Yin Lihua
Yin Lihua | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | 5 AD | ||||
Died | 64 (aged 58–59) | ||||
Spouse | Emperor Guangwu of Han | ||||
Issue | Emperor Ming of Han | ||||
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Yin Lihua (Chinese:
Family background and marriage to Liu Xiu
[edit]Yin Lihua was born and grew up in Nanyang Commandery[2] (roughly modern Nanyang, Henan) -- the same commandery that her eventual husband came from.[3][4] While they were young, he was enamored with her beauty. According to Hou Han Shu, when Liu Xiu was visiting the capital Chang'an, he became impressed with the mayor of the capital (zhijinyu,
Yin's father Yin Mu (阴睦) died early when she was six. Her mother's family name was Deng (鄧). She had at least four brothers—Yin Xing (
In 23, while Liu Xiu was an official in the newly reestablished Han government of Gengshi Emperor, he was married to Yin Lihua. Later, when he was dispatched by Gengshi Emperor to the region north of the Yellow River, she returned home.
As imperial consort
[edit]Liu Xiu eventually broke away from Gengshi Emperor, and he proclaimed himself emperor of Han in 25 (as Emperor Guangwu). Later that year, when he captured Luoyang to be his capital, he dispatched subordinates to bring Yin to the capital and made her an imperial consort. At that time, however, he was also married to Guo Shengtong, the niece of the regional warlord Liu Yang (
In 26, Emperor Guangwu was prepared to create an empress, and he favored his first love, Consort Yin. However, Consort Yin had not yet had a son by that point, and she declined the empress position and endorsed Consort Guo. Emperor Guangwu therefore made Guo empress and her son Prince Jiang crown prince.
In 28, Consort Yin gave birth to her first-born son, Liu Yang[2] (
In 33, Lady Deng and Yin Xin were killed by robbers. Emperor Guangwu greatly mourned them, and he made Yin Jiu a marquess and tried to make Yin Xing a marquess as well, but the humble Yin Xing declined and further instructed Consort Yin to be always humble and not seeking to honor her relatives. She took the advice to heart.
As imperial consort, even though Consort Yin was not empress, she continued to be favored by Emperor Guangwu as his first love. She (like Empress Guo) bore him five sons.
As empress
[edit]By 41, Empress Guo had long lost the emperor's favor. She continuously complained about that fact, and this angered Emperor Guangwu. In 41, he deposed her and made Consort Yin empress instead.[2][5] Rather than imprisoning Guo (as is often the fate of deposed empresses), however, he made her son Liu Fu (
Not having the heart to depose mother and son, Emperor Guangwu initially left Guo's son, Crown Prince Jiang, as crown prince. Crown Prince Jiang, however, realizing that his position was precarious, repeatedly offered to step down. In 43, Emperor Guangwu agreed and Prince Yang, the oldest son of Empress Yin, crown prince instead. He also changed Prince Yang's name to Zhuang (
Empress Yin was not mentioned frequently in history while she was empress—a sign that she was not trying to exert much influence as empress. However, her three brothers all became powerful officials and marquesses, even though they generally were low key and did not seek high offices on their own. She greatly favored former Empress Guo's youngest son Liu Yan, the Prince of Zhongshan, and after Empress Guo died in 52, she treated him as her own son.
Emperor Guangwu died in 57, and was succeeded by Crown Prince Zhuang (as Emperor Ming). Empress Yin received the title of empress dowager.
As empress dowager
[edit]Empress Dowager Yin appeared to exert a moderate amount of influence on her son, but far less than past empress dowagers.
In 59, a tragedy would strike Empress Dowager Yin's family. The son of her brother Yin Jiu, the Marquess of Xinyang, Yin Feng (
In 60, at Empress Dowager Yin's endorsement, Emperor Ming created Consort Ma, Ma Yuan's daughter, whom Empress Dowager Yin had favored because of her meekness and lack of jealousy—perhaps because these traits mirrored her own—empress.
Also in 60, Emperor Ming and Empress Dowager Yin made a rare visit to Emperor Guangwu and Empress Dowager Yin's home territory of Nanyang, where they spent days in banquet with Empress Dowager Yin's more distant Deng and Yin relations.
Empress Dowager Yin died in February 64 at the age of 59 and was buried with her husband, Emperor Guangwu.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ guimao day of the 1st month of the 7th year of the Yong'ping era, per Emperor Ming's biography in Book of the Later Han
- ^ a b c d Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D.; Wiles, Sue (2015-03-26). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. - 618 C.E. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-47591-0.
- ^ Empresses and Consorts. University of Hawaii Press. 1999-12-31. ISBN 978-0-8248-4579-7.
- ^ de Crespigny, Rafe (2007-01-01). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-474-1184-0.
- ^ "Female Rule and Its Representation:", Transgressive Typologies, Harvard University Asia Center, pp. 23–65, ISBN 978-1-68417-087-6, retrieved 2024-01-16
- Book of Later Han, vol. 10, Part 1.
- Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 39, 40, 43, 44, 45.