Empress Dugu Qieluo
Encyclopedia
Empress Dugu Qieluo (544 – September 10, 602), formally Empress Wenxian (文獻皇后), was an empress of the Chinese
dynasty Sui Dynasty
. She was the wife of Emperor Wen
, who, on account of his love and respect for her, as well as an oath they made while they were young, did not have any concubines for at least most of their marriage and might not have had any concubines while she was alive, an extreme rarity among Chinese emperors. She was powerful and influential during her husband's reign, and she was heavily involved in his decision to divert the order of succession from their oldest son Yang Yong
to the second son Yang Guang
(later Emperor Yang), often blamed by traditional historians to be the reason for Sui's downfall.
general Dugu Xin (獨孤信). In 557, shortly after Western Wei was succeeded by Northern Zhou
, Dugu Xin, who was impressed with Yang Jian
, the son of his subordinate general Yang Zhong (楊忠), married her to Yang Jian as his wife. She was 13, and he was 16. Shortly thereafter, Dugu Xin became implicated in a plot organized by the general Zhao Gui (趙貴) against the regent
Yuwen Hu
, and Yuwen Hu forced Dugu Xin to commit suicide. Yang Jian and Lady Dugu loved each other dearly, and it was when they were both young that he swore an oath that he would never let another woman have his children. They ended up having five sons and five daughters. In 568, after Yang Zhong's death, Yang Jian inherited the title of Duke of Sui, and Lady Dugu thereafter presumably carried the title of Duchess of Sui.
Duchess Dugu was one of the most honored women at the Northern Zhou court, as her sister
was the wife of Emperor Ming
, and her daughter Yang Lihua
was the wife and empress of Emperor Xuan
. Despite her honored status, however, she was said to be humble. On one occasion, when the erratic Emperor Xuan was angry with Empress Yang and ordered her to commit suicide, Duchess Dugu found out and went into the palace, earnestly begging Emperor Xuan's forgiveness. Emperor Xuan relented and spared Empress Yang.
In 580, Emperor Xuan, who had by then passed the throne to his young son Emperor Jing
(by his concubine Empress Zhu Manyue
) and become retired emperor, but who was retaining imperial powers, died suddenly. Yang Jian seized power as regent. It was at that time when Duchess Dugu sent Yang Jian a message that stated, "This is like riding a wild beast. You will not be able to come off of it. You need to fight hard to stay on." After Yang Jian defeated the general Yuchi Jiong
, who rose against him after he took power, he had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
as its Emperor Wen. He created Duchess Dugu empress and their oldest son Yang Yong
crown prince
, while creating their other sons imperial princes and daughters (including Northern Zhou's Empress Yang) princesses.
, that the officials' marriages must be approved by the empress, she declined, believing that it was inappropriate for her to overly interfere in political matters. She also lived frugally, and once, when Emperor Wen needed a medicine for diarrhea
that required ground pepper—then an exceedingly expensive spice that was more expensive than gold and which empresses used for decorative purposes—he sought the ground pepper from her and found that she did not use it, on account of its overly expensive cost. Also once, when he wanted to reward the wife of his official Liu Song (劉嵩) with a gold-decorated dress, she also had none to give. When her cousin Cui Changren (崔長仁) committed crimes that called for the death penalty, Emperor Wen was initially considering pardoning Cui on her account, but she stated that she could not, based on familial relations, break the laws, and Cui was executed. She respected the official Gao Jiong
, as Gao Jiong's father Gao Bin (高賓) served on her father's staff and was a trusted advisor for him. She had, however, a poor relationship with her sister-in-law, the wife of Emperor Wen's brother Yang Zan (楊瓚) the Prince of Teng—Northern Zhou's Princess Shunyang (daughter of Yuwen Tai
, the father of the first three Northern Zhou emperors) – and Princess Shunyang used witchcraft to curse her. When Emperor Wen ordered Yang Zan to divorce Princess Shunyang, Yang Zan refused, and when Yang Zan died in 591, it was commonly believed that Emperor Wen poisoned Yang Zan.
