Empress Dou (Wen)

Empress Dou Yifang (Chinese: 竇皇后猗房; died 29 June 135 BC^[1]), formally Empress Xiaowen (孝文皇后), was an empress of the Chinese Han dynasty who greatly influenced the reigns of her husband Emperor Wen and her son Emperor Jing with her adherence to Taoist philosophy; she was the main support for the Huang-Lao school.^[2] She therefore contributed greatly to the Rule of Wen and Jing, commonly considered one of the golden ages of Chinese history. She even continued her considerable influence in the reign of her grandson Emperor Wu, and even her influence in the reign of Emperor Wu was so great that the young emperor did not have the power to decide for himself even one day. She did not allow him to rule because of her grandson's opposition to ancestral laws and favoring Confucianism against Taoist. As a result, according to her influence, the Taoist laws were in force over the empire until her death.