 Empress Shulü Ping , who became known as Empress Dowager Yingtian following the death of her husband , was an exceptionally powerful figure both before and after Taizu 's death . While the latter was alive , Shulü Ping commanded an army of 200 @,@ 000 horsemen that was tasked with maintaining order while Taizu led military campaigns abroad . She also led campaigns herself . Following the death of her husband , the Empress rejected the traditional Khitan custom of being buried with him , and elected to cut off her right hand and bury that with the Emperor instead . Shulü Ping then seized full military and civil authority in order to oversee the imperial succession under her own terms . The Empress 's refusal to kill herself and be buried with Taizu effectively ended the longstanding custom . 