, Shaanxi
) was completed by the general Yang Su
. When the frugal Emperor Wen saw how luxurious the palace was, he was unhappy and angrily stated, "Yang Su expended the efforts of the people to construct this palace. The people will despise me." Soon thereafter, however, when Empress Dugu arrived at the palace as well, she advised Emperor Wen to comfort Yang Su, and when he subsequently summoned Yang Su to the palace, she stated, "You know that this old couple had little to enjoy, so you decorated this palace in this way. Is it not that in doing so, you are being both faithful and filial?" She gave him a large award of money and silk.
In 598, Empress Dugu and her younger brother Dugu Tuo (獨孤陀), born of different mothers, were embroiled in a mysterious scandal. It was said that Dugu Tuo, whose wife was a sister of Yang Su's, had a female servant named Xu Ani (徐阿尼) who worshipped cat spirits and was capable to have those spirits kill people for her. At this time, both Empress Dugu and Yang Su's wife Lady Zheng were seriously ill, and it was suspected that they were afflicted by cat spirits. Emperor Wen suspected Dugu Tuo, and had the official Gao Jiong
investigate, and Gao reported that it was indeed Dugu Tuo who instigated the matter. Emperor Wen ordered Dugu Tuo and Lady Yang to commit suicide, but Empress Dugu went on a three-day hunger strike to try to save them, stating, "If Tuo had harmed the people, I would not dare to say anything, but his crime was on my account, and therefore I dare to beg you to spare his life." Dugu Tuo's younger brother Dugu Zheng (獨孤整) also pleaded earnestly, and Emperor Wen spared them, reducing Dugu Tuo to commoner rank and forcing Lady Yang to become a Buddhist nun.
Over the years, the relationship between Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu were still largely loving. However, on one occasion, when Emperor Wen happened to see the beautiful granddaughter of Yuchi Jiong, who had been forced into slave labor after her grandfather's death, he had sexual relations with her. When Empress Dugu found out, she had Lady Yuchi killed. In anger, Emperor Wen rode away from the palace on a horse and refused to return. Gao and Yang Su had to track him down and urge him to return to the palace, with Gao stating, "Your Imperial Majesty, how can you abandon the empire on account of a woman?" When Emperor Wen did return to the palace after midnight, Empress Dugu was still waiting for him, and she wept and begged him for forgiveness. Gao and Yang Su subsequently hosted a banquet for them, and their differences went away. However, when Empress Dugu heard that Gao, whom she had respected previously, refer to her as "a woman," she became secretly resentful of Gao. She became particularly angry at Gao later over Gao's marital relations, as after Gao's wife died, she suggested Emperor Wen find Gao another wife, but Gao declined, stating that he was getting old and beginning to lose sexual urges and did not need another wife—and soon thereafter, Gao's concubine bore a son. Empress Dugu pointed out that, in effect, Gao was not truthful, and Emperor Wen began to distance himself from Gao. Further, in 598, when Gao, under Emperor Wen's duress, was forced to accompany Yang Liang
the Prince of Han in a campaign against Goguryeo
, a campaign that he opposed, the campaign ended in failure, and Empress Dugu blamed Gao for the failure, particularly after Yang Liang, angry that Gao was not following his orders, complained to Empress Dugu.
