Song, Liao, and Jin · Exemplary Woman of the Xiao Clan

Yixin 意辛

First attested AD 1077; died AD 1121 to AD 1125

Passages: 9
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Yixin was an Exemplary Woman of the Xiao Clan.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Lady Xiao	蕭氏	Xiao shi

Life and dates

Death

AD 1121 to AD 1125 保大中
Cause Killed by rebels · At Linhuang 臨潢
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 68-69

Age

20
Reckoning Stated age at marriage
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 49

Attested activity

AD 1077 大康三年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 107, passages 56-57
AD 1121 to AD 1125 保大中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 107, passages 68-69
AD 1095 to AD 1101 壽隆中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 107, passage 65

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Taosuwo (陶蘇斡)
daughter 女
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 47
Child of Princess Hudu (胡獨公主)
daughter 女
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 48
Parent of Guoyin (國隱)
mother 母
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 67
Spouse of Yelü Nu (耶律奴)
wife 妻
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 47, 49

sons and grandsons 子孫
Kinship Role descendants · Quantity sons-and-grandsons
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 65
her sons 諸子
Kinship Role sons · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 68

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Lived under
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 47, 68
AD 1077 大康三年
At place of banishment 貶所 · Relation Exiled to
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 63
AD 1121 to AD 1125 保大中
At Linhuang 臨潢 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 68

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Addressed to Emperor Daozong of Liao (遼道宗)
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 58-61
AD 1095 to AD 1101 壽隆中
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 65
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 51-53, 68

Events and relationships

Killed when Lu Yanlun rebelled
AD 1121 to AD 1125 保大中 · Military · Victim · With Lu Yanlun (盧彥倫)
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 68-69
Refused divorce and accompanied husband in exile
AD 1077 大康三年 · Political · Petitioner
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passages 57, 62
Whole household summoned home
AD 1095 to AD 1101 壽隆中 · Political · Recalled
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 66

Assessments and attributes

Assessment integrity unmatched even by fierce great men · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 97
fine countenance
Physical description
Directly stated · History of Liao 107, passage 49

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 107Volume 107 Biographies 37: Exemplary Women · 9 passages

○邢簡妻陳氏耶律氏常哥耶律奴妻蕭氏耶律朮者妻蕭氏耶律中妻蕭氏 ○ Lady Chen, wife of Xing Jian; the Yelü clanswoman Changge; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Nu; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Shuzhe; Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Zhong

耶律奴妻蕭氏，小字意辛，國舅駙馬都尉陶蘇斡之女。 Lady Xiao, wife of Yelü Nu, known by the childhood name Yixin, was the daughter of the State Uncle and Commandant-escort (imperial son-in-law) Taosuwo.

意幸美姿容，年二十始適奴。 Yixin was graced with fine features; at twenty she was first married to Nu.

嘗與娣姒會，爭言厭魅以取夫寵，意辛曰：「厭魅不若禮法。」 Once, at a gathering of sisters-in-law, they argued over whether witchcraft was the better way to win a husband's favor; Yixin said, "Witchcraft is not as good as ritual propriety."

眾問其故，意辛曰：「修己以潔，奉長以敬，事夫以柔，撫下以寬，毋使君子見其輕易，此之為禮法，自然取重於夫。 When they asked why, Yixin said, "Cultivate yourself in purity, serve your elders with respect, attend your husband with gentleness, and treat those below with generosity; do not let any worthy man see you behave lightly. That is ritual propriety, and by it you will naturally win your husband's regard.

上以意辛公主之女，欲使絕婚。 Because Yixin was a princess's daughter, the emperor wished to dissolve the marriage.

意辛辭曰：「陛下以妾葭莩之親，使免流竄，實天地之恩。 Yixin declined, saying, "Your Majesty, because I am kin by marriage, has spared me banishment—that is grace vast as Heaven and Earth.

意辛久在貶所，親執役事，雖勞無難色。 Yixin long remained in exile, personally performing menial labor; though the work was hard, her face showed no distress.

保大中，意辛在臨潢，謂諸子曰：「吾度盧彥倫必叛，汝輩速避，我當死之。」 During Baoda, while Yixin was at Linhuang, she told her sons, "I am sure Lu Yanlun will rebel—you must flee at once; I shall die for it."