Sima Lingji

In this Chinese name, the family name is Sima.

Sima Lingji (Chinese: 司馬令姬) (fl.570s to 630s) was, briefly, an empress of the Xianbei-led Northern Zhou dynasty of China.[1] Her husband was Emperor Jing, the final emperor of the dynasty.[2]

Sima Lingji was the daughter of the Northern Zhou general Sima Xiaonan (司馬消難) the Duke of Yingyang (荥阳公); it is not known who her mother is.[3] Sima Xiaonan was a son of Northern Qi official Sima Ziru (司马子如; 489 - 24 January 553[4]). Sima Ziru himself was a descendant (great x 6 - grandson) of Sima Mo, the Prince of Nanyang during the Western Jin dynasty.[5]

On 14 August 579,[6] Emperor Jing's father, the retired emperor Emperor Xuan, took Sima Lingji to be his son Emperor Jing's wife. Sima Lingji's age at that time was not recorded in history, but Emperor Jing was six years old at the time.

Emperor Xuan died in June 580, and the official Yang Jian, the father of Emperor Xuan's wife Empress Yang Lihua, seized power as regent. The general Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang's intentions, rose against Yang, and Empress Sima's father Sima Xiaonan and another general, Wang Qian (王謙), rose in support. Sima Xiaonan, then the governor of Xun Province (勛州, roughly modern Xiaogan, Hubei), also offered to submit to Chen dynasty, along with the nine provinces he controlled. Yuchi was soon defeated, however, as was Sima, and Sima fled to Chen. Yang then had Empress Sima deposed and reduced to commoner in rank.

In March 581, Yang Jian had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui dynasty (as its Emperor Wen). He soon had Emperor Jing and the other members of Northern Zhou's imperial Yuwen clan put to death. Sima Lingji was not put to death, and, at a later unknown date, married the provincial governor Li Dan (李丹). Nothing further was recorded in history about her, other than she was still alive during the early reign of the second emperor of the succeeding Tang dynasty, Emperor Taizong of Tang (r. 626–649). As for Sima Xiaonan, he surrendered to Sui when Chen fell in February 589. As he was a sworn brother of Emperor Wen's father Yang Zhong, Emperor Wen treated him like an uncle and did not punish him further. Indeed, Emperor Wen explicitly pardoned Sima when the two met at Chang'an. Sima Xiaonan died at home shortly after.[7]

  1. ^ "周書/卷09 - 维基文库，自由的图书馆". zh.wikisource.org (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  2. ^ (静帝司马皇后名令姬，柱国、荥阳公消难之女。大象元年二月，宣帝传位于帝，七月，为帝纳为皇后。) Zhou Shu, vol.09
  3. ^ Lady Sima's biographies in Zhou Shu and Bei Shi did not indicate who her mother was. Sima Xiaonan's biography in Zhou Shu indicated that he had a wife who was a daughter of Gao Huan. (其妻高氏，齐神武之女。) Zhou Shu, vol.21. It is unknown if Lady Gao was Lady Sima's mother.
  4. ^ Vol.164 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Sima Ziru was made Grand Commandant on the geng'wu day of the 6th month of the 2nd year of the Da'bao era; the date corresponds to 15 Aug 551 in the Julian calendar. Sima Ziru's biography in Bei Qi Shu indicated that he died of disease soon after this appointment, at the age of 64 (by East Asian reckoning). But, according to Sima Ziru's epitaph found in An Epitaph Compilation from the Han, Wei and Southern and Northern Dynasties (汉魏南北朝墓志汇编), he died aged 64 (by East Asian reckoning) on the 25th day of the 12th month of the 3rd year of Qi's Tian'bao era (during Emperor Wenxuan's reign), which corresponds to 24 Jan 553 in the Julian calendar.
  5. ^ (司马子如，字遵业，河内温人也。八世祖模，晋司空、南阳王。) Bei Qi Shu, vol.18. Sima Mo was a younger brother of Sima Yue, the last regent of Emperor Hui of Jin; Mo was also the youngest son of Sima Tai, Prince Wenxian of Gaomi. (泰四子：越、腾、略、模。) Jin Shu, vol.37. Sima Tai himself was a grandson of Sima Fang, via Fang's son Kui. However, Sima Ziru's biography in Bei Shi did not mention that he was descended from Sima Mo.
  6. ^ ([大象元年]秋七月...丙申，纳大后丞司马消难女为正阳宫皇后。) Zhou Shu, vol.07
  7. ^ (初，杨忠之迎消难，结为兄弟，情好甚笃。隋文每以叔礼事之。及陈平，消难至京，特免死，配为乐户。经二旬放免。犹被旧恩，特蒙引见。寻卒于家。) Zhou Shu, vol.21