Empress Xia

Synopsis of Empress Xia

Xia Yungu was a village girl who grew up at the foot of Mingyue Mountain. Blessed with natural intelligence and a fortunate twist of fate, she was selected to enter the palace at the age of sixteen. Starting as an attendant to the Empress Dowager, she gradually drew closer to the heart of power. She eventually married Zhao Shen, and after he ascended the throne as Emperor Xiaozong of Song, she was honored as Empress Chenggong Xia.

Though she had endured poverty and often followed her father to temples to scrounge for vegetarian meals, this farmer’s daughter never forgot her roots after becoming empress. With a steadfastly simple heart, she devoted herself to supporting the emperor. Knowing of Yue Fei’s determination to serve his country with absolute loyalty and the injustice he had suffered, she actively encouraged and supported Emperor Xiaozong in clearing his name, becoming a key force behind this historic event. She also joined forces with her younger brother, Xia Zhizhong, to take an active role in governing the court: cracking down on corrupt officials to clean up government, building water conservancy projects on a large scale to benefit the people, and establishing flourishing medicinal markets to improve public well-being. Through a series of practical measures, she helped Emperor Xiaozong govern with dedication and strengthen the nation, writing a legendary life story from village girl to virtuous empress.