Family background

Consort Fu's father was from the Commandery of Henei (roughly modern Handan, Hebei) and died early. Her mother remarried a man named Zheng (郑) after her father's death. When Consort Fu was young, she was a lady-in-waiting for Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan.

Years as imperial consort

It is not known when exactly Consort Fu became a consort to Emperor Yuan, but it is known that it happened during his years as crown prince – but after his eventual wife Empress Wang became a consort of his. She and Consort Feng Yuan became his favorite concubines, and each of them bore him a son. Consort Fu's son was Liu Kang (刘康), who later was created the Prince of Jiyang, then Prince of Shanyang, then Prince of Dingtao. As Consort Fu's position was inferior to that of Empress Wang, and her son younger than Empress Wang's son Liu Ao (later Emperor Cheng), Prince Ao was created crown prince. However, Consort Fu was not content for her son merely to be an imperial prince, and a succession struggle would erupt.

As Crown Prince Ao grew older, Emperor Yuan became increasingly unhappy with his fitness as imperial heir and impressed with Consort Fu's son, Prince Kang. Several incidents led to this situation. One happened in 35 BC, when Emperor Yuan's youngest brother Prince Liu Jing of Zhongshan (中山王刘竟) died, Emperor Yuan became angry when he felt that the teenage Crown Prince Ao was insufficiently grieving – particularly because Princes Ao and Jing were of similar age and grew up together as playmates – and showing insufficient respect to Prince Jing. Prince Ao's head of household Shi Dan (史丹), a relative of Emperor Yuan's grandmother and a senior official respected by Emperor Yuan, managed to convince Emperor Yuan that Crown Prince Ao was trying to stop Emperor Yuan himself from over-grieving, but the seed of dissatisfaction was sown.

As the princes further grew, several things further led to an endearment between Emperor Yuan and Prince Kang. They shared affection and skills in music – particularly in the playing of drums. Prince Kang also showed high intelligence and diligence, while Crown Prince Ao was known for drinking and womanizing. When Emperor Yuan grew ill circa 35 BC – an illness that he would not recover from – Consort Fu and Prince Kang were often summoned to his sickbed to attend to him, while Empress Wang and Crown Prince Ao rarely were. In his illness, apparently encouraged by Consort Fu, Emperor Yuan reconsidered whether he should make Prince Kang his heir instead. Only the intercession of Shi Dan – who risked his life by stepping onto the carpet of the imperial bed chamber, an act that only the empress was allowed to do, at the pain of death – led Emperor Yuan to cease those thoughts. When Emperor Yuan died in 33 BC, Crown Prince Ao ascended the throne (as Emperor Cheng).

While both Consorts Fu and Feng were imperial consorts, an incident occurred that would cause Consort Feng to be greatly praised, at Consort Fu's embarrassment. In 38 BC, Emperor Yuan was watching a fight between wild animals, accompanied by a number of his concubines (but apparently not by Empress Wang). A wild bear broke loose and tried to get out of the cage. All of the noble men and women who accompanied Emperor Yuan, including Consort Fu, fled, but Consort Feng stepped towards the wild bear, which, however, was killed at the last moment by imperial guards. Emperor Yuan asked her why she did so. Consort Feng replied that she had heard that bears, once they had caught one person, would attack just that person and no one else; because she was afraid that the bear would attack the emperor, she was willing to sacrifice herself. Consort Fu became greatly jealous of the praise that Consort Feng received for this incident.

As princess dowager

After Emperor Cheng's death, Prince Kang went to his Principality of Shanyang. Consort Fu received the title of princess dowager. She was not content with this status, however, and continued to wish for her son to become emperor. In 27 BC, Prince Kang's principality was moved to Dingtao, and Princess Dowager Fu went with him. When Prince Kang's consort Consort Ding gave birth to his son Liu Xin, it was Princess Dowager Fu – not Consort Ding – who raised him, nurturing him to be particularly close to her and dominated by her.

The fraternal relationship between Emperor Cheng and Prince Kang was quite affectionate, notwithstanding the succession struggle, and Prince Kang was often summoned to the capital Chang'an to accompany Emperor Cheng, who was sonless. Prince Kang was viewed by many as the potential heir – a status that was greatly despised by Emperor Cheng's uncles from the Wang clan. Consort Fu was happy to see this situation develop. In 24 BC, however, under pressure from his uncles, Emperor Cheng was forced to send Prince Kang back to his principality, and it would appear that the brothers did not see each other again alive, as Prince Kang died in 23 BC and was succeeded by his son Prince Xin.

