Consort Dowager Wang (died June 23, 947), who has another title Wang Taifei (王太妃), known commonly by her imperial consort title Shufei (王淑妃), nicknamed Huajianxiu (花見羞, "flowers would be ashamed to see her"), was a noble consort to Li Siyuan (Emperor Mingzong), the second emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Tang state. During Li Siyuan's reign, she, as his favorite concubine, exerted substantial influence within his administration. After the destruction of both Later Tang and its successor state Later Jin (by the Khitan Liao dynasty), her adoptive son Li Congyi was forced to claim imperial title by the evacuating Liao forces, and both she and he were subsequently killed by the succeeding Later Han's founding emperor Liu Zhiyuan.
Background
It is not known when Lady Wang was born. She was a daughter in a household from Bin Prefecture (邠州, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) that made cakes. Because of her great beauty, she gained the nickname of "Huajianxiu" (花見羞, "flowers would be ashamed to see her"). She was, in her youth, sold as a servant girl to the Later Liang general Liu Xun. Liu apparently favored her greatly, as he gave her a large amount of money. After Liu's death in 921, she did not marry, and was apparently living off savings that Liu left her.
During Later Tang
During Li Cunxu's reign
Sometime during the reign of Li Cunxu, the founding emperor of Later Liang's successor state Later Tang, Li Cunxu's adoptive brother and major general Li Siyuan was looking for an additional concubine after his concubine or co-wife Lady Xia died. Someone informed Li Siyuan's close associate An Chonghui about Lady Wang, and An in turn suggested Li Siyuan to take her as a concubine, and Li Siyuan did. As she still had a large amount of money left from what Liu Xun left her, she awarded much of it to Li Siyuan's associates and daughters-in-law, such that throughout the household, everyone praised her. Li Siyuan's wife Lady Cao favored the simple life and did not contend for his favor, and therefore Lady Wang became his favorite.
During Li Siyuan's reign
Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at the state capital Luoyang in 926. Li Siyuan subsequently claimed imperial title. In 928, he created Lady Cao, who was then carrying the title of Lady of Chu, the imperial consort title of Shufei (), and created Lady Wang, who was then carrying the title of Lady of Han, the lesser (although still high-ranked) title of Defei (). She was apparently childless, and Li Siyuan had her raise his youngest son Li Congyi (later created the Prince of Xu) and a daughter (later created Princess Yong'an) as their mother.
By 928, Consort Wang was apparently already sufficiently powerful inside the palace that, when Li Siyuan's chief of staff Kong Xun wanted to have his daughter married to one of the emperor's sons, it was Consort Wang that he ingratiated. She subsequently suggested to Li Siyuan that his son (by the deceased Lady Xia) Li Conghou marry Kong's daughter, and Li Siyuan agreed.
In 930, Li Siyuan was prepared to create Consort Cao empress. She stated to Consort Wang, "I have always despised minute matters, and I do not want to be involved in ceremonies. You, sister, should substitute for me." Consort Wang responded, "The Central Palace [(i.e., the empress's palace, and therefore an alternate way to refer to the empress)] matches the Supreme One [(i.e., the emperor)]. Who would dare to step in?" Li Siyuan subsequently created Consort Cao empress, and later promoted Consort Wang to the rank of Shufei. Consort Wang served both Li Siyuan and Empress Cao carefully, such that Empress Cao and Consort Wang became very close. However, it was said that because of this, Consort Wang effectively controlled what occurred in the palace. She lived luxuriously (by that period's standard), using silk to make her skirts. An Chonghui tried to curb her luxurious living by comparing her lifestyle to the terrible fate that Li Cunxu's wife Empress Liu suffered. She thereafter began to dislike An. Both she and the eunuch Meng Hanqiong were therefore repeatedly speaking against An.
Later in 930, there was a time when An wanted to try to harm Li Siyuan's adoptive son Li Congke, who was then the military governor (Jiedushi) of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), against whom he had a previous grudge. He thus induced Li Congke's officer Yang Yanwen () into a mutiny against Li Congke, and subsequently tried to use the mutiny to get Li Siyuan to kill or otherwise severely punish Li Congke. It was said that it was due to Consort Wang's speaking on his behalf that Li Congke was spared.