Empress Dowager He has been known in history for causing the downfall of the Han Dynasty.[1] She was the second Empress of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty. History has often depicted her in a negative light.[2] She has often been portrayed as vicious and tyrannical.[3] Yet, the events during her short-lived regency led to the Han Dynasty’s eventual downfall.
Empress Dowager He was born in Wan in Nanyang Commandery.[4] Her personal name is unknown. She came from a humble but wealthy family.[5] Her father’s name was He Zhen, who was a butcher.[6] Her mother’s name is unknown. She had two older half-brothers named He Jin (who later became General-in-Chief) and He Miao.[7] She also had a younger unnamed sister.
Lady He entered Emperor Ling’s harem. Because of her lowly background, Lady He would not have been qualified to become an imperial concubine.[8] However, her family bribed the palace eunuchs to let her become an imperial concubine.[9] She was given the title of Honoured Lady.[10] She was very beautiful, and she quickly caught Emperor Ling’s eye.[11] She became his favourite.[12] In 176 C.E., Honoured Lady He bore a son named Prince Liu Bing (who would later be known as Emperor Shao).
On 8 January 181 C.E., Honoured Lady He was invested as Empress of China. Her father was given the posthumous title of Marquis.[13] Her half-brother, He Jin, was made General of the Household.[14] It was said that she was very “fierce”,[15] and she “struck terror in the women of the Rear Palace.”[16] She was also known to be very jealous.[17] Emperor Ling eventually lost interest in her.[18] He no longer favoured her.[19]
Emperor Ling’s new favourite was Beautiful Lady Wang.[20] When Beautiful Lady Wang became pregnant, she was very afraid that Empress He would try to kill her child.[21] She tried to hide her pregnancy.[22] She even took medicine to cause a miscarriage.[23] However, the medicine did not work. On 2 April 181 C.E., Beautiful Lady Wang gave birth to a son named Prince Liu Xie (who would later be known as Emperor Xian, the last Emperor of the Han Dynasty). When Empress He found out that Beautiful Lady Wang had given birth to a son, she was furious.[24] She poisoned Beautiful Lady Wang’s medicine, and she died.[25] When Emperor Ling learned of Beautiful Lady Wang’s death, he was so outraged that he wanted to depose Empress He.[26] However, Empress He had the support of the palace eunuchs.[27] They persuaded the Emperor to not depose her.[28] Emperor Ling gave Prince Liu Xie to his mother, Empress Dowager Dong, to raise.[29]
On 13 May 189 C.E., Emperor Ling died. He did not appoint an heir.[30] Emperor Ling did not think Empress He’s son, Prince Liu Bing, was suitable to be the Emperor.[31] Instead, he wanted to make his other son, Prince Liu Xie, the next Emperor.[32] However, Empress Ling and her half-brother, He Jin (who was eventually promoted to General-in-Chief), were very powerful.[33] Thus, he never appointed a Crown Prince.[34] Before his death, Emperor Ling entrusted Prince Liu Xie to his palace eunuch, Jian Shuo.[35] Without an heir apparent, Empress He and He Jin successfully installed Prince Liu Bing as the next Emperor.[36] He became Emperor Shao, and he was thirteen years old.[37] Empress He became the Empress Dowager and was made Regent.[38] Liu Xie was made Prince of Bohai, then later Prince of Chenliu.
