Yang Lihua
Yang Lihua | |
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Princess Leping Great Empress Tianyuan | |
Born | 561 |
Died | 609 (aged 47–48) |
Spouse | Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou |
Issue | Yuwen Eying, Duchess of Guangzong |
Father | Emperor Wen of Sui |
Mother | Empress Dugu |
Yang Lihua (Chinese: 楊麗
Background
[edit]Yang Lihua was born in 561, as the oldest daughter[1] of Yang Jian, then the heir apparent to Yang Zhong (楊忠) the Duke of Sui, and Yang Jian's wife Dugu Qieluo. In 568, her grandfather Yang Zhong died, and her father Yang Jian inherited the title of Duke of Sui.
In fall 573, Emperor Wu arranged her to be the wife of Yuwen Yun, then his crown prince, and she thereafter carried the title of crown princess. He was 14 and she was 12. In summer 578, Emperor Wu died, and Yuwen Yun took the throne (as Emperor Xuan). He created her empress. They had one daughter, Yuwen Eying (
As Empress of Zhou
[edit]Emperor Xuan was excessive and erratic in his behavior, and less than a year after taking the throne, in spring 579, he formally passed the throne to his son Yuwen Chan (as Emperor Jing), born of his concubine Consort Zhu Manyue. He took an atypical title for a retired emperor -- "Emperor Tianyuan" (
It was said that Empress Yang was meek and not jealous, and that she was loved and respected by the other four empresses and the other imperial consorts. As Emperor Xuan grew increasingly erratic and violent, on one occasion, he got angry at Empress Yang and wanted to punish her. When he summoned her, however, she was relaxed but firm in her defense of herself, which angered him more, and he ordered her to commit suicide. When her mother Lady Dugu heard of this, she rushed to the palace and prostrated herself, begging Emperor Xuan for mercy. His anger dissipated, and he pardoned Empress Yang.
Emperor Xuan fell suddenly ill in summer 580, and Yang Jian entered the palace to attend to him. Emperor Xuan died without being able to leave instructions, and his close associate Zheng Yi (
As Princess Leping of Sui
[edit]In 586, Emperor Wen changed the former Empress Yang's title to Princess Leping. She was, however, resentful of her father's usurpation, and often expressed her anger and grief. Emperor Wen tried to get her to remarry, but she refused. Later, she selected, for her daughter Yuwen Eying's husband, Li Min (
Emperor Wen died in 604, and was succeeded by Yang Lihua's brother Yang Guang (as Emperor Yang). The princess often attended to her brother, but on one occasion became a source of friction between him and his son Yang Jian (note different character than his grandfather) the Prince of Qi, as once she told Emperor Yang that a daughter of the Liu clan was beautiful, but Emperor Yang initially took no action. She then offered the woman to Yang Jian, who took her as a concubine. When Emperor Yang subsequently asked her about Lady Yang, she stated that she had already given her to Yang Jian, which brought displeasure to Emperor Yang.
In 609, while accompanying Emperor Yang on a visit to Zhangye, Yang Lihua grew ill, and she asked Emperor Yang to transfer her fief (five times the size of a usual ducal fief) to Li, stating that she was concerned for her daughter and therefore wanted her son-in-law to have her fief. Emperor Yang agreed, and did so after she died. However, in 615, when Emperor Yang became suspicious of Li Min over popular rumors that the next emperor would be from the Li clan, he had his associate Yuwen Shu investigate the matter. Yuwen Shu persuaded Yuwen Eying that Li Min and his uncle Li Hun (
Ancestry
[edit]Yang Zhong | |||||||||||
Yang Jian (Emperor Wen of Sui, 541–604) | |||||||||||
Lü Kutao | |||||||||||
Yang Lihua, (561–609) | |||||||||||
Dugu Xin (Xianbei General, 503-557) | |||||||||||
Dugu Qieluo (Empress Wen of Sui, 544–602) | |||||||||||
Lady Cui ( | |||||||||||