Southern & Northern Dynasties · 420 – 589

Jiang Jiankui

In the fifth year of the first Qin Dynasty (469), Emperor Ming Liu of the Southern Dynasty Song Dynasty selected a concubine for the crown prince Liu Yu. He likes to choose petite and exquisite women, not only girls from famous families. Jiang Jiangui had a poker face, a weak body, and the most auspicious fortune in divination, so he was chosen. Emperor Ming Liu was very happy, and the governors of the prefectures and counties presented gifts and congratulations. Officials presented treasures and famous objects one after another. Only Sun Fengbo, the governor of Shixing, only presented the Qin and Shu. Emperor Ming was furious and shouted that he wanted to kill Feng Bo. Fortunately, he was stopped by the minister. In the first year of Qin Yu (472), Liu Huo died, and ten-year-old Liu Yu ascended the throne, claiming the title of Empress Abandoned Emperor and making Jiang Jiangui the queen.

Just two years after Liu Yu came to the throne, Liu Xiufan, the idiot brother of Ming Emperor Liu You, raised an army in Xunyang (now Jiujiang, Jiangxi) and went straight to the capital Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu). Fortunately, the right-guard general Xiao Daocheng suppressed it. In Jianping, Liu Jingsu raised his troops to rebel again, and was defeated and died. Xiao Daocheng killed Liu Yu in the fifth year of Yuanhui (477), Liu Zhun became emperor, and Jiang Jiankui was demoted to princess.

Artist’s Note

“我是宋后废帝刘昱的皇后，江简圭。我出身虽不高贵，但卜筮的结果，最吉。明帝作主，为太子妃。刘昱即位后，又正位中宫。无法逿制刘昱的。胡作非为多行不义。惹恼了一个权臣，就此丢了性命，断送了刘宋王朝。”

Liu Yu 劉昱

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latter_Deposed_Emperor_of_Liu_Song

The Latter Deposed Emperor of Liu Song, also known as Emperor Houfei, was a ruler of the Liu Song dynasty in China. Despite his brief reign as a young emperor, he displayed tendencies towards violence and arbitrariness. In 477, he was assassinated by his general Xiao Daocheng. Following his death, Xiao Daocheng installed Emperor Houfei’s brother, Liu Zhun, as the new emperor but later seized the throne himself in 479, marking the end of the Liu Song dynasty and the beginning of the Southern Qi dynasty.