Lady Xie
Lady Xie was of a noted Kuaiji family and the first wife of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Despite her fall from favour and early death, her family would continue to prosper at court.
| Lady Xie 謝夫人 | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown Shaoxing, Zhejiang |
| Died | Unknown |
| Spouse | Sun Quan |
| Father | Xie Jiong |
Life
Lady Xie was from Shanyin County (山陰縣), Kuaiji Commandery, which is in present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang. She became Sun Quan's wife on the recommendation of Sun Quan's mother, Lady Wu, tying the Sun's to a noted southern clan.[1] She was favoured by Sun Quan but later Sun Quan wanted to take his cousin Xu Kun's daughter Lady Xu as his new wife, so he told Lady Xie to lower herself to accept the newcomer. However, Lady Xie refused and fell out of Sun Quan's favour as a consequence. She died seemingly soon after at a relatively young age, supposedly of grief.[2][3]
Family and relatives
Lady Xie's father, Xie Jiong (謝煚) sometimes called Xie Ying (謝嬰)[4] served as a Gentleman of Writing (尚書郎) and the Prefect (令) of Xu County (徐縣) in the Eastern Han dynasty.[5] Xie Jiong was known for his good moral conduct and brilliance since he was young.[6] The material he collected from the imperial archives when serving at the Secretariat in the Han capital may have been used by his son Cheng for his history on the Han.[4]
Xie Jiong's younger brother, Xie Zhen (謝貞), was known for being very law-abiding, studious, and morally upright in conduct. He was nominated as a xiaolian (civil service candidate) and later served as the Chief (長) of Jianchang County (建昌縣). He died in office.[7][8]
Lady Xie had a younger brother, Xie Cheng who would later serve at court as an official and a historian more than ten years after her death. Xie Cheng's son, Xie Chong (謝崇), served as General Who Spreads Might (揚威將軍). Xie Chong's younger brother, Xie Xu (謝勗), served as the Administrator (太守) of Wu Commandery with both gaining renown.[9]
References
- Cutter, Robert Joe; Crowell, William Gordon (1999). Empresses and Consorts. Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States with Pei Songzhi's Commentary. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 52. ISBN 9780824819453.
- De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD). Boston: Brill Academic Publishers. p. 891. ISBN 9789004156050.
- (吳主權謝夫人，會稽山陰人也。 ... 權母吳，為權聘以為妃，愛幸有寵。後權納姑孫徐氏，欲令謝下之，謝不肯，由是失志，早卒。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
- De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD). Boston: Brill. p. 893. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
- (父煚，漢尚書郎、徐令。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
- (煚子承撰後漢書，稱煚幼以仁孝為行，明達有令才。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 50.
- De Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Boston: Brill. p. 895. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
- (煚弟貞，履蹈法度，篤學尚義，舉孝廉，建昌長，卒官。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 50.
- (子崇揚威將軍，崇弟勗吳郡太守，並知名。) Kuaiji Dianlu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 50.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).