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Empress Xiaozhenchun 孝貞純皇后 | |||||
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Grand empress dowager of the Ming dynasty | |||||
Tenure | 1505–1518 | ||||
Predecessor | Empress Xiaosu | ||||
Successor | Grand Empress Dowager Xiaohui | ||||
Empress dowager of the Ming dynasty | |||||
Tenure | 1487–1505 | ||||
Predecessor | Empress Dowager Ciyi Empress Dowager Shengci | ||||
Successor | Empress Dowager Zhaosheng Empress Dowager Zhangsheng | ||||
Empress consort of the Ming dynasty | |||||
Tenure | 1464–1487 | ||||
Predecessor | Empress Wu | ||||
Successor | Empress Xiaochengjing | ||||
Born | 1440/1450 Shangyuan County, Zhili (present-day Nanjing) | ||||
Died | 1518 (over age 60) | ||||
Spouse | Chenghua Emperor | ||||
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Clan | Wang (王) | ||||
Father | Wang Zhen (王鎮) |
Empress Xiaozhenchun (1440/1450 –1518), of the Wang clan, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the Chenghua Emperor.
Empress Wang was chosen by the emperor to the position of empress after her predecessor had been deposed due to a conflict with the emperor's favorite concubine, Consort Wan. Aware of the mistake of her predecessor, Wang was very anxious to avoid any conflict with the emperor's favorite. Consort Wan had no son with the emperor after her first son died in infancy, and feared the competition if any other of the emperor's consorts or concubines gave birth to a son. It was said that Empress Wang deliberately stayed childless to avoid such a conflict with Consort Wan. The efforts to avoid all conflicts with Consort Wan and to show herself submissive to her, did secure the position of Empress Wang at court.
In 1487, the Chenghua Emperor died, and Empress Wang was given the title Empress dowager. In 1510, she was further raised in rank by the then-reigning emperor, the Zhengde Emperor, who was the eldest son of the Hongzhi Emperor and the grandson of the Chenghua Emperor.