Princess Yicheng was a Chinese princess of the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

and a khatun of the

Eastern Turkic Khaganate The Eastern Turkic Khaganate ( zh, t=東突厥, p=Dōng Tūjué or Dōng Tújué) was a Turkic khaganate formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century (AD 581–603) after the First Turkic Khaganate (found ...

. She spent at least 30 years of her life among the Turks.

Family

She was an extended family member of

Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

. Her father was named Yang Xie (杨谐) and her brother was Yang Shanjing (杨善经).

Life as khatun

With Yami Qaghan

After the death of Princess Anyi (安义公主) in 599, she was created a princess by

Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Wen of Sui (; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name Yang Jian (), Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (), was the founding Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Sui dynasty. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through ...

and was wedded to

Yami Qaghan Yami Qaghan ( Jаmï qağan; Chinese: 啓民可汗, 啟民可汗/启民可汗; Pinyin: Qǐmín Kěhàn, Wade-Giles: Ch'i-min K'o-han, Middle Chinese (Guangyun): ), personal name Ashina Rangan (阿史那染幹/阿史那染干, pinyin Āshǐnà r� ...

under the ''

heqin ''Heqin'', also known as marriage alliance, refers to the historical practice of Chinese monarchs marrying princesses—usually members of minor branches of the ruling family—to rulers of neighboring states. It was often adopted as an appeasem ...

'' system.

With Shibi Qaghan

She was inherited by her step-son

Shibi Qaghan Shibi Khagan (r. 609 or 611 – April 619 AD) succeeded Yami Qaghan as the second khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Reign He succeeded Yami Qaghan in 609 or 611. From 613 to 615 he was actively supporting agrarian rebels inside China. P ...

in 609, in a levirate marriage. She had much influence on the khagan, to the point of changing his orders. In the fall of 615, when

Emperor Yang of Sui Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), was the second emperor of the Sui dynasty of China. Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but he was rena ...

was visiting

Yanmen Commandery Yanmen Commandery was an administrative subdivision (''jùn'') of the state of Zhao established BC and of northern imperial Chinese dynasties until AD758. It occupied lands in what is now Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Its first seat was at Shanwu ...

on the northern frontier, the khagan launched a surprise attack on the area, overrunning most of its Chinese settlements. Warned by the khagan's wife Princess Yicheng — a member of the imperial family who had been well treated by Empress Xiao during an earlier visit — the emperor, empress, and their entourage escaped to the commandery seat at present-day

Daixian Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 c ...

. The Turks besieged them there on September 11. Resources within the seat were little, and the emperor was reported to cry out of fear seeing Yuwen suggested Emperor Yang select a few thousand elite cavalry soldiers to attempt a break out, but Su Wei and Fan Zigai (樊子蓋) persuaded Emperor Yang not to attempt this. Emperor Yang put Xiao Yu and Pei Ju in charge of planning the military counteroffensive, but was only able to get the siege lifted after he followed the advice of the empress's brother

Xiao Yu Xiao Yu (575 – 19 July 648), courtesy name Shiwen, posthumously known as Duke Zhenbian of Song, was an imperial prince of the Western Liang dynasty who later became an official under the Sui and Tang dynasties. He served as a chancellor dur ...

and sent messengers to Princess Yicheng, who was directing military affairs at the Turkic capital in her husband's absence. She falsely informed Shibi Khagan that the Turks were under attack from the north, and so the khagan lifted the siege.

With Chuluo Qaghan

She was inherited by Chuluo Qaghan in 619, another step-son from her first marriage. Yicheng greeted Empress Xiao and

Yang Zhengdao Yang Zhengdao (, 618 – early 650s) or Yang Min () was a Chinese figurehead installed by the Eastern Turkic Khaganate during the bloody Sui–Tang transition. He was a grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui, and "ruled" as King of Sui () in an area aro ...

, a posthumous son of Yang Jian who was created as puppet King of Sui (隋國王) by Chuluo. This marriage was brief. After Chuluo's death in June, she refused to marry Ashina Momo (阿史那摸末, 607 - 649, was titled Yushe shad (郁射設) and eventually married to someone of imperial Li (李) clan), claiming he was weak. Instead, she was married to Ashina Duobi, who was created Illig Qaghan.

With Illig Qaghan

After refusing Yushe Shad, she finally wed to

Illig Qaghan Illig Qaghan (Old Turkic: ; ; died 13 February 634), born Ashina Duobi (), posthumous name Prince Huang of Guiyi (歸義荒王), was the last qaghan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Background He was a son of Yami Qaghan and his Tuyuhun wife ...

in 620, yet another step-son. She was killed in confusion when Tang general Li Jing attacked the khagan's encampment with

Li Shiji Li Shiji (594?The ''Old Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 75 at the time of his death, while the ''New Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 85 at the time of his death. Compare ''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 67 with ''New Book of Tang ...

in March 630, during the Battle of Yinshan.

In popular media

*She was portrayed by Li Xia (李霞) in the 1993 Taiwanese

costume drama Costume is the distinctive style of clothing, dress and/or cosmetics, makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used ...

''Tang Taizong — Li Shimin'' (唐太宗李世民). *Princess Yicheng is a character in

Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh Bakhtiyar Mahmud oghlu Vahabzadeh (; August16, 1925February13, 2009) was an Azerbaijani poet, dramatist, lyricist, translator, professor, and politician. He is often regarded as one of the greatest contemporary poets of the Republic of Azerbaija ...

's ''Göytürklar'' (Gokturks) play. *In the Chinese drama ''

The Long Ballad ''The Long Ballad'' () is a 2021 Chinese television drama, Chinese television series based on the manhua of the same name by Xia Da. It is directed by Zhu Ruibin, and stars Dilraba Dilmurat, Leo Wu, Wu Lei, Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. Set against th ...

'' (长歌行), she is an antagonist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yicheng, Princess Chinese princesses Sui dynasty Transition from Sui to Tang Göktürks Year of birth unknown 630 deaths