor Hui were unrecorded, her birth year should be in or before 290.

[5] Volume 92 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Lady Yang died on the jia'wu day of the 4th month of the 1st year of the Yong'chang era of Sima Rui's reign. This corresponds to 13 May 322 in the Julian calendar. ([永昌元年夏四月]甲午，前赵羊后卒，谥曰献文。)

[6] (祖瑾，父玄之...) Jin Shu, vol.31

[7] Yang Dan was also an uncle of Yang Hu and Yang Huiyu.

[8] (羊琇，字稚舒，...。父耽，官至太常。兄瑾，尚書右僕射。) Jin Shu, vol.93

[9] Vol. 16 of Yiwen Leiju and vol.152 of Taiping Yulan, citing Jin Zhong Xing Shu (晋中兴书), recorded that Princess Linhai's mother was Yang Xianrong; the Tang-era Jin Shu recorded in Jia Nanfeng's biography that she was the mother of Princess Linhai.

[10] ([太安二年九月]癸巳，羊玄之忧惧而卒，...) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.85. Emperor Hui's biography in Book of Jin also recorded the same death date.

[11] Jin Shu, vol.45

[12] ([永兴二年]十一月，立节将军周权，诈被檄，自称平西将军，復立羊后。洛阳令何乔攻权，杀之，復废羊后。太宰颙矫诏，以羊后屡为姦人所立，遣尚书田淑敕留臺赐後死。诏书累至，司隶校尉刘暾等上奏，固执以为：“羊庶人门戸残破，废放空宫，门禁峻密，无縁得与姦人构乱。众无愚智，皆谓其冤。今杀一枯穷之人，而令天下伤惨，何益於治！”颙怒，遣吕朗收暾。暾奔青州，依高密王略。然羊后亦以是得免。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.86. The 11th month of the 2nd year of the Yong'xing era corresponds to 3 to 31 Dec 305 in the Julian calendar.

[13] ([永嘉]二年...二月辛卯，清河王覃为东海王越所害。) Jin Shu, vol.05

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