Empress Mu

Mu Sheli (穆舍利), originally named Mu Yeli (穆邪利), nickname Huanghua (黃花), was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. She was Gao Wei's last empress.

Mu Sheli's mother Mu Qingxiao (穆輕霄) was initially a servant in the household of the official Mu Zilun (穆子倫) and therefore carried his family name. Later, for reasons unknown, she became a servant of the official Song Qindao (宋欽道), where she became pregnant and gave birth to Mu Sheli. (Mu Sheli's father is not known for certain, but some believed that Song Qindao was the father.) Song's wife was jealous of her, and tattooed the character Song on her face. After Song was killed in a power struggle in 560 between the prime minister Yang Yin (of whom Song was an associate) and Emperor Fei's uncle Gao Yan the Prince of Changshan (later Emperor Xiaozhao), Mu Sheli became a servant inside the palace. During Gao Wei's reign, she became a servant to his first wife Empress Hulü. She had a sexual relationship with Gao Wei and became his favorite. Gao Wei's wet nurse Lu Lingxuan, in order to strengthen her own power, offered to become Mu Sheli's adoptive mother, and had Gao Wei formally make Mu Sheli an imperial consort. Lady Lu went as far as having her son Luo Tipo change his family name to Mu.

In 570, Consort Mu gave birth to Gao Wei's first son Gao Heng. Lady Lu planned to have Gao Heng become crown prince in the future, but feared that Empress Hulü would oppose it, and so she gave Gao Heng to Empress Hulü to raise. Later that year, Gao Heng was created crown prince.

In 572, believing in false accusations by the official Zu Ting that Empress Hulü's father Hulü Guang was about to rebel, Gao Wei killed Hulü Guang and his clan and deposed Empress Hulü. Lady Lu wanted to make Consort Mu empress, but at that time, Gao Wei favored his cousin Consort Hu -- Empress Dowager Hu's niece, and Empress Dowager Hu, who had been put under house arrest by Gao Wei in 571 after her affair with the Buddhist monk Tanxian (曇獻) was discovered—wanted Consort Hu to be empress as well. Not confident that she had sufficient persuasive power, however, she had to flatter and give gifts to Lady Lu, requesting her help. Lady Lu, seeing that Gao Wei favored Consort Hu at that time, jointly submitted, with Zu, the suggestion to make Consort Hu empress. In fall 572, Gao Wei created Consort Hu empress.

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