Empress Dowager Yi – The courageous captive

Empress Dowager Yi led a turbulent life. She was Empress twice and then Empress Dowager. She witnessed her husband create the Western Liang Dynasty. However, she watched in horror as her son caused the downfall of the dynasty that she helped found. She became a hostage under the Northern Liang dynasty. However, she used her cunning to escape and live a peaceful life with her surviving family. Empress Dowager Yi’s story showed a courageous woman who stood up to her enemies. She never showed the enemy her weaknesses. This gained her the respect of her enemies and also allowed her to pursue her own freedom.

Empress Dowager Yi lived during the Sixteen Kingdoms era, which was when twenty-two states ruled Northern China independently.^[1] Empress Dowager Yi was born in Ji County in the Tianshui prefecture (present-day Gan’gu County in Gansu Province) around 380 C.E.^[2] Her early life is unknown. She was known to compose poetry. Her first husband was Ma Yuanzheng of Fufeng Prefecture (present-day Xianyang in Shaanxi Province).^[3] However, he died at a young age. This allowed Yi to remarry Li Hao, and she became his second wife.^[4] She treated her step-children as if they were her own. She also gave birth to a son and three daughters.^[5]

In 399 C.E., Emperor Duan Ye of Northern Liang made Li Hao the Governor of Xiaogu County (present-day Dunhuang in Gansu Province).^[6] He was then quickly appointed Governor of Dunhuang prefecture.^[7] Then in 400 C.E., Li Hao continued to gain a succession of titles. He was made Governor of Shazhou Prefecture.^[8] Li Hao was installed as Emperor of Northern Liang, and Yi was made Empress.^[9] However, Li Hao was quickly reverted back to Governor of Dunhuang Prefecture.^[10] Despite his demotion, he gained many followers. He was able to break away from the Northern Liang Dynasty and founded the Western Liang Dynasty.^[11] He declared himself “Emperor of Western Liang”^[12], and Yi was made Empress. As Empress, Yi was her husband’s greatest support and acted as his assistant in administrative affairs.^[13] It was said that “Li and Yi jointly ruled Dunhuang.”^[14] The kingdom was beginning to be prosperous. They focused on the production of agriculture, education, and strengthening the military.^[15]

In 417 CE., Emperor Li Hao died, and her son, Li Xin, succeeded him as Emperor of Western Liang.^[16] Yi was made Empress Dowager.^[17] Emperor Li Xin of Western Liang was not a good ruler like his father. He was unwilling to listen to any official’s opinion, installed cruel laws, built a massive palace, and lived a lavish lifestyle.^[18] This weakened the kingdom and gave the Northern Liang dynasty the opportunity to oust Western Liang.

In  420 C.E., Emperor Li Xin of Western Liang decided to attack Northern Liang. Empress Dowager Yi tried to prevent Emperor Li Xin from going by saying they needed to focus on making Western Liang strong before they could attack a powerful kingdom like Northern Liang.^[19] Sadly, Emperor Li Xin did not listen to her wise counsel.^[20] Emperor Li Xin and his troops fell into a trap set by Emperor Juqu Mengxun of Northern Liang. Emperor Li Xin was defeated and killed by Emperor Juqu Mengxun.^[21] Western Liang fell, and Empress Dowager Yi became a prisoner under the Northern Liang Dynasty.^[22]

Empress Dowager Yi was sent to Guzang (present-day Wuwei County in Gansu Province). ^[23] It was in Guzang that Emperor Juqu Mengxun had a meeting with her.^[24] Emperor Juqu Mengxun expected her to plead for her life and mourn the death of Emperor Li Xin.^[25] She did neither.^[26] This earned Emperor Juqu Mengxun’s admiration. Instead of killing her, he let her daughter, Li Jingshou, marry his son, Juqu Mujian.^[27] Empress Dowager Yi did not view this as an honour but as a humiliation because her family were bound to the enemy through marital ties.^[28] When Juqu Mujian succeeded his father as Emperor in 433 C.E., he made his wife, Li Jingshou, Empress of Northern Liang. However, in 437 C.E., he divorced Empress Li Jingshou to marry the Princess of Northern Wei.^[29] Empress Li Jingshou was so depressed about her divorce that she became melancholic. She died shortly afterwards of melancholy.^[30] 

After the death of her daughter, Empress Dowager Yi was sent to live in Jiuquan. However, she wanted to go to Yiwu (present-day Anxi County in Gansu), where her remaining children and grandchildren lived.^[31] Juqu Wuwei, the garrison commander of Jiuquan, initially sensed her intentions. He had guards tighten around her. However, she gradually tricked Juqu Wuwei by making him believe that she was not interested in going to Yiwu.^[32] He began to let the vigilance of the security around her slacken. Once her guard was relaxed enough, she secretly fled to Yiwu. Upon arrival, she immediately rejoined her remaining family.^[33] Empress Dowager Yi lived there with her surviving family until she died in 450 C.E. Empress Dowager Yi’s stoic demeanour, even in the throes of her enemies, gained her respect from both her enemies and her people.

Sources:

Debing. Y. (2015). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.; Z. Zhongliang, Trans.). London: Routledge.

Holcombe, C. (2019). The Sixteen Kingdoms. In A. Dien & K. Knapp (Eds.), The Cambridge History of China (The Cambridge History of China, pp. 119-144). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Knechtges D. R. & Chang, T. (2010). Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature (Vol 1). Brill, Leiden: The Netherlands.