Wei Gui

Wei Gui
韦珪
Wei Gui; 韦珪
Noble Consort of Tang
Reign	Unknown
Born	597; Sui dynasty
Died	665; Prince Ji's manor, Tang dynasty
Burial	Zhaoling Mausoleum
Spouse	Li Min of Bohai Li clan; Emperor Taizong of Tang
Issue	Princess Dingxiang; Princess Linchuan; Li Shen, Prince Ji
Father	Wei Yuancheng, Duke of Yun (勋国公韦圆成)
Mother	Unknown

Noble Consort Wei (Chinese: 貴妃京兆韋氏／贵妃京兆韦氏; 597–665), personal name Gui (珪), courtesy name Ze (澤), was a imperial concubine of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Life

Background

Lady Wei comes from a noble clans, a branch of the Jingzhao Wei clan. Her ancestral home was in Duling, Jingzhao Region.^[1]

Father: Wei Yuancheng, Duke of Yun (勋国公韦圆成)
- Grandfather: Wei Zong, Duke of Nanjun (南郡开国公, 549 – 20 January 577)
  - Great-grandfather: Wei Xiaokuan, Duke Xiang of Xun (勛襄公韋孝寬) (509 – 17 December 580)^[2]
  - Great-Grandmother: Lady of Anle County, of the Zheng clan of Xingyang (安樂郡君氏, d. 22 July 553), personal name Piluo (毗羅)
Unkown Mother
Uncle: Wei Yuanzhao, Duke of Henan (河南郡公韦圆照, 572 – 17 November 623), husband of Princess Fengning (丰宁公主), granddaughter of Emperor Wen of Sui
Cousin: Crown Princess Wei clan of Sui dynasty(太子妃京兆韦氏), mother of Yang You
Cousin: Lady of Bright Countenance, of the Wei clan (昭容韋氏／韦氏), personal name Nizi (尼子, concubine of Li Shimin

Sui and Tang dynasties

Wei Gui was born in one of the nobles families around that time, the Jingzhao Wei, to Wei Yuancheng, grandson of general and Royal Tutor Wei Xiaokuan. Lady's Wei father died early and she never had any siblings.^[3] Her first husband was Li Min (李珉) of Bohai Li clan, son of General Li Zixiong (李子雄). By him she had a daughter, Lady Li.

After her first husabnd death, she became a concubine of Li Shimin, with whom had 2 children, Li Mengjiang and Li Shen. Li Shimin also adopter her first daughter and granted her title of Princess Dingxiang (定襄县主) before her marriage to Ashina Zhong (阿史那忠). After becoming emperor, Li Shimin made Wei Gui his Noble Consort (贵妃), first of the four consorts, just below Empress Zhangshun.

When Li Zhi became emperor, he granted her a title of Dowager Consort (太妃) and allowed her to stay at her son's feudal domain. Li Zhi also had a good relationship with Consort Wei and her son , often inviting him to the Imperial Palace. In 665, she died and was burried in Zhaoling Mausoleum.^[4]

Titles

Dring the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui (r. 4 March 581 – 13 August 604)
- Lady Wei (韦氏, from 597)
During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui (r. 21 August 604 – 11 April 618)
- Furen (夫人, from unkown date)
- Concubine (妾，after 613)
During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (4 September 626 – 10 July 649)
- Noble Consort (贵妃, from 626)
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (15 July 649 – 27 December 683)
- Dowager Consort of Ji State (纪国太妃, from 649)

Issue

As Furen:

Princess Dingxiang (定襄县主李氏, d.653), Li Min's 1st daughter^[5]

As Concubine:

Princess Linchuan (臨川公主／临川公主; 624–682), personal name Mengjiang (孟姜), Taizongs's 10th daughter

Li Shen, Prince of Ji (紀王李慎／纪王李慎; d. 689), Taizong's 10th son

References

^ New Book of Tang·Volume 74·Table 14
^ New Book of Tang·Volume 74·Table 14
^ 《唐太宗文皇帝故贵妃纪国太妃之铭》：惟太妃粤自（缺一字）强褓，婴罹□凶。逮於四龄，便知号慕。每言及，哽咽悲不自腾。亲（缺一字）中表，咸所嘉欢。
^ 唐会要》：永徽六年正月一日。亲谒昭陵。文武百官。宗室子孙并陪位。上降辇易服。行哭就位。再拜擗踊。礼毕。又改服。奉谒寝宫。其崇圣宫妃嫔。大长公主以下。及越赵纪三国太妃等。 [3] 《唐太宗文皇帝故贵妃纪国太妃之铭》：於是重
^ New Book of Tang Vol. 53

[1] New Book of Tang·Volume 74·Table 14

[2] New Book of Tang·Volume 74·Table 14

[3] 《唐太宗文皇帝故贵妃纪国太妃之铭》：惟太妃粤自（缺一字）强褓，婴罹□凶。逮於四龄，便知号慕。每言及，哽咽悲不自腾。亲（缺一字）中表，咸所嘉欢。

[4] 唐会要》：永徽六年正月一日。亲谒昭陵。文武百官。宗室子孙并陪位。上降辇易服。行哭就位。再拜擗踊。礼毕。又改服。奉谒寝宫。其崇圣宫妃嫔。大长公主以下。及越赵纪三国太妃等。 [3] 《唐太宗文皇帝故贵妃纪国太妃之铭》：於是重

[5] New Book of Tang Vol. 53

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