Princess Ruru

Princess Ruru of Northern Qi (蠕蠕公主) (530 CE – 6 May 548 CE) was the consort of Gao Huan, the regent of Eastern Wei, and later of Gao Cheng. She was the daughter of Anagui, the famed khan of the Rourans.[1]

Princess Ruru (蠕蠕公主)
Born530
Mobei (North of the Gobi desert, in an area including Outer Mongolia)
Died6 May 548(548-05-06) (aged 17–18)
SpouseGao Huan (m. 545)
Gao Cheng (m. 547)
Issue1 daughter, Gao Shi (高氏) (with Gao Cheng)
FatherAnagui

Biography

She was born in Mobei, north of Gobi Desert, in an area that included Outer Mongolia, present-day Mongolia. She was said to be very good at shooting.[2] She was born into the royal Yujiulü clan, and her father was the famed Anagui, khan of the Rourans.[3]

In fall 545, due to an alliance between Western Wei and Rouran to attack Eastern Wei, Gao Huan sued for peace with Rouran by requesting a marriage between a daughter of Yujiulü Anagui and Gao Cheng. Yujiulü Anagui refused, stating that it would only be sufficient if Gao Huan himself married her. Gao Huan initially refused, because he respected very much his then-wife and was therefore reluctant to marry Yujiulü Anagui's daughter and create her as Queen,[4] but was persuaded otherwise, and he married Yujiulü Anagui's daughter, referring to her as the Princess Ruru (蠕蠕公主). To facilitate this marriage, Princess Lou moved out of the mansion, though Gao Huan and Princess Lou were not formally divorced.[5][4][6]

After Gao Huan's death, pursuant to Rouran customs, Princess Ruru became married to Gao Huan's son Gao Cheng, who also, however, did not formally divorce his wife, Princess Yuan. She gave birth to a daughter with Gao Cheng.[3]

She was portrayed by Bai Shan in the 2013 Chinese television series Legend of Lu Zhen. There, she is depicted as being the mother of Gao Zhan and Gao Xiang.

References
  1. 骈宇骞 (2005). 皇后妃嫔传. Shandong jiao yu chu ban she. p. 1041. ISBN 9787533946234.
  2. Editorial Committee of "Research on Chinese Medieval History" (2002). Research on Chinese Medieval History Issue 2 (中國中古史硏究 Issue 2). 蘭台出版社. p. 91. ISBN 9789579154970.
  3. 骈宇骞 (1994). 皇后妃嫔传. 海南出版社. p. 184. ISBN 9787805907451.
  4. 崔明德 (1992). 汉唐和亲史稿. 青岛海洋大学出版社. p. 80. ISBN 9787810262293.
  5. Lily Xiao Hong Lee; A. D. Stefanowska; Sue Wiles (2007). Lily Xiao Hong Lee; A. D. Stefanowska; Sue Wiles (eds.). Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.-618 C.E. Vol. 3 of Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Lily Xiao Hong Lee Volume 21 of Publications, University Libraries (Hong Kong). M.E. Sharpe. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-7656-1750-7. Retrieved February 9, 2012. Lou Zhaojun is said to have been a resolute and intelligent woman and the record confirms this. She remained impartial, never asking her husband to appoint her relatives to high-ranking positions but instead expecting them to earn any such privilege. Such was her ambition for her husband that she encouraged him to enter into several marriage alliances and treated these consorts as her own sisters. She even stepped down from her position as principal consort, ceding it to a Rouran princess in order to ensure her people's cooperation (the Rouran were a nomadic group located in present-day Outer Mongolia; they controlled the eastern section of the area now known as the Silk Road). She managed the inner palaces for her husband and is said to have regarded all of Gao Huan's sons as her own.
  6. 崔明德 (1992). 中国古代和亲史. 人民出版社. p. 186. ISBN 9787010048284.

Sources
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