Consort Dowager Liu
Encyclopedia
Consort Dowager Liu (died May 30, 925?) was the wife of Li Keyong
, the founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Jin
. However, despite this status, after Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu later defeated Jin's rival Later Liang Dynasty
and established Later Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Zhuangzong, she was not honored as empress dowager
, but only given the lesser title of consort dowager.
other than that it was before he initially rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xizong
in 878
. Throughout the campaigns that Li Keyong subsequently waged through the years, both as a rebel against and later as a Tang Dynasty
vassal, Lady Liu often accompanied him on campaigns. She was said to be intelligent, dextrous, and capable of strategies; she also often taught Li Keyong's concubines horsemanship and archery.
In 884
, when Li Keyong, then a Tang vassal as the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), was on a campaign south of the Yellow River
against Huang Chao
, Lady Liu accompanied him. One night when Li Keyong was attending a feast that Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) held in his honor at Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州) inside the city, Lady Liu remained outside the city at the Hedong army camp. At the feast, Li Keyong, who became drunk, insulted Zhu in his stupor, and Zhu reacted by having the mansion that Li Keyong was staying at surrounded and attacked. Li Keyong had to fight his way out of the encirclement and out of the city, but his guard commander Shi Jingsi (史敬思) was killed during the attack. While the battle was going on, one of Li Keyong's attendants fled back to the Hedong camp and reported the ambush to Lady Liu. Lady Liu, fearing that the news would leak, executed the attendant while calmly planning a plan to withdraw. Li Keyong was able to fight his way out of the city and arrive back in the Hedong camp in the morning, and he then prepared an attack on Zhu. Lady Liu, pointing out that he would have no way of showing the imperial government that he was the victim of Zhu's treachery if he attacked Zhu, counseled against the attack, and Li Keyong agreed, withdrawing from the area. (This assassination attempt would set in motion the rivalry that Li Keyong and Zhu had for the rest of their lives.)
In 894
, when Li Keyong was sieging his adoptive son Li Cunxiao
, who had rebelled against him, at Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai
, Hebei
), when Li Cunxiao offered to surrender, it was Lady Liu that Li Keyong sent into the city to make sure that Li Cunxiao was, in fact, surrendering, and it was she who brought Li Cunxiao out to surrender. In 895
, when Li Keyong defeated Wang Xingyu
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
), who had threatened Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong
, and temporarily restored Jingnan to imperial control, Li Keyong was created the Prince of Jin, and Lady Liu was created the Lady of Qin.
By 902
, however, much of Li Keyong's direct possessions and allied territories had been seized by Zhu. Zhu then took the opportunity to have Li Keyong's headquarters at Taiyuan put under siege, and the city nearly fell. Li Keyong considered a suggestion from his adoptive son Li Cunxin (李存信) to abandon Taiyuan and flee to Yun Prefecture (雲州, in modern Datong
, Shanxi
). Lady Liu pointed out that if he abandoned Taiyuan, he might not be able to return later, and urged him to defend Taiyuan. With Lady Liu's advice (and those of his adoptive nephew Li Sizhao
, adoptive son Li Siyuan, and officer Zhou Dewei), Li Keyong decided against abandoning Taiyuan. Eventually, the Xuanwu troops were forced to withdraw after suffering from illnesses, although for several years after Li Keyong did not dare to confront Zhu again.
Lady Liu was sonless, so Li Keyong's oldest son Li Cunxu, by his concubine Lady Cao
, became the apparent heir. Lady Cao thus gained much favor from Li Keyong. Instead of being jealous of Lady Cao, Lady Liu treated her well, drawing greater respect from Li Keyong. Li Keyong thus also had her raise the sons of other concubines, and she treated them like they were her own. It was said that Lady Liu and Lady Cao thus developed a friendly relationship.
, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai
to yield the throne to him, ending Tang Dynasty, with Zhu establishing a new Later Liang Dynasty
as its Emperor Taizu. Several months later, Li Keyong, who refused to recognize the new dynasty and still carried his Tang title as Prince of Jin, died, and was succeeded by Li Cunxu. Little is known about Lady Liu's activities during the subsequent 15-year war between Jin and Later Liang, as it was said that Li Cunxu often accepted counsel from his mother Lady Cao, but no reference was made to Lady Liu.
In 923
, Li Cunxu, who had by that point taken all of the Later Liang territory north of the Yellow River, declared himself the emperor of Tang at Daming (大名, in modern Handan
, Hebei
) and thus establishing a new dynasty (commonly referred to as the Later Tang Dynasty
, even though Li Cunxu claimed to be the legitimate successor to Tang), as its Emperor Zhuangzong. He honored his mother Lady Cao as empress dowager
and honored Lady Liu only with the lesser title of consort dowager, despite the fact that Lady Liu was Li Keyong's wife and Lady Cao was his concubine. When the news arrived at Taiyuan, where Lady Cao and Lady Liu were at, the new Consort Dowager Liu went to congratulate the new Empress Dowager Cao. Empress Dowager Cao was embarrassed that she was given a greater title than Consort Dowager Liu. Consort Dowager Liu stated to her:
Later in the year, Emperor Zhuangzong captured the Later Liang capital Daliang (大梁, i.e., Bian Prefecture). Later Liang's last emperor Zhu Zhen
committed suicide as the city fell, ending Later Liang. Later Tang took over all of Later Liang's territory, and Emperor Zhuangzong made the old Tang eastern capital Luoyang
his capital. In spring 924
, he sent his brother Li Cunwo (李存渥) and his son Li Jiji to Taiyuan to escort Empress Dowager Cao and Consort Dowager Liu to Luoyang. Consort Dowager Liu refused to leave Taiyuan, stating that she needed to remain to attend to the graves and the temples of the deceased emperors (i.e., Li Keyong and his father Li Guochang
), and so Empress Dowager Cao headed to Luoyang by her own.
This was, according to traditional accounts, devastating to both Empress Dowager Cao and Consort Dowager Liu, however, as they missed each other bitterly, and both grew sad. Consort Dowager Liu fell ill in summer 925
, and Empress Dowager Cao sent a stream of doctors to Taiyuan to treat her, but she did not get better. Empress Dowager Cao considered returning to Taiyuan to care for her, but Emperor Zhuangzong dissuaded her on account of the summer heat; instead, Li Cunwo was dispatched to Taiyuan to attend to Consort Dowager Liu. Soon thereafter, Consort Dowager Liu died. Mourning her, Empress Dowager Cao fell ill as well, and would die a few months later. Consort Dowager Liu did not receive a posthumous name
and was buried at Wei County (魏縣, i.e., Daming).
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
, the founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Jin
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
. However, despite this status, after Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu later defeated Jin's rival Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
and established Later Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Zhuangzong, she was not honored as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
, but only given the lesser title of consort dowager.
During Li Keyong's life
It is not known when Lady Liu was born, and all that is known about her background is that she was from the Daibei (代北, i.e., the region around and north of modern Xinzhou, Shanxi) region. It is not known when she married Li KeyongLi Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
other than that it was before he initially rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
in 878
878
Year 878 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
. Throughout the campaigns that Li Keyong subsequently waged through the years, both as a rebel against and later as a Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
vassal, Lady Liu often accompanied him on campaigns. She was said to be intelligent, dextrous, and capable of strategies; she also often taught Li Keyong's concubines horsemanship and archery.
In 884
884
Year 884 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos founds and repopulates Burgos....
