Before Consort Xiao's Death
Li Sujie was born in 646, when his father Li Zhi was crown prince under his grandfather Emperor Taizong. He was Li Zhi's fourth son, and he was born of Li Zhi's then-favorite concubine, Consort Xiao. After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Li Zhi succeeded him (as Emperor Gaozong), and in 651 created Li Sujie the Prince of Yong and gave him titularly the important post of prefect of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). It was said that Li Sujie could recite 500-word ancient poems, and was studious in studying under the scholar Xu Qidan (徐齊聃). He was said to be much loved by Emperor Gaozong. When he grew older, he was made the prefect of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi).
Meanwhile, Li Sujie's mother Consort Xiao was locked in a fierce battle with Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) for the affections of Emperor Gaozong, in which she allied herself with the emperor's primary wife Empress Wang. In 655, Consort Wu accused Empress Wang and her mother Lady Liu of engaging in witchcraft, and in response, Emperor Gaozong deposed and imprisoned not only Empress Wang, but also Consort Xiao, replacing Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Soon thereafter, the deposed Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were executed on Empress Wu's orders.
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