Consort He (Sun He) 孫和何姬

According to the Biographies of Consorts in Records of Wu 5, Sun He's concubine Lady He was a native of Jurong County in Danyang Commandery. Her father, He Sui (何遂), had originally been a cavalryman. Once, when Sun Quan was touring the camps, she was watching by the roadside; Sun Quan saw her from afar, found her remarkable, had a eunuch summon her and gave her to his son Sun He. When she bore a son, Sun Quan was delighted and named him Pengzu; this was Sun Hao. Records, Wu 5 §35

According to the Biography of the Lord of Wu, in the 13th year of Chiwu (250) Sun Quan deposed the Crown Prince Sun He and had him live at Guzhang. In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Taiyuan (252) Sun He was enfeoffed as Prince of Nanyang and sent to Changsha. Records, Wu 2 §108Records, Wu 14 §30Records, Wu 5 §35

When Sun Liang took the throne, Sun Jun assisted in the government. Sun Jun had long flattered and served Princess Quan (Sun Luban), and since Princess Quan was at odds with Sun He's mother, she urged Sun Jun to move Sun He to live at Xindu. The Biography of Sun He records that when Zhuge Ke was executed, Sun Jun used this as a pretext to take away Sun He's seal and ribbon, moved him to Xindu and sent an envoy ordering him to die. His principal consort, Lady Zhang, also took her own life. Records, Wu 5 §35Records, Wu 14 §31

At this, Consort He said, 'If we all follow him in death, who will raise these orphans?' and so she cared for and brought up Sun Hao and his three younger brothers. When Sun Xiu took the throne, Sun Hao was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wucheng and went from Xindu to his fief. Records, Wu 5 §36Records, Wu 14 §32

When Sun Xiu died, the Chancellor Puyang Xing and the General of the Left Zhang Bu persuaded Sun Xiu's consort, Empress Dowager Zhu, and welcomed Sun Hao and set him on the throne. Sun Hao was then twenty-three, and the year was the 1st year of Xianxi (264) of Wei. According to the Biographies of Consorts, on taking the throne Sun Hao honoured Sun He as Emperor Zhaoxian and Consort He as Empress Zhaoxian, calling her residence the Shengping Palace, and a little over a month later raised her to Empress Dowager. The Annals of the Three Successor Rulers records that in the 9th month of the 1st year of Yuanxing he demoted Empress Dowager Zhu to Empress Jing, posthumously named his father Sun He Emperor Wen, and honoured his mother Lady He as Empress Dowager. Records, Wu 3 §48–50Records, Wu 5 §36

Sun Hao enfeoffed Consort He's younger brothers He Hong as Marquis of Yongping, He Jiang as Marquis of Liyang and He Zhi as Marquis of Xuancheng. The Annals of the Three Successor Rulers records that in the 12th month of that year he made his maternal uncles He Hong and the others, three men in all, full marquises. When He Hong died, his son He Miao succeeded him; he became Army Supervisor of Wuling and was killed by Jin. He Zhi, as Commander of Three Commanderies, went to arrest Xi Xi, Administrator of Linhai, and later went from Area Commander of Niuzhu to Minister over the Masses. The Biographies of Consorts records that He Zhi's offices reached Grand Minister over the Masses. Records, Wu 5 §36Records, Wu 3 §51 · 67 · 75

Chen Shou wrote that when government in Wu grew benighted and disordered in its last years, the He family became arrogant and overstepped their station, and its young men ran wild, to the distress of the common people. Hence, it is said, a false rumour spread among the people that 'Sun Hao died long ago, and the one on the throne is a son of the He family.' Records, Wu 5 §37

In his assessment in Records of Wu 5, Chen Shou cited Duke Huan of Qi in the distant past and Sun Quan in recent times, saying that both had the discernment to recognise able men and the ambition of outstanding men, but failed to distinguish between the sons of the principal wife and those of concubines, so that the women's quarters and the court fell into disorder and calamity flowed down to their descendants. The assessment does not discuss Consort He separately. Records, Wu 5 §42