This sentence concludes the biographies of imperial women in the Liao dynastic history compiled in the fourteenth century, the Liaoshi 遼史 (History of the Liao). Founded by the nomadic Khitan (Chinese: Qidan 契丹) tribesmen from the eastern Mongolian steppe, the Liao 遼 (907– 1125) dynasty is characterized by a series of powerful empresses and empress dowagers, all determined and ambitious, who played a predominant role in Liao court politics, and even in military affairs, in a conspicuous manner.

Despite the traditional Chinese view that imperial women should retreat from state affairs and never concern themselves with anything but the domestic events of the inner quarter, involving women in state politics, or even to rule as female regents on behalf of their progeny, was a time-honoured Chinese institution. In total, the 2,000 years of Chinese imperial history have witnessed some thirty empress dowagers who served as regents of their dynasties and reigned as actual rulers. Compared to many native Chinese dynasties, including the Northern Song 北宋 dynasty (960– 1127), the contemporary of the Liao, which produced five female regents in only 166 years of existence, it seems that the Liao imperial women may not have been as unusual as the Liaoshi claims. However, in native Chinese dynasties, imperial consorts were normally given restricted access to power under the circumstances of national emergency, such as the illness or sudden death of the reigning emperor when no mature heirs were available.

The Liao empresses, on the other hand, did not have to wait for the development of such conditions to exert their influence. Many of them had already been powerful and shared the authority of ruling with their husbands during the lifetime of the latter. Moreover, noble Khitan women were indeed unusual in terms of their martial activities. Many Khitan imperial women were capable administrators and, at the same time, vigorous military leaders as well.