Consort Fu - Years As Imperial Consort

Years As Imperial Consort

It is not known when exactly Consort Fu became a consort to Emperor Yuan, but it is known that it happened during his years as crown prince -- but after his eventual wife Empress Wang became a consort of his. She and Consort Feng Yuan became his favorite concubines, and each of them bore him a son. Consort Fu's son was Liu Kang (劉康), who later was created the Prince of Jiyang, then Prince of Shanyang, then Prince of Dingtao. As Consort Fu's position was inferior to that of Empress Wang, and her son younger than Empress Wang's son Liu Ao (later Emperor Cheng), Prince Ao was created crown prince. However, Consort Fu was not content for her son merely to be an imperial prince, and a succession struggle would erupt.

As Crown Prince Ao grew older, Emperor Yuan became increasingly unhappy with his fitness as imperial heir and impressed with Consort Fu's son, Prince Kang. Several incidents led to this situation. One happened in 35 BC, when Emperor Yuan's youngest brother Prince Liu Jing of Zhongshan (中山王劉竟) died, Emperor Yuan became angry when he felt that the teenage Crown Prince Ao was insufficiently grieving -- particularly because Princes Ao and Jing were of similar age and grew up together as playmates -- and showing insufficient respect to Prince Jing. Prince Ao's head of household Shi Dan (史丹), a relative of Emperor Yuan's grandmother and a senior official respected by Emperor Yuan, managed to convince Emperor Yuan that Crown Prince Ao was trying to stop Emperor Yuan himself from overgrieving, but the seed of dissatisfaction was sown.

As the princes further grew, several things further led to an endearment between Emperor Yuan and Prince Kang. They shared affection and skills in music -- particularly in the playing of drums. Prince Kang also showed high intelligence and diligence, while Crown Prince Ao was known for drinking and womanizing. When Emperor Yuan grew ill circa 35 BC -- an illness that he would not recover from -- Consort Fu and Prince Kang were often summoned to his sickbed to attend to him, while Empress Wang and Crown Prince Ao rarely were. In his illness, apparently encouraged by Consort Fu, Emperor Yuan reconsidered whether he should make Prince Kang his heir instead. Only the intercession of Shi Dan -- who risked his life by stepping onto the carpet of the imperial bed chamber, an act that only the empress was allowed to do, at the pain of death -- led Emperor Yuan to cease those thoughts. When Emperor Yuan died in 33 BC, Crown Prince Ao ascended the throne (as Emperor Cheng).

While both Consorts Fu and Feng were imperial consorts, an incident occurred that would cause Consort Feng to be greatly praised, at Consort Fu's embarrassment. In 38 BC, Emperor Yuan was watching a fight between wild animals, accompanied by a number of his concubines (but apparently not by Empress Wang). A wild bear broke loose and tried to get out of the cage. All of the noble men and women who accompanied Emperor Yuan, including Consort Fu, fled, but Consort Feng stepped toward the wild bear, which, however, was killed at the last moment by imperial guards. Emperor Yuan asked her why she did so. Consort Feng replied that she had heard that bears, once they had caught one person, would attack just that person and no one else; because she was afraid that the bear would attack the emperor, she was willing to sacrifice herself. Consort Fu became greatly jealous of the praise that Consort Feng received for this incident.