Great Empresses of China – Role Models for Traditional Women (Part 2)
 
2. Empress Ma Mingde of the Eastern Han Dynasty
 
Empress Ma Mingde (39 – 79 AD) was born to Ma Yuan, a famous military general of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. He was highly decorated for stopping invasions into China for Emperor Guangwu (5 BC – 57 AD). However, he was later framed and lost everything because he offended the emperor's son-in-law, Liang Song. At the time, his third daughter, Ma Mingde, was only ten years old, but she had to take on the responsibilities of managing the entire household. Not only was she able to independently handle the family affairs, she was also able to interact amicably with relatives like an adult.
 
In 52 AD, 13-year-old Ma Mingde was selected to serve the crown prince, Liu Zhuang (28 – 75 AD). Once in the palace, she served Empress Yin meticulously and treated all the other ladies with proper courtesy and etiquette. In 57 AD, Liu Zhuang succeeded as emperor, becoming Emperor Ming, and Ma Mingde was selected as the empress for her superior virtue. Empress Ma not only had a lofty character, she was also highly intelligent and talented. She could recite Yi Ching and studied Confucian classics such as The Spring and Autumn Annuals, Songs of Chu, and Rites of Zhou.
 
Empress Ma was kind and forgiving by nature. She was modest, respectful, and frugal. She did not like parties, but she was very amiable and approachable. She normally wore coarse clothes. She only wore clothes made of expensive silk with lavish embroidery for state ceremonies. She was highly respected by the ladies of the court.
 
Empress Ma was not involved in politics, but she had her own opinions. In 70 AD, Emperor Ming's half-brother, Liu Ying, attempted a coup but the plot was discovered. The emperor did not have the heart to execute him. He only stripped him of his title of duke and exiled him to Danyang County in today's Anhui Province.
 
After Liu Ying arrived in Danyang County, he committed suicide. The emperor suspected that his half-brother must have been encouraged to commit treason and ordered an investigation. A large number of people were accused and implicated. Many officials tried to persuade the emperor into stopping the investigation, but he refused to listen. Empress Ma knew most of the people who were arrested were actually innocent and was very worried. One day after the emperor had returned to their chamber, she begged him not to make things worse than they were. The sad expression on her face touched him. In February during his 15th year of rule, the emperor ordered a general pardon, including for treason, a crime that was previously not included in the general pardon. Many lives were spared because of Empress Ma Mingde.
 
After that, Emperor Ming realized that the empress had her own unique opinions. When there were problems that the court officials could not make decisions on, he often asked the empress for her analysis. The empress helped him analyze the source of the issues and the emperor took them seriously, thus remedying flaws in state affairs. Many problems were solved with her help. However, she never mentioned her own problems, including the false accusations against her own father. Despite her feelings for her father, she never sought the emperor's help, which earned his respect even more.
 
Empress Ma did not give him any children, so the emperor had her act as the mother for a son, Liu Da, he had with a court lady, Jia.
 
Empress Ma looked after Liu Da with all her heart. She insisted on taking care of him herself to the point of exhaustion. They had a relationship as though the empress had given birth to him.
 
In 75 AD, the emperor passed away. Crown Prince Liu Da succeeded as Emperor Zhang. Empress Ma was revered as Empress Dowager. A drought occurred in the second year of the new emperor's rule. Court officials tried to please the Empress Dowager by suggesting that the drought was a sign of heaven's rage because the Empress Dowager's three brothers had not been given royal titles. However, Empress Ma did not agree with their suggestion. In fact, she issued an edict to condemn the proposal. When Emperor Zhang read the edict, he lamented to Empress Ma, "Mother, giving uncles royal titles is as natural as giving the title of duke to princes. Mother, you may want to keep a low profile, but how can I not pay filial respect to my uncles? Besides, one of them is old and two are ill. I will never have another chance to do anything for them if they should pass away before I give them a royal title."
 
Empress Ma explained, "It was a deliberate decision. I was not trying to keep a good reputation at the expense of yours. The fact is that the Ma family has not accomplished anything for the country worthy of a royal title. Now there is a drought, and the entire nation is enduring difficult times. If you should give my brothers royal titles, it will be against my will and you will not be showing filial respect for me. If you insist on giving them royal titles, you must wait until there are no disasters or war."
 
Four years after Emperor Zhang ascended to the throne, China was free of disasters and war. It was then that Emperor Zhang gladly gave his three uncles royal titles.
 
After Empress Ma learned the news, she advised her brothers not to be greedy and asked them to understand where she was coming from. The three brothers accepted their royal titles, but retired from political life.
 
Emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty were mostly young when they ascended to the throne. Their young mothers often had to rely on their brothers to help govern the nation. Empress Ma was the only exception. Following the lessons of history, she forbade her brothers from engaging in politics. Empress Ma was diligent, modest, respectful, educated, wise, and loyal. She passed away at the age of 41 in 79 AD. Emperor Ming and Emperor Zhang's rules were successful ones, and it had a lot to do with her. In Sequel to the Biography of Respected Ladies in China, Empress Ma was described as such: "In terms of family, she was a model for all women. In terms of national administration, she was a model for all empresses."
 
母仪天下的贤后（二）
 
二、东汉马明德皇后
 
马明德皇后的父亲是东汉著名的伏波将军马援。因辅助汉光武帝刘秀平定天下战功卓著，但因为得罪了权贵光武帝刘秀的女婿梁松，遭其陷害。马援年仅十岁的三女儿（即马明德皇后）担负起治理家务的重任，她不仅能独立处理家中大小事务，而且在与其它家族交往时也能如成年人一样从容应对。
 
公元52年，十三岁的马明德选入太子刘庄的宫中。她入宫后悉心侍奉阴皇后，对其他的人也是礼仪周备，57年汉明帝刘庄即位，因马氏德冠后宫，遂立为后，史称明德皇后。马皇后不仅品德出众，也很有才华，能背诵《易经》，熟读《春秋》、《楚辞》、《周礼》等传统的儒家经典。
 
马皇后生性宽仁，谦恭节俭，不喜好游乐，平易近人。平时都穿粗布衣服，除了国家大典场合，从不穿贵重的丝绸织绣之衣。后宫的嫔妃对她非常钦佩。
 
马皇后虽不干预朝政，但对世事却明断有理。公元70年，明帝的异母兄弟楚王刘英企图谋反，事情败露后，明帝不忍处死刘英，只是废黜了刘英的爵位，徙往丹阳郡（今属安徽）。刘英到丹阳后自杀，明帝认为是有人鼓动楚王谋反，下令彻查其党羽，一时受株连的人不计其数，许多大臣纷纷劝谏，但明帝根本不听。马皇后知道被抓的人大部份都是冤枉的，十分忧虑。一天明帝回宫，她趁机向明帝进言，请求明帝不要把案件扩大，神情悲楚，明帝深为感动，以至于在明帝十五年二月，刘庄颁令大赦天下，将从前不算在大赦范围内的谋反之罪也算在宽大处理之列。此案能够从宽而不至于多伤人命，马明德皇后功不可没。
 
从此明帝才发觉皇后对政事有独到的见解，在遇到公卿大臣难以裁决的问题时，常常会让马皇后帮著分析。马皇后为他深入分析事情原委，明帝都会郑重看待，弥补了许多朝政上的缺陷。但她从未提及自己家的事，包括父亲的冤屈，虽心中酸苦，从不在明帝面前表露，因此更加得到明帝的敬重。
 
马皇后没有子女，明帝就让她抚养宫中贾氏的儿子刘炟。
 
马皇后尽心抚养和培育，对刘炟的关怀无微不至，事事亲力亲为，以至于劳累憔悴，母子关系胜似亲生。
 
公元75年明帝去世，太子刘炟即位，是为章帝。马皇后被尊为皇太后。章帝即位后第二年，天下大旱，一些溜须拍马的大臣趁机上书朝廷，认为天旱的原因是没有封赏外戚，请求皇帝将皇太后的两个弟弟加封侯爵。但是马皇后没有答应，她专门为此发下了一道措辞严厉的诏书。章帝读了母亲这道诏书，不禁悲叹不已，再次向母亲求情：“汉朝兴盛，舅氏被封侯，就像皇子被封王一样，是应该的。母亲诚存谦虚，难道要让我做不孝顺舅父的皇帝？何况舅舅中，一位年老，两位患病，如未加封之前有个三长两短，我只好抱刻骨之恨了。”

 
马明德答道：“我思虑再三，我并不是想得谦让的好名声而让儿子的名声受损，而是马家无功于国。如今又逢大旱，百姓生活困苦，这时要是封赏外戚，有违我的心意，并不是孝顺我。如果一定要封赏，必须等到阴阳调和，边境清静的时候。”
 
章帝即位四年后，果然其年旱涝之灾俱无，五谷丰登，边境也平安无事。高兴的章帝立即决定晋封三个舅舅为列侯。
 
马皇后知道后，认为为人应当知进退，不能有奢念，希望他们能够明白自己的苦心。三兄弟遂只接受了封爵，辞去职位，不再参政议事。
 
东汉一代，皇帝大都年幼无知，年轻的皇太后往往要依靠外戚来把持朝政，只有马皇后一人，以史为戒，禁止外戚参政。马皇后一生勤俭，谦逊，知书识礼，明理达义。公元79年马皇后因病去世，谥号“明德”，享年41岁。明帝、章帝两朝的政治能够比较清明，史称明章之治，她的所作所为无疑是有著积极影响的。故《续烈女传》称赞她“在家则可为众女师范，在国则可为母后表仪”。