Empress Zhen (Huai) 懷甄皇后

Empress Zhen (Wenzhao) was a native of Wuji in Zhongshan and the mother of Emperor Ming, and her father Zhen Yi was Prefect of Shangcai. According to the Biographies of Empresses and Consorts, in the spring of the 2nd year of Qinglong (234) the empress's elder brother Zhen Yan was given the posthumous title Marquis Mu of Anchengxiang, and in the 4th year of Qinglong (236) the original fiefs of Zhen Yi and Zhen Yan were both changed to Marquis of Weichang, and Zhen Yan's wife, Lady Liu, was enfeoffed as Lady of Dongxiang. Records, Wei 5 §17 · 23–24

At the end of the account of Empress Zhen (Wenzhao), the Biographies of Empresses and Consorts record that a granddaughter of the empress's elder brother Zhen Yan became the empress of the Prince of Qi, and that, since the empress's father had already died, the empress's mother was enfeoffed as Lady of Guanglexiang. This is all that Chen Shou's main text records about her family. Records, Wei 5 §30

Cao Fang, Prince of Qi, had been raised by Emperor Ming, who had no sons; he was made Prince of Qi in the 3rd year of Qinglong (235), and on the day dinghai, the first day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of Jingchu (239), he was made Crown Prince and ascended the imperial throne that same day. Records, Wei 4 §2

In the 1st month, spring, of the 4th year of Zhengshi (243), the emperor underwent his capping ceremony and bestowed rewards of varying degrees on the officials. On the day yimao of the 4th month, summer, he made Lady Zhen empress and proclaimed a general amnesty. Records, Wei 4 §14

On the day renxu of the 7th month, autumn, of the 3rd year of Jiaping (251), Empress Zhen died. On the day yiwei, Empress Huai Zhen was buried at the Taiqing Mausoleum. In the 2nd month of the following year, the 4th year of Jiaping (252), Lady Zhang was made empress and a general amnesty was proclaimed. Chen Shou's main text does not record the cause of Empress Zhen's death, her age, or where she died. Records, Wei 4 §32–34

In the assessment of the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, Chen Shou said that Emperor Ming, bound by private affection, took in and raised an infant and handed the great inheritance on to him, which ended in the Prince of Qi being deposed. The assessment of the Biographies of Empresses and Consorts said that although the families of the Wei empresses and consorts were rich and noble, none of them carved up the government of the court for themselves. Neither assessment says anything about her in particular. Records, Wei 4 §152Records, Wei 5 §53