Empress Xiaohui (Song)

Lady He
賀氏
Born929
Kaifeng, China
Died958 (aged 28–29)
Burial
Gongyi, Henan, China
SpouseEmperor Taizu
Issue
  • Zhao Dexiu
  • Zhao Dezhao
  • Zhao Delin
  • Princess Xiansu
  • Princess Xianjing
Posthumous name
Empress Xiàohui (孝惠皇后)
FatherHe Jingsi (賀景思)

Lady He (Chinese: 賀氏; c. 929 CE–25 January 958 CE), posthumously known as Empress Xiaohui (Chinese: 孝惠皇后), was the first wife of Emperor Taizu of the Song dynasty. She was the daughter of He Jingsi (贺怀浦) and sister of the general He Lingtu (賀令圖).

Life

Lady He was the eldest daughter of He Jingsi. She was born in Bianjing, present-day Kaifeng, Henan Province.In Kaifeng, she met her future husband, Zhao Kuangyin.[1] She had two older brothers: He Huaipu (賀懷浦) and He Lingtu (賀令圖). Zhao's family moved from Luoyang to Kaifeng. Lady He and her future husband grew up together. He Jingsi and Zhao Kuangyin's father's were colleagues and worked together as palace guards during the Later Tang dynasty.[2]

They married when she was 16. The two were deeply in love and their marriage was happy.[3] Lady He was born with a weak body although she gave birth to 3 sons and 2 daughters. Sadly, Lady He died before his ascension, of unknown causes at age thirty. When Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, she was posthumously honoured as Empress Xiaohui.[2] She was buried in the An Mausoleum.[1]

Title

Descendants

  • Zhao Dexiu, Prince Teng (滕王 趙德秀), Taizu Emperor's first son
  • Zhao Dezhao, Prince Yanyi (燕懿王 趙德昭; 951–979), Taizu Emperor's second son
  • Zhao Delin, Prince Shu (舒王 趙德林), Taizu Emperor's third son
  • Princess Xiansu (賢肅帝姬; d. 1008), Taizu Emperor 's first daughter
  • Princess Xianjing (賢靖帝姬; d. 1009), Taizu Emperor's second daughter

References

  1. ^ a b "Ch.242 : Biography of the Empresses and concubines". History of the Song clan.
  2. ^ a b Lily Xiao Hong Lee, Sue Wiles (2014). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Tang Through Ming, 618-1644. M.E. Sharpe. p. 123. ISBN 978-0765643162.
  3. ^ Extended Continuation to Zizhi Tongjian (續資治通鑑長編) (in Chinese). Vol. 7.

Bibliography