| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 鲁元公主, 魯元公主, Lǔyuán Gōngzhǔ |
| Other name | Lỗ Nguyên Công chúa |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | c. 211 BC |
| Birth Place | Pei County, Han (汉代沛县; huyện Bái, nhà Hán) |
| Died | 187 BC |
| Death Reason | Natural causes |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Western Han Dynasty |
Princess Luyuan (鲁元公主, Lỗ Nguyên Công chúa; d. 187 BC), was the only daughter of Western Han founding Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang and Empress Lü (Empress Lü), and elder sister of Emperor Hui (Liu Ying).
Born into rural poverty in Pei County before Liu Bang’s rise, Princess Luyuan was immortalized in one of the most famous episodes of the Chu-Han Contention: in 205 BC, following the catastrophic defeat at Pengcheng, Liu Bang fled in a panic-stricken carriage pursued by Xiang Yu’s elite cavalry. To lighten the chariot, Liu Bang repeatedly kicked his young daughter Luyuan and son Liu Ying out of the speeding carriage into the dust; each time, charioteer Xiahou Ying (Lord Teng) stopped the chariot, picked up the weeping children, and placed them back inside, saving their lives.
Following the founding of Han, she married Zhang Ao (Prince of Zhao, son of Zhang Er). When Liu Bang contemplated sending Princess Luyuan to the Xiongnu nomadic steppes in marriage diplomacy (*heqin*) to appease Modu Chanyu, Empress Lü wept day and night before the throne, forcing Liu Bang to substitute a common clan maiden. Her daughter Zhang Yan was later forced by Empress Lü into a tragic, bizarre marriage with her own maternal uncle Emperor Hui (Liu Ying) to concentrate Lü family control over the throne.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 95, Biography of Xiahou Ying): “Emperor Gaozu kicked the children from the chariot; Xiahou Ying stopped and held them, crying: ‘Though we are hard pressed, how can we abandon our own blood?!’ He brought them safely to Chang’an.”
Princess Luyuan — Historical & Literary Timeline
Qin Dynasty
Birth in Pei County
Daughter of peasant farmer Liu Bang and Empress Lü.
205 BC
Flight from Pengcheng
Rescued by Xiahou Ying after Liu Bang kicks her from the carriage.
c. 200 BC
Marriage to Zhang Ao
Wed to Prince Zhang Ao of Zhao; becomes Princess of Luyuan.
198 BC
Evading the Xiongnu Marriage
Empress Lü blocks her marriage to Modu Chanyu through desperate weeping.
187 BC
Passing in Chang’an
Passes away peacefully; mourned by Empress Lü and the Han court.
Key Relationships
Family
- Father Liu Bang (刘邦, Lưu Bang – Emperor Gaozu): Founding emperor.
- Mother Empress Lü (吕后, Lữ hậu): Devoted mother who fiercely protected her daughter from nomadic marriage.
- Brother Liu Ying (Emperor Hui): Younger brother rescued alongside her at Pengcheng.
- Husband Zhang Ao (张敖 – Marquis of Xuanping): Son of founding hero Zhang Er.
- Daughter Empress Zhang Yan (张嫣): Forced by Empress Lü to marry Emperor Hui.
Friends
- Life Savior Xiahou Ying (夏侯婴 – Lord Teng): Charioteer who saved her from the dust at Pengcheng.
Enemies
- Pursuing Cavalry Western Chu Cavalry of Xiang Yu: Pursued her carriage from Pengcheng.
Other
- Nomadic Chanyu Modu Chanyu: Xiongnu ruler to whom she was nearly sent as an appeasement bride.
In Shiji
The Mother's Protection
"Empress Lü wept before Emperor Gaozu: 'I have but this one daughter; how can you cast her into the freezing tents of the northern barbarians?!' Her tears preserved Princess Luyuan in the capital of Han."
Historical Context
Princess Luyuan lived at the very center of founding Han aristocratic matrimonial politics, linking the imperial house with the prestigious Zhang lineage of Zhao.
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