Song, Liao, and Jin · Royal Family Member

Empress Dowager Li 李太后

First attested AD 934; died AD 965

Passages: 4
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Empress Dowager Li was a Royal Family Member.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Lady Li	李氏

Life and dates

Death

AD 965 昶卒後
stopped eating and died 不食而卒
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 202

Attested activity

AD 934 to AD 965 太后
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 176

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Meng Chang (孟昶)
mother 母
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 176, 195

Places and affiliations

At Taiyuan 太原
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 196

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 196, 199-201

References in the histories

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 64Volume 64: Hereditary House of Later Shu · 4 passages

昶母李太后常為昶言昭遠不可用，昶不聽。 Empress Dowager Li often told Chang that Zhaoyuan was unfit for office, but he would not listen.

其母李氏，為人明辯，甚見優禮，詔書呼為「國母」，嘗召見勞之曰：「母善自愛，無戚戚思蜀，他日當送母歸。」 His mother Lady Li was sharp-witted and treated with exceptional honor; edicts addressed her as State Mother. The emperor once summoned and comforted her: "Take good care of yourself, Mother; do not pine for Shu. One day I shall send you home."

李氏曰：「妾家本太原，倘得歸老故鄉，不勝大願。」 Lady Li said: "My family is from Taiyuan. To end my days in my native place would be my dearest wish."

昶之卒也，李氏不哭，以酒酹地祝曰：「汝不能死社稷，茍生以取羞。 When Chang died, Lady Li did not weep. She poured a libation on the ground and prayed: "You could not die for your state but lived on in shame.