Empress Zhu

Empress Zhu (died July or August 265), formally known as Empress Jing, was an empress of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Her husband was Sun Xiu (Emperor Jing), the third emperor of Wu. Life Lady Zhu was the daughter of Zhu Ju and Sun Luyu, a daughter of Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan. Even though this made her Sun Xiu's niece, Sun Quan married her to Sun Xiu around 250. In 250, she lost her father, as Zhu Ju, after unsuccessfully trying to persuade Sun Quan not to depose the crown prince Sun He, was exiled to Xindu (新都; in present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang) and was executed on the way there. After Sun Xiu was created the "Prince of Langye" in 252, she became his princess consort. She accompanied him, as his princedom was initially established at Hulin (虎林; in present-day Chizhou, Anhui) but subsequently moved twice to Danyang (丹陽; in present-day Xuancheng, Anhui) then finally to Kuaiji (會稽; in present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). In 255, Lady Zhu would lose her mother as well. At the instigation of her aunt Sun Luban, the regent Sun Jun believed that Sun Luyu was part of a plot to assassinate him, and so had Sun Luyu executed. Sun Xiu became fearful, and sent Lady Zhu back to the capital Jianye (建業; present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), effectively offering to divorce her, but Sun Jun declined by sending Lady Zhu back to Sun Xiu. In 258, the emperor Sun Liang (Sun Xiu's younger half-brother), after a failed attempt to remove Sun Jun's cousin and successor Sun Chen, was himself removed from the throne by Sun Chen. Sun Chen installed Sun Xiu on the throne. However, Sun Xiu, despite urging from officials, did not immediately instate Lady Zhu as the empress. Rather, he waited until 262 to do so. He also created his son Sun Wan crown prince, although it is not clear whether Sun Wan was her son or not. (Indeed, it is not clear whether she bore any of Sun Xiu's four sons.)