生平

才貌双全

父亲是吴辉，字光修，吴氏一族本来是吴郡吴县人（今江苏省苏州市），后来迁徙至浙江钱唐，因为双亲早亡，所以吴氏与弟弟吴景同住。

孙坚听闻吴氏的才艺与美貌兼全，想要娶她。吴夫人的亲戚们嫌弃孙坚为人轻佻狡诈，所以将孙坚拒绝。孙坚对此感到非常羞愧和遗憾。吴夫人知道孙坚不好惹，就对亲戚们说：「为什么要因为吝惜我这个小女子而招惹祸事呢？如果孙坚待我不好，也是我命该如此。」于是这样，吴夫人便嫁给了孙坚。吴夫人共为孙坚生下了四子一女：熹平四年（公元175年）生长子孙策；光和五年（182年）生次子孙权；光和七年或中平元年（184年）生三子孙翊；之后又生幼子孙匡和女儿。

异奇贵象

吴氏当初怀孕的时候，梦见月亮进去怀里，之后生下了孙策。及后在怀孙权的时候，又梦见太阳进去怀里。之后告诉孙坚说：「妾昔日怀著孙策的时候，梦见月亮入怀里；如今又梦见太阳入怀里，为什么会这样呢？」孙坚回答：「太阳和月亮，是阴阳的能量精气，是极其贵象的徵兆。我们的子孙大概会兴家赤旺吧！」汉光和五年（182年），孙坚担任下邳县丞的时候，吴夫人诞下嫡次子孙权，其面相方颊大口，锐目有神，孙坚觉得惊奇，认为有贵气的象相。

184年，孙坚募诸商旅及淮、泗精兵，合千许人，与朱儁征讨黄巾军。在发军之前，吴夫人等人都被留在寿春。时任长沙郡（治所在今湖南省长沙市）太守的孙坚起兵响应讨伐董卓的关东联军，举家迁至庐江郡舒县（今安徽省庐江县西南），吴夫人母子们均随行。

抚育严施

191年，袁术派孙坚攻打襄阳刘表，战斗途中孙坚战死，吴氏当时家住在舒县，她抚养教育孙坚留下的幼儿，作为单身母亲严施教育。当时孙策在袁术麾下，吴氏的弟弟吴景，当时任丹杨郡（治所在宛陵县，今安徽省宣城市）太守，但未到任，留在吴郡曲阿县（今江苏省丹阳市），于是孙策用船载著母亲前往曲阿与舅舅会合，也将父亲的遗体暂葬曲阿。

194年，孙策为袁术攻打庐江，扬州牧刘繇因此不满和猜疑。当时吴夫人和幼子们都处于刘繇的势力之下，处境岌岌可危。孙坚旧将朱治派人赴曲阿接到吴夫人一家，提供照料。可是袁术后来听说孙坚获得了传国玺，拘禁吴夫人强行抢夺玉玺。在孙策征讨江东各地的过程中，吴太夫人从曲阿迁往历阳县（今安徽省和县），又迁往阜陵县（今安徽省全椒县附近）。孙策征服江东吴郡（治所在吴县，今江苏省苏州市）、会稽郡（治所在山阴县，今浙江省绍兴市）等地后，驻扎在吴郡吴县（今江苏省苏州市），吴太夫人也因此回到了故乡。

据《江表传》记载，孙策在治理江东和吴郡的末期，逮捕了传教行医的道士于吉，想要杀掉他。很多人同情于吉，他们让妇女们拜见孙策的母亲吴太夫人，请她救于吉。吴太夫人便对孙策说，于吉为将士们治病疗伤也是为了帮助孙策的军队，不可以杀。但孙策不听，最终将于吉杀害。该事件后来被写入《搜神记》，更被罗贯中写入《三国演义》，并加以神化，成为孙策的重要死因之一。

200年，孙策遇刺身亡，吴太夫人又辅佐年轻的次子孙权，她对孙氏政权充满关切，引见张昭以及董袭等人，问江东是否可以保全，以观察众人的心意。董袭回答说:「江东地势，有山川之固，昔日讨逆将军对民众有恩，现在讨虏将军继承基业，大小事务由张昭主持，我等为爪牙。如今是地利人和的时机，没有什么好担忧的。」受到了众人的赞同。吴夫人在军事和政治方面都对孙权特别有帮助。吴太夫人去世时，临终召见张昭，嘱托后事。

身后事与遗产

吴太夫人去世后，与夫君孙坚合葬，两人的合葬墓位于今苏州盘门外青旸地，俗称「孙王坟」，孙权称帝后改「墓」为「陵」，号「高陵」。而吴太夫人的长子孙策的墓也在附近，俗称「孙将军坟」。

