Lady Helan


Lady Helan 贺兰氏, was the Lady of Wei during the Tang Dynasty and the niece of Wu Zetian. The Lady of Wei was an honorable title for relatives of the Emperor and Empress. She was implicated in court politics during her lifetime.

Background

Lady Helan was the daughter of Wu Shun and Helan Yueshi. Wu Shun was the first daughter of Wu Shiyue and Lady Yang, and the older sister of Empress Wu. Helan Yueshi was the son of the Duke of Yingshan and died early. Lady Helan had a brother named Helan Minzhi, who had incestuous relations with their grandmother Lady Yang. Lady Helan was exceedingly beautiful and inherited her mother's characteristics.

Lady of Wei

Lady Helan frequently entered the palace along with her mother, Wu Shun. They were favored by Emperor Gaozong and he created her the Lady of Wei and her mother the Lady of Han. Lady Han soon died afterwards, presumably on the orders of Lady Helan's aunt, Empress Wu.
Emperor Gaozong wanted to keep Lady Helan as a concubine, but Empress Wu found out and was angered. Empress Wu had the Lady of Wei poisoned by placing poison in food offerings that her cousins had made. She then proceeded to blame Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun for the murder and they were executed. Lady Helan's brother, Helan Minzhi, suspected Empress Wu of murdering his sister and was exiled.

Modern Depictions

Lady Helan is well known in television series as Helan Minyue. She is often portrayed as an antagonist.