Ly Lang Dung, the wife of Emperor Jinwen Emperor Sima Yu (320-372), the 8th emperor of the Jin Dynasty (317-420), is considered the only black empress in Chinese history.
According to historical records, Ly Lang Dung’s tall figure, strong black skin, and curly hair prove that she is not a Trung Nguyen.
Illustration.
She is said to have come from a distant land of the Linyi people, a people that once lived in India, the Middle East and southern Africa.
This ethnic group is greatly influenced by Chinese culture and religion, so Ly Lang Dung may have come to China since childhood.
Change your life with a sentence
The story behind this is not known, but Chinese history records say that she was sold into the royal palace of Sima Yu, as a court lady specializing in weaving. Sima Du had 3 sons, but all died prematurely.
The concubines in the palace also could not bear sons. The king was worried that he would not have an heir, so he summoned more women to the palace, but it was still hopeless.
According to historical records, Sima Duc soon doubted his “manhood” ability because he had many wives but no children. When his first daughter, Princess Tan An, was born, he regained his confidence.
Sima Yu was very fond of his daughter, however, that did not completely erase his worries about the son’s succession. A year later, despite all his efforts, Sima Yu still did not have a son.
At this time, Sima Du was introduced to a fortune teller, who is said to be famous for his high virtue and morality, only by looking at the signs he can know who can give birth to a boy or a girl. Sima Yu immediately gave this person the responsibility.
After looking through a series of palace maids, the fortune teller did not see anyone who could give birth to a son. Sima Yu then ordered the teacher to expand the scope of his search beyond the royal palace.
Legend has it that a fortune teller who just met Ly Lang Dung exclaimed: “This is the woman who can be the mother of the emperor”.
The appearance of Ly Lang Dung at that time was considered unsightly. The fact that the fortune teller found himself a servant to give birth to a child made Sima Duc expressed dissatisfaction. However, because he wanted to have a son, he had to listen.
The only black empress in Chinese history
The concubines in the palace could not make Sima Yu have a son. Illustration.
This story is considered to have shocked the whole of China, because no one thought that a black servant like Ly Lang Dung could surpass hundreds of other beautiful women in the royal palace of Sima Duc to get a concubine.
According to the concept of that time, to be the concubine of the monarchs, one must be both beautiful and take care of the family. Meanwhile, Sima Duc is tall and handsome, brave and heroic, a role model for many young girls.
Not long after, Ly Lang Dung became pregnant. Legend has it that she dreamed of two dragons bowing to her, which was considered a good omen. When Sima Yu heard it, he immediately felt strange, and his heart was filled with anticipation.
In 362, Ly Lang Dung gave birth to a son, Sima Yao, and two years later gave birth to a second son, named Sima Daozi. Finally, she gave birth to Princess Duong. Her position in the royal palace was also greatly appreciated because of that.
In 371, Sima Duc ascended the throne at the age of 51, alias Emperor Jianwen, and ordained Ly Lang Dung as a concubine. Sima Yu did not appoint anyone as empress, so Ly Lang Dung defaulted to being the owner of the harem.
Events soon occurred when Sima Yu died, Sima Yao was only 10 years old and ascended the throne. Ly Lang Dung was given the title of royal concubine by his son, the costume was no different from the empress dowager.
Only 20 years later, when her second son advised her to be ordained, her mother was honored as empress dowager. In 400, Ly Lang Dung died, alias Van Thai Hau, buried at Tu Binh mausoleum. It can be said that the life of the only black queen in Chinese history is very strange, from having a skin color like no other to being a queen.
She was also a rare servant who suddenly became the most powerful woman in the palace. Because she gave birth to a son, she was loved by the emperor of the East Jin Dynasty.
Today, Li Lingrong’s identity remains the subject of controversy among Chinese scholars. She is considered to be extremely intelligent and skillful in behavior.
During his life, Ly Lang Dung stood out to mediate the conflict between the two brothers Sima Dieu and Sima Daozi. Thanks to that, the Eastern Jin Dynasty escaped from the civil war for power, and the country entered a flourishing period.
