Princess Pingyang

Posthumous name
	Zhao (昭)

Princess Zhao of Pingyang
Princess Zhao of Pingyang
Born	Between 583 and 598
Died	March 623
Spouse	Chai Shao (柴紹)
Issue	Chai Zhewei, Duke of Qiao (柴哲威); Chai Lingwu, Duke of Xiangyang (柴令武)
Posthumous name
Posthumous name
	Zhao (昭)
Father	Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Mother	Empress Taimu

Princess Pingyang (Chinese: 平陽公主; pinyin: Píngyáng Gōngzhǔ, formally Princess Zhao of Pingyang (平陽昭公主, died March 623) was a Chinese princess and general.

She was the only daughter of Li Yuan (later crowned as Emperor Gaozu), the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty, and his wife Empress Taimu. She helped him to seize power and eventually take over the throne from Sui dynasty by organizing an "Army of the Lady" (娘子軍), commanded by herself, in her campaign to capture the Sui capital Chang'an. She was the first woman general of the Tang dynasty.

^ While the birth year of the princess was not recorded in historical sources, it is known that she was older than Li Shimin. In vol.197 of Zizhi Tongjian, Li Shimin (by then the emperor) apologized to Princess Changguang for executing Zhao Jie (her son with her first husband Zhao Cijing) and addressed her as "elder sister" (初，长广公主适赵慈景，生节；慈景死，更适师道。师道与长孙无忌等共鞫承乾狱，阴为赵节道地，由是获谴。上至公主所，公主以首击地，泣谢子罪，上亦拜泣曰：“赏不避仇雠，罚不阿亲戚，此天下至公之道，不敢违也，以是负姊。”). In vol.83 of Xin Tang Shu, Princess Changguang was listed as Li Yuan's fifth daughter. Thus, Princess Pingyang, as Li Yuan's third daughter, must be older than Li Shimin. It is unclear if Pingyang was older or younger than Li Jiancheng. While historical sources did not indicate when Li Yuan and Lady Dou were wedded, the date should be before Dou Yi's (Lady Dou's father) death on 3 Jan 583. ([开皇二年]十二月...甲戌，上柱国窦毅卒。) Sui Shu, vol.01.

[1] While the birth year of the princess was not recorded in historical sources, it is known that she was older than Li Shimin. In vol.197 of Zizhi Tongjian, Li Shimin (by then the emperor) apologized to Princess Changguang for executing Zhao Jie (her son with her first husband Zhao Cijing) and addressed her as "elder sister" (初，长广公主适赵慈景，生节；慈景死，更适师道。师道与长孙无忌等共鞫承乾狱，阴为赵节道地，由是获谴。上至公主所，公主以首击地，泣谢子罪，上亦拜泣曰：“赏不避仇雠，罚不阿亲戚，此天下至公之道，不敢违也，以是负姊。”). In vol.83 of Xin Tang Shu, Princess Changguang was listed as Li Yuan's fifth daughter. Thus, Princess Pingyang, as Li Yuan's third daughter, must be older than Li Shimin. It is unclear if Pingyang was older or younger than Li Jiancheng. While historical sources did not indicate when Li Yuan and Lady Dou were wedded, the date should be before Dou Yi's (Lady Dou's father) death on 3 Jan 583. ([开皇二年]十二月...甲戌，上柱国窦毅卒。) Sui Shu, vol.01.

[1]