黄武八年夏四月十三丙申日（公元229年5月23日），孙权自立为皇帝，建立吴国，追尊父亲孙坚为武烈皇帝，同时追尊母亲吴太夫人为武烈皇后。

孙权称帝后，为了报答母恩，于赤乌年间（238年－251年）在吴太夫人的故居（今苏州市人民路北北塔公园内）建造了一座追念母亲的寺塔，名为「报恩寺」（南朝梁和南宋时两次重建，又经历代兴废，现寺已不在，仅存宝塔，塔名报恩寺塔），今俗称北寺塔，是苏州古城的标志性建筑之一。

明代罗贯中所著的小说《三国演义》中也出现了吴太夫人。事迹大致与历史相合，但描写吴太夫人有一个妹妹也嫁给了孙坚，即吴国太。正史中没有提到吴太夫人有妹妹，只说孙坚有一个庶出的儿子即孙朗，后人就以这一点推断孙坚除了嫡妻吴太夫人外，至少还有一个妾室，但没有证据表明这个妾室就是吴太夫人的妹妹。不过，小说中说吴太夫人未有生女，是妹妹吴国太生了女儿即刘备的孙夫人（传说名孙尚香，又名孙仁），这一点和史实不符；史料记载了吴太夫人确实生了女儿，但这个女儿是不是后来嫁给刘备的孙夫人则未明说。正史中，除了孙夫人外，孙坚有女儿嫁给弘咨，也有女儿嫁入陈家生女陈氏，故无以确定哪个女儿为吴太夫人所生。

影响与评价

吴太夫人在孙策治理江东的过程中起过积极作用。据《会稽典录》记载，孙策的功曹魏滕，因为违背孙策的主张而遭责备，孙策甚至想要杀了他。士大夫们忧虑惊恐，但想不到办法救魏滕。吴太夫人知道后，靠在一口大井边，说孙策刚征服江南不久，还没有完全成功，应当对贤士以礼相优待，忘却他们的过失而凭他们的功劳加以录用；又说魏滕于公并没有错，如果孙策杀了他，日后众人都会背叛；最后她说，如果孙策不听她的话，她就先投井自尽，以免看见日后亲眼见到孙策众叛亲离的下场。孙策大惊，只好放了魏滕。这也说明了吴太夫人的智慧与权谋。

年少的孙权继承父兄基业后，吴太夫人又辅佐孙权治理军国大事，继续发挥积极作用，对巩固孙氏父子在江东的统治帮助很大。据《江表传》记载，在吴太夫人去世的那一年（建安七年，即公元202年），击破袁绍不久的曹操兵威日盛，写信给孙权，要求他把自己的儿子送到东汉首都许县（今河南省许昌市）作人质。孙权召集群臣商议对策，群臣都犹豫不决。孙权不想送儿子当人质，便与周瑜两个人拜见吴太夫人，以求定夺。周瑜坚持认为不能送人质，并对太夫人和孙权陈述利害。吴太夫人也认为周瑜说得对，又因为周瑜与她死去的长子孙策同年，让孙权把周瑜当成兄长来对待，最终决定不送人质。

婚姻和家庭

注释与参考资料

• 西晋·陈寿著《三国志·吴书》之《嫔妃传·孙破虏吴夫人》、《孙破虏讨逆传》、《吴主传》、《周瑜传》等

• 北宋·司马光撰《资治通鉴》

• 当代·白寿彝著《中国通史》第五卷

延伸阅读

Early life and marriage to Sun Jian

Lady Wu was from Wu County, Wu Commandery, which is around present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu, but she grew up in Qiantang County in present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang. She was orphaned at a young age as both of her parents died so she lived with her younger brother, Wu Jing.

Sun Jian heard of her beauty and character and desired to marry her. However, Lady Wu's relatives disliked Sun Jian, whom they perceived as an idler and a rascal, so they wanted to reject his proposal. Sun Jian was embarrassed and angry at their decision. Lady Wu told her relatives, "Why bring disaster upon yourselves just because of your love for me? If this turns out to be a bad marriage, I'll accept it as my fate." Lady Wu's relatives then agreed to her marriage to Sun Jian. She bore Sun Jian four sons and a daughter. She probably married Sun Jian in 175 or earlier because their first child, Sun Ce, was born that year.

According to a story in In Search of the Supernatural, Lady Wu dreamt about the moon entering her body before she gave birth to Sun Ce. Later, before she gave birth to Sun Quan, she had a similar dream about the sun entering her body. When she asked her husband about her strange dreams, he said, "The sun and the moon capture the true essence of yin and yang. They are very auspicious symbols. My descendants will become great men!"

