Empress Liu (Huan Xuan's wife)
Empress Liu (Chinese: 劉皇后; personal name unknown; fl.395 - 404) was an empress consort of China's short-lived Huan Chu (桓楚) dynasty. Her husband was Huan Chu's only emperor, Huan Xuan (Emperor Wudao).
She was the great-granddaughter of the Western Jin official Liu Qiao; her grandfather Liu Ting (劉挺), father Liu Dan (劉耽) and brother Liu Liu (刘柳; died 13 July 416?)[1] were also officials.[2] She married Huan Xuan before he became a major warlord, although the exact time is not known. After Huan Xuan seized the throne from Emperor An of Jin in 403, he created her empress in spring 404. She was described as someone with good judgement of character, and she, suspecting the intentions of the general Liu Yu, told Huan Xuan that Liu Yu would not be his subordinate long and should be killed. Huan Xuan refused. Later in 404, however, Liu Yu started an uprising that eventually forced Huan Xuan from the capital Jiankang and led to his downfall and death. Empress Liu's fate is unknown.[3]
References
- ^ ([义熙十二年]夏六月，....己酉，新除尚书令、都乡亭侯刘柳卒。) Jin Shu, vol.10; the term "xin chu" meant that Liu Liu was newly appointed to the mentioned positions. However, the positions held by the Liu Liu mentioned in the annals of Emperor An in Book of Jin did not match the positions held by the Liu Liu recorded in vol.61 of the same work (出为徐、兖、江三州刺史。). Thus, the Liu Liu mentioned in the annals of Emperor An could be another person with the exact same name. Also, it is unknown if Empress Liu's brother was the same person as the Liu Liu who met Xie Daoyun.
- ^ Book of Jin, vol. 61.
- ^ Given that her brother Liu Liu survived Huan Xuan's downfall, it is likely, though not certain, that she too survived her husband's downfall and death.