, when Li Keyong, then a Tang vassal as the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), was on a campaign south of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
against Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
, Lady Liu accompanied him. One night when Li Keyong was attending a feast that Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) held in his honor at Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州) inside the city, Lady Liu remained outside the city at the Hedong army camp. At the feast, Li Keyong, who became drunk, insulted Zhu in his stupor, and Zhu reacted by having the mansion that Li Keyong was staying at surrounded and attacked. Li Keyong had to fight his way out of the encirclement and out of the city, but his guard commander Shi Jingsi (史敬思) was killed during the attack. While the battle was going on, one of Li Keyong's attendants fled back to the Hedong camp and reported the ambush to Lady Liu. Lady Liu, fearing that the news would leak, executed the attendant while calmly planning a plan to withdraw. Li Keyong was able to fight his way out of the city and arrive back in the Hedong camp in the morning, and he then prepared an attack on Zhu. Lady Liu, pointing out that he would have no way of showing the imperial government that he was the victim of Zhu's treachery if he attacked Zhu, counseled against the attack, and Li Keyong agreed, withdrawing from the area. (This assassination attempt would set in motion the rivalry that Li Keyong and Zhu had for the rest of their lives.)
In 894
894
Year 894 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Northumbrians and East Angles swear allegiance to Alfred the Great, but promptly break their truce by attacking the south-west of England.* Mojmír II becomes King of Great Moravia after the death of his father...
, when Li Keyong was sieging his adoptive son Li Cunxiao
Li Cunxiao
Li Cunxiao , né An Jingsi , was an adoptive son of the late-Tang Dynasty warlord Li Keyong who contributed much to Li Keyong's campaigns, but who later rebelled against his adoptive father...
, who had rebelled against him, at Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai
Xingtai
Xingtai is a city in southern Hebei province, North China. The prefecture-level city of Xingtai, with a total area of , administers 2 districts, 2 county-level cities and 15 counties. In 2004 it had an urban population of 561,400 and a total population of 6.73 million...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), when Li Cunxiao offered to surrender, it was Lady Liu that Li Keyong sent into the city to make sure that Li Cunxiao was, in fact, surrendering, and it was she who brought Li Cunxiao out to surrender. In 895
895
Year 895 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The seven tribes of the Magyars settle in the Carpathian Basin under the leadership of Árpád...
, when Li Keyong defeated Wang Xingyu
Wang Xingyu
Wang Xingyu was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Jingnan Circuit from 887 to his death in 895...
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), who had threatened Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang , né Li Jie , name later changed to Li Min , yet later name changed to Li Ye , was the penultimate emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 888 to 904...
, and temporarily restored Jingnan to imperial control, Li Keyong was created the Prince of Jin, and Lady Liu was created the Lady of Qin.
By 902
902
Year 902 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 1 – Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army....
, however, much of Li Keyong's direct possessions and allied territories had been seized by Zhu. Zhu then took the opportunity to have Li Keyong's headquarters at Taiyuan put under siege, and the city nearly fell. Li Keyong considered a suggestion from his adoptive son Li Cunxin (李存信) to abandon Taiyuan and flee to Yun Prefecture (雲州, in modern Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). Lady Liu pointed out that if he abandoned Taiyuan, he might not be able to return later, and urged him to defend Taiyuan. With Lady Liu's advice (and those of his adoptive nephew Li Sizhao
Li Sizhao
Li Sizhao , né Han , known at one point as Li Jintong , courtesy name Yiguang , formally the Prince of Longxi , was a major general under Li Keyong and Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu, the princes of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Jin...
, adoptive son Li Siyuan, and officer Zhou Dewei), Li Keyong decided against abandoning Taiyuan. Eventually, the Xuanwu troops were forced to withdraw after suffering from illnesses, although for several years after Li Keyong did not dare to confront Zhu again.
Lady Liu was sonless, so Li Keyong's oldest son Li Cunxu, by his concubine Lady Cao
Empress Dowager Cao (Zhuangzong)
Empress Dowager Cao , formally Empress Zhenjian , was a concubine to the late Tang Dynasty warlord Li Keyong and the mother to his son Li Cunxu, who later established Later Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Zhuangzong...
, became the apparent heir. Lady Cao thus gained much favor from Li Keyong. Instead of being jealous of Lady Cao, Lady Liu treated her well, drawing greater respect from Li Keyong. Li Keyong thus also had her raise the sons of other concubines, and she treated them like they were her own. It was said that Lady Liu and Lady Cao thus developed a friendly relationship.