Another person who began to draw Empress Dugu's ire was her son, Yang Yong the Crown Prince. When Yang Yong was young, Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu had selected for him a wife from the honored Yuan clan, Northern Wei
's imperial clan—the daughter of the official Yuan Xiaoju (元孝鉅). However, Yang Yong did not favor Crown Princess Yuan, and instead had many concubines, including his favorite Consort Yun, and he did not have any sons with Crown Princess Yuan. When Crown Princess Yuan died in 591 after a brief illness, Empress Dugu suspected Yang Yong and/or Consort Yun of poisoning her, and rebuked Yang Yong. The second son of Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu, Yang Guang
the Prince of Jin, who had ambitions of displacing his older brother, put on pretenses of living frugally (which pleased Emperor Wen) and loving no one but his wife Princess Xiao
(which pleased Empress Dugu). By 599, both Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu were considering replacing Yang Yong with Yang Guang, and when Empress Dugu once approached Gao with the issue, Gao stated firmly that the crown prince should not be replaced. Therefore, in 599, Empress Dugu suggested that Emperor Wen remove Gao, and subsequently, Gao was accused of crimes, and Emperor Wen removed Gao from his office and reduced him to commoner rank.
Meanwhile, Yang Guang was continuing to provoke Empress Dugu, falsely stating that he feared that Yang Yong would eventually put him to death. Yang Guang further entered into an alliance with Yang Su, with whom Yang Yong had a poor relationship, and Empress Dugu also told Yang Su to encourage Emperor Wen to depose Yang Yong. Subsequently, Yang Guang engaged Yang Yong's associate Ji Wei (姬威) to falsely accuse Yang Yong of plotting treason. In 600, after an investigation conducted by Yang Su ordered by Emperor Wen, in which Yang Su manufactured evidence against Yang Yong, Emperor Wen deposed Yang Yong and put him under house arrest, replacing him with Yang Guang.
In fall 602, Empress Dugu died, and Emperor Wen was greatly saddened, although he was comforted by the flattering official Wang Shao (王劭), who submitted a petition in which he tried to use prophecies to show that Empress Dugu was in fact a bodhisatva.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
. She was the wife of Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, who, on account of his love and respect for her, as well as an oath they made while they were young, did not have any concubines for at least most of their marriage and might not have had any concubines while she was alive, an extreme rarity among Chinese emperors. She was powerful and influential during her husband's reign, and she was heavily involved in his decision to divert the order of succession from their oldest son Yang Yong
Yang Yong
Emperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
to the second son Yang Guang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
(later Emperor Yang), often blamed by traditional historians to be the reason for Sui's downfall.
Background
Dugu Qieluo was born in 544, as the seventh daughter of the Western WeiWestern Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
general Dugu Xin (獨孤信). In 557, shortly after Western Wei was succeeded by Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
, Dugu Xin, who was impressed with Yang Jian
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, the son of his subordinate general Yang Zhong (楊忠), married her to Yang Jian as his wife. She was 13, and he was 16. Shortly thereafter, Dugu Xin became implicated in a plot organized by the general Zhao Gui (趙貴) against the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu , with Chinese title Sabao , formally Duke Dang of Jin , was a regent of the Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou in China...
, and Yuwen Hu forced Dugu Xin to commit suicide. Yang Jian and Lady Dugu loved each other dearly, and it was when they were both young that he swore an oath that he would never let another woman have his children. They ended up having five sons and five daughters. In 568, after Yang Zhong's death, Yang Jian inherited the title of Duke of Sui, and Lady Dugu thereafter presumably carried the title of Duchess of Sui.
Duchess Dugu was one of the most honored women at the Northern Zhou court, as her sister
Empress Dugu (Ming)
Empress Dugu , formally Empress Mingjing , was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou Empress Dugu (獨孤皇后, personal name unknown) (died 558), formally Empress Mingjing (明敬皇后), was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou Empress Dugu (獨孤皇后, personal name unknown)...
was the wife of Emperor Ming
Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou
Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yu , nickname Tongwantu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, although at the start of his reign he used the alternative title "Heavenly Prince" . He was made emperor after his younger brother Emperor Xiaomin was deposed...
, and her daughter Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and later a princess of Sui Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , and her father was Emperor Wen of Sui ....
was the wife and empress of Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yun , courtesy name Qianbo , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime...
