Empress Zhangsun

Posthumous name
	Empress Wendeshunsheng (文德順聖皇后; "the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress")

Empress Zhangsun
Empress Zhangsun
Empress consort of the Tang dynasty
Tenure	4 September 626 – 28 July 636
Born	15 March 601; Chang'an, Sui China
Died	28 July 636 (aged 35); Chang'an, Tang China
Burial	Zhaoling
Spouse	Emperor Taizong of Tang
Issue	Li Chengqian, Prince Min of Hengshan; Li Tai, Prince Gong of Pu; Li Zhi, Emperor Gaozong; Li Lize, Princess Changle; Princess Chengyang; Li Mingda, Princess Jinyang; Princess Xincheng
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Empress Wendeshunsheng (文德順聖皇后; "the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress")
Father	Zhangsun Sheng
Mother	Lady Gao

Empress Zhangsun (長孫皇后, personal name unknown, presumably Wugou (無垢) (15 March 601^[1] – 28 July 636^[2]), formally Empress Wendeshunsheng (文德順聖皇后, literally "the civil, virtuous, serene, and holy empress") or, in short, Empress Wende (文德皇后), was a Chinese essayist and an empress of the Chinese Tang dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Taizong and the mother of Emperor Gaozong. She was well educated, and her ancestors were of Xianbei ethnicity. Their original surname was Tuoba, later changed to Zhangsun. During her tenure as empress, she served as a loyal assistant and honest advisor to her husband, Emperor Taizong.^[3]

^ Empress Zhangsun's biography in Old Book of Tang indicate that she was 36 (by East Asian reckoning) when she died. Thus, her birth year should be 601 (1st year of the Renshou era of the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui). Separately, vol. 34 of Tang Hui Yao recorded that on the 6th day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the Longshuo era of Tang Gaozong's reign, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was ordered to stop practising their music for 6 days, as it was an anniversay related to Empress Zhangsun ([龙朔元年]二月六日。敕太常寺。六日停教音乐。太宗皇帝文德皇后忌日故也。). Since Empress Zhangsun's death date was recorded, this anniversay should then be referring to her birthday. The 6th day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the Renshou era corresponds to 15 Mar 601 in the Julian calendar.
^ Volume 194 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zhangsun died on the jimao day in the 6th month of the 10th year of the Zhenguan era of Tang Taizong's reign. This date corresponds to 28 Jul 636 in the Julian calendar. [(贞观十年六月)己卯，崩于立政殿。]
^ Barbara Bennett Peterson (2000). Barbara Bennett Peterson (ed.). Notable women of China: Shang dynasty to the early twentieth century (illustrated ed.). M.E. Sharpe. p. 181. ISBN 0-7656-0504-X.

[1] Empress Zhangsun's biography in Old Book of Tang indicate that she was 36 (by East Asian reckoning) when she died. Thus, her birth year should be 601 (1st year of the Renshou era of the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui). Separately, vol. 34 of Tang Hui Yao recorded that on the 6th day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the Longshuo era of Tang Gaozong's reign, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was ordered to stop practising their music for 6 days, as it was an anniversay related to Empress Zhangsun ([龙朔元年]二月六日。敕太常寺。六日停教音乐。太宗皇帝文德皇后忌日故也。). Since Empress Zhangsun's death date was recorded, this anniversay should then be referring to her birthday. The 6th day of the 2nd month of the 1st year of the Renshou era corresponds to 15 Mar 601 in the Julian calendar.

[2] Volume 194 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Zhangsun died on the jimao day in the 6th month of the 10th year of the Zhenguan era of Tang Taizong's reign. This date corresponds to 28 Jul 636 in the Julian calendar. [(贞观十年六月)己卯，崩于立政殿。]

[3] Barbara Bennett Peterson (2000). Barbara Bennett Peterson (ed.). Notable women of China: Shang dynasty to the early twentieth century (illustrated ed.). M.E. Sharpe. p. 181. ISBN 0-7656-0504-X.

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