ABSTRACT
Queen Wei (ca. 148-91 B .C .) was queen and consort to Liu Che, known as Wudi, the martial emperor (r. 141-87 B .C .) . Bom in Linfen city, Xi’an province, she was originally named Wei Zifu, the third child bom to parents of humble background. Her father died when she was a child, and her mother was a servant in Princess Pingyang’s (see Princess Pingyang) household. Prin cess Pingyang was the elder sister of Liu Che. Wei Zifu studied singing, music, chess, painting, and calligraphy, and became ar tistically accomplished. In March 139 B .C ., Emperor Wudi went to the northern suburb of Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an) to offer sacrifices to the gods and his ancestors and stopped at Princess Pingyang’s home. During a banquet there, the emperor was en tertained by lovely young women, including Wei Zifu, who sang and danced; he was immediately attracted to her. Princess Pingyang, seeking to please her brother, ordered Wei Zifu to the emperor’s palace upon his request, and the young dancer soon became a court favorite.