. Despite her honored status, however, she was said to be humble. On one occasion, when the erratic Emperor Xuan was angry with Empress Yang and ordered her to commit suicide, Duchess Dugu found out and went into the palace, earnestly begging Emperor Xuan's forgiveness. Emperor Xuan relented and spared Empress Yang.
In 580, Emperor Xuan, who had by then passed the throne to his young son Emperor Jing
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
(by his concubine Empress Zhu Manyue
Empress Zhu Manyue
Empress Zhu Manyue , later Buddhist nun name Fajing , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and she was the mother of Emperor Jing ....
) and become retired emperor, but who was retaining imperial powers, died suddenly. Yang Jian seized power as regent. It was at that time when Duchess Dugu sent Yang Jian a message that stated, "This is like riding a wild beast. You will not be able to come off of it. You need to fight hard to stay on." After Yang Jian defeated the general Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong , courtesy name Bojuluo , was a general of the Chinese/Xianbei states Western Wei and Northern Zhou. He first came to prominence while his uncle Yuwen Tai served as the paramount general of Western Wei, and subsequently served Northern Zhou after the Yuwen clan established the state...
, who rose against him after he took power, he had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
as its Emperor Wen. He created Duchess Dugu empress and their oldest son Yang Yong
Yang Yong
Emperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, while creating their other sons imperial princes and daughters (including Northern Zhou's Empress Yang) princesses.
Early in Emperor Wen's reign
Empress Dugu was said to be studious, and she and Emperor Wen often conferred with each other the important matters of state. Emperor Wen favored and respected her, and they became known as "the Two Holy Ones" by the officials. It was not infrequent that when he hosted imperial meetings that she would accompany him almost all the way into the meeting hall before turning back, and she often asked eunuchs to listen in on the meeting. When she believed that he made wrnog decisions, she would advise him to change. She would also usually wait near the meeting hall for the meeting to be done, and then return with him to the palace. As she lost her parents early in her life, she was particularly touched when she saw officials with both parents, and she would pay due respect to the officials' parents when she saw them. When officials suggested that, in accordance with rules set in Zhou DynastyZhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
, that the officials' marriages must be approved by the empress, she declined, believing that it was inappropriate for her to overly interfere in political matters. She also lived frugally, and once, when Emperor Wen needed a medicine for diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
that required ground pepper—then an exceedingly expensive spice that was more expensive than gold and which empresses used for decorative purposes—he sought the ground pepper from her and found that she did not use it, on account of its overly expensive cost. Also once, when he wanted to reward the wife of his official Liu Song (劉嵩) with a gold-decorated dress, she also had none to give. When her cousin Cui Changren (崔長仁) committed crimes that called for the death penalty, Emperor Wen was initially considering pardoning Cui on her account, but she stated that she could not, based on familial relations, break the laws, and Cui was executed. She respected the official Gao Jiong
Gao Jiong
Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng (d. August 27, 607 courtesy name Zhaoxuan (昭玄), alternative name Min (敏), known during the Northern Zhou period by the Xianbei name Dugu Jiong (独孤颎/獨孤熲), was a key official and general of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...
, as Gao Jiong's father Gao Bin (高賓) served on her father's staff and was a trusted advisor for him. She had, however, a poor relationship with her sister-in-law, the wife of Emperor Wen's brother Yang Zan (楊瓚) the Prince of Teng—Northern Zhou's Princess Shunyang (daughter of Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai , nickname Heita , formally Duke Wen of Anding , later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou initially as Prince Wen then as Emperor Wen with the temple name Taizu , was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
, the father of the first three Northern Zhou emperors) – and Princess Shunyang used witchcraft to curse her. When Emperor Wen ordered Yang Zan to divorce Princess Shunyang, Yang Zan refused, and when Yang Zan died in 591, it was commonly believed that Emperor Wen poisoned Yang Zan.
Late in Emperor Wen's reign
In 595, the luxurious summer vacation palace Renshou Palace (仁壽宮, in modern BaojiBaoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, 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...
