CIVILIZATION DOSSIER
Empress He何太后
Empress of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han, younger sister of He Jin, mother of the Young Emperor, later deposed and killed by Dong Zhuo.
- DIRECT FIGURES
- 2
- RELATION RECORDS
- 2
- SOURCE WORKS
- 2
RELATIONSHIP COMPASS
Empress He, and the people around them.
Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.
01CONFLICTConflict
Battles, captures and defeat
2 figures · 2 records＋
Conflict
Battles, captures and defeat
Dong Zhuo→Empress Hekill
Li Ru→Empress Hekill
2 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.
In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms
Mother of the Young Emperor, killed by Dong Zhuo.
In fiction · Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Empress He was the empress of Emperor Ling and the younger sister of He Jin. After the Young Emperor ascended the throne, He Jin was killed by eunuchs, and Empress He was taken hostage, later rescued and acted as regent. When Dong Zhuo entered the capital, he deposed the Young Emperor as Prince of Hongnong, and Empress He was also deposed and ultimately killed by Li Ru.
Across source works
How this figure changes across texts
Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.
- Literature / legend3 profile notes
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
1 relations1 verified quotations- Li Ru→ kill →Empress He
Verified original text · 1
双手扯住太后，直撺下楼
kill · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 4
- Official history1 profile notes
Records of the Three Kingdoms
1 relations1 verified quotations- Dong Zhuo→ kill →Empress He
Verified original text · 1
寻又杀王及何太后
kill · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·董二袁刘传
History vs. fiction
The novel fictionalizes the gruesome detail of Li Ru pushing Empress Dowager He down the stairs to her death.
In Chapter 4 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the process of Empress Dowager He being killed by Li Ru, sent by Dong Zhuo, is described in detail: "Li Ru flew into a rage, grabbed the Empress Dowager with both hands, and threw her down the stairs, then ordered Tang Fei to be strangled, and poisoned Emperor Shao with wine, and reported back to Dong Zhuo." However, in the main text of the Wei section of Records of the Three Kingdoms, in the biography of Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, and Liu Zhang, it is only briefly recorded that Dong Zhuo "subsequently killed the Prince and Empress Dowager He," without recording specific details of violence such as falling down the stairs. The novel has undergone artistic processing and embellishment.
Relationship network
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
双手扯住太后，直撺下楼