Empress Xiao (Yang)
Encyclopedia
Empress Xiao (566? – 17 April 648), formally Empress Min (愍皇后, literally "the suffering empress"), was an empress of the Chinese
Sui Dynasty
. Her husband was Emperor Yang of Sui
.
-- as a daughter of Emperor Ming of Western Liang
, who claimed the Liang throne as a vassal of Northern Zhou
and then Sui. She was born in the second month of the lunar calendar, and at that time, the superstitious Emperor Ming believed birth in that month to be an indicator of ill fortune. She was therefore given to her uncle Xiao Ji (蕭岌) the Prince of Dongping to be raised, but Xiao Ji and his wife both soon died. (As Xiao Ji died in 566, she was probably born in 566, but could have been born earlier.) She was instead raised by her maternal uncle Zhang Ke (張軻). As Zhang was poor, she had to participate in labor, and she willingly did so. In 582, Emperor Wen of Sui
, because Emperor Ming had supported him during Northern Zhou's civil war in 580 against the general Yuchi Jiong
, wanted to take one of Emperor Ming's daughters to be the wife of his son Yang Guang the Prince of Jin. Emperor Ming had fortunetellers discern whether any of his daughters was suitable, but the fortunetellers ruled that none was suitable. Emperor Ming then welcomed her back from Zhang's house, and the fortunetellers found her to be suitable, and so she was given to Yang Guang in marriage. She thereafter carried the title of Princess of Jin.
, who disfavored men who had concubines, Yang Guang, while having some concubines, pretended to have none beside Princess Xiao, and as part of his elaborate attempt to appear both filially pious and frugal, when Empress Dugu's servant girls arrived at Yang Guang's defense post at Yang Province (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) to deliver messages to and from Empress Dugu, Yang Guang would have the servant girls stay with Princess Xiao despite their inferior status. Eventually, Emperor Wen deposed Yang Guang's older brother Yang Yong
(whose faults, in his parents' eyes, were wastefulness (which displeased Emperor Wen) and having many concubines (which displeased Empress Dugu)) from his position as crown prince
in 600 and created Yang Guang crown prince to replace him. Thereafter, Princess Xiao carried the title of crown princess. She and Yang Guang had two sons together -- Yang Zhao
and Yang Jian (note different character than Emperor Wen, whose name is also rendered "Yang Jian" in pinyin
); it is likely that Yang Guang's only known daughter, the later Princess Nanyang, was also her daughter. (Yang Guang's third and final son, Yang Gao
, was born of a Consort Xiao, who might have been a sister of hers.)
the Duke of Liang (Western Liang's final emperor) officials in his government. However, Yang Zhao, who became crown prince, died in 606, and Yang Jian lost Emperor Yang's favor in 608 over his use of witchcraft against Yang Zhao's sons. Empress Xiao often accompanied Emperor Yang on his tours around the empire, and she saw that he had lost his virtues. She wrote a circumspect poem to try to get Emperor Yang to change his ways, but he either did not realize that was her intent, or simply ignored the poem.
In 607, when Emperor Yang visited the submissive Qimin Khan
, Ashina Rangan, of Tujue, Empress Xiao accompanied him, and she personally visited the tent of Ashina Rangan's wife Princess Yicheng, who was a daughter of a Yang clansman. In 615, when Emperor Yang and Empress Xiao were at the border city of Yanmen (雁門, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi
) and Ashina Rangan's son and successor Shibi Khan
Ashina Duojishi made a surprise attack on Yanmen, putting it under siege, it was Empress Xiao's brother Xiao Yu
who suggested seeking help from Princess Yicheng (who had, pursuant to Tujue customs, married Ashina Duojishi), who subsequently gave Ashina Duojishi a false report that Tujue was under attack from the north, but subsequently, rather than listening to Xiao Yu's advice to end his campaigns against Goguryeo
, Emperor Yang expelled Xiao Yu from his court.
