(孫皇后 Sūn húanghòu; 1403 – 4 September 1462) was a Chinese Empress consort of the
. She was mother of
, the Yingzong Emperor. He became the sixth Ming emperor as a child, but then as a young man led a disastrous campaign against the Mongols during which hundreds of thousands of Ming warriors were killed, and he himself was captured during an event referred to as the Tumu Crisis. He was forced to abdicate in 1449, and his half-brother Zhu Qiyu was installed as the seventh Ming ruler, the
, for several years. After Qizhen's return from Mongol hands, he eventually led a coup against his half-brother and resumed his role as monarch in a newly named reign as Tianshun Emperor before passing away in 1464. Empress Sun remained known as "Empress Dowager" through the Yingzong, Jingtai, and Tianshun reigns, until her death in 1462.
Early life
Empress Sun was born in 1403 in Zouping in modern-day 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 consort to Zhu Zhanji (future Xuande Emperor), who was the imperial grandson-heir. 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 sheng lie ci shou.
Death
Empress Sun died of illness on 4 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 3 November 1462 in the Jinling Mausoleum.
In popular culture
• Empress Sun, played by Tang Wei, is the main character in the fictionalized 2019 TV series Ming Dynasty.
Empress Sun (孫皇后 Sūn húanghòu; 1403 – 4 September 1462) was a Chinese Empress consort of the Ming Dynasty, married to the fifth Ming monarch, the Xuande Emperor. She was mother of Zhu Qizhen, the Yingzong Emperor. He became the sixth Ming emperor as a child, but then as a young man led a disastrous campaign against the Mongols during which hundreds of thousands of Ming warriors were killed, and he himself was captured during an event referred to as the Tumu Crisis. He was forced to abdicate in 1449, and his half-brother Zhu Qiyu was installed as the seventh Ming ruler, the Jingtai Emperor, for several years. After Qizhen's return from Mongol hands, he eventually led a coup against his half-brother and resumed his role as monarch in a newly named reign as Tianshun Emperor before passing away in 1464. Empress Sun remained known as "Empress Dowager" through the Yingzong, Jingtai, and Tianshun reigns, until her death in 1462.