Princess Dowager Fu continued to carry her title after her son's death (as Han Dynasty did not appear to have a title such as "grand princess dowager"), and she maintained a strong grip on her grandson, the person now that she wants to eventually become emperor. As Emperor Cheng continued to be sonless, in 9 BC, he considered making either his younger brother Prince Liu Xing of Zhongshan or his nephew Prince Xin his heir. Emperor Cheng became convinced that Prince Xin was more capable, and at the same time, Princess Dowager Fu was endearing herself to Emperor Cheng's wife Empress Zhao Feiyan, her sister and favourite of Emperor Cheng Consort Zhao Hede, and Emperor Cheng's uncle Wang Gen with lavish gifts, and so the Zhaos and Wang Gen both praised Prince Xin as well. Emperor Cheng made Prince Xin crown prince in 8 BC. Emperor Cheng, under the rationale that Prince Xin was now his adopted son and no longer Prince Kang's son, refused to allow Princess Dowager Fu and her daughter-in-law Consort Ding to see Prince Xin, but the more lenient Empress Dowager Wang allowed Princess Dowager Fu to see her grandson under the rationale that she was like a wet nurse.

Domination of her grandsons reign

Emperor Cheng died suddenly in 7 BC, and Prince Xin ascended the throne as Emperor Ai. Almost immediately, the issue of the roles of Princess Dowager Fu and Consort Ding (and what honour, if any, to posthumously bestow on Emperor Ai's father Prince Kang) would quickly erupt into a major controversy. Initially, Grand Empress Dowager Wang decreed that Princess Dowager Fu and Consort Ding see him periodically, every 10 days. However, Princess Dowager Fu quickly began to visit her grandson everyday, and she insisted that two things be done: that she receive an Empress Dowager title, and that her relatives be granted titles, like the Wangs. Grand Empress Dowager Wang, sympathetic of the bind that Emperor Ai was in, first granted Prince Kang the unusual title of "Emperor Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇) and then, under the rationale of that title, granted Princess Dowager Fu the title "Empress Dowager Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇太后) and Consort Ding the title "Empress Gong of Dingtao" (定陶共皇后). Several members of the Fu and Ding clans were created marquesses. Grand Empress Dowager Wang also ordered her nephew Wang Mang, the commander of the armed forces, to resign and transfer power to the Fus and the Dings. Emperor Ai declined and begged Wang Mang to stay in his administration. Several months later, however, there would be another direct confrontation between Wang Mang and now-Empress Dowager Fu. At a major imperial banquet, the official in charge of seating placed Empress Dowager Fu's seat next to Grand Empress Dowager Wang's. When Wang Mang saw this, he rebuked the official and ordered that Empress Dowager Fu's seat be moved to the side, which drew great ire from Empress Dowager Fu, who refused to attend the banquet. To soothe her anger, Wang Mang resigned, and Emperor Ai approved his resignation. After Wang Mang's resignation, the Wangs gradually and inexorably began to lose their power. At Empress Dowager Fu's behest, the Fus and the Dings were installed in their place.

Empress Dowager Fu was not satisfied with what she saw was her inferior title (as only empress dowager, not grand empress dowager, and with the qualifier "of Dingtao"). Several key officials who opposed her move were reduced to commoner status without any other fault – including the prime minister Kong Guang (孔光) and the prime inspector Shi Dan (师丹) – two of the top three officials of the administration. The third one, Empress Dowager Fu's cousin Fu Xi (傅喜), who also opposed Empress Dowager Fu's actions notwithstanding his relationship with her, was removed from his position and sent back to his march.

