Yang Yan (楊艷) (238 – 25 August 274), courtesy name Qiongzhi (瓊芝), formally Empress Wuyuan (武元皇后, "the martial and discerning empress") was an empress of the Western Jin dynasty. She was the first wife of Emperor Wu.
Early life and marriage to Sima Yan Yang Yan was a daughter of Yang Wenzong (楊文宗),Volume 138 of Taiping Yulan recorded Yang Wenzong's name as Yang Bing (杨炳). There is speculation that "Wenzong" was Yang Bing's courtesy name; during the Tang dynasty when the Book of Jin was compiled, "Bing" violated the naming taboo as Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's father was named "Bing". a marquess during the Cao Wei era and his wife Lady Zhao; Yang Wenzong was also a descendant of the famed Eastern Han official Yang Zhen (杨震) from the Yang clan of Hongnong.Yang Zhen's biography in Book of the Later Han recorded that his youngest son Yang Feng's (杨奉) grandson Yang Xi (杨觽; also recorded as "Yang Zhong" (杨众) in vol.29 of Annals of the Later Han by Yuan Hong) was appointed Marquis of Wu village (蓩亭侯) in 197 (2nd year of the Jian'an era). Annals also recorded a different date for Yang Zhong being made marquis: xinmao day of the 8th month of the 1st year of the Jian'an era (no corresponding date in the Julian calendar); the annals of Emperor Xian of Han in Book recorded that 13 officials (including Dong Cheng and Fu Wan, father of Fu Shou) were made marquises on the xinhai day of that month; this date corresponds to 28 Sep 196. Yang Wenzong's biography in vol.93 of Book of Jin recorded that his peerage (which was inherited) was also Marquis of Wu village (袭封蓩亭侯). The exact relationship between Yang Xi and Yang Wenzong is unknown. Hu Sanxing also cited Annals in his annotations to Zizhi Tongjian (in vol.62). Her mother died early, probably when she was still in infancy, and she was initially raised by her maternal uncle Zhao Jun (赵俊) and aunt (who breastfed her). After she grew older, she was raised by her stepmother Lady Duan. By this time, her father, who is said to have also died early, was probably dead.
When she was young, she was described as intelligent, studious and beautiful. A fortune teller once foretold that she would have an extraordinary honour, and it was said that when the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao heard this, he took her and married her to his eldest son Sima Yan. She had three sons(杨元后生毗陵悼王轨、惠帝、秦献王柬。) Jin Shu, vol.64. The volume contained the biographies of Emperor Hui's two full-brothers. and three daughters(生毗陵悼王轨、惠帝、秦献王柬，平阳、新丰、阳平公主。) Jin Shu, vol.31. with her husband. After Sima Zhao's death in September 265, Sima Yan inherited his father's position and forced the Cao Wei emperor Cao Huan to abdicate in favour of him about five months later. This action ended the state of Cao Wei and Sima Yan established the Jin dynasty (as Emperor Wu). On 20 March 266,bingwu day of the 1st month of the 2nd year of the Taishi era, per Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Jin. Yang Yan was made empress. After becoming empress, Lady Yang, in gratitude, arranged for Zhao Jun to be promoted; Zhao Jun's niece Zhao Can (赵粲; daughter of his elder brother Zhao Yu (赵虞)) was also made Sima Yan's concubine.(后追怀舅氏之恩，显官赵俊，纳俊兄虞女粲于后宫为夫人。) Jin Shu, vol.31. In Jia Nanfeng's biography in the same volume, Zhao Can's rank was recorded as chonghua (充华).
As empress Empress Yang's oldest son, Sima Gui (司馬軌), died aged two (by East Asian reckoning), making her second son, Sima Zhong the legitimate heir, by traditional succession laws. However, Emperor Wu hesitated about selecting him as crown prince because he was developmentally disabled. Empress Yang was instrumental in persuading him to have her son designated crown prince anyway, arguing that tradition should not be abandoned easily. She was also instrumental in her son's selection of a wife, as Emperor Wu initially favoured Wei Guan's daughter, but Empress Yang, friendly with Jia Chong's wife Lady Guo, praised Jia's daughter Jia Nanfeng greatly, leading to Jia Nanfeng's selection as crown princess.
In 273, when Emperor Wu was seeking beautiful women to serve as his concubines, he initially put Empress Yang in charge of the selection process. She preferred those women with slender bodies and fair skin, but did not favour those with beautiful faces. She also left off the list a beauty surnamed Bian (daughter of Bian Fan), whom Emperor Wu favoured, stating that since the Bians have served as empresses for three generations of Cao Wei rulers (Cao Cao's wife Princess Bian, Cao Mao's empress and Cao Huan's empress) that it would be too degrading for her to be a concubine.(后性妒，惟取洁白长大，其端正美丽者并不见留。时卞藩女有美色，帝掩扇谓后曰：“卞氏女佳。”后曰：“藩三世后族，其女不可枉以卑位。”帝乃止。) Jin Shu, vol.31 This decision displeased Emperor Wu, so he took over the selection process. Despite this and her husband's obsession with accumulating concubines, they appeared to have had a genuine and continuing affection for each other.
In 274, Empress Yang grew ill. She became concerned that whoever would be empress next; she was particularly concerned about Consort Hu Fang (胡芳; daughter of Hu Fen), whom Emperor Wu greatly favoured, would not support her son. She therefore asked Emperor Wu to marry her cousin Yang Zhi. Emperor Wu, distressed over her illness, agreed. She died soon thereafter in August and was buried with honours due an empress in the tomb that her husband was eventually buried at when he died in May 290. Concubine Zuo Fen wrote a long song of mourning in her honour.
In December 276, based on his promise to his late wife, the emperor married Yang Zhi and created her empress.
Notes
References
Sources