Consort clan: Information from Answers.com

This article does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

The consort clan (Chinese: 外戚; pinyin: wàiqī) is the family, clan of or group related to an empress dowager or a spouse of a Chinese dynastic ruler or a warlord. The leading figure of the clan was either a sibling, cousin, or parent of the empress or consort.

Famous leading figures

Wei Qing - a brother of the Empress Wei Zifu, consort of Emperor Wu of Han, one of the major military leaders of wars against the Xiongnu
Huo Qubing - a nephew of Wei Qing and Wi Zifu, also an important general in the war between Han China and Xiongnu.
Li Guangli - brother of Lady Li (Li Furen) of Emperor Wu of Han. He led the invasion against Dayuan.
Huo Guang - a younger brother of Huo Qubing (same father but with different mothers), whose granddaughter became the empress of Emperor Zhao of Han. He played an extremely important political role in the eras of Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan, sometimes overshadowed the power of the emperors.
Wang Mang - nephew of Empress Dowager Wang, cousin of Emperor Cheng of Han China and founder of the Xin Dynasty.
Dou Xian - brother of Empress Dowager Dou and brother-in-law of Emperor Zhang of Han China.
Liang Ji - brother of Empress Dowager Liang, deposed two emperors and later killed in a coup d'etat plotted by eunuchs against him.
Dou Wu - father of another Empress Dowager Dou and killed in his abortive coup d'etat against eunuchs.
He Jin - brother of Empress Dowager He and killed after his plot against eunuchs was exposed
Dong Cheng - father of Concubine Dong of Emperor Xian of Han China and known for his abortive coup d'etat with Liu Bei against Cao Cao.

Mi Fang, a brother of Lady Mi (Mi Furen) of Liu Bei, Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han. His betray of Shu Han partially led to its loss of Jing Province and the death of general Guan Yu.