In 6 BC, Empress Dowager Fu would further display her power and at the same time cause the people to be even more disappointed in Emperor Ai. Emperor Ai's cousin Liu Jizi (刘箕子), the Prince of Zhongshan (Prince Xing's son), had a congenital heart disorder, and his grandmother Feng Yuan, the princess dowager, cared for his treatment and often worshipped gods to pray for his healing. Emperor Ai, up on hearing his cousin's illness, sent imperial physicians along with his attendant Zhang You (张由) to go to Zhongshan (roughly modern Baoding, Hebei) to treat Prince Jizi. Zhang, however, was himself afflicted with a psychiatric condition (probably bipolar disorder), and when he got to Zhongshan, he suddenly, in a rage, left there and returned to Chang'an. Once he did and was ordered to explain his conduct, he made up a false reason – that he had discovered that Princess Dowager Feng was using witchcraft to curse Emperor Ai and Empress Dowager Fu. Empress Dowager Fu and Princess Dowager Feng were romantic rivals when they were both consorts to Emperor Yuan, and Empress Dowager Fu decided to use this opportunity to strike at Princess Dowager Feng. She sent a eunuch, Shi Li (史立), to serve as investigator, and Shi tortured a good number of Princess Dowager Feng's relations (including her sister Feng Xi (冯习) and her sister-in-law Junzhi (君之), some to death, but still could not build a solid case against Princess Dowager Feng. Shi Li decided to show Princess Dowager Feng who was actually behind the investigation, by referring to the wild bear incident. Princess Dowager Feng, realizing that Empress Dowager Fu was behind the investigation, went back to her palace and committed suicide. In total, 17 members of the Feng clan died as a result of the investigations. This was immediately viewed as a political case, and officials and the people all became disappointed in Emperor Ai.

In 5 BC, Empress Dowager Fu would finally get what she wanted. Emperor Ai removed the qualification "of Dingtao" from his father's posthumous title (thus making him simply "Emperor Gong"), and then gave his grandmother a variation of the grand empress dowager title (ditaitaihou (帝太太后), compared to Grand Empress Dowager Wang's title taihuangtaihou (太皇太后)) and his mother a variation of the empress dowager title (ditaihou (帝太后), compared to Empress Dowager Zhao's title huangtaihou (皇太后)), and there were therefore now four official empresses dowager in the capital, each with a full budget.

Grand Empress Dowager Fu died in 3 BC, and was buried with Emperor Yuan – an act that drew even greater hatred from the Wangs, because now there would be no place for Grand Empress Dowager Wang, Emperor Yuan's wife, to be buried after her death. Further, Emperor Ai granted her a posthumous empress title, which was viewed to be inappropriate and disrespectful to Grand Empress Dowager Wang.

Post-death developments

After Emperor Ai died in 1 BC, Grand Empress Dowager Wang quickly seized power from Emperor Ai's male favourite and probable lover Dong Xian, and summoned Wang Mang back to Chang'an to serve as regent to the new Emperor Ping – the former Prince Jizi of Zhongshan. Wang Mang, bearing grudges against Grand Empress Dowager Fu and Emperor Ai, would immediately undertake several punitive actions against her posthumously. He had her title stripped, and further stripped her of her original title as princess dowager – and had her referred merely as "the mother of Prince Gong of Dingtao" (while her daughter-in-law suffered a similar posthumous demotion to "Consort Ding").

Against Grand Empress Dowager Wang's initial sentiment of stopping the punitive actions at this point, Wang Mang went further. In 5, he persuaded Grand Empress Dowager Wang to allow him to disinter Consorts Fu and Ding's caskets and strip their bodies of jade burial shells, and then returned to Dingtao to be buried there. Their tombs were then completely flattened and surrounded with thorns. According to legend, when their tombs were opened up, great fires started, damaging their bodies and the burial items.

Titles

• Her Imperial Highness Fu Jieyu 傅婕妤

• Her Imperial Highness Fu Zhaoyi 傅昭仪

• Her Imperial Highness The Princess dowager of Dingtao 定陶王太后

• Her Imperial Highness Princess Dowager Du of Dingtao 定陶傅王太后

• Her Imperial Majesty Empress Dowager Gong 恭皇太后

• Her Imperial Majesty The Empress Grandmother of the Emperor 帝太太后

• Her Imperial Majesty The Grand Empress Dowager 皇太太后

• Empress Xiaoyuan Fu 孝元傅皇后

• Mother of Prince Gong of Dingtao 定陶恭王母

妃嫔时期

父为河内温人，早逝，母后改嫁魏郡郑翁为妻，生一男郑恽。傅氏初为上官太后宫中的才人（女官职称），汉元帝在太子时期始宠幸傅氏。公元前49年，汉元帝即位，册傅氏为婕妤，仅位于皇后之下。傅婕妤在宫中很有交际手腕，左右逢源。后傅婕妤生下平都公主与定陶王刘康，之后婕妤冯媛也获宠幸，生中山王刘兴。为显出两位妃子的异宠，汉元帝设立新位号，称昭仪，位于婕妤之上、皇后之下。

