Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan

[6] She served as de facto regent during the interim period between the deposition of Marquis of Haihun until the succession of Emperor Xuan of Han in 74 BC.

[8][9] She was a key figure in a number of political incidents during the middle Han dynasty, and she spent her entire adult life as a Grand Empress Dowager and a widow without family.

Both sides of her family were wiped out in two separate mass executions as punishment for being relatives of individuals accused of seeking to usurp the throne.

It is not known when Lady Shangguan's parents were married, but what is clear was that her grandfathers were colleagues in Emperor Wu's administration and great friends.

He argued that the Shangguans' power would be firmer with the marriage, and that they could then help Ding legitimize his relationship with Princess Eyi.

Princess Eyi agreed, and later in 84 BC the young Lady Shangguan was created an imperial consort (with the rank of jieyu).

[10] The Shangguans, Princess Eyi, Prince Dan of Yan, and Vice Prime Minister Sang Hongyang (桑弘羊) (who was resentful that his monopoly system, which he felt to be the key to sound finances for the state, was being dismantled), formed an anti-Huo conspiracy.

[13][14] In 80 BC, Prince Dan sent a report to Emperor Zhao, accusing Huo of improperly exercising imperial authority.

The conspirators' plan was that as soon as Emperor Zhao authorised an investigation, Shangguan Jie and Sang would arrest and immediately execute Huo.

He only knew something was wrong when he saw Empress Dowager Shangguan seated on her throne and wearing a formal dress made of jewels, and the officials lined up next to her.

For nearly a month (although initially it appeared that the period might last even longer) Empress Dowager Shangguan heard reports and ruled on all important matters of state.

At some point, on the recommendation of Bing Ji (丙吉), Huo reached out to a commoner, a grandson of former Crown Prince Liu Ju; he was the son of Emperor Wu and Empress Wei Zifu who committed suicide in September 91 BC after being forced into an unsuccessful rebellion against his father.

Emperor Xuan, unhappy about the Huos' arrogance, began to gradually strip their actual powers while formally letting them keep their titles.

In 67 BC, Emperor Xuan made his son Liu Shi (劉奭, later Emperor Yuan), by the deceased Empress Xu, crown prince, an act that greatly angered Lady Xian, who instructed her daughter to murder the crown prince.

Their plan was to ask Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan to invite Emperor Xuan's grandmother, Lady Wang, Prime Minister Wei Xiang (魏相) and Empress Xu's father-in-law and the deceased Empress Xu's father Xu Guanghan (許廣漢), planning to ambush them and kill them (whom the Huos considered political rivals), and then depose Emperor Xuan and make Huo's son Huo Yu (霍禹) emperor.

The only reference to Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan after that was that she greatly honoured her teacher Xiahou by wearing mourning clothes for him when he died.