Xiahou Hui (Sima Shi's wife)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xiahou Hui
夏侯徽
Born211
Died234 (aged 23)
SpouseSima Shi
Issue
Detail
five daughters
Names
Family name: Xiahou (夏侯)
Given name: Hui (徽)
Courtesy name: Yuanrong (媛容)
Posthumous name
Empress Jinghuai (景懷皇后)
HouseHouse of Sima
FatherXiahou Shang
MotherCao Zhen's sister

Xiahou Hui (211–234), courtesy name Yuanrong, formally known as Empress Jinghuai, was a noble lady of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. As a member of the Cao family, she was considered a political rival by her husband Sima Shi, leading to her execution before the start of the coup d'état orchestrated by Sima clan against Cao Wei.

Lady Xiahou Hui's death may have been the beginning of the revolt against the Sima family, a clan that had great power over Cao Wei, thus leading to many rebellions until Cao Shuang's last resistance in the Incident at Gaoping Tombs.

Life[]

Xiahou Hui was a daughter of Xiahou Shang, a military general of the Cao Wei state in the Three Kingdoms period. Her mother was the Lady of Deyang District (德陽鄉主), a sister of the Wei general Cao Zhen. She married Sima Shi, who was regent of the Cao Wei state from 251 to 255. She bore Sima Shi five daughters but no sons. She was an elegant and intelligent woman who helped Sima Shi with his scholarship and his strategies. Xiahou Hui knew that Sima Shi had an evil ambitions and rebellious heart, so she was often considered an obstacle to the realization of the ambitions of Sima Shi's father, Sima Yi. As a member of the Cao clan, the clan that founded the state of Cao Wei, Xiahou Hui could start a conspiracy against her husband's family, which would easily lead to the fall of the Sima clan.

The couple became estranged from each other when Xiahou Hui saw that Sima Shi had the intention of usurping the Cao Wei throne. Sima Shi also became suspicious of his wife because she was distantly related to the ruling Cao family, so he allegedly had her poisoned to death in 234. It is just a presumption that Sima Shi was responsible for Xiahou Hui's death. Many rivals of the Sima family have accused Sima Shi of Xiahou Hui's death, leading to scandal and intrigue in the Imperial court.

After the Jin dynasty (266–420) replaced the Cao Wei state, the first Jin ruler Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), a nephew of Sima Shi, bestowed posthumous honours on many of his deceased relatives but refused to do so for Xiahou Hui. However, after persuasion by Yang Huiyu (Sima Shi's third wife), in 266 Sima Yan honoured Xiahou Hui with the posthumous title "Empress Jinghuai" to match Sima Shi's posthumous title "Emperor Jing".

See also[]

References[]

Retrieved from ""