In the summer of 189 C.E., He Jin wanted to eradicate the eunuch faction that was very powerful during both the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling.[39] However, Empress Dowager He advised him that it would lead to chaos.[40] He Jin had no choice but to abandon his plans.[41] He Jin did manage to arrest Jian Shuo and have him executed.[42] After the execution, He Jin’s ally, Yuan Shao, advised him to begin the eradication of the palace eunuch faction.[43] Empress Dowager He again rejected the idea.[44]
He Jin secretly summoned his military officials to the capital to eliminate the palace eunuch faction.[45] One of them would be Dong Zhuo, who would later depose Emperor Shao. When Empress He learned of her brother’s plan, she quickly dismissed many palace eunuchs.[46] However, the leader of the eunuch faction, Zhang Rang, asked Empress He for help.[47] Empress He agreed. She summoned the eunuchs to return to the palace to defend themselves against the attack.[48]
The eunuchs decided to defend themselves by plotting the assassination of He Jin.[49] They lured He Jin to the palace using Empress Dowager He’s name.[50] Once He Jin arrived at the palace, the eunuchs ambushed him, stabbed him, and killed him.[51] When He Jin’s subordinates, Wu Kuang, Zhang Zhang, Yuan Shao, Hu Ben Zhonglang, and Yu Shu, heard about He Jin’s murder, they wanted revenge against the palace eunuchs.[52] They set fire to the palace gates to lure the eunuchs out of the palace.[53] Zhang Rong and ten other eunuchs took Empress Dowager He and Emperor Shao through the North Palace Gate, which was the only gate still open, and fled the city of Luoyang.[54]
Dong Zhuo finally arrived at Luoyang with his army and took control of the city.[55] He sent Lu Zhi and Min Gong to bring Empress Dowager He and Emperor Shao back to the palace.[56] Lu Zhi found Empress Dowager He and Emperor Shao near the bank of the Yellow River.[57] He brought them back. When Emperor Shao was greeted by Dong Zhuo, he was frightened and wept so much that he could not speak.[58] This caused Dong Zhuo to believe that he was unqualified to be the Emperor.[59] Dong Zhuo decided that Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, would be a more capable ruler than Emperor Shao.[60]
On 28 September 189 C.E., Dong Zhuo forced Empress Dowager He to depose Emperor Shao, and Prince Liu Xie ascended to the throne as Emperor Xian.[61] The deposed Emperor Shao was made the Prince of Hongnong. He was forced to commit suicide in 190 C.E.[62] Empress Dowager He was banished to Yong’an Palace and was forced to commit suicide by poison.[63] On 29 October 189 C.E., Empress Dowager He was buried in Wenzhao Mausoleum next to Emperor Ling. She was given the posthumous name of Empress Lingsi. Empress Dowager He’s mother was executed.[64] He Miao’s body was exhumed from his tomb, cut into multiple pieces, and given to the dogs.[65] The remaining members of the He family were banished.[66]
Empress Dowager He was Empress of China for eight years. She has often been depicted in history as jealous and ruthless, especially in eliminating her rivals.[67] Even though her regency lasted four months, it was still highly significant.[68] The events during her regency began the chaos and the eventual fall of the Han Dynasty.[69] Emperor Xian would reign for twenty-one years until he abdicated in 220 C.E. After the Han Dynasty fell, the era of the Three Kingdoms began. China would not be unified until the Sui Dynasty, which began in 581 C.E.
Sources:
De Crespigny, R. (2016). Fire Over Luoyang: A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-220 AD. Netherlands: Brill.
iNews. (n.d.). “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”. Retrieved on 19 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/6215e319374d0d9193fcdb4026964580.html.
iNews. (n.d.). “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”. Retrieved on 19 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/b967cd74d4c099d12718b48b2e2422a0.html.
iNews. (n.d.). “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”. Retrieved on 19 October 2023 from https://inf.news/en/history/1d9a01e3ad0ce95b466f5f9f7c70f3ff.html.
McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
[1] McMahon, 2013
[2] McMahon, 2013
[3] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[4] De Crespigny, 2016
[5] De Crespigny, 2016
[6] McMahon, 2013
[7] De Crespigny, 2013
[8] McMahon, 2013
[9] McMahon, 2013
[10] McMahon, 2013
[11] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[12] McMahon, 2013
[13] De Crespigny, 2016
[14] De Crespigny, 2016
[15] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”, para. 12
[16] McMahon, 2013, p. 109
[17] McMahon, 2013
[18] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[19] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[20] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[21] McMahon, 2013
[22] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[23] McMahon, 2013
[24] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[25] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[26] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[27] iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[28] McMahon, 2013
[29] McMahon, 2013
[30] McMahon, 2013
[31] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[32] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[33] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[34] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[35] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[36] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[37] McMahon, 2013
[38] McMahon, 2013
[39] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[40] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[41] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[42] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[43] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[44] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[45] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[46] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[47] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[48] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[49] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[50] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[51] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[52] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[53] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[54] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[55] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[56] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[57] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[58] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[59] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[60] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[61] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[62] iNews, n.d., “The sad Han Shaodi Liu Bian, who became the Emperor but could not control his own life, was killed by Dong Zhuo”
[63] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[64] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[65] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[66] iNews, n.d., “The harems of the Eastern Han Dynasty fought one another, life and death fighting like a cloud of smoke Yang Chun / text”
[67] McMahon, 2013; iNews, n.d., “What quirks did Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong have?Not only licentiousness”
[68] McMahon, 2013
[69] McMahon, 2013
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