Shangguan Wan'er
| Shangguan Wan'er | |||||||||
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Shangguan Wan'er, drawn bu Ma Dai | |||||||||
| Born | c.664AD Shan County, Shan Prefecture, Tang China | ||||||||
| Died | 21 July 710AD (aged about 46) Chang'an, Tang China | ||||||||
| Spouse | Emperor Zhongzong of Tang | ||||||||
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| House | House of Li (by marriage) | ||||||||
| Father | Shangguan Tingzhi | ||||||||
| Mother | Lady Zheng (elder sister of Zheng Xiuyuan) | ||||||||
| Shangguan Wan'er | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 上官婉兒 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 上官婉儿 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shangguan Wan'er (c.664 – 21 July 710) was a Chinese politician, poet, and imperial consort of the Wu Zhou and Tang dynasties. Described as a "female prime minister," Shangguan rose from modest origins as a palace servant to become secretary and leading advisor to Empress Wu Zetian of Zhou. Under Empress Wu, Shangguan exercised responsibility for drafting imperial edicts and earned approbation for her writing style. She retained her influence as consort to Wu's son and successor, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, holding the imperial consort rank of Zhaorong (昭容). Shangguan was also highly esteemed for her talent as a poet. In 710, after Emperor Zhongzong's death, Shangguan was killed during a palace coup that ended the regency of Empress Dowager Wei.