Early life

Empress Sun was born in 1399 in Zouping, Shandong Province. Her personal name is unknown. Her father was Sun Zhong, an assistant magistrate in Yongcheng District. She had five brothers, the eldest of whom was Sun Qizong (1395 – 1480). He and his three brothers held the rank of guard commander, and another brother held the rank of assistant commander in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Sun was known to be a local beauty. When Crown Princess Zhang (the future Empress Zhang, who also grew up in the Yongcheng District) visited her hometown, she heard about Sun's beauty. Curious about the young girl's beauty, the crown princess brought her to the palace. Here she received praise from the palace women.

The Yongle Emperor ordered his wife, Empress Xu, to care for and educate the young girl. In 1417, Sun was selected to be a concubine to Zhu Zhanji (future Xuande Emperor), who was the imperial grandson. In 1424, she gave birth to a daughter, the Princess Changde. When Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne in 1425, she became Noble Consort Sun (孫貴妃 Sūn guìfēi), which was the second-highest position after the empress.

Empress

In 1427, she gave birth to a son. As Empress Hu had not given birth to a son, the son of Sun was made crown prince. In 1428, the emperor proposed to depose Empress Hu and install Sun as the new empress. At first, Sun refused and said that Empress Hu would eventually have a son that would take precedence over her own son. However, the emperor insisted and finally, Sun agreed. Empress Hu was deposed, and Sun herself, the mother of the crown prince, was promoted to the position of empress (孫皇后 Sūn húanghòu).

The investiture of Empress Sun was a very grand affair. Once her formal announcement was made, the palace held congratulatory banquets, one for the emperor and the other for the empress.

After Sun was invested, she held court in her residence and regularly met with eunuchs and female officials. Her official duties included personnel evaluation, approving budgets, and planning royal marriages. The emperor's consorts and imperial princesses would make regular visits to her. She reported daily to her mother-in-law, Empress Zhang on family affairs. She also performed the rites at the ancestral altar. On special occasions, she would dine with the emperor at his residence.

Empress dowager

After Xuande's unexpected death in 1435, their son Yingzong ascended the throne, and Sun became the empress dowager (孫皇太后 Sūn huáng tàihòu). A day before he died, Xuande issued instructions that the civil and military officials should guide the child, and they should petition his mother, Empress Dowager Zhang and Sun on all important matters of the family and state. She and her mother-in-law openly vied for supremacy. Ultimately Zhang prevailed and sidelined Sun. Sun tried to influence certain government matters, and the imperial historians censured her, a custom acted to restrain palace women.

After Zhang's death in 1442, Yingzong began to manage the matters himself. In 1449, he foolishly decided to lead a military expedition against the Mongols, and ended up being captured. Sun and his consort Empress Qian immediately raised a ransom in jewels, and sent it off to secure his release. At first it was decided that the court should retreat to the south. However, Li Yongchang won over the empress, and Yu Qian's party won the day, according to whom that those who advocated retreat should be executed.

The officials despised Yingzong, and decided to make his younger brother Jingtai Emperor. He was first instructed by Sun to take charge of government affairs as regent, while the emperor's one year old son was made heir apparent. On 15 September 1449, with Sun's assent, he was urged to ascend the throne in person, since the emperor was in captivity and his one year old son was incapable of ruling. He at first refused, since it would confuse the dynastic succession. Only after Sun's approval and Yu Qian's advocacy of the urgent national need for leadership eventually persuaded him. On 23 September, only three weeks after the emperor's capture he ascended the throne, and the captive emperor was given the title of retired emperor. Sun was given the title of high and sacred empress dowager (上聖皇太后 Shàng shèng huáng tàihòu).

The Mongols soon released Yingzong, knowing that the presence of two emperors would cause instability among their enemies. He was initially placed under house arrest. Six years later in 1457, Sun and her brothers lead a coup that dethroned Jingtai, and placed Yingzong back on the throne. She was given the title of Empress Dowager Shengliecishou.

Death

Empress Sun died of illness on 26 September 1462, and was given the posthumous title Empress Xiaogong Yixian Ciren Zhuanglie Qitian Peisheng Zhang (孝恭懿憲慈仁莊烈齊天配聖章皇后). She was buried on 23 November 1462 in the Jingling Mausoleum.

