Empress Bian 卞皇后

Place of Birth: Baiting in Qi
Served: Served: Liu Yao
Lifespan: AD 160–230
Titles: Queen, Queen Dowager, Empress Dowager, Celebrious of the Martial Emperor, Grand Empress Dowager
Family: Bian Yuan (father), Bian Bing (brother), Cao Cao (husband), Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi, Cao Xiong (sons)

Empress Bian (the Celebrious of the Martial Emperor) of Kaiyang in Langye was the third wife of Cao Cao and the mother of Emperor Wen, and his brothers Zhong, Zhi and Xiong. She originally was in a brothel, but at age twenty, Cao Cao took her as a concubine. When Cao Cao moved to Luoyang, she traveled with him. When he fled Luoyang (I) and Yuan Shu began spreading rumors of his death, his associates wanted to leave the city. The empress stopped them from leaving (II), and when Cao heard of this, he praised her.

At the beginning of the Jian’an period, Cao Cao set aside his first wife, Lady Ding (III) and made Bian his next wife. She raised all of his children whose mothers had died. When Emperor Wen was named heir apparent, the left and right attendants congratulated her, and said she should open her coffers and bestow rewards. She firmly refused to, and the chief attendant told Cao Cao of this exchange. Cao was greatly pleased (IV).

In 220 she was made queen. In 221, Cao Cao died and Cao Pi assumed the royal throne. When he assumed the imperial throne as Emperor Wen, he honored her as empress dowager. When Pi’s son Rui ascended, she was honored as grand empress dowager. In 230, Rui honored her father as Attentive Marquis, while her grandfather and grandmother were also honored with titles. Later in the year, Empress Bian passed away. In July, she was buried with Cao Cao at Gaoling.