Empress Zhou the Elder, Empress Zhou the Younger (Southern Tang)
Artist: Xiang Li
Medium: watercolor on silk
Dimension: 36×79 in
Empress Zhou the Elder, born Zhou Ehuang, was the empress consort of Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang state during China’s Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Renowned for her musical talent, particularly with the pipa, she was a significant cultural figure of her time. She bore Li Yu two sons, Li Zhongyu and Li Zhongxuan. Following the tragic death of her younger son and her husband’s affair with her younger sister, Zhou Jiamin, Empress Zhou the Elder fell into deep sorrow and passed away. After her death, Li Yu married her sister, who became known as Empress Zhou the Younger.
Her Spouse: Li Yu
Li Yu (937–978 CE), also known as Emperor Li Houzhu of Southern Tang, was the last ruler of that kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. More celebrated as a poet than as a statesman, he is remembered for his refined ci poetry that captured themes of love, longing, and melancholy, earning him a lasting place in Chinese literary history. Politically, however, Li Yu was less successful: under pressure from the rising Song dynasty, he surrendered in 975 and was taken to the Song capital. He died in captivity in 978, reportedly poisoned by Emperor Taizong of Song. Li Yu is remembered as a tragic figure—an emperor whose political downfall contrasted with his enduring cultural legacy as one of China’s greatest poets.
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