Lady Ma (Qian Yuanguan's wife)


Lady Ma , formally the Lady Gongmu of Wuyue, was a wife of Qian Yuanguan , the second king of the Chinese state Wuyue of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Background

Lady Ma was born in 890, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. Her father Ma Chuo was an officer serving under Qian Liu, a warlord who then controlled the region around Hang Prefecture, who would eventually found Wuyue as King Wusu. , which might have been referring to Qian Liu's hometown Yijin Base Ma Chuo was, either by familial relations or by personal relations, was very close to Qian, as, because of those relations, he married one of Qian's younger sisters. At some point, Qian also took Lady Ma to be the wife of his son Qian Chuanguan.

Marriage to Qian Yuanguan

As Qian Chuanguan's wife, Lady Ma was said to be intelligent, wise, and diligent. During Qian Liu's reign, he banned officials from having concubines. As Qian Chuanguan and Lady Ma did not have any sons even past the age of 30, Lady Ma became concerned. She went to her father-in-law Qian Liu to ask for an exemption on Qian Chuanguan's behalf. Qian Liu responded to her happily, "My family's future bloodline is in your hands." He thus allowed Qian Chuanguan to have concubines, and they bore him a large number of sons, whom Lady Ma treated as her own sons. She had a silver deer made and placed before her seat, and was accustomed to happily watch the children play on and around it.
Over the years, apparently after Qian Chuanguan succeeded Qian Liu upon Qian Liu's death in 932, Lady Ma received titles from the emperors of Later Tang and the subsequent Later Jin, whom Qian Yuanguan was formally a vassal to. She was initially created the Lady of Yue, and later Lady Zhuangmu of Wuyue. She died in 939, while Qian Yuanguan was still king, and was posthumously honored by Emperor Gaozu of Later Jin as Lady Gongmu.