Consort Niu, imperial consort rank Zhaorong (牛昭容, personal name unknown) was an imperial consort 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...

 dynasty Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

. She was a concubine to Emperor Shunzong

Emperor Shunzong of Tang

Emperor Shunzong of Tang , personal name Li Song , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was created crown prince in 779 and became emperor in 805 after the death of his father Emperor Dezong, of whom he was the oldest son...

 (Li Song).

Nothing is known about Consort Niu's background, as there is no biography of her in the collections of empresses' and imperial consorts' biographies of the Book of Tang

Book of Tang

The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...

or the New Book of Tang

New Book of Tang

The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...

. It is not known when she became Li Song's concubine, but it appeared to be during the time that he was serving as 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....

 under his father Emperor Dezong

Emperor Dezong of Tang

Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...

.

In 805

805

Year 805 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Byzantine Empire :* Emperor Nicephorus I of Byzantium suffers a major defeat against the Saracens at Crasus.- Asia :...

, after Emperor Dezong's death, Li Song became emperor (as Emperor Shunzong). Li Song had, in late 804

804

Year 804 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Japanese monk Kukai visits China, from which he brings back texts of Shingon ....

, suffered a debilitating stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 that rendered him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. It was said that, as a result, after he became emperor, he rarely met the officials and was often in the palace behind a screen, attended to by Consort Niu and 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...

 Li Zhongyan (李忠言). By this point, Consort Niu was carrying the title of Zhaorong, the sixth highest rank for imperial consorts.

It was said that Consort Niu and Li Zhongyan formed a group of decision-makers, along with Emperor Shunzong's trusted officials Wang Shuwen

Wang Shuwen

Wang Shuwen was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was a close associate of Emperor Shunzong while Li Song was crown prince under his father Emperor Dezong, and was powerful during Emperor Shunzong's brief reign in 805, when Emperor Shunzong was severely ill...

 and Wang Pi

Wang Pi

Wang Pi was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, who was a close associate of Emperor Shunzong . He, along with his ally Wang Shuwen, was powerful during Emperor Shunzong's brief reign in 805, but soon lost power and died in exile.- Background and service under Li Song as Crown Prince :It is...

 and the chancellor Wei Zhiyi

Wei Zhiyi

Wei Zhiyi was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor in 805, during the brief reign of Emperor Shunzong and then briefly into the reign of Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong...

, and they effectively made the decisions on Emperor Shunzong's behalf. They feared Emperor Shunzong's oldest son Li Chun

Emperor Xianzong of Tang

Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...

 the Prince of Guangling, purportedly because of Li Chun's decisiveness, and initially resisted the suggestions by a number of officials that Li Chun be created crown prince. By written proposal of the imperial scholar Zheng Yin

Zheng Yin (Middle Tang)

Zheng Yin , courtesy name Wenming , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.- Background :...

, however, Li Chun was created crown prince anyway. Late in 805, by which time Wang Shuwen and Wang Pi had lost power, Emperor Shunzong yielded the throne to Li Chun (as Emperor Xianzong) and took the title of Taishang Huang

Taishang Huang

Retired Emperor, Grand Emperor, or Emperor Emeritus is a title occasionally used throughout East Asian feudal regimes for former emperors who had abdicated voluntarily to their sons. This title appeared in the history of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam...

(retired emperor). He died in 806

806

Year 806 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Heizei succeeds Emperor Kammu as Emperor of Japan....

. Nothing further was recorded in history about Consort Niu, and it is not known whether she suffered any reprisals or when she died.