Empress Dowager Ding

Who was Empress Dowager Ding?

Empress Dowager Ding, formally Empress Xianyou was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. She was a concubine of Murong Bao and the mother of Murong Sheng.

She gave birth to Murong Sheng while Murong Bao was serving as a low-level Former Qin official, in 373. What happened to her during the next three decades were not clear, but at the time when Murong Bao, then emperor of Later Yan, and Murong Sheng were fleeing from rebellions in 398, she was at the capital Longcheng. At this time, she was carefully served by her daughter-in-law Princess Lan, despite the fact that Longcheng was under the control of Princess Lan's father Lan Han, who would set a trap for Murong Bao and have him killed later that year, and then claim the throne. Murong Sheng was spared, however, because he was Lan Han's son-in-law, and he soon overthrew Lan Han in a coup and reestablished Later Yan as its emperor. He did not initially honor her as empress dowager, as that honor belonged to Murong Bao's wife Empress Duan, but he did honor her with the title Empress Xianzhuang. After Empress Dowager Duan died in 400, he honored her as empress dowager. Because of how Princess Lan protected both her and Murong Sheng, when Murong Sheng considered executing her as the daughter of a traitor, Empress Dowager Ding greatly opposed it, and Princess Lan was spared, although she would never be empress.