acted as if it were the imperial household. Emperor Xuan, unhappy about the Huos' arrogance, began to gradually strip their actual powers while formally letting them keep their titles. In 67 BC, Emperor Xuan made his son Liu Shi (劉奭, later Emperor Yuan), by the deceased Empress Xu, crown prince, an act that greatly angered Lady Xian, who instructed her daughter to murder the crown prince. Allegedly, Empress Huo did make multiple attempts to do so, but failed each time. Around this time, the emperor also heard rumours that the Huos had murdered Empress Xu, which led him to strip the Huos of actual power. In 66 BC, Lady Xian revealed to her son and grandnephews that she had, indeed, murdered Empress Xu. In fear of what the emperor might do if he had actual proof, Lady Xian, her son, her grandnephews, and her sons-in-law formed a conspiracy to depose the emperor. Their plan was to ask Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan to invite Emperor Xuan's grandmother, Lady Wang, Prime Minister Wei Xiang (魏相) and Empress Xu's father-in-law and the deceased Empress Xu's father Xu Guanghan (許廣漢), planning to ambush them and kill them (whom the Huos considered political rivals), and then depose Emperor Xuan and make Huo's son Huo Yu (霍禹) emperor. The plot was discovered and the entire Huo clan was executed, leaving Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan, who apparently was not involved in the plot, entirely without family. The only reference to Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan after that was that she greatly honoured her teacher Xiahou by wearing mourning clothes for him when he died. She died in 37 BC, during the reign of Emperor Xuan's son Emperor Yuan, and she was buried with her husband Emperor Zhao. Family Father: Shangguan An, Marquess of Sangle Grandfather: Shangguan Jie, Marquess of Anyang Mother: Lady Huo Grandfather: Huo Guang, Marquess of Xuancheng Aunt: Empress Huo Chengjun Husband: Emperor Zhao of Han - No issue. Father-in-law: Emperor Wu of Han Mother-in-law: Consort Zhao Ancestry References Book of Han, vol. 97, Part 1. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 23, 24, 25, 27, 29. Han dynasty empresses 1st-century BC Chinese women 1st-century BC Chinese people 89 BC births 37 BC deaths Regents of China Han dynasty empresses dowager Chinese grand empresses dowager 1st-century BC women rulers