Consort Yujiulü (died 452), formally Empress Gong (恭皇后, literally "the respectful empress"), was a consort of Tuoba Huang

Tuoba Huang

Tuoba Huang , formally Crown Prince Jingmu , later further formally honored as Emperor Jingmu with the temple name Gongzong by his son Emperor Wencheng, was a crown prince of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

 (Crown Prince Jingmu), a crown prince

Crown Prince

A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

 of the Chinese

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

/Xianbei

Xianbei

The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...

 dynasty Northern Wei

Northern Wei

The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...

. She was the mother of Emperor Wencheng

Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei

Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Jun , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

.

Consort Yujiulü was a sister of Yujiulü Pi (郁久閭毗), who was a member of Rouran

Rouran

Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...

's royal house, but who surrendered to Northern Wei and thereafter became a Northern Wei general, during Emperor Taiwu

Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei

Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Tao , nickname Foli , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...

'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

Eunuch

A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...

 Zong Ai

Zong Ai

Zong Ai was a eunuch who briefly came to great power in the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei in 452 after assassinating Emperor Taiwu and making his son Tuoba Yu emperor.Little is known about Zong's career prior to 451...

. Zong subsequently assassinated Emperor Taiwu and Tuoba Huang's younger brother Tuoba Yu

Tuoba Yu

Tuoba Yu , formally Prince Yin of Nan'an , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was placed on the throne by the eunuch Zong Ai after Zong assassinated his father Emperor Taiwu in spring 452, and Zong was largely in control of the regime during his reign...

 (whom he had briefly made emperor) in 452, and then was overthrown by high-ranking officials, who made Tuoba Jun emperor (as Emperor Wencheng). Consort Yujiulü died soon thereafter without having been honored as an empress dowager

Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...

, but later that year, Emperor Wencheng did posthumously honor his parents as emperor and empress, and she became known as Empress Gong.