王太后时期

汉元帝驾崩后，依西汉制，后宫嫔妃有子者，在皇帝驾崩时随子就国，于是傅昭仪前往其子的封国，称定陶（王）太后。刘康的王后张氏，是她同母妹郑礼的女儿。十年之后，定陶王刘康逝世，其孙刘欣袭爵，仍称定陶王，并娶祖母傅王太后侄女傅氏为王后。

汉成帝在位长年无子，时最有继位希望的是定陶傅太后之孙刘欣，与当年同时受宠的冯昭仪（时已随子就国，称中山〈王〉太后）之子刘兴，但在元延四年（前9年），定陶傅太后趁来朝时贿赂汉成帝皇后赵飞燕与成帝舅父骠骑将军王根，暗中为刘欣谋取继承权。赵飞燕与王根几经于成帝面前美言刘欣，使成帝决定立刘欣为皇太子。月馀，成帝立楚孝王之孙刘景为无子嗣的定陶王刘康之后嗣，刘欣谢之不已。

太皇太后

汉成帝驾崩后，被立为皇太子的刘欣继位，是为汉哀帝。哀帝除封太子妃傅氏为皇后、尊元帝皇后王政君为太皇太后、成帝皇后赵飞燕为皇太后以外，又尊其父刘康为定陶恭王、祖母定陶傅王太后为恭皇太后、生母丁姬为恭皇后，不久又改封傅氏为帝太太后（相当于太皇太后）、丁姬为帝太后（相当于皇太后），最终傅氏改号为皇太太后（相当于太皇太后），于是宫中四太后并立，唯哀帝嫡母张氏未得尊号，未知是否已去世。

傅氏称太后以后，傅氏家族中加上傅太后同母弟郑恽的家族中，封侯者六人、大司马二人、位列九卿二千石者六人、侍中诸曹更有十馀人，傅、郑两族权势高涨。傅太后年轻时曾与冯昭仪（时已为中山王太后）争宠，因此诬告冯媛下蛊咒死哀帝，以让中山王继位，冯媛知道傅太后的意图后便服毒自尽，但冯氏一族受株连而死亡者仍达十七人。

傅氏与丁氏两家外戚的地位逐渐上升，日益骄横，傅太后与王政君相见时曾流露不敬之意，甚至直呼王政君为妪，也就是老太婆，王政君不好发作，只能忍气吞声，而王莽为了确保王政君的地位，极力限制傅丁两家外戚，一次未央宫大宴，傅太后与王政君并列出席，王莽板起面孔说：「傅氏只是藩国的太后，怎可与太皇太后平起平坐」，不久，忍无可忍的刘欣将王莽解职，令其回新都封地归隐，王莽回到封地，韬光养晦，静观时变。

逝世

汉哀帝元寿元年（前2年）2月21日，傅太后崩逝，葬入元帝的渭陵，称孝元傅皇后。傅氏死后次年，汉哀帝驾崩，造成傅氏家族的没落，而早年与傅太后交恶的王莽及其一族重掌权势，傅太后的侄女傅皇后也因为失去傅太后的政治依靠，被王莽贬于桂宫并废后位，皇太后赵飞燕亦被贬为孝成皇后，后来，傅氏与赵氏同被废为庶人。最后，傅皇后被迫与成帝皇后赵飞燕一同去守陵，是日两人皆自杀身亡。王莽又追贬傅太后为定陶恭王母、丁帝太后为丁姬，甚至还挖开两人的陵墓，取出两人陪葬的太后玺绶，将两人身上的珠玉葬衣取走，把两人的梓宫更换为木棺。傅太后棺材被打开的时候，臭不可闻。随后傅太后迁葬于定陶恭王墓地，傅太后原来的坟墓被王莽二十天就给铲平。

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