Consort Yujiulü


Consort Yujiulü , formally Empress Gong, was a consort of Tuoba Huang, a crown prince of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. She was the mother of Emperor Wencheng.
Consort Yujiulü was a sister of Yujiulü Pi, who was a member of Rouran's royal house, but who surrendered to Northern Wei and thereafter became a Northern Wei general, during Emperor Taiwu's reign. Consort Yujiulü herself was described as beautiful, and during Emperor Taiwu's reign she was selected to be a consort for his son Tuoba Huang. She was much favored, and she bore him his oldest son Tuoba Jun in 440. Her husband died in 451, however, after becoming ill over fear of false accusations by the eunuch Zong Ai. Zong subsequently assassinated Emperor Taiwu and Tuoba Huang's younger brother Tuoba Yu in 452, and then was overthrown by high-ranking officials, who made Tuoba Jun emperor. Consort Yujiulü died soon thereafter without having been honored as an empress dowager, but later that year, Emperor Wencheng did posthumously honor his parents as emperor and empress, and she became known as Empress Gong.
Scholar Li Ping suggested that Consort Yujiulü died an irregular death, due to the custom that all the mothers of heirs to Wei throne should be put to death.