Issue

• As concubine of the Imperial Grandson-heir:

　• Princess Changde (常德公主; 1424–1470), the Xuande Emperor's third daughter

• As Noble Consort Sun:

　• Zhu Qizhen, Emperor Yingzong (英宗 朱祁鎮; 29 November 1427 – 23 February 1464), the Xuande Emperor's first son

Titles

• During the reign of the Jianwen Emperor :

　• Lady Sun (孫氏; from 1399)

• During the reign of the Yongle Emperor :

　• Concubine of the Imperial Grandson-heir (皇太孫嬪; from 1417)

• During the reign of the Xuande Emperor:

　• Noble Consort Sun (孫貴妃; from 1425)

　• Empress (皇后; from 1428)

• During the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor :

　• Empress dowager (皇太后; from 7 February 1435)

• During the reign of the Jingtai Emperor :

　• Empress Dowager Shangsheng (上聖皇太后; from 1449)

• During the reign of the Tianshun Emperor :

　• Empress Dowager Shengliecishou (聖烈慈壽皇太后; from 1457)

　• Empress Xiaogong Yixian Ciren Zhuanglie Qitian Peisheng Zhang (孝恭懿憲慈仁莊烈齊天配聖章皇后; from 1462)

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Tang Wei as the main character in the 2019 Chinese TV series Ming Dynasty.

• Portrayed by Wu Jinyan as the main character in the 2022 Chinese TV series Royal Feast.

References

• Empress_Sun (Wikipedia)

生平

入宮

孫忠之四女，孫皇后「年幼有頗有美色，姣皙而慧」。永樂八年（1410年）十多歲的時候，因太子妃張氏母親彭城伯夫人推薦入宮，受太子妃張氏即誠孝昭皇后教育，與宣宗朝夕相處，感情更深。

永樂十五年（1417年），成祖為皇太孫朱瞻基主婚，下詔有祥瑞之象胡善祥為正妃，孫氏居側室為嬪，即冊封為皇太孫嬪

永樂二十二年（1424年），誕下常德公主。

洪熙元年（1425年），朱瞻基繼位，是為明宣宗。胡氏封為皇后，孫氏封為貴妃。

宣德二年（1427年），誕下或陰取宮人子（存疑）為宣宗長子朱祁鎮。同年，孫貴妃在兒子立太子典禮上享受朝廷命婦拜謁等等同於太后、皇后配有隆重儀式。

宣宗十分寵愛孫貴妃。按照舊時的宮廷禮制，皇后被冊封後賜金冊寶（印）。朱瞻基特地為孫氏破格，向張太后請示，制金寶賜與孫氏。此後，明朝諸帝貴妃都被冊封，均冊、寶俱備。

皇后

當時胡皇后生下女兒順德公主、永清公主，孫貴妃生下女兒常德公主，後來孫貴妃生下兒子朱祁鎮，宣宗愈發寵愛她，以胡皇后無子所以理應讓賢，逼胡皇后上表遜位。

宣德三年（1428年），明宣宗廢胡皇后，令其退居長安宮，賜號靜慈仙師。三月初一日，冊立孫貴妃為皇后。

太后

宣德十年（1435年），明宣宗逝世，張太后立皇太子朱祁鎮繼位，是為明英宗。新皇帝尊張太后為太皇太后，孫皇后為皇太后。

正統十四年（1449年），瓦剌蒙古大舉南侵，明英宗以五十萬大軍親征。明英宗朱祁鎮被俘，史稱土木堡之變。孫太后和錢皇后立刻籌措一批珍寶作為贖金，以八匹健馬送到瓦剌也先軍營，又默許大同等地守將把2,000萬兩白銀獻給瓦剌。 瓦剌收錢卻不放回英宗。

正統十四年（1449年），八月十八日，孫太后命郕王朱祁鈺暫時監國，未提英宗被俘之事，只說「尚未班師」。

正統十四年（1449年），八月二十一日，升任于謙為兵部尚書，把備戰禦敵的重任交付給了于謙。

正統十四年（1449年），八月二十日，孫氏懿旨立朱祁鎮之子，年僅兩歲的朱見深為太子。 九月初，群臣請皇太后立郕王朱祁鈺為帝，以安人心，孫太后准議，郕王驚讓再三，最終仍即位，為景泰帝（明景帝）。同年十二月初四日，孫太后加上尊號上聖皇太后。