In 190, when Sun Jian raised an army to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he relocated his family from Changsha Commandery (长沙郡; covering present-day Changsha and parts of Hunan) to Shu County, Lujiang Commandery (庐江郡), which is in present-day Shucheng County, Anhui. In Shu, Sun Ce met and befriended Zhou Yu, who was about the same age as him. Zhou Yu offered to let Sun Ce and his family stay with him and he paid respects to Lady Wu as though she was his real mother. Zhou Yu and Sun Ce became very close friends.

Life during Sun Ces conquests in Jiangdong

Sun Jian was killed in action at the Battle of Xiangyang in 191 against Liu Biao's forces. He was succeeded by his eldest son Sun Ce. Around the time, Lady Wu's younger brother Wu Jing was appointed by the warlord Yuan Shu as the Administrator (太守) of Danyang Commandery (丹杨郡; around present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), but had yet to assume his appointment. Wu Jing was at Qu'e County (曲阿县; in present-day Danyang, Jiangsu) then, so Sun Ce brought his family to Qu'e County to join his uncle.

Between 194 and 199, Sun Ce embarked on a series of conquests in the Jiangdong (or Wu) region to seize territories from the local governors and warlords in the area. He left his mother and family members in Qu'e County, but later had them relocated to Liyang County (历阳县; present-day He County, Anhui) and Fuling County (阜陵县; around present-day Quanjiao County, Anhui) consecutively. After Sun Ce had conquered Wu (around present-day Suzhou) and Kuaiji (around present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang) commanderies, he relocated his family to Wu County, which was Lady Wu's hometown.

When Sun Ce was in power in Jiangdong, he encountered a Taoist priest called Yu Ji, who had attracted a sizeable following for spreading his faith and for his alleged healing powers. Sun Ce accused Yu Ji of heresy and had him arrested. Many women came to see Lady Wu and implored her to save Yu Ji, so Lady Wu asked her son to release Yu Ji. She said, "Yu Ji brings good luck to the army and heals the soldiers. You shouldn't kill him." However, Sun Ce insisted that Yu Ji was a heretic and was corrupting the masses through his "teachings", so he had Yu executed.

Lady Wu was known for her wisdom and shrewdness in politics. The Kuaiji Dianlu recorded one incident in which Sun Ce wanted to kill Wei Teng (魏腾), an Officer of Merit (功曹) serving under him, when Wei opposed his views. The other officials were afraid and did not know what to do. Lady Wu showed up, stood beside a well, and told her son, "You've recently established a foothold in Jiangnan and there are many things you still need to do. You should treat men of talent with respect, pardon them for their minor mistakes and honour them for their contributions. Officer Wei has been performing his duties faithfully. If you kill him today, tomorrow others will rebel against you. I don't wish to see a tragedy occur, so I'll throw myself into this well." Sun Ce was shocked and he immediately released Wei Teng.

Life during Sun Quans administration

Sun Ce was assassinated in 200 CE by the servants of Xu Gong, a commandery administrator whom he killed earlier. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Sun Quan, who was still young when he took over the reins of power. Lady Wu rendered much assistance to Sun Quan in administering political and military affairs. She was worried that Sun Quan would be too young to handle the precarious situation in Jiangdong. She consulted Dong Xi about her incertitude, and Dong Xi emboldened the former by saying, "The lands east of the Yangzi enjoy natural barriers from mountains and rivers, while the good government and virtue of Sun Ce have already attracted the people, lord Sun Quan can build on these foundations, so that great and small may follow his commands.

Around 202, the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the Han central government, demanded that Sun Quan send one of his sons to the imperial capital Xu (许; present-day Xuchang, Henan) as a hostage so as to secure Sun's allegiance towards him. When Sun Quan gathered his subjects to discuss the issue, they could not arrive at a conclusion. Personally, Sun Quan was not in favour of yielding to Cao Cao's demand, so he had another meeting with only his mother and Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu advised Sun Quan against sending a hostage while Lady Wu endorsed Zhou's suggestion and asked her son to treat Zhou like an elder brother. Sun Quan heeded their advice.

Before her death in 202 or 207, Lady Wu summoned Zhang Zhao, Dong Xi and others and instructed them to help Sun Quan in governing the territories in Jiangnan. She was buried at Gaoling (高陵; believed to be somewhere in present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). In 229, when Sun Quan declared himself Emperor and established the state of Eastern Wu, he granted his mother the posthumous title "Empress Wulie" (武烈皇后).

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lady Wu had a fictional younger sister who also married Sun Jian. The elder Lady Wu was the mother of Sun Ce and Sun Quan while the younger one bore Lady Sun and Sun Lang. The younger Lady Wu was also known as "Wu Guotai" (吴国太; literally "Elder Lady of the State of Wu"). Wu Guotai lived longer than her sister because she played a significant role in the marriage of her daughter to Liu Bei in 209.