Overview
Empress Dowager He was a consort and Royal Family Member.
IdentityHistorical · Female
Life and dates
Death
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Family
Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.
Places and affiliations
- Polity Eastern Han 東漢 · Relation Served
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Book of Later Han, Chapter 76Volume 69: Biographies of Dou, He · 12 passages
張讓子婦，太后之妹也。
Zhang Rang's daughter-in-law was the empress dowager's own sister.
惟受恩累世，今當遠離宮殿，情懷戀戀，願復一入直，得暫奉望太后、陛下顏色，然後退就溝壑，死不恨矣。」
I have enjoyed imperial favor for generations, and now that I must leave the palace, I cannot bear to go. I ask to serve one final watch and look once more upon the empress dowager and Your Majesty. Then I can withdraw to die in obscurity, without regret."
子婦言於舞陽君，入白太后，乃詔諸常侍皆復入直。
She relayed the plea to the Lady of Wuyang, who told the empress dowager; an edict recalled the chief eunuchs to their posts.
八月，進入長樂白太后，請盡誅諸常侍以下，選三署郎入守宦官廬。
In the eighth month He Jin went to Changle Palace and asked the empress dowager to execute every chief eunuch down the line and replace them with gentlemen cadets from the three offices.
及進出，因詐以太后詔召進。
When He Jin emerged, they forged a summons in the empress dowager's name.
先帝嘗與太后不快，幾至成敗，我曹涕泣救解，各出家財千萬為禮，和悅上意，但欲託卿門戶耳。
The late emperor once quarreled with the empress dowager to the brink of disaster; we wept and poured out our private fortunes—millions in gifts—to smooth his temper and win your family's favor.
讓等入白太后，言大將軍兵反，燒宮，攻尚書闥，因將太后、天子及陳留王，又劫省內官屬，從複道走北宮。
Zhang Rang and his confederates burst in on the empress dowager with a tale that He Jin's men had mutinied, torched the palace, and stormed the secretariat; they then seized the empress dowager, the emperor, and the Prince of Chenliu, rounded up palace staff, and fled along the elevated walk to the Northern Palace.
段珪等懼，乃釋太后。
Duan Gui and the others lost their nerve and let the empress dowager go.
太后投閣得免。
She leapt from the gallery and escaped.
董卓遂廢帝，又迫殺太后，殺舞陽君，何氏遂亡，而漢室亦自此敗亂。
Dong Zhuo then deposed the emperor, forced the empress dowager to her death, executed the Lady of Wuyang, and wiped out the He family—after which the house of Han slid into ruin.
論曰：竇武、何進藉元舅之資，據輔政之權，內倚太后臨朝之威，外迎群英乘風之埶，卒而事敗閹豎，身死功穨，為世所悲，豈智不足而權有餘乎？
The historian remarks: Dou Wu and He Jin held the authority of maternal uncles to the throne, commanded the regency, had the empress dowager's prestige behind them, and rallied the finest men of the age—yet both fell to eunuchs and died with their cause in ruins, objects of pity ever since. Was it too little wit and too much power?
惟女惟弟，來儀紫房。
Sister and brother brought their line into the purple halls of power.