Consort Wan

Imperial Noble Consort Wan (1428–1487), born Wan Zhen'er, was an imperial consort of the Ming dynasty. Her father was Wan Gui, a county official who was recorded to have broken the law during the Xuande period, resulting in Wan Gui's assignment to Bazhou in Shuntian Prefecture. Wan Zhen'er was selected at the age of four to serve as a maid to one of the grandsons of the Xuande Emperor.

In 1449, during the tumult following Emperor Yingzong of Ming's capture after the Battle of Tumu Fortress, Wan Zhen'er was appointed as the personal nanny to Zhu Jianshen, the two-year-old son of the emperor's younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, the Jingtai Emperor. At that time, Yingzong's son prince Zhu Jianshen was still crown prince, and Wan Zhen'er’s role was to protect and care for him amidst political upheaval. When Zhu Jianshen was confined during the Jingtai Emperor's reign, he developed a close relationship with Wan Zhen'er.

In 1457, Emperor Yingzong regained the throne, and Zhu Jianshen was reinstated as crown prince. During this period, Emperor Yingzong suspected Wan Zhen’er of having seduced the young prince, leading to her beating by palace guards. After Zhu Jianshen ascended in 1464 as the Chenghua Emperor, Wan Zhen'er was elevated to consort status and later became her husband's favorite. She bore a son in 1466, after which she received the title of Imperial Noble Consort.

Following her son's death at ten months old, Lady Wan employed eunuchs to monitor the harem, maintaining influence over the imperial court's internal affairs. Reports suggest that she employed severe measures, including forced abortions and the elimination of rival consorts, to secure her position and influence over the emperor. These actions contributed to a prolonged state of unrest within the harem and affected the succession prospects of the dynasty.

It was later revealed to the emperor that a male heir, Zhu Youcheng, had been secretly saved and raised outside the palace. Zhu Youcheng was eventually reunited with his father and granted the title of crown prince, later ascending as the Hongzhi Emperor. The Hongzhi Emperor was noted as the only Ming emperor to have no consorts.

Historical accounts about the alleged forced abortions conducted by Wan Zhen'er have been questioned by scholars, including the Qing Qianlong Emperor, who dismissed such stories. During her lifetime, Wan Zhen'er held titles including Lady Wan, Palace Lady, Nanny, Noble Consort, Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu Duanshun Rongjing, and was posthumously known as Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu Duanshun Rongjing.

Wan Zhen'er died in 1487, approximately a month before the death of the Chenghua Emperor. His final words upon learning of her passing were reportedly, "Zhen'er has gone, I will follow soon." She was entombed in the Maoling Mausoleum of the Ming tombs. During the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor, a proposal was made to revoke her title as Imperial Noble Consort, but this was declined out of respect for the late emperor.