Empress Zhang (Cao Fang)

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhang.

Empress Zhang
Traditional Chinese	張皇后
Simplified Chinese	张皇后
Transcriptions

Empress Zhang, personal name unknown, was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was the second wife of Cao Fang, the third ruler of Cao Wei.

Not much is known about her, other than her grandfather Zhang Jì (張既) was a governor of Liang Province (modern Gansu) and that her father Zhang Jí (張緝, note different tone) was a commandery governor. She was created empress in 252; at that time, her grandfather was already deceased, while her father was promoted to senior minister. (It is unclear whether she was an imperial consort before she was created empress.)

In 254, the powerful Sima Shi, after killing Cao Fang's confidant, the official Li Feng, a friend of Zhang Ji's, falsely accused Li, Zhang, and their friend Xiahou Xuan of treason, and had all of them and their clans executed. One month later, Cao Fang was forced to depose Empress Zhang. It is not known what her fate was, although it would appear likely that she was put under house arrest for the rest of her life but not executed along with the rest of her family.

See also

• Cao Wei family trees#Cao Fang
• List of people of the Three Kingdoms

References

• Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 4, Biography of Cao Fang.
• Sima Guang. Zizhi Tongjian, volumes 75, 76.

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Empress Zhen	Empress of Cao Wei 252–254	Succeeded by Empress Wang