As Imperial Consort
In 805, Emperor Dezong died, and Li Song became emperor (as Emperor Shunzong), but as Emperor Shunzong was seriously ill himself, he yielded the throne to Li Chun later that year, and Li Chun took the throne (as Emperor Xianzong). Shortly after Emperor Xianzong took the throne, Princess Guo's mother Princess Shengping offered a tribute of 50 women to Emperor Xianzong, but Emperor Xianzong declined on the rationale that if Emperor Shunzong was not accepting tributes, neither could he. In 806, Emperor Xianzong created Princess Guo Guifei (貴妃) — the highest rank for imperial consorts — but did not create her empress. He also did not create Li You crown prince; rather, he only created Li You the Prince of Sui, instead creating Li You's older brother Li Ning, the son of his concubine Consort Ji, crown prince. Only after Li Ning died in 811 was Li You (who was renamed Li Heng) created crown prince, bypassing another older brother, Li Kuan (李寬) the Prince of Li. Before doing so, Emperor Xianzong had the imperial scholar Cui Qun draft a petition offering to yield on Li Kuan's behalf, but Cui pointed out that Li Heng was born of a wife — and in doing so, recognized Consort Guo as Emperor Xianzong's wife rather than concubine — whereas Li Kuan was born of a concubine, and argued that such a petition would be unnecessary. Emperor Xianzong agreed and did not insist on such a petition.
It was said that the officials, throughout the years, submitted repeated petitions that Consort Guo be created empress, and the efforts became particularly intense in 813. However, Emperor Xianzong, who had many favorite concubines, was concerned that due to Consort Guo's honored lineage, if he created her empress, the other concubines would not be able to have sexual relations with him. He therefore declined on the basis that the times were not fortunate times.
In 820, Emperor Xianzong died suddenly — a death that was commonly believed to have been a murder carried out by the eunuch Chen Hongzhi (陳弘志). After some confusion, in which the powerful eunuch Tutu Chengcui apparently tried to have Li Kuan (whose name had been changed to Li Yun (李惲) by this point) made emperor, several other key eunuchs — Liang Shouqian (梁守謙), Ma Jintan (馬進潭), Liu Chengjie (劉承偕), Wei Yuansu (韋元素), and Wang Shoucheng — had Tutu and Li Yun killed, and they supported Li Heng to be emperor (as Emperor Muzong). Emperor Muzong honored Consort Guo as empress dowager. (Another son of Emperor Xianzong's, Li Yi, would later suspect Consort Guo and Li Heng of being complicit in Emperor Xianzong's murder, although there was no particular evidence linking either to the murder.)
Read more about this topic: Empress Dowager Guo (Muzong)
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