Emperor Xiao Yan of Liangwu and his wife Xi Hui were very affectionate, but Xi Hui did not have any more children after giving birth to three daughters in a row, and Xiao Yan did not have a son until he was in his thirties. In order to give birth to a son, he had to take a concubine, so in 498 AD, Xiao Yan took Ding Lingguang as a concubine.
At that time, Ding Lingguang was only fourteen years old, and she was a beautiful young girl of a wonderful age. Although Ding Lingguang was a concubine, her birth was not low, she was the daughter of Yanzhou Assassin Shi Ding Daoqian, and she was also an official family.
In the second year of the Southern Dynasty Qi Yongming (484 AD), Ding Lingguang was born in Fancheng, a native of the State of Qi (谯国, in present-day Bozhou, Anhui).
All women want their husbands to be single-minded about themselves and do not want to have concubines in the family, and Xi Hui is certainly no exception. Xi Hui did not like the concubine Ding Lingguang, she treated Ding Lingguang extremely badly, arrogant and unscrupulous, and let Ding Lingguang scoop rice five times a day.
Even if a poor woman marries into a rich family as a concubine, she does not want to do physical work, not to mention that Ding Lingguang is still an official eunuch. But Ding Lingguang worked hard, and the rice often met the requirements.
Although the concubine Ding Lingguang was extremely harsh and almost abusive, Ding Lingguang was not only not angry, but she also served the concubine Xi Hui more carefully and respectfully.
In the first year of Yongyuan (499 AD), His wife Xi Hui died of illness, and the good days of the concubine Ding Lingguang came, but Xiao Yan did not correct her. Calculated carefully, Ding Lingguang's life of scooping rice is only a year.
In September of the first year of Zhongxing (501 AD), Ding Lingguang gave birth to his son Xiao Tong in Xiangyang, when Xiao Yan led an uprising against the then emperor Xiao Baojuan (Eastern Xiahou), and Ding Lingguang and his son Xiao Tong remained in Xiangyang. Soon after, Xiao Yan pacified the capital city of Jiankang and took Ding Lingguang's mother and son to Jiankang to live.
In April of the first year of the Tianjian Dynasty (502 AD), Xiao Yan ascended the throne and established the Southern Dynasty Liang as Emperor Wu of Liang.
Xiao Yan was very fond of his wife Xi Hui, and he posthumously honored his wife Xi Hui as empress, and then never made an empress.
In May of the same year, many officials asked Emperor Liangwu to make Ding Lingguang a nobleman, but Emperor Liangwu did not make him a nobleman.
In August of the same year, many officials again asked Emperor Wu of Liang to make Ding Lingguang a concubine, and Emperor Wu of Liang agreed, so ding Lingguang was made a concubine, with the status above the three wives, and lived in the Xianyang Hall.
In November of the same year, Emperor Wu of Liang and Ding Lingguang's son Xiao Tong became crown prince.
In the second year of Tianjian (503 AD), Ding Lingguang gave birth to Xiao Gang, the third son of Emperor Wu of Liang.
In the third year of Tianjian (504 AD), Ding Lingguang gave birth to Xiao Xu, the fifth son of Emperor Wu of Liang.
Ding Lingguang was very suitable for male appearance, and she had three sons, namely: Xiao Tong the Prince of Zhaoming, Xiao Gang the Emperor of Liangjianwen, and Xiao Xu, the Prince of Lulingwei. Having given birth to three sons in four years, Ding Lingguang was truly blessed.
Although Ding Lingguang, who was the birth mother of the crown prince, was not an empress, but her position in the harem was transcendent, she did not become proud of it, but she had a benevolent and frugal personality, did not like luxurious decorations, and the utensils and clothes used did not have precious and beautiful things. Because she was a benevolent person, she was deeply loved by the concubines and concubines.
Ding Lingguang was of good moral character and did not privately request for the affairs of his mother's relatives. Later, Emperor Xiao Yan of Liangwu believed in Buddhism, Ding Lingguang also sang with women, had been vegetarian for many years, was good at Buddhism, and the Buddhist scriptures established by Emperor Wu of Liang, Ding Lingguang understood its essentials, especially proficient in the "Pure Name Sutra".
In the seventh year of the common era (526 AD), Ding Lingguang was seriously ill, and Emperor Wu of Liang granted her amnesty. In this year, Ding Lingguang died at the age of forty-two and was buried in Ningling with the nickname "Mu". Emperor Wu of Liang did not posthumously make her empress.
In Emperor Wu of Liang's mind, Ding Lingguang was no more than a concubine, and could not be compared with his wife Xi Hui.
Although Ding Lingguang's eldest son, Xiao Tong the Prince of Zhaoming, was not long enough to live, and before Emperor Wu of Liang died, Xiao Tong, the crown prince of Zhaoming, died of illness because Emperor Wu of Liang lived too long and lived to the age of eighty-six.
After Emperor Wu of Liang's death, after Ding Lingguang's second son Xiao Gang took the throne, Xiao Gang posthumously honored his birth mother Ding Lingguang as empress.
Ordinary concubines are charming and charming, and they are scheming, even if they can't replace their wives, they often make bad things in secret. And when Ding Lingguang abused her by his wife, he not only did not make a bad mistake, but also treated his wife respectfully. Ding Lingguang should be regarded as the kindest and most virtuous concubine in Chinese history, and it is worth learning from the concubines in the world.