By 618, with virtually entire empire engulfed in warfare from the rebellions against her husband's rule, Empress Xioa was with her husband at Jiangdu (江都), the capital of Yang Province. They were protected (as he believed) by the elite Xiaoguo Army (驍果). However, by this point, even the Xiaoguo soldiers were plotting rebellion, as they missed their families in the north. When a lady in waiting
reported the plot to Empress Xiao, she told the lady in waiting, "I will let you report it to the emperor." Emperor Yang, not willing to hear any bad news, however, instead executed the lady in waiting. Later, when other ladies in waiting wanted to report on the plot, Empress Xiao advised them against it, reasoning that there was nothing left that could save the dynasty. Soon, a plot led by the general Yuwen Huaji
came to fruition, and Emperor Yang, along with his sons Yang Jian and Yang Gao and grandson Yang Tan the Prince of Yan were killed. Empress Xiao and her ladies in waiting wrapped him in a mat and made caskets for both Emperor Yang and Yang Gao.
the Prince of Qin emperor, and then abandoned Jiangdu and headed back north, taking Empress Xiao and her ladies in waiting north. He was not a good commander or governor, however, and his campaign north suffered constant defections and defeats. By fall 618, he was in a desperate situation, and deciding to become emperor before final defeat, he poisoned Yang Hao and declared a new state of Xu with himself as emperor.
In 619, Yuwen Huaji was captured and executed by one of the rebel leaders, Dou Jiande
the Prince of Xia. Dou treated Empress Xiao with kindness and respect while giving a proper mourning for Emperor Yang. Subsequently, the Princess Yicheng requested that Dou send Empress Xiao to her, and Dou did so, along with Emperor Yang's daughter Princess Nanyang and the head of Yuwen Huaji. An emissary was sent to welcome her and the former Empress traveled to Tujue, North of the Great Wall. While she was in Tujue, one of Yang Jian's consorts gave birth to a posthumous son, Yang Zhengdao (楊政道), whom she raised, and whom Ashina Duojishi subsequently created the Prince of Sui, assigning to him as his subjects the refugees from Sui. She went to live in Dingxiang. During the years, Tujue's khans continued to use Yang Zhengdao as a magnet to attract the people to surrender, in competition to Tang Dynasty
, established by the Sui general Li Yuan
(Emperor Gaozu).
In 630, when Emperor Gaozu's son Emperor Taizong of Tang
sent the general Li Jing
to attack Tujue's Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi, Ashina Duobi's associate Kangsumi (康蘇密) surrendered to Li Jing, taking Empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao with him. Emperor Taizong's official Yang Wenguan (楊文瓘) wanted to have Empress Xiao interrogated as to whether any Tang officials had been secretly in communication with her, but Emperor Taizong refused and instead treated her with respect. Yang Zhengdao was given an honorific official post. As Empress Xiao's brother Xiao Yu was an important official under both Emperors Gaozu and Taizong, she maintained some degree of honor at the Tang capital Chang'an
, and she was subsequently in charge of Emperor Yang's reburial with honor. She died on 17 April 648 in Chang'an and was buried with honors due an empress, at Jiangdu with Emperor Yang.
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History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
. Her husband was Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
.
Background
The future Empress Xiao was born into the imperial house of the Liang DynastyLiang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
-- as a daughter of Emperor Ming of Western Liang
Emperor Ming of Western Liang
Emperor Ming of Western Liang , personal name Xiao Kui , courtesy name Renyuan , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
, who claimed the Liang throne as a vassal of Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
and then Sui. She was born in the second month of the lunar calendar, and at that time, the superstitious Emperor Ming believed birth in that month to be an indicator of ill fortune. She was therefore given to her uncle Xiao Ji (蕭岌) the Prince of Dongping to be raised, but Xiao Ji and his wife both soon died. (As Xiao Ji died in 566, she was probably born in 566, but could have been born earlier.) She was instead raised by her maternal uncle Zhang Ke (張軻). As Zhang was poor, she had to participate in labor, and she willingly did so. In 582, Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, because Emperor Ming had supported him during Northern Zhou's civil war in 580 against the general Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong , courtesy name Bojuluo , was a general of the Chinese/Xianbei states Western Wei and Northern Zhou. He first came to prominence while his uncle Yuwen Tai served as the paramount general of Western Wei, and subsequently served Northern Zhou after the Yuwen clan established the state...
