Consort Dugu - As Imperial Consort

As Imperial Consort

After Li Chu, whose name had been changed to Li Yu by that point, became emperor in 762 (as Emperor Daizong), Consort Dugu was created the imperial consort rank of Guifei (貴妃) in 768 -- the highest rank among imperial consorts, but was not created empress, and it was said that it was for her that Emperor Daizong never created anyone else empress. (The modern Chinese historian Bo Yang suggested that the reason was that Emperor Daizong did not want to endanger the position of his oldest son Li Kuo, who had been created crown prince.)

Consort Dugu bore Emperor Daizong two children -- Li Jiong (李迥), who was created the Prince of Han in 762 due to the favor that Consort Dugu was enjoying while most of his other brothers were not created imperial princes until 775, and Princess Huayang, who was herself said to be favored by Emperor Daizong greatly due to her intelligence and her ability to discern his likes and dislikes. When Princess Huayang died in 774, he was so greatly saddened that he did not attend imperial meetings for several days until the chancellors asked the eunuch Wu Chengqian (吳承倩) to persuade him to attend to government matters. It was later rumored that the important minister Liu Yan had tried to persuade Emperor Daizong to create Consort Dugu empress, but failed to convince Emperor Daizong. He honored her family great -- posthumously honoring her father Dugu Ying, and also granting honorific offices to her uncle Dugu Zhuo (獨孤卓) and her brother Dugu Liangzuo (獨孤良佐).