It is not known when Yaonian Yanmujin was born. as Xiao Yanmujin because, according to the History of Liao, Emperor Taizu greatly admired Emperor Gao of Han, and so referred to his own Yelü clan by the name of Liu as well, while he had the names of the traditional wife clans of Yelü chieftains — the most prominent of whom included the Yishi and Bali clans — change their names to Xiao Yaonian Yanmujin was of the Yaonian clan, and was a daughter of the chancellor Yaonian Tila. At some point, Yaonian Yanmujin married the Yelü chieftain Yelü Saladi. She bore him six children — five of his six sons, including his oldest son Yelü Abaoji, and one daughter.
As empress dowager
After Yelü Abaoji succeeded Yelü Saladi as the Yelü chief, he conquered the other Khitan tribes by force, and by 907, he had declared himself the emperor of a new Khitan Empire as its Emperor Taizu. He honored his mother Yaonian Yamujin as empress dowager. Still, despite her honored title, her daughter-in-law Empress Shulü Ping, because of Empress Shulü's own battlefield accomplishments, refused to bow to her and instead made them bow to herself, stating, "I only bow to Heaven, not to humans." In 913, while Emperor Taizu was away at Lu River, he believed that there would be a joint rebellion by his brothers Yelü Diela and Yelü Anduan, and therefore arrested them. When another brother, Yelü Lage heard this, Yelü Lage then arrived at the Khitan headquarters with an army, apparently planning to declare himself emperor. It was at Empress Dowager Yaonian's orders that he departed from the headquarters. His army subsequently pillaged the headquarters but were repelled by Empress Shulü's army, and they subsequently departed. In 919, on an occasion when Emperor Taizu was attacking the Wugu Tribe, he heard that Empress Dowager Yaonian was ill, and therefore returned to headquarters to attend to her. He resumed the Wugu campaign once she recovered.
In 927, Emperor Taizu died and was succeeded by his son Yelü Deguang. Emperor Taizong honored Empress Dowager Yaonian as grand empress dowager. She died in 933.