) was completed by the general Yang Su
Yang Su
Yang Su , courtesy name Chudao , formally Duke Jingwu of Chu , was a powerful general during Sui Dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor's...
. When the frugal Emperor Wen saw how luxurious the palace was, he was unhappy and angrily stated, "Yang Su expended the efforts of the people to construct this palace. The people will despise me." Soon thereafter, however, when Empress Dugu arrived at the palace as well, she advised Emperor Wen to comfort Yang Su, and when he subsequently summoned Yang Su to the palace, she stated, "You know that this old couple had little to enjoy, so you decorated this palace in this way. Is it not that in doing so, you are being both faithful and filial?" She gave him a large award of money and silk.
In 598, Empress Dugu and her younger brother Dugu Tuo (獨孤陀), born of different mothers, were embroiled in a mysterious scandal. It was said that Dugu Tuo, whose wife was a sister of Yang Su's, had a female servant named Xu Ani (徐阿尼) who worshipped cat spirits and was capable to have those spirits kill people for her. At this time, both Empress Dugu and Yang Su's wife Lady Zheng were seriously ill, and it was suspected that they were afflicted by cat spirits. Emperor Wen suspected Dugu Tuo, and had the official Gao Jiong
Gao Jiong
Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng Gāo Jiǒng (d. August 27, 607 courtesy name Zhaoxuan (昭玄), alternative name Min (敏), known during the Northern Zhou period by the Xianbei name Dugu Jiong (独孤颎/獨孤熲), was a key official and general of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...
investigate, and Gao reported that it was indeed Dugu Tuo who instigated the matter. Emperor Wen ordered Dugu Tuo and Lady Yang to commit suicide, but Empress Dugu went on a three-day hunger strike to try to save them, stating, "If Tuo had harmed the people, I would not dare to say anything, but his crime was on my account, and therefore I dare to beg you to spare his life." Dugu Tuo's younger brother Dugu Zheng (獨孤整) also pleaded earnestly, and Emperor Wen spared them, reducing Dugu Tuo to commoner rank and forcing Lady Yang to become a Buddhist nun.
Over the years, the relationship between Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu were still largely loving. However, on one occasion, when Emperor Wen happened to see the beautiful granddaughter of Yuchi Jiong, who had been forced into slave labor after her grandfather's death, he had sexual relations with her. When Empress Dugu found out, she had Lady Yuchi killed. In anger, Emperor Wen rode away from the palace on a horse and refused to return. Gao and Yang Su had to track him down and urge him to return to the palace, with Gao stating, "Your Imperial Majesty, how can you abandon the empire on account of a woman?" When Emperor Wen did return to the palace after midnight, Empress Dugu was still waiting for him, and she wept and begged him for forgiveness. Gao and Yang Su subsequently hosted a banquet for them, and their differences went away. However, when Empress Dugu heard that Gao, whom she had respected previously, refer to her as "a woman," she became secretly resentful of Gao. She became particularly angry at Gao later over Gao's marital relations, as after Gao's wife died, she suggested Emperor Wen find Gao another wife, but Gao declined, stating that he was getting old and beginning to lose sexual urges and did not need another wife—and soon thereafter, Gao's concubine bore a son. Empress Dugu pointed out that, in effect, Gao was not truthful, and Emperor Wen began to distance himself from Gao. Further, in 598, when Gao, under Emperor Wen's duress, was forced to accompany Yang Liang
Yang Liang
Yang Liang -- courtesy name Dezhang , alternative name Jie , nickname Yiqian -- was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who, during his father's reign, controlled the region north of the Yellow River...
the Prince of Han in a campaign against Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, a campaign that he opposed, the campaign ended in failure, and Empress Dugu blamed Gao for the failure, particularly after Yang Liang, angry that Gao was not following his orders, complained to Empress Dugu.
