She, Fu Hao and Lady Nanzi belonged to the few politically influential women in China prior to Queen Dowager Xuan.
She was the first daughter of the Great Duke of Qi, of the Lü lineage of the Jiang clan of Qi (邑姜 姜姓 呂氏), a former officer of the Shang dynasty who was given political asylum at the home of Ji Chang, Count Wen of Zhou State, when he was pursued by King Zhou of the Shang dynasty.
Yijiang married Ji Chang's second son, Ji Fa, the future King Wu, in the year of their first meeting around 1055 BC she gave birth to two children, the oldest being Ji Song, future King Cheng of Zhou (probably born in 1054 BC), the second son was Ji Yu, future Duke of Tang.
It was considered a sign of good fortune for the Zhou rulers when they married consorts of the Jiang family, this former aristocratic family that had been losing its prominence in the last years of the Shang dynasty, and was restored to power after the founding of the Zhou dynasty.
Yi Jiang is acknowledged to have had influence over the affairs of state.