Empress Lü of the Han Dynasty

Be warned, boys and girls, for this is a gruesome tale.

We previously told the story of the founding of the Han Dynasty and its first emperor, Liu Bang. This is the story of his wife, Empress Lü. 

After being married to Liu by her father, the future Empress Lü stuck by her husband even during his lowest periods, until finally he triumphed over all the other warlords to become emperor.

But he didn't stick by her quite as much. Instead, he picked up a favorite concubine, Lady Qi. And he had sons with both women, half-brothers who were now competitors for the throne. When Liu Bang died in 195 B.C., it was time for Empress Lü to exact her vengeance...

And yet, as the Chinese proverb says: "A praying mantis may capture a cicada, but the finch watches from behind"...

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