, wanted to take one of Emperor Ming's daughters to be the wife of his son Yang Guang the Prince of Jin. Emperor Ming had fortunetellers discern whether any of his daughters was suitable, but the fortunetellers ruled that none was suitable. Emperor Ming then welcomed her back from Zhang's house, and the fortunetellers found her to be suitable, and so she was given to Yang Guang in marriage. She thereafter carried the title of Princess of Jin.
As princess and crown princess
Princess Xiao was said to be meek and intelligent, and she was talented both in reading text and in fortunetelling. Emperor Wen was pleased with her, and Yang Guang favored and respected her. Further, in order to please his mother Empress Dugu QieluoEmpress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo , formally Empress Wenxian , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
, who disfavored men who had concubines, Yang Guang, while having some concubines, pretended to have none beside Princess Xiao, and as part of his elaborate attempt to appear both filially pious and frugal, when Empress Dugu's servant girls arrived at Yang Guang's defense post at Yang Province (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) to deliver messages to and from Empress Dugu, Yang Guang would have the servant girls stay with Princess Xiao despite their inferior status. Eventually, Emperor Wen deposed Yang Guang's older brother Yang Yong
Yang Yong
Emperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
(whose faults, in his parents' eyes, were wastefulness (which displeased Emperor Wen) and having many concubines (which displeased Empress Dugu)) from his position as crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
in 600 and created Yang Guang crown prince to replace him. Thereafter, Princess Xiao carried the title of crown princess. She and Yang Guang had two sons together -- Yang Zhao
Yang Zhao
Yang Zhao , formally Crown Prince Yuande , posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaocheng with the temple name Shizong during the brief reign of his son Yang Tong, was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
and Yang Jian (note different character than Emperor Wen, whose name is also rendered "Yang Jian" in pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
); it is likely that Yang Guang's only known daughter, the later Princess Nanyang, was also her daughter. (Yang Guang's third and final son, Yang Gao
Yang Gao
Yang Gao , nickname Jizi , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the youngest son of Emperor Yang....
, was born of a Consort Xiao, who might have been a sister of hers.)
As empress
Emperor Wen died in 604—a death that traditional historians generally believe was a murder ordered by Yang Guang, although they admit a lack of direct evidence—and Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. In 605, he created Crown Princess Xiao empress. He soon turned away from the virtuous living style he engaged in to please his parents, and he lived luxuriously, with tens of thousands of women filling his palaces. He still maintained respect for Empress Xiao, and he made many of her relatives, including her older brother Xiao CongEmperor Jing of Western Liang
Emperor Jing of Western Liang , personal name Xiao Cong , courtesy name Wenwen , known during Sui Dynasty as the Duke of Ju then Duke of Liang , was the final emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
the Duke of Liang (Western Liang's final emperor) officials in his government. However, Yang Zhao, who became crown prince, died in 606, and Yang Jian lost Emperor Yang's favor in 608 over his use of witchcraft against Yang Zhao's sons. Empress Xiao often accompanied Emperor Yang on his tours around the empire, and she saw that he had lost his virtues. She wrote a circumspect poem to try to get Emperor Yang to change his ways, but he either did not realize that was her intent, or simply ignored the poem.
In 607, when Emperor Yang visited the submissive Qimin Khan
Qimin Khan
Yаmi Qaghan, personal name: Ashina Jankan , at one point known as Tolis Qaghan and after Yаmi Qaghan(Old Turkic: , Jаmï qaγan, Chinese: 啓民可汗, 啟民可汗/启民可汗, Modern Chinese: (Pinyin): qǐmín kěhàn, (Wade-Giles): ch'i-min k'o-han, Middle Chinese: (Guangyun) ), personal name: Ashina Jankan (阿史那染幹/阿史那染干,...
, Ashina Rangan, of Tujue, Empress Xiao accompanied him, and she personally visited the tent of Ashina Rangan's wife Princess Yicheng, who was a daughter of a Yang clansman. In 615, when Emperor Yang and Empress Xiao were at the border city of Yanmen (雁門, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) and Ashina Rangan's son and successor Shibi Khan
Shibi Khan
Shibi Khagan , 611 - 619 AD, succeeded Qimin Khan as the ninth khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate...
