Chen Jiao was known as Chen Jiao or as her milk name Chen A'Jiao.
14 Facts About Chen Jiao
1.
2.
Chen Jiao was born to Chen Wu and Princess Guantao, making her Liu Che's older cousin.
3.
Chen Jiao's given name Jiao means talented and beautiful and features in various Chinese poems and idioms.
4.
Empress Chen Jiao was the daughter of Chen Jiao Wu, the Marquess of Tangyi, and Liu Piao, the Grand Princess Guantao.
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At this point, Empress Chen Jiao had already married Emperor Wu for years but did not achieve any pregnancies.
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Chen Jiao then spent the next few years pretending to be docile, hedonistic and having given up all political ambitions, but in reality was secretly recruiting supporters.
7.
Empress Chen Jiao, now having openly fallen out with Emperor Wu, was largely neglected.
8.
Now having completely lost her husband's love, Empress Chen Jiao bore great jealousy and hatred towards Consort Wei.
9.
Chen Jiao eventually resorted to the occult as a last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation, and was approached by a witch named Chu Fu, who claimed she had magical tricks that could help to restore the Emperor's love, as well as curse any concubines Empress Chen disliked.
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Completely convinced by the witch, Empress Chen Jiao conducted rituals with Chu Fu day and night, drank potions, created nailed voodoo dolls of Consort Wei, and slept together "like husband and wife" with Chu Fu dressed in men's garment.
11.
Empress Chen Jiao spent the rest of her life in Long Gate Palace.
12.
Empress Chen Jiao was Liu Che's first wife, and Liu Che is often considered one of the greatest emperors in the Han dynasty and Chinese history in general.
13.
However, Chen Jiao was originally intended to marry Liu Rong, Emperor Wu's eldest brother.
14.
At the time of Princess Guantao's proposal, Liu Rong would have been around the age of 20, meaning that Chen Jiao would have to be at least in the mid-teens.