Empress Dowager He

Historical Record

(No historical materials)

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Empress Dowager He is portrayed as a figure who rose to the position of empress through her family's power and was ultimately driven to tragedy by the political struggles of her elder brother He Jin. Her origin is described as having "risen from a butcher's household"; only because her younger sister entered the palace as a Noble Lady and bore the imperial son Liu Bian was she able to become empress, and her brother He Jin gained power thereby ^c:111.

In the novel, Empress Dowager He shows intense jealousy over Emperor Ling's favoring of Lady Wang and her bearing of the imperial son Liu Xie, going so far as to "poison Lady Wang to death" ^c:111. This directly leads to her power struggle with Empress Dowager Dong (Liu Xie's foster mother). After Emperor Ling's death, Empress Dowager He supports her son Liu Bian's accession and tries to seize the reins of government through her brother He Jin. Her attitude toward the eunuchs, however, comes into serious conflict with He Jin's. When He Jin wishes to exterminate all the eunuchs, Empress Dowager He, mindful that the eunuchs had once helped her family attain such wealth and rank, steps in to stop He Jin, saying, "Do not worry, all of you; I will protect you" ^c:7030, and holding that the notion of "the eunuchs forming a clique; today we may seize the moment to exterminate them all" should be answered: "It was Jian Shuo who plotted to harm me—exterminate his clan. The rest need not be wantonly killed or harmed" ^c:7030. This act of hers directly prevents the eunuch faction from being thoroughly eliminated, sowing the seed of the later political turmoil. She also once told He Jin: "That the eunuchs control the palace precincts is the established custom of the House of Han. The late emperor has but newly forsaken the world; for you to wish to kill the old ministers is to slight the ancestral temple" ^c:7034, further obstructing He Jin's action.

The conflict between Empress Dowager He and Empress Dowager Dong is likewise sharp. Empress Dowager Dong seeks to seize power by enfeoffing the imperial son Xie as Prince of Chenliu and by giving high office to Dong Zhong and the eunuch Zhang Rang. For this Empress Dowager He sets a banquet to warn Empress Dowager Dong, pointing out that "we are all women; to take part in court affairs is not fitting for us," and citing Empress Lü's usurpation of power as a warning, urging her to "dwell deep within the Nine-fold Palace" ^c:7032. Empress Dowager Dong, however, retorts in kind, exposing that Empress Dowager He "poisoned Lady Wang to death out of jealous malice," and threatens to have General of Agile Cavalry Dong Zhong "strike off your brother's head" ^c:7032. In the end, Empress Dowager Dong is poisoned to death by Empress Dowager He (unique to the novel).

After He Jin is lured to his death by the eunuchs, Dong Zhuo seizes the opportunity to enter the capital, deposes the young Emperor Liu Bian, and places him together with Empress Dowager He in the Yongan Palace, forbidding the ministers to enter without leave ^c:113. In the end, Dong Zhuo sends Li Ru into the palace to force the young emperor to take poison. Before her death, Empress Dowager He bitterly curses He Jin for "being without strategy, drawing the traitor into the capital, bringing about the disaster of this day" ^c:114, and is then killed when Li Ru "seizes the Empress Dowager with both hands and flings her straight down from the tower" ^c:7037. Her tragic end is the direct consequence of the power struggle between her family and the eunuchs.

Key Relationships

* Liu Bian (parent_of): Empress Dowager He is the birth mother of the young Emperor Liu Bian. After Emperor Ling's death, she supports Liu Bian's accession and tries to seize the reins of government through her brother He Jin ^c:111. In the end, she is deposed and killed by Dong Zhuo together with Liu Bian.
* Lady Wang (enemy_of): In the novel, Empress Dowager He, out of jealousy over Emperor Ling's favoring of Lady Wang and her bearing of the imperial son Liu Xie, "poisons Lady Wang to death" ^c:111. This embodies her cruel and jealous nature, and sows the seed of her conflict with Empress Dowager Dong (Liu Xie's foster mother).
* He Jin (kin_of): Empress Dowager He is He Jin's younger sister. He Jin gained power and became Grand General because his sister entered the palace as a Noble Lady and bore the imperial son Bian. Empress Dowager He relied politically on He Jin, but also stopped him at the crucial moment from exterminating all the eunuchs, bringing about He Jin's failure and her own tragedy ^c:7030.
* Empress Dowager Dong (enemy_of): There is a fierce power struggle between Empress Dowager He and Empress Dowager Dong. Empress Dowager Dong, the mother of Emperor Ling and foster mother of Liu Xie, seeks to seize power by supporting Liu Xie and giving high office to Dong Zhong and the eunuchs. Empress Dowager He once set a banquet to warn Empress Dowager Dong, ultimately leading to Empress Dowager Dong being poisoned to death (unique to the novel) ^c:7032.
* The Eunuchs (a complex relationship): Empress Dowager He's relationship with the eunuch faction is complex. On the one hand, she had enjoyed wealth and rank through the eunuchs' help, and so stepped forward to protect them when He Jin wished to exterminate them all ^c:7030. On the other hand, the eunuchs ultimately lured He Jin to his death, indirectly bringing about Empress Dowager He's own tragedy.

Iconic Scenes

* Poisoning Lady Wang to Death: Out of jealousy over Emperor Ling's favoring of Lady Wang, Empress Dowager He actually "poisons Lady Wang to death" ^c:111. This event displays her ruthless side and directly brings about her conflict with Empress Dowager Dong.
* Stopping He Jin from Killing the Eunuchs: When He Jin wishes to exterminate all the eunuchs, Empress Dowager He steps in to stop him, saying, "Do not worry, all of you; I will protect you" ^c:7030. This decision of hers directly affects the political course of the late Eastern Han and sows the seed of tragedy for herself and He Jin.
* The Banquet Quarrel with Empress Dowager Dong: Empress Dowager He sets a banquet to warn Empress Dowager Dong not to meddle in court affairs, pointing out that "we are all women; to take part in court affairs is not fitting for us" ^c:7032. Empress Dowager Dong, however, retorts in kind, exposing the old affair of Empress Dowager He poisoning Lady Wang to death, so that the conflict between the two breaks into the open.
* Cursing He Jin Bitterly Before Death: Before being forced to take poison by Li Ru, sent by Dong Zhuo, Empress Dowager He bitterly curses He Jin for "being without strategy, drawing the traitor into the capital, bringing about the disaster of this day" ^c:114, and is then killed when Li Ru "seizes the Empress Dowager with both hands and flings her straight down from the tower" ^c:7037. This scene is the end of her life's tragedy, and reflects her remorse and despair at He Jin having let the wolf into the house.