(维基百科）

Great Empresses of China – Role Models for Traditional Women (Part 1)
 
Standards for traditional Chinese women were derived from ancient people's ideals of the unity of Heaven and humankind, and the subsequent traditional moral values. The I Ching (Book of Changes) says that yin and yang means “the way.” “Yin” and “yang” are two different substances, and each naturally has different properties. “Qian” (The Creative, Heaven) and “Kun” (The Receptive, Earth) are typical examples of yin and yang. "The movement of heaven is full of power. Thus, the gentleman makes himself strong and tireless. The earth's condition is one of receptive devotion. Thus, the gentleman who has breadth of character carries the outer world." Feminine and masculine are manifestations of its characteristics. Corresponding to humans, men are masculine, women are feminine; hardness and softness are interdependent and thus in harmony. This is the code of ethics and etiquette formed after the Great Way was implemented in the world.
 
There were more detailed descriptions in ancient times on the standards for women. The Book of Rites, Rites of Zhou, Classic of Poetry, Biographies of Exemplary Women, and other classics laid out clear standards and requirements and also contained role models of ancient women. A traditional woman should be gentle and virtuous, kind and restrained, and should possess an elegant grace that emerges naturally from inside to outside because she has a beautiful heart. What makes a woman truly beautiful is her good virtue. Below are three examples from China's ancient empresses to use as models. They set good examples as virtuous wives and empresses for later generations.
 
I. Empress Yin Lihua of the East Han Dynasty
 
Yin Lihua (5 – 64 AD) from Xinye County1, Nanyang City, was the second empress of the Founding Emperor, Liu Xiu, of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 AD). She was a descendant of Guan Zhong (720 – 645 BC), famed prime minister of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period.
 
Five years after Emperor Liu Xiu unified the nation, Yin Lihua was made empress. According to historical records, Empress Yin was benevolent and devotedly pious. She was full of compassion and kindness. Her father died when she was seven. She cried whenever her father was mentioned although several dozen years had passed. Empress Yin was dignified and gentle, modest and thrifty. She set a good example as a virtuous wife and good empress for later generations.
 
Shortly after the Eastern Han Dynasty was founded, the Emperor did not yet have an empress, so both Guo Shengtong and Yin Lihua were crowned Imperial Consorts (the Ladies). At that time, Guo gave birth to a son, Liu Jiang, the crown prince (heir apparent), but Emperor Liu Xiu wanted to name Yin as empress because of her “motherly role-model of virtue.” In ancient times, the highest glory a female could achieve is to become an empress. Yet, Yin was so humble that she declined the position of empress, citing that she was not fit for the important role. Liu Xiu therefore made Guo Shengtong empress. Afterward, Emperor Liu Xiu wanted to make Yin Lihua's brothers marquesses, but Yin again declined, citing that according to etiquette, brothers of someone who is not the empress should not be made marquesses. The Emperor then tried to reward Yin with jewelry, but she declined this also, saying that the nation had just been stabilized, many things still needed to be done, and wouldn't having so much jewelry be extravagant?
 
After 17 years, Emperor Liu Xiu deposed Empress Guo because “she had continuously complained about her lack of favor,” and made the Lady, Consort Yin, empress instead.
 
Empress Yin was still humble and pleaded with Liu Xiu to treat the deposed Empress Guo Shengtong, who had slandered her many times, with lenience and compassion. Moreover, Empress Yin greatly favored and cared for the deposed crown prince, Liu Jiang, and Guo's youngest son Liu Yan, the Prince of Zhongshan. Empress Yin often told her sons and grandchildren to treat Guo Shengtong's family kindly. She reminded them that Guo Shengtong had been their imperial mother or grandmother of 17 years, and should be treated as such.
 
Emperor Ming of Han dynasty Liu Zhuang (28 – 75 AD) did so, and Yin's grandson Liu Da (57 – 88 AD), Emperor Zhang of Han dynasty, was ever mindful of treating them with compassion. Throughout the Han Dynasty's subsequent imperial families, there were no incidents of deposed crown princes and princes not born to the empress being killed. This moral behavior and practice is inseparable from Emperor Liu Xiu and Empress Yin Lihua's model behavior and teaching.
 
母仪天下的贤后（一）
 
传统女性的标准来源于古人的天人合一思想和由之衍生出的传统道德观念。《易经》曰：一阴一阳谓之道。“阴”“阳”属于两种不同的物质，自然有其不同的属性。“干”、“坤”两卦则是阴阳的典型代表。“天行健，君子以自强不息；地势坤，君子以厚德载物。”阴柔与阳刚是其特性的表现，对应于人，则男性属于阳刚，女性属于阴柔，刚柔相济，相互依存，方能和谐相处，这是大道落实于人后形成的道德规范与礼仪要求。
 
古代对于女性的标准有比较详细的描述，《礼记》、《周礼》、《诗经》、《烈女传》等典籍中既有明确的标准要求，也有历代妇女的榜样和典范。传统的女性标准应该是温柔贤淑、善良含蓄，有因拥有美好的心灵而自然散发出来的由内及外的优雅。美好的德行才是女性的真正美丽之处。我们不妨从古代的母仪天下的贤后中选取三例作为典范。
 
一、东汉阴丽华皇后
 
阴丽华，南阳新野人，东汉开国皇帝刘秀的第二任皇后，为春秋时代著名的齐相管仲之后。
 
刘秀统一天下之后的第五年，阴丽华被册封为皇后。史载：阴后性仁孝，多矜慈。七岁失父，虽已数十年，言及未曾不流涕。在位之时，端庄贤淑，有母仪之美。皇后内持恭俭，外抑宗族，为一代贤后。
 
东汉建立之初，有帝无后，郭圣通、阴丽华二女同封贵人。其时，郭已诞下皇长子刘疆，但刘秀以阴丽华有“母仪之美”，欲立阴氏为后。古之女子，未有不以登后位为人生至荣，可阴氏却非常谦卑，坚辞不受，“自陈不足以当大位”，后刘秀封郭圣通为皇后。之后，刘秀要封阴丽华的所有兄弟为侯爵。阴丽华仍然婉言谢绝，说按自己的身份，她的兄弟们怎么能够越礼做侯爵呢？刘秀又赏赐珠宝给阴丽华，她依然拒绝，说如今国家刚刚稳定，百废待兴，自己要那么多珠宝有什么用呢？
 
建武十七年，光武帝因郭皇后“数怀怨怼”废皇后郭氏，立贵人阴丽华为后。
 
已经是皇后的阴丽华依然谦恭，对多次中伤她的废后郭圣通并没有采取落井下石的态度，反而为她求情，让刘秀本著宽厚仁慈的态度来处理郭圣通。不仅如此，阴丽华还对废太子刘彊及郭氏的小儿子中山王刘焉极尽关爱与照顾。阴丽华常常叮嘱她的儿孙们善待郭圣通的家族，而且要牢记她曾经做过他们十七年的嫡母、嫡祖母。因此必须将郭圣通视作母亲、祖母来看待。
 
这一点，不但明帝刘庄做到了，连阴丽华的孙子汉章帝刘炟都牢记在心。后来的东汉皇族，确实再没有发生过杀害废太子和非己所出皇子的事情。这不能不说与刘秀和阴丽华的身体力行、传为家训分不开。