During Li Cunxu's reign
In 907907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai
Emperor Ai of Tang
Emperor Ai of Tang , also known as Emperor Zhaoxuan , born Li Zuo, later Li Zhu , was the last emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 904 to 907. The Ai Emperor was the son of Emperor Zhaozong....
to yield the throne to him, ending Tang Dynasty, with Zhu establishing a new Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
as its Emperor Taizu. Several months later, Li Keyong, who refused to recognize the new dynasty and still carried his Tang title as Prince of Jin, died, and was succeeded by Li Cunxu. Little is known about Lady Liu's activities during the subsequent 15-year war between Jin and Later Liang, as it was said that Li Cunxu often accepted counsel from his mother Lady Cao, but no reference was made to Lady Liu.
In 923
923
Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes...
, Li Cunxu, who had by that point taken all of the Later Liang territory north of the Yellow River, declared himself the emperor of Tang at Daming (大名, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) and thus establishing a new dynasty (commonly referred to as the Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
, even though Li Cunxu claimed to be the legitimate successor to Tang), as its Emperor Zhuangzong. He honored his mother Lady Cao as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and honored Lady Liu only with the lesser title of consort dowager, despite the fact that Lady Liu was Li Keyong's wife and Lady Cao was his concubine. When the news arrived at Taiyuan, where Lady Cao and Lady Liu were at, the new Consort Dowager Liu went to congratulate the new Empress Dowager Cao. Empress Dowager Cao was embarrassed that she was given a greater title than Consort Dowager Liu. Consort Dowager Liu stated to her:
Later in the year, Emperor Zhuangzong captured the Later Liang capital Daliang (大梁, i.e., Bian Prefecture). Later Liang's last emperor Zhu Zhen
Zhu Zhen
Emperor Modi of Later Liang Zhu Youzhen was Emperor of China between 913 and 923. He was the third and last emperor of the first of the Five Dynasties - the Later Liang Dynasty and the youngest son of its founder, Zhu Quanzhong. He changed his name to Zhu Zhen during his time in office...
committed suicide as the city fell, ending Later Liang. Later Tang took over all of Later Liang's territory, and Emperor Zhuangzong made the old Tang eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
his capital. In spring 924
924
Year 924 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Taizu of Liao leads another campaign to the west, reaching the former Uyghur capital on the Orkhon River...
, he sent his brother Li Cunwo (李存渥) and his son Li Jiji to Taiyuan to escort Empress Dowager Cao and Consort Dowager Liu to Luoyang. Consort Dowager Liu refused to leave Taiyuan, stating that she needed to remain to attend to the graves and the temples of the deceased emperors (i.e., Li Keyong and his father Li Guochang
Li Guochang
Li Guochang , né Zhuye Chixin , courtesy name Dexing , posthumously honored by Later Tang Dynasty as Emperor Wenjing with the temple name of Xianzu , was a leader of the Shatuo Turks during the waning years of the Tang Dynasty.- Background :Zhuye Chixin's ancestors had been hereditary chiefs of...
), and so Empress Dowager Cao headed to Luoyang by her own.
This was, according to traditional accounts, devastating to both Empress Dowager Cao and Consort Dowager Liu, however, as they missed each other bitterly, and both grew sad. Consort Dowager Liu fell ill in summer 925
925
Year 925 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Alfonso IV the Monk becomes king of Leon....
, and Empress Dowager Cao sent a stream of doctors to Taiyuan to treat her, but she did not get better. Empress Dowager Cao considered returning to Taiyuan to care for her, but Emperor Zhuangzong dissuaded her on account of the summer heat; instead, Li Cunwo was dispatched to Taiyuan to attend to Consort Dowager Liu. Soon thereafter, Consort Dowager Liu died. Mourning her, Empress Dowager Cao fell ill as well, and would die a few months later. Consort Dowager Liu did not receive a posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
and was buried at Wei County (魏縣, i.e., Daming).