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 Xie, who later became Emperor Xian of Han, the last emperor of the Han dynasty.
Biography
Consort Wang bore Emperor Ling a son, Liu Xie (刘协), in 181 CE. Emperor Ling reportedly favoured Liu Xie over his elder half-brother Liu Bian, considering the younger prince more intelligent. After the birth, Liu Xie was raised by Empress Dowager Dong (董太后) rather than by his biological mother, as was common practice in the imperial harem.
Little else is recorded of Consort Wang’s life. Her son Liu Xie would later be installed as emperor by the warlord Dong Zhuo in 189 CE after the deposition of Emperor Shao, and would reign as a puppet ruler under a succession of warlords until the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 CE.