Empress Dowager Guo

Empress Dowager Guo (郭太后, personal name unknown) (died June 25, 848), formally Empress Yi'an (懿安皇后, "the benevolent and peaceful empress"), was an empress dowager of the Chinese Tang dynasty. During the reign of her husband Emperor Xianzong, she was commonly regarded as his wife and the proper empress even though she never received the title from him, and she subsequently served as empress dowager during the reign of their son Emperor Muzong, their grandsons Emperor Jingzong, Emperor Wenzong, Emperor Wuzong, and his son (by a concubine) Emperor Xuānzong. Background It is not known exactly when the future Empress Dowager Guo was born. Her father was the official Guo Ai (郭曖), one of the sons of the great general Guo Ziyi, and her mother was Princess Shengping, a daughter of Emperor Daizong. In 793—by which time her father Guo Ai was described to be deceased—she married Li Chun the Prince of Guangling, the oldest son of Li Song the Crown Prince, son of then-reigning Emperor Dezong (Emperor Daizong's son). (She was therefore marrying her cousin's son.) She thus became the Princess of Guangling. It was said that because her mother was a princess and her grandfather and father both had great contributions to the state, she was much favored by her father-in-law Li Song. In 795, she gave birth to Li Chun's third son Li You. Later she gave birth to Li Chun's sixth son Li Wu and a daughter Princess Qiyang. 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.