Palace Women in the Northern Sung by Priscilla Ching Chung

Author:Priscilla Ching Chung [Chung, Priscilla Ching]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2015-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

Advancement Through Patronage

Although meritorious service could lead to advancements for palace women a more effective method was through the patronage of an already powerful and established person. The principal consorts, chosen by the guardians or mothers of emperors, could be said to have advanced in this manner. This was especially true in the cases of the deposed empresses who were protected as long as their patronesses lived but were to suffer the wraths of their husbands as soon as their protectors died. Three women appear to owe their advancements to patronage.

The most important woman to advance through patronage was Yang-shih (1). Both her father and grandfather had held minor offices in the military and she entered the palace in 996 at 13. At that time Chen-tsung was enamored of Liu-shih (1) who took an immediate liking to the girl. In 1004, when Liu-shih was named Beautiful One, 4a, she induced Chen-tsung to name her friend Talented One, 5a (i). From that time on the two women's careers were interlinked. Whenever Liu-shih was promoted she made certain her protege was also remembered. Thus in 1008 Liu-shih was promoted to One of Cultivated Countenance, 2a (v), and her friend was named Fair and Handsome One, 3a. When Liu-shih was first advanced to Virtuous Consort, la (iii), and then made empress, Yang-shih was promoted to One of Beautiful Deportment, lb (v). Furthermore, in 1014, Empress Liu induced the emperor to name her protege as Virtuous Consort. When Liu-shih was made empress dowager and regent, she created a special position for her friend, that of Supreme Consort. In her will, the regent decreed that Yang-shih was to succeed her but Jen-tsung, already 23, was not willing to tolerate another regent. Instead, he named Yang-shih empress dowager but refused to share his power with her as regent.

Yang-shih (1), therefore, attained her power and influence through the patronage of the most powerful woman in the palace. It can also be said that Yang-shih earned her advances through meritorious service to her patron for it was she who assisted in the fraudulent claim of Jen-tsung as Liu-shih's son and it was she who assisted in the upbringing of the future emperor. Yang-shih was thus able to obtain numerous favors and offices for three generations of her relatives from both her patron and Jen-tsung. She was also instrumental, with the assistance of Han Ch'i, in persuading Jen-tsung to adopt an heir to the throne after the early deaths of the emperor's three sons.48

Two women, Chang-shih (3) (d.1104) and Chang-shih (4) (d.1106), both wives of Jen-tsung, appear to owe their advancements to imperial consort status to patronage. Neither of these two women appear to have borne any children nor are they recorded as having accomplished anything outstanding yet they were both posthumously advanced—the first, to Noble Consort and the second, to Worthy Consort. Since no apparent reason can be found to merit their advances, it may be assumed that they were the other two orphaned sisters of Jen-tsung's beloved wife and were advanced because of their sister's special position.

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