Empress Dowager Xiao (; personal name unknown) (died 7 October 951?''

History of Liao The ''History of Liao'', or ''Liao Shi'' (''Liáo Shǐ''), is a Chinese historical book compiled officially by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), under the direction of the historian Toqto'a (Tuotuo), and finalized in 1344.Xu Elina-Qian, ...

'', vol. 5. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter
), formally Empress Rouzhen (柔貞皇后), was an empress dowager of the Khitan-led Chinese

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan language, Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that exi ...

. She was a concubine of

Yelü Bei Yelü Bei () (899''History of Liao'', vol. 72. – January 7, 937''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), also known as Yelü Tuyu (耶律突欲 or 耶律圖欲), posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Q ...

(posthumously honored Emperor Yizong) and the mother of Emperor Shizong (Yelü Ruan).

Background

Not much is known about Lady Xiao's background, because she lacked a biography in the ''

s biographies for empresses (including posthumously honoured empresses). (Yelü Bei's wife, also with the surname of Xiao, was posthumously honoured Empress Duanshun, and similarly lacked a biography in the ''History of Liao'').''History of Liao'', vol. 71. Her son with Yelü Bei, Yelü Ruan, was Yelü Bei's oldest son. It is not known whether she bore Yelü Bei any other children, but it is known that she was not the mother of his two youngest sons, Yelü Longxian (耶律隆先) (born of Lady Da) and Yelü Daoyin (耶律道隱) (born of Lady Gao).''History of Liao'', vol. 72.

As empress dowager

In 947, then-Liao emperor Emperor Taizong (Yelü Bei's younger brother) died, and Yelü Ruan was supported by the Liao chieftains to succeed him (as Emperor Shizong).''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...

'', vol. 280.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. He honoured Lady Xiao as empress dowager. He established a headquarters for her family. In 951, Yelü Bei's cousin Yelü Chage (耶律察割) started a coup and assassinated Emperor Shizong.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 290. It appeared that Empress Dowager Xiao was also killed in the coup, likely on the same day, because the biography of Emperor Shizong's wife Empress Xiao Sagezhi indicated that Yelü Chage mutinied and "killed the Empress Dowager and the Emperor" while explicitly stating that Empress Xiao Sagezhi was killed the next day. In 1052, Emperor Shizong's great-grandson Emperor Xingzong, when giving greater posthumous honours to Yelü Bei, posthumously honoured both her and Yelü Bei's wife with empress titles.''History of Liao'', vol. 20.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiao, Empress Dowager 951 deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain Liao dynasty empresses dowager Xiao clan 10th-century Khitan women