明英宗被俘居於漠北之後，孫太后數次給明英宗寄去禦寒的棉衣。明英宗還朝之後，被明景帝幽禁在南宮，孫太后多次前去探視。

天順元年（1457年）正月，在孫氏支持下，懿旨「上皇（英宗）聖德無虧，天意有在」，發生奪門之變。孫氏給了徐石曹等人「奸臣擅謀，欲迎立藩王以承大統」的旨意，徐石曹拿著這份懿旨當場逮捕于謙。 英宗復闢為帝，廢景泰皇帝為郕王。給孫太后上徽號曰聖烈慈壽皇太后。明代後宮的徽號自此開始。孫太后的家人也參與了這次政變，並且獲得了很多好處。

天順六年（1462年）九月，孫太后逝世，享壽63歲。全諡為孝恭懿憲慈仁莊烈齊天配聖章皇后，與明宣宗合葬於景陵，附太廟。

評價

朱瞻基：貴妃孫氏，皇祖太宗選嬪于朕。十有餘年，德義之茂，冠于後宮。

蔡東藩：孫貴妃體態妖嬈，性情狡黠，少成若天性。百般取悅上意，把這位宣宗皇帝，玩弄在股掌中。

林延清：在明代史籍中，對宣宗孫皇后多有褒詞。其實，這些記載多屬不實之詞，需予以澄清。孫皇后在明代中葉政治中所起的負面影響主要有三方面：其一，孫皇后在宣德時期爭金寶，廢元後，變亂宮闈，促使明朝政治由清明向腐敗轉變；其二，孫皇后在正統「土木之變」時期，阻撓郕王朱祁鈺即位，影響抗擊瓦剌入侵準備工作正常進行；其三，孫皇后在「奪門之變」這個導致明朝倒退的宮廷政變中起了消極的作用。由此可以得出結論，孫皇后在明朝由強盛走向衰落的歷史轉變中，確實要承擔一定的責任。

鄭彩雲：不同意林延清的評價，認為有失公允，孫氏因「盜子奪後」（存疑）而為封建史家所詬病，但她入主中宮後安于皇后本分，未有直接變亂宮闈之舉，反而在明王朝面臨危機的多次緊要關頭發揮了積極作用，土木堡之變後，孫氏採納了于謙等主戰派的意見，拒絕南遷，雖有開始反對但最終同意讓朱祁鈺即位，尊朱祁鎮為太上皇，立朱祁鎮之子朱見深為太子，積極調兵遣將堅守北京，化解了危機。在景泰帝病重又拒絕立太子，皇位面臨傳承危機的時候，又支持「奪門之變」，從而消除了明朝政治上的又一次危機。孫氏以皇太后的身分在「土木堡之變」和「奪門之變」中發揮了無可替代的作用，使明王朝度過了嚴重的政治危機，為維護明朝統治和國家安定做出了重要貢獻。

爭議

《明實錄·明英宗睿皇帝實錄卷之一》「母孝恭懿憲慈仁莊烈齊八配聖章皇后，以宣德二年丁未十一月十一日生」、《明書》「宣德二年十一月，生英宗皇帝」、《明史•卷十•本紀第十》「諱祁鎮，宣宗長子也。母貴妃孫氏。生四月，立為皇太子，遂冊貴妃為皇后。」認為孫氏為明英宗生母，而《明史•列傳第一•后妃一》「妃亦無子，陰取宮人子為己子，即英宗也。」「英宗生母，人卒無知之者。」認為孫氏非明英宗生母。《明史稿》、《明史》、《罪惟錄》、《勝朝彤史拾遺記》、《寓圃雜記》稱明英宗不是孫氏所出。。

孫皇后葬于明景陵，明英宗葬于明裕陵，兩陵寢尚未發掘，也許以後可以通過DNA基因鑑定分析來解決這粧疑案。

相關

• 宣宗廢后

• 土木堡之變

• 奪門之變

衍生形象

電視劇

文學

注釋

延伸閱讀

參考資料

• 孝恭章皇后 (維基百科)