Lady Zhen

Historical Record

Lady Zhen's year of birth is not clearly recorded in the histories, but her time of death is clearly set down. According to Volume 2 of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, in the first year of Huangchu (220), in the fourth month of summer, shortly after Cao Pi ascended as Emperor Wen of Wei, on the gengzi day of the sixth month he first sacrificed to the Five Marchmounts and the Four Watercourses, and conducted in order the various sacrifices. Immediately after, on the dingmao day, Lady Zhen died.^[1] Her cause of death is not detailed in the main text of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, which passes over it merely with the word "died." In Volume 3 of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, however, it is mentioned that the mother of Emperor Ming Cao Rui "was not established as heir because his mother had been executed"^[2], implying that Lady Zhen's death was not natural but that she had been put to death. This record accords with the account in the *Weilüe*, namely that Emperor Wen, because Empress Guo had no son, decreed that his son be raised by her, while the emperor (Cao Rui), because his mother had not died in a proper way, felt great resentment.^[2] This shows that Lady Zhen's death had a major effect on Cao Rui's position as heir apparent. In the seventh year of Huangchu (226), in the fifth month of summer, Emperor Wen Cao Pi fell gravely ill and then established Cao Rui as crown prince. After Cao Rui took the throne, he posthumously honored his mother Lady Zhen as Empress Wenzhao.^[2]

In the Novel

In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Lady Zhen's image is endowed with more literary color and drama. She first appears in Chapter 33, when, after Cao Cao breached Ye, Cao Pi entered the Yuan residence and saw two women weeping, drawing his sword to slay them. At this, Lady Zhen, her hair disheveled and her face soiled, was seen by Cao Pi to be "radiant before his eyes," and he stayed his sword to question her. Through the introduction of the wife of the Yuan general, Lady Liu, he learned that this woman was Lady Zhen, the wife of Yuan Xi.^[3] The novel emphasizes that even in her wretched state Lady Zhen possessed a beauty to topple kingdoms, captivating Cao Pi. Thereafter Lady Zhen was taken by Cao Pi as a wife and concubine.

Lady Zhen's tragic end is depicted in detail in Chapter 91 of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. The Wei sovereign Cao Pi, in the seventh year of his reign, first took Lady Zhen and later had by her a son, Cao Rui. However, as Cao Pi took Guo Yong's daughter, Honored Consort Guo, Lady Zhen gradually lost favor. Seeking the position of empress, Honored Consort Guo plotted with the favored minister Zhang Tao, forging a paulownia-wood figure to frame Lady Zhen for practicing sorcery. In a fury, Cao Pi then ordered Lady Zhen put to death and established Honored Consort Guo as empress.^[4] The novel also depicts how Cao Rui harbored a grudge against Honored Consort Guo because his mother had been put to death, and how, during a hunt, Cao Rui could not bear to shoot a fawn—an act of benevolence that led Cao Pi finally to make him Prince of Pingyuan rather than directly crown prince.^[4] This episode echoes the historical record that Cao Rui "felt great resentment" because his mother "had not died in a proper way," but its specific details and causal links have undergone literary reworking.

Key Relationships

* Cao Pi (spouse_of): Lady Zhen was originally the wife of Yuan Xi, and was later taken by Cao Pi as a wife and concubine. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Cao Pi fell in love with her at first sight, but later, owing to the intervention of Honored Consort Guo, she lost favor and was ultimately put to death.^[4] In history, Lady Zhen bore Cao Pi a son, Cao Rui, but her cause of death was closely bound up with Cao Pi's decisions.^[2]
* Cao Rui (parent_of): Lady Zhen was the birth mother of Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui. After Cao Rui took the throne, he posthumously honored his mother as Empress Wenzhao.^[2] In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Cao Rui brooded over his mother's death, and his act of benevolence was indirectly bound up with Lady Zhen's tragic fate.^[4]
* Yuan Xi (spouse_of): Lady Zhen was originally the wife of Yuan Xi, the second son of Yuan Shao. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, because Yuan Xi went out to garrison You Province, she remained at Ye and was ultimately taken by Cao Pi.^[3] The histories record few details of this marriage.

Iconic Scenes

* First seen at Ye, of kingdom-toppling beauty even with disheveled hair and soiled face: After Cao Cao breached Ye, Cao Pi entered the Yuan residence and saw Lady Zhen with disheveled hair and soiled face. Despite her wretched appearance, her natural beauty still captivated Cao Pi, who ultimately took her as a wife and concubine. This scene is a key turning point in Lady Zhen's fate, and the first emphasis on her beauty in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.^[3] (unique to the novel)
* Put to death through Honored Consort Guo's frame-up: In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, owing to the jealousy and false accusation of Honored Consort Guo, Lady Zhen was charged with practicing sorcery and ultimately put to death by Cao Pi. This tragic end is the climax of Lady Zhen's story and profoundly affected the mind of her son Cao Rui.^[4] (unique to the novel) In history, Lady Zhen's death too was no peaceful one; that Cao Rui posthumously honored his mother after taking the throne indirectly confirms the special nature of her death.^[2]
* Cao Rui unable to bear shooting the fawn, moving Cao Pi: In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Cao Pi took Cao Rui out to hunt and, having shot a doe, wished to have Cao Rui shoot the fawn. Cao Rui, however, could not bear to, and said tearfully, "Your Majesty has already slain its mother; I cannot bear to slay its child as well." This act moved Cao Pi, who therefore decided to make him Prince of Pingyuan.^[4] Although this scene does not directly involve Lady Zhen, Cao Rui's benevolence is taken to be an indirect effect of his mother's tragic fate, and embodies his deep feeling for her (unique to the novel). In history, the *Weimochuan* also has a similar record, but does not explicitly connect it directly with Lady Zhen's death.^[2]