In 428, during the reign of her brother Helian Chang, Emperor Taiwu led his Northern Wei forces to capture the Xia capital Tongwan (統萬, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi), and while Helian Chang fled, she was captured along with most nobles and officials of Xia.
In 432, she was created empress, presumably after being able to pass the traditional Tuoba tribe test by being able to forge a gold statue.
[2] Little is known about Empress Helian's life during her husband's reign.
In 452, he was assassinated by his eunuch, Zong Ai, who claimed that by her orders Emperor Taiwu's son, Tuoba Yu the Prince of Nan'an should be made emperor, bypassing Emperor Taiwu's apparent intended heir, Tuoba Jun, the son of Tuoba Huang the Crown Prince, who had died in 451.
Later that year, Zong assassinated Tuoba Yu as well, but the officials then overthrew Zong and put Tuoba Jun on the throne as Emperor Wencheng, and he honored her as grand empress dowager.