Prince of Hongnong
The warlord Dong Zhuo ultimately led his forces into Luoyang, the imperial capital, and took advantage of the power vacuum to seize control of the Han central government. In 190, he deposed Emperor Shao (who was demoted to "Prince of Hongnong") and replaced him with Liu Xie (the Prince of Chenliu), who is historically known as Emperor Xian. A tearful Empress Dowager He watched as her son was forcefully pulled away from his throne, while the officials watched and did not dare to say anything for fear of antagonising Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo subsequently relocated Empress Dowager He to Yong'an Palace () and had her poisoned to death there. He also killed the empress dowager's mother, the Lady of Wuyang (). Dong Zhuo then forced Emperor Xian to attend the empress dowager's funeral at Fengchang Village (), a district of Luoyang. The officials who attended the funeral were dressed in plain colours but not proper mourning attire; the entire ceremony did not befit her status as an empress dowager. She was buried in the Wenzhao Mausoleum () with Emperor Ling as an empress instead of empress dowager, and posthumously honoured as "Empress Lingsi" ().