Another person who began to draw Empress Dugu's ire was her son, Yang Yong the Crown Prince. When Yang Yong was young, Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu had selected for him a wife from the honored Yuan clan, Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
's imperial clan—the daughter of the official Yuan Xiaoju (元孝鉅). However, Yang Yong did not favor Crown Princess Yuan, and instead had many concubines, including his favorite Consort Yun, and he did not have any sons with Crown Princess Yuan. When Crown Princess Yuan died in 591 after a brief illness, Empress Dugu suspected Yang Yong and/or Consort Yun of poisoning her, and rebuked Yang Yong. The second son of Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu, Yang Guang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
the Prince of Jin, who had ambitions of displacing his older brother, put on pretenses of living frugally (which pleased Emperor Wen) and loving no one but his wife Princess Xiao
Empress Xiao (Yang)
Empress Xiao , formally Empress Min , was an empress of the Chinese Sui Dynasty...
(which pleased Empress Dugu). By 599, both Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu were considering replacing Yang Yong with Yang Guang, and when Empress Dugu once approached Gao with the issue, Gao stated firmly that the crown prince should not be replaced. Therefore, in 599, Empress Dugu suggested that Emperor Wen remove Gao, and subsequently, Gao was accused of crimes, and Emperor Wen removed Gao from his office and reduced him to commoner rank.
Meanwhile, Yang Guang was continuing to provoke Empress Dugu, falsely stating that he feared that Yang Yong would eventually put him to death. Yang Guang further entered into an alliance with Yang Su, with whom Yang Yong had a poor relationship, and Empress Dugu also told Yang Su to encourage Emperor Wen to depose Yang Yong. Subsequently, Yang Guang engaged Yang Yong's associate Ji Wei (姬威) to falsely accuse Yang Yong of plotting treason. In 600, after an investigation conducted by Yang Su ordered by Emperor Wen, in which Yang Su manufactured evidence against Yang Yong, Emperor Wen deposed Yang Yong and put him under house arrest, replacing him with Yang Guang.
In fall 602, Empress Dugu died, and Emperor Wen was greatly saddened, although he was comforted by the flattering official Wang Shao (王劭), who submitted a petition in which he tried to use prophecies to show that Empress Dugu was in fact a bodhisatva.
Family
- Grandfather
- Dugu Ku
- Father
- General Dugu Xin (獨孤信) (502–557), Western WeiWestern WeiThe Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
general (司馬) and superior officer to Yang Zhong, Duke of Sui, Yang Jian'sEmperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
father; was implicated in a plot to overthrow regent Yuwen HuYuwen HuYuwen Hu , with Chinese title Sabao , formally Duke Dang of Jin , was a regent of the Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou in China...
in 557, shortly after his daughter's marriage, and forced to commit suicide
- General Dugu Xin (獨孤信) (502–557), Western Wei
- Mother
- Lady Cui (崔氏)
- Stepmothers
- Dugu Xin's first wife, mother of Dugu Luo
- Lady Guo (郭氏), Dugu Xin's second wife, mother of Dugu Shan, Dugu Mu, Dugu Cang, Dugu Shun, Dugu Tuo, and Dugu Zheng
- Half-brothers
- Dugu Luo (獨孤羅) (534–599), courtesy name Luoren (羅仁)
- Dugu Shan (獨孤善), Buddhist name Futuo (伏陀)
- Dugu Mu (獨孤穆)
- Dugu Cang (獨孤藏) (553–587), XianbeiXianbeiThe Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
name Bazang (拔臣), Buddhist name Damo (達磨) - Dugu Shun (獨孤順)
- Dugu Tuo (獨孤陀), courtesy name Lixie (黎邪), married a sister of Yang SuYang SuYang Su , courtesy name Chudao , formally Duke Jingwu of Chu , was a powerful general during Sui Dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor's...
