Empress Mao

Empress Mao ( 223 – 22 September 237), personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Mingdao, was an empress of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born to lowly family, she was married to Cao Rui the second emperor of Wei but would lose favor and her life. History Lady Mao hailed from a poor family from Henei; her father Mao Jia was a carpenter in the Department of Public Works. She became a concubine of Cao Rui during the reign of his father, Cao Pi when Cao Rui was Prince of Pingyuan and Lady Yu, also from Henei, was the chief wife. However, Cao Rui was noted to show great favor to Mao, often sharing a carriage with her. When Cao Rui became emperor in 226 following his father's death, Mao was made a Noble Lady, and it wasn't till late 227 that the new Emperor picked who would be Empress, with grain given out to those who had lost their spouse, the childless, orphans and the helpless. Mao was made Empress, to the annoyance of Lady Yu who told Rui's grandmother, the Empress Dowager Bian, that the Cao clan's failure to pick an Empress from a proper background would bring down the state. Lady Yu was promptly sent away. While Rui was known to favor Mao, the selection also fitted the Cao family's controversial policy of chief wife being from the lower classes rather than grant such position to a gentry family like Lady Yu's. The commentator Sun Sheng used this marriage to criticize the Cao policy of marrying the lower classes and included such marriages as a reason for the dynasty's future fall. Soon after, Cao Rui ennobled her father Jia and gave her brother Mao Zeng (毛曾) a court position, and would continue to show the family great favor. However, when Cao Rui ordered officials to go to Mao Jia's house for banquets and events, Mao Jia's foolish behavior including calling himself “Lordly Person” made him a mockery at court. Over time, Consort Guo became Cao Rui's favored concubine and Empress Mao began losing favor. Things came to a head in 237 when Cao Rui hosted a party in the Rear Palace for the senior concubines with music and merriment. Consort Guo requested that Empress Mao be invited to join as well, but Cao Rui refused and further ordered that no news about the feast be given to Empress Mao. However, Empress Mao knew of the party and pointedly asked the next day, “Was yesterday’s party in the northern garden pleasant?”.