Background
Erzhu Ying'e's father Erzhu Rong had been a hereditary chief of the Qihu (契胡) tribe, a branch of the Xiongnu, located at Xiurong (秀容, in modern Shuozhou, Shanxi), and during the agrarian rebellions during Emperor Xiaoming's reign had become increasingly powerful as a military general. Sometime during Emperor Xiaoming's reign, she became Emperor Xiaoming's concubine with the rank of Pin (嬪). She was described to be capable as a soldier, and she was able to use the bow well.
In 528, Emperor Xiaoming, in a dispute with his mother Empress Dowager Hu over her overly favoring her lover Zheng Yan (鄭儼) and Zheng's associate Xu Ge (徐紇), conspired with Erzhu Rong to have him advance south toward the capital Luoyang to force Empress Dowager Hu to remove Zheng and Xu. When Empress Dowager Hu discovered this, she poisoned Emperor Xiaoming to death. Erzhu Rong refused to recognize the young emperor Yuan Zhao that she put on the throne, instead advancing on Luoyang, capturing it and throwing Empress Dowager Hu and Yuan Zhao into the Yellow River to drown. He also slaughtered a large number of imperial officials and made Emperor Xiaoming's father Emperor Xuanwu's cousin Yuan Ziyou emperor (as Emperor Xiaozhuang).
Read more about this topic: Empress Erzhu Ying'e
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