Xiao Hunian
| Xiao Hunian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen of Qi | |||||
| Spouse | Yelü Yanchege | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Xiao Siwen | ||||
| Mother | Yelü Lübugu | ||||
Xiao Hunian (萧胡辇; 953–1009), also known as Hehan (和罕) was a Khitan noble lady of imperial China's Liao dynasty. [1] She was one of the Xiao sisters and the oldest sister of Lady Xiao and Xiao Yanyan.
History
[edit]Xiao Hunian was the eldest daughter of Xiao Siwen (萧思溫), Liao's chancellor and Yelü Lübugu, Princess Yan. She had two younger sisters, Xiao Yanyan and Lady Xiao. [2] She married Yelü Yanchege, her uncle and the son of Emperor Taizong of Liao.
Her brother-in-law Yelü Xian ascended to the throne as Emperor Jingzong. He promoted Yelü Yanchege as the King of Qi, and Xiao Hunian became the Queen of Qi. In the year 972, Yelü Yanchege died and Xiao Hunian received the title of Consort Dowager. After her husband died, she took over as head of his army and became the commander in chief of an expeditionary force against border tribes in the west in 994 and led her troops in a campaign against the Xi Xia, where she was credited with the establishment of the northwestern city of Kodun.[3]
She later married Han Yu, however, Han Yu passed away in 987. Xiao Hunian, now widowed, served as a spy against Song during the reign of her nephew Emperor Shengzong. During her military journeys, she fell in love with a slave named Talan A'bo (挞览阿钵). Her relationship with him was not supported by Xiao Yanyan, and their relationship was further estranged. Xiao Yanyan did not have a good relationship with their second sister, Lady Xiao, either. Lady Xiao's husband Yelü Xiyin had been murdered, and Lady Xiao had tried to poison Xiao Yanyan, but was instead forced to commit suicide. Despite her pleas to save Lady Xiao, Xiao Hunian was imprisoned, then sentenced to death by Xiao Yanyan.
In popular culture
[edit]- Portrayed by Charmaine Sheh in the 2020 Chinese television series The Legend of Xiao Chuo.
References
[edit]- ^ 《辽史·第十四卷·本纪第十四》二十四年春正月，如鸳鸯泺。夏五月壬寅朔，幸炭山清暑。幽皇太妃胡辇于怀州，囚夫人夷懒于南京，馀党皆生瘗之......二十五年春正月，建中京......六月，赐皇太妃胡辇死于幽所。
- ^ 齐伟. 《路振〈乘轺录〉中“韩统军”与“齐妃”考》. 中国边疆史地研究 (上海市: 中国社会科学院中国边疆研究所). 2010, (2010年第3期
- ^ Johnson, Linda Cooke (2011). Women of the Conquest Dynasties: Gender and Identity in Liao and Jin China. University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3404-3.