Li Lingrong
Li Lingrong, formally Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen was an empress dowager during the Jin dynasty. She was a concubine of Emperor Jianwen and the mother of Emperor Xiaowu.
Life
Li Lingrong was born of a humble origin, and she became a servant girl in the household of Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji. She was one of the servants involved with manufacturing textiles.Concubine
Sima Yu originally had a wife from high birth, Princess Wang Jianji. With her he fathered his heir apparent, Sima Daosheng, and Sima Yusheng. However, Sima Daosheng was described as careless and frivolous. In 348, while Sima Yu was prime minister for his grandnephew Emperor Mu, Sima Daosheng was accused of unspecified crimes. He was deposed and died in imprisonment. Princess Wang died in distress. Sima Yusheng and three other sons of Sima Yu all died early, leaving him without an heir, and his concubines were not conceiving any more. He hired a practitioner of physiognomy to look at his concubines and see which one could conceive an heir. The practitioner looked at all of them and opined that none was destined to give him an heir—but then he saw Li Lingrong, who was tall, dark-skinned and who was derogatorily referred to as "Kunlun". The practitioner, in surprise, yelled out, "She is the one!" Sima Yu therefore took her as a concubine, and they had two sons—Sima Yao in 362 and Sima Daozi in 363. Sima Yao was subsequently named heir apparent. She also had a daughter with Sima Yu, who would later be Princess Poyang.Empress dowager
In 371, the paramount general Huan Wen, in order to showcase his power, deposed Sima Yu's nephew Emperor Fei and replaced him with Sima Yu. Emperor Jianwen only ruled for about eight months, dying in September 372. He did not create her any special titles, but he did create her son Sima Yao crown prince. Sima Yao, after Emperor Jianwen's death, ascended the throne as Emperor Xiaowu. Initially, out of respect for his father's deceased wife Princess Wang, he did not honor Consort Li as empress dowager, but did progressively honor her with greater and greater imperial consort titles. In May 387, he honored her as Consort Dowager, with all ceremonial trappings of an empress dowager. In September 394, after a petition by Sima Daozi, she was finally honored as empress dowager.Empress Dowager Li's influence during Emperor Xiaowu's reign appeared to be limited, as Emperor Mu's mother Empress Dowager Chu was regent early, and after she gave up regent authorities in 376, power was largely in the hands of Xie An until Emperor Xiaowu fully turned adult. She was described as often mediating conflicts between him and Sima Daozi, and throughout his reign, Sima Daozi had great authority as the emperor's brother and prime minister.