Empress Zhen (Chinese :甄皇后) (died October 7, 951? [1] [2] ) was an empress of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. She was one of the two empresses of Emperor Shizong (Yelü Ruan).
It is not known where or when the future Empress Zhen was born. She was said to be a lady in the Later Tang palace, but it is not clear whether she was a concubine of one of Later Tang's emperors or a lady in waiting. She was described to be beautiful. It is not known whether she remained in the palace during the succeeding state Later Jin. [3]
In 946, Yelü Ruan, then the Prince of Yongkang under his uncle Emperor Taizong, followed Emperor Taizong on his campaign to destroy Later Jin. [4] [5] After Later Jin was destroyed, Emperor Taizong awarded Lady Zhen to Yelü Ruan, and it was said that he greatly favored her. [3]
Emperor Taizong died in 947, and the Liao chieftains supported Yelü Ruan to succeed him (as Emperor Shizong). [5] [6] Sometime after becoming emperor, he created Lady Zhen empress. It was said that she was strict, intelligent, and elegant. She was said to govern his palace with proper principles, and did not just do so with her own personal desires. She participated in Emperor Shizong's decision-making processes, and had strategies on how to deal with Later Jin's successor states Later Han and Later Zhou, but her strategies were not implemented. [3] She gave birth to his third son, Yelü Zhimo (耶律只沒). [3] [7] In 950, for reasons lost to history, Emperor Shizong also created his oldest son Yelü Xian's mother Xiao Sagezhi as an empress, but Empress Zhen remained empress as well. [1]
In 951, Emperor Taizong's cousin Yelü Chage (耶律察割) mutinied and killed Emperor Shizong in a coup. Empress Zhen was also killed, probably on the same day, as Empress Xiao Sagezhi was specifically indicated to have been killed on the next day. After Yelü Xian became emperor in 969, he buried both Empresses Zhen and Xiao at Yiwulü Mountain, and built a temple dedicated to them. [3]
Emperor Daozong of Liao, personal name Chala, sinicised name Yelü Hongji, was the eighth emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China.
Emperor Taizong of Liao, personal name Yaogu, sinicised name Yelü Deguang, courtesy name Dejin, was the second emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China.
Emperor Shizong of Liao, personal name Wuyu, sinicised name Yelü Ruan, was the third emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. He was the son of Yelü Bei, the eldest son of Abaoji, the founder of the Liao dynasty. He ascended to the imperial throne in 947 after the death of his uncle, Emperor Taizong, who raised him in his father's absence.
Li Song, nickname Dachou (大醜), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Later Tang, Later Jin, and Later Han, as well as the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. He was particularly prominent during Later Jin, when he served as chief of staff (Shumishi) and chancellor. During Later Han, he was falsely accused of treason and executed.
Yelü Bei, also known as Yelü Tuyu, posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Qinyi (文獻欽義皇帝) with the temple name Yizong, formally known as Renhuang Wang during his lifetime, known as Dongdan Muhua (東丹慕華) (931) and then Li Zanhua (李贊華) (931–937) as a Later Tang subject, was the eldest son of Emperor Taizu of Liao, the founder of the Liao dynasty. He was declared successor to the Emperor Taizu in 916, but never succeeded to the throne. Rather, after the accession of his younger brother Yelü Deguang, he fled to the Shatuo-led Later Tang dynasty, where he was killed in 937.
Shulü Ping, nickname Yueliduo (月里朵), formally Empress Yingtian also known as Empress Di (地皇后) during the reign of her husband Emperor Taizu of Liao, posthumous name initially EmpressZhenlie then Empress Chunqin was an empress of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. After Emperor Taizu's death in 926, she served as empress dowager until her death in 953. She was directly involved in two imperial successions and is credited with changing expectations of widows in Khitan society.
Shi Chonggui (914–974), known in traditional Chinese historical sources as Emperor Chu of Later Jin or Emperor Shao of Later Jin, posthumously known in the Liao dynasty as the Prince of Jin (晉王), was the second and last emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Jin.