Ashina Duojishi made a surprise attack on Yanmen, putting it under siege, it was Empress Xiao's brother Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu
Xiao Yu , courtesy name Shiwen , formally Duke Zhenbian of Song , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty who later became an official for Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor at times during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang.-...
who suggested seeking help from Princess Yicheng (who had, pursuant to Tujue customs, married Ashina Duojishi), who subsequently gave Ashina Duojishi a false report that Tujue was under attack from the north, but subsequently, rather than listening to Xiao Yu's advice to end his campaigns against Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, Emperor Yang expelled Xiao Yu from his court.
By 618, with virtually entire empire engulfed in warfare from the rebellions against her husband's rule, Empress Xioa was with her husband at Jiangdu (江都), the capital of Yang Province. They were protected (as he believed) by the elite Xiaoguo Army (驍果). However, by this point, even the Xiaoguo soldiers were plotting rebellion, as they missed their families in the north. When a lady in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
reported the plot to Empress Xiao, she told the lady in waiting, "I will let you report it to the emperor." Emperor Yang, not willing to hear any bad news, however, instead executed the lady in waiting. Later, when other ladies in waiting wanted to report on the plot, Empress Xiao advised them against it, reasoning that there was nothing left that could save the dynasty. Soon, a plot led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
came to fruition, and Emperor Yang, along with his sons Yang Jian and Yang Gao and grandson Yang Tan the Prince of Yan were killed. Empress Xiao and her ladies in waiting wrapped him in a mat and made caskets for both Emperor Yang and Yang Gao.
After Emperor Yang's death
Yuwen Huaji declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang HaoYang Hao (Sui Dynasty)
Yang Hao , often known by his princely title of Prince of Qin , was one of the claimants of the throne of the Chinese Sui Dynasty at the dynasty's end.-Background:...
the Prince of Qin emperor, and then abandoned Jiangdu and headed back north, taking Empress Xiao and her ladies in waiting north. He was not a good commander or governor, however, and his campaign north suffered constant defections and defeats. By fall 618, he was in a desperate situation, and deciding to become emperor before final defeat, he poisoned Yang Hao and declared a new state of Xu with himself as emperor.
In 619, Yuwen Huaji was captured and executed by one of the rebel leaders, Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
the Prince of Xia. Dou treated Empress Xiao with kindness and respect while giving a proper mourning for Emperor Yang. Subsequently, the Princess Yicheng requested that Dou send Empress Xiao to her, and Dou did so, along with Emperor Yang's daughter Princess Nanyang and the head of Yuwen Huaji. An emissary was sent to welcome her and the former Empress traveled to Tujue, North of the Great Wall. While she was in Tujue, one of Yang Jian's consorts gave birth to a posthumous son, Yang Zhengdao (楊政道), whom she raised, and whom Ashina Duojishi subsequently created the Prince of Sui, assigning to him as his subjects the refugees from Sui. She went to live in Dingxiang. During the years, Tujue's khans continued to use Yang Zhengdao as a magnet to attract the people to surrender, in competition to Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, established by the Sui general Li Yuan
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
(Emperor Gaozu).
In 630, when Emperor Gaozu's son Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
sent the general Li Jing
Li Jing
Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
to attack Tujue's Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi, Ashina Duobi's associate Kangsumi (康蘇密) surrendered to Li Jing, taking Empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao with him. Emperor Taizong's official Yang Wenguan (楊文瓘) wanted to have Empress Xiao interrogated as to whether any Tang officials had been secretly in communication with her, but Emperor Taizong refused and instead treated her with respect. Yang Zhengdao was given an honorific official post. As Empress Xiao's brother Xiao Yu was an important official under both Emperors Gaozu and Taizong, she maintained some degree of honor at the Tang capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, and she was subsequently in charge of Emperor Yang's reburial with honor. She died on 17 April 648 in Chang'an and was buried with honors due an empress, at Jiangdu with Emperor Yang.
Titles from birth to death
- 566-582: Princess Xiao of Western Liang
- 582-600: Princess of Jin
- 600-605: Crown Princess Xiao
- 605-11 March 618: Empress Xiao
- 11 March 618-14 September 619: Grand Empress Dowager Xiao
- 14 September 619-17 April 648: Empress Xiao of Sui Dynasty
Work Referenced
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