The word 'harem' often conjures up images of beautiful, half-dressed oriental women lounging in some stately pleasure dome, waiting for the opportunity to satisfy their masters. And in some ways this was not far from the truth. Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong had 40,000 women in his harem, while the Qing emperors would fill their harem with the most eligible girls in the country for both pleasure and procreation.

This book tells the stories of the outstanding, the outrageous, the glorious as well as the tragic empresses and concubines of the Chinese palace.

The word 'harem' often conjures up images of beautiful, half-dressed oriental women lounging in some stately pleasure dome, waiting for the opportunity to satisfy their masters. And in some ways this was not far from the truth. Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong had 40,000 women in his harem, while the Qing emperors would fill their harem with the most eligible girls in the country for both pleasure and procreation.

Some emperors were blessed with empresses who led their dynasties to prosperity and stability. Many emperors, however, found out that they had taken on more than they expected with the arrival of talented, ruthless and ambitious beauties. Wu Zetian was one such woman. Arriving in the harem of Tang Emperor Taizong as a sweetfaced 14-year-old, she went on, through treachery and murder, to become empress.

This book tells the stories of the outstanding, the outrageous, the glorious as well as the tragic empresses and concubines of the Chinese palace.

Preface

The System of Empresses and Concubines

The Empress

The Empress Dowager

Pre-Qin Dynasty

The Four Concubines of Huang Di

Lei Zu

Tongyu

Fanglei

Momu

Shun's Two Wives

Imperial Women who Caused the Downfall of Dynasties

Xia Dynasty: Meixi

Shang Dynasty: Daji

Western Zhou Dynasty: Baosi

An Extraordinary Queen -- Fuhao

Women Behind Successful Rulers

Concubine Pan

Lady Jiang

Wife of Gou Jian

The Period of Qin and Hart

Mother of the First Emperor -- Zhao Ji

The Ruthless Empress -- Empress Lu

The Divorcee Empress -- Empress Wang

Women of Emperor Han Wudi's "Golden Room"

Chen Ajiao

Wei Zifu

Lady Li

Lady Gouyi

Dancer Empress -- Zhao Feiyan

Empress Yuan of Western Han

Head of the Court -- Deng Sui

Other Famous Han Empresses

Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties

Dark-skinned Empress Jia Nanfeng

Empress Dowagers of the Rise and Fall of the Northern Wei Dynasty

Empress Dowager Feng

Empress Dowager Hu

The Sui and Tang Period

The "Strict Wife -- Empress Dugu

The Virtuous Wife -- Empress Changsun

The Sole Female Emperor- Wu Zetian

3,000 Favourites in One -- Yang Guifei

The Song and Yuan Period

The Professional Artist Empress -- Empress Liu

The Empress who Bad-mouthed Others -- Li Fengniang

Environment-friendly Empress -- Empress Chabi

The Ming and Qing Period

The 'Big-foot' Empress -- Empress Ma

The Strict Emperor's Mother- Empress Dowager Li

The Rock of the Early Qing -- Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang

The Fragrant Princess -- Lady Xiang

The "Old Buddha"-- Empress Dowager Cixi

Thrown into a Well -- Lady Zhen

The Miserable Last Empress -- Wanrong

Appendices

Famous Princesses in Chinese History

Other Remarkable Women in the Palace