Yaonian Yanmujin or Xiao Yanmujin, formally Empress Xuanjian (宣簡皇后), was an empress dowager of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty. She was the mother of Liao's founder Emperor Taizu of Liao and the wife of his father Yelü Saladi (耶律薩剌的). During the reign of Emperor Taizu's son Emperor Taizong, she was grand empress dowager.
Xiao Wen, formally Empress Jing'an, probably née Shulü Wen (述律溫), was an empress of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Taizong.
Li Congyi, known as the Prince of Xu (許王), was an imperial prince of the Later Tang dynasty of China. He was the youngest son of its second emperor Li Siyuan. In the confusion of the destruction of the Later Tang's successor state, the Later Jin dynasty, he was forced into claiming imperial title by Xiao Han, a general of the Liao dynasty, and was subsequently killed by Liu Zhiyuan, the founder of the succeeding Later Han dynasty.
Zhao Yanshou, né Liu Yanshou (劉延壽), formally the Prince of Wei (魏王), was a Chinese military general, monarch, poet, and politician. He served as major general of Later Tang of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, as well as the Khitan Liao Dynasty. He first became prominent as a son-in-law of Later Tang's second emperor Li Siyuan, but was captured by Liao's Emperor Taizong when Later Tang fell. He subsequently served Emperor Taizong, who promised him that he would be made the emperor of China if helped Emperor Taizong destroy Later Tang's successor state Later Jin. Emperor Taizong reneged on the promise after doing so, however, leading to Zhao's attempt to seize Liao's Chinese territory after Emperor Taizong's death. He was, however, arrested by Emperor Taizong's nephew and successor Emperor Shizong and held until his death.
Empress Li was a princess of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang and an empress of the succeeding Later Jin.
Zhang Li, courtesy name Mengchen (夢臣), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang, as well as the Khitan state Liao.
He Ning (和凝), courtesy name Chengji (成績), formally the Duke of Lu (魯公), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms PeriodLater Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou states, as well as the Khitan Liao state, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of both emperors of Later Jin, as well as during Liao's brief occupation of central China.
Yelü Lihu (耶律李胡) (911-960), also named Honggu (洪古), courtesy name Xiyin (奚隱), formally Emperor Zhangsu (章肅皇帝), was an imperial prince of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. As the third son of Liao's founding emperor Emperor Taizu and his wife Empress Shulü Ping, Yelü Lihu served as crown prince during the reign of his older brother Emperor Taizong, who was their second son, as Empress Shulü wanted him to be emperor after Emperor Taizong. However, after Emperor Taizong's death, their older brother Yelü Bei's son Yelü Ruan was able to defeat Yelü Lihu in battle and take the throne. Yelü Lihu was put under arrest and later died while under arrest.
Xiao Han, probably born with the name Shulü Han (述律翰), also named Dilie (敵烈), courtesy name Hanzhen (寒真), was a general of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. After Emperor Taizong of Liao conquered the Later Jin, Xiao was left in control of the Later Jin's former capital Daliang, but he was unable to hold it. He later plotted against Emperor Taizong's nephew and successor Emperor Shizong and was executed.
Empress Dowager Xiao, formally Empress Rouzhen (柔貞皇后), was an empress dowager of the Khitan-led Chinese Liao dynasty. She was a concubine of Yelü Bei and the mother of Emperor Shizong.
Xiao Sagezhi, formally Empress Huaijie, was an empress of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. She was one of the two empresses of Emperor Shizong and was the mother of Emperor Jingzong.
Liu Xi was an official of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China, at one point serving as a chancellor.
Xiao Siwen was a Chinese politician who served as the chancellor and northern commissioner for military affairs of the Liao dynasty. He was the father of Xiao sisters. However, for the sake of the overall situation and family glory, he agrees to make his youngest daughter Xiao Yanyan married with Yelü Xian and in 969, after Yanyan become the Liao Empress, Xiao then honoured as King of Wei (魏王). Later, when he a accompanied Xian Siwen on the hunt, he was assassinated by Gao Xun's people.