- Dugu Zheng (獨孤整), served as Provincial Governor of YouzhouBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, later elevated to Marquess of Pingxiang (平鄉侯) - Dugu Zhen (獨孤震)
- Sister
- Lady Dugu (獨孤氏), Dugu Xin's fourth daughter; married Li Bing, Duke Ren of Tang; posthumously honored under the Tang DynastyTang DynastyThe 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...
as Empress Yuanzhen (元貞皇后)
- Lady Dugu (獨孤氏), Dugu Xin's fourth daughter; married Li Bing, Duke Ren of Tang; posthumously honored under the Tang Dynasty
- Half-sister
- Empress DuguEmpress Dugu (Ming)Empress Dugu , formally Empress Mingjing , was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou Empress Dugu (獨孤皇后, personal name unknown) (died 558), formally Empress Mingjing (明敬皇后), was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou Empress Dugu (獨孤皇后, personal name unknown)...
(d. 558), Dugu Xin's eldest daughter, married Emperor Ming of Northern ZhouEmperor Ming of Northern ZhouEmperor Ming of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yu , nickname Tongwantu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, although at the start of his reign he used the alternative title "Heavenly Prince" . He was made emperor after his younger brother Emperor Xiaomin was deposed...
sometime after 548
- Empress Dugu
- Nephews
- Dugu Ji (獨孤機), Duke of Teng (滕國公) and Provincial Governor of CangzhouCangzhouCangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, son of Dugu Cang and his wife Lady Helan (賀蘭氏) - Two other sons of Dugu Cang and Lady Helan
- Emperor Gaozu of TangEmperor Gaozu of TangEmperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
, son and elder child of Empress Yuanzhen and Li Bing
- Dugu Ji (獨孤機), Duke of Teng (滕國公) and Provincial Governor of Cangzhou
- Niece
- Princess Tong'an (同安公主), daughter and younger child of Empress Yuanzhen and Li Bing
- Sons
- Yang YongYang YongEmperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
(楊勇) (d. 604), the Crown Prince (created 581, deposed 600, executed by Emperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
604) - Yang Guang (楊廣) (569 – 10 April 618), initially the Duke of Yanmen, later the Prince of Jin (created 581), later the Crown Prince (created 600), later Emperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of SuiEmperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
- Yang JunYang Jun (Sui Dynasty)Yang Jun , nickname Azhi , formally Prince Xiao of Qin , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who died as a result of an illness caused by poisoning by his jealous wife Princess Cui...
(楊俊) (571–600), Prince Xiao of Qin (created 581, d. 600) - Yang XiuYang Xiu (Sui Dynasty)Yang Xiu was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, and during most of his father's reign was given great control over the modern Sichuan and Chongqing region...
(楊秀) (573–618), initially the Prince of Yue (created 581), later the Prince of Shu (created 581, reduced to commoner rank 602, killed by Yuwen HuajiYuwen HuajiYuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
618) - Yang LiangYang LiangYang Liang -- courtesy name Dezhang , alternative name Jie , nickname Yiqian -- was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who, during his father's reign, controlled the region north of the Yellow River...
(楊諒) (575–605), the Prince of Han (created 581, reduced to commoner rank 604)
- Yang Yong
- Daughters
- Yang LihuaEmpress Yang LihuaEmpress Yang Lihua was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and later a princess of Sui Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , and her father was Emperor Wen of Sui ....
(楊麗華) (561–609), empress to Emperor Xuan of Northern ZhouEmperor Xuan of Northern ZhouEmperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yun , courtesy name Qianbo , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime...
; later the Princess Leping - Princess Xiangguo, married Li Changya (李長雅)
- Princess Guangping, married Yuwen Jingli (宇文靜禮), son of Yuwen Qing (宇文慶)
- Princess Wan'an, married Dou Rong, Duke of Chen (陳國公竇榮) and had a son Dou Kang (竇抗)
- Yang Awu (楊阿五) (573–604), the Princess Lanling; married firstly Wang Fengxiao (王奉孝); remarried after Wang's death to Liu Shu (柳述), who later became Minister of Defense under Emperor Yang
- Yang Lihua