Empress He Jingying

Who is Empress He Jingying?

Empress He Jingying was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Southern Qi. Her husband was Xiao Zhaoye, who is commonly known by his posthumously demoted title of Prince of Yulin.

He Jingying's father He Ji was a high level official during the reigns of Xiao Zhaoye's great-grandfather Emperor Gao and grandfather Emperor Wu of Southern Qi. Her mother Lady Song was He Ji's concubine. In 484, when Xiao Zhaoye's father Xiao Zhangmao the Crown Prince was considering whom to take as a wife for his oldest son Xiao Zhaoye, he considered a number of daughters of nobles, and initially he rejected He Jingying on account of He Ji was sonless and therefore did not have a strong household. The prime minister Wang Jian pointed out that since Xiao Zhaoye would be in line to inherit the throne in the future, he only needed a wife of noble birth, not necessarily one with a strong clan. Xiao Zhangmao agreed and took He Jingying as Xiao Zhaoye's wife. As Xiao Zhaoye carried the title of Prince of Nan Commandery, He Jingying received the title of Princess of Nan Commandery.