Consort Wang (simplified: 王美人, traditional: 王美人, pinyin: Wáng Měirén) was a concubine of Emperor Ling of Han and mother of Liu Bian, who later briefly reigned as Emperor Shao. She was murdered by Empress He out of jealousy, an act that nearly cost Empress He the throne.
Biography
Consort Wang bore Emperor Ling a son, Liu Bian (刘辩), around 176 CE. Fearing that a rival son would threaten her own child’s claim to the succession, Empress He ordered Consort Wang to be poisoned. She died around 181 CE.
Emperor Ling was enraged by the murder and contemplated deposing Empress He, but the eunuchs of the inner court — many of them indebted to the He family — intervened on her behalf. She retained her position, and her son